The FIM Motocross World Championship stars head back from Sweden to north-western Europe, as the MXGP of The Netherlands presents another tough challenge for round 16 on the outskirts of Arnhem.
The Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden circuit at Arnhem was new to the calendar in 2023 and saw overall victories for Romain Febvre in MXGP and Liam Everts in MX2, although it is one of 31 separate circuits in the country to have hosted Grand Prix Motocross since the very start of the Championship in 1957, when it was held at the Lichtenvoorde circuit about 35 km east of Arnhem itself.
The winner that day was the first ever world champion, Bill Nilsson from Sweden.
Of this weekend’s riders, Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing has won the most in The Netherlands with 14 Grands Prix on his home sandy soil, although he has been unable to challenge for one since 2020.
The home fans have a host of Dutch riders to cheer for in all classes, with Championship challengers in every race, so they will generate a boisterous atmosphere as we saw last year.
One of the most successful racers in Dutch events will make his return to action this weekend, as Antonio Cairoli comes out of retirement to debut the new Ducati Desmo450 MX machine for the Ducati Factory MX Team.
His presence means we have the winners of the past 15 MXGP world titles on the start line at Arnhem.
As the season begins its final quarter, Slovenian Tim Gajser continues to hold the red plate for Team HRC as he goes for his third GP win on Dutch sand, with Spain’s Jorge Prado just 17 points back for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, while Herlings is lying 48 points behind the Slovenian.
Dutchman Kay de Wolf will carry the red plate for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing into his home Grand Prix, but team-mate Lucas Coenen cut his advantage down to 49 points with victory at Uddevalla.
Simon Laengenfelder is third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing and his race win at Lommel in July will bolster his confidence for the Dutch conditions.
The local fans will be trackside early on Sunday for the sixth and penultimate round of the WMX Women’s Motocross World Championship, currently being led by the self-titled “Queen of Sand” Lotte van Drunen, who holds a narrow three-point lead for De Baets Yamaha over Spanish rival Daniela Guillen, who will try to spoil the party on her RFME Spain National Team GASGAS.
Most recent WMX winner Lynn Valk will also be fired up to perform in front of her home fans for Schmicker Racing KTM, while New Zealand’s defending world champion Courtney Duncan (F&H Kawasaki Racing Team No.1, pictured here) will be trying to put her 2024 campaign back on track.
Duncan is currently an unaccustomed seventh in the WMX championship standings after scoring zero points at round four in Germany back in the beginning of June.
The EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing European Championship series will hold its ninth round at Arnhem, and Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 star Noel Zanocz leads the standings by 18 points over home hero Gyan Doensen, who will enjoy massive support for Racestore KTM Factory Rookies.
Another Dutch rising star, Dani Heitink, took a race win in Sweden and will be fired up for a good result in front of his local crowd.
Last weekend’s MXGP of Sweden saw the top two riders in the series get closer together in the race for the MXGP World Championship, with Prado scoring a double victory to counter Gajser’s win in the qualifying race.
While the Spaniard has yet to win an overall MXGP round in The Netherlands, he did win three in the MX2 category from 2017 to ’19. Gajser meanwhile has won twice in the Dutch sand, back in his first title season of 2015 in MX2, and in 2021 at the circuit of Oss.
The Slovenian raced to two fifths last year at Arnhem, while Prado went 1-4 for 2nd overall.
Although the results from Uddevalla left Herlings with a bigger mountain to climb than before, there could be no better place than his home country for the all-time GP win record holder to strike back at his rivals and regain the momentum he had going before Sweden.
Unable to compete last year at Arnhem after a crash on Saturday fractured his collarbone, he will be looking for Grand Prix win number 15 in his native country, and his first since 2020.
Outside of the big three, last year’s winner for Kawasaki Racing Team was French former world champion Febvre, which was his second victory on Dutch soil, while there is just one other rider lining up in the class who has a first-place trophy from The Netherlands.
That rider is one of the most intriguing wildcard entries yet to be seen in the class, as Italy’s nine-time world champion Cairoli makes a comeback ride as part of his development role for the mighty Ducati brand, and the Italian manufacturer’s long-awaited debut appearance could not have been made with a more esteemed ambassador for Italian Motocross.
Winner of 10 Grands Prix on Dutch ground, his appearance means that we have four of the seven most successful riders in Grand Prix history on the starting grid at Arnhem.
Other riders flying the Dutch flag include Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen, currently fourth in the series, and the Fantic Factory Racing duo Glenn Coldenhoff and Brian Bogers, who sit seventh and 11th in the standings.
Bogers will be back after a scary crash in Sweden put him out after six laps of Sunday’s action, and he’ll want the crowd to make some noise as he does the Official GoPro Lap before his home GP.
Seven other wildcards will line-up from the host nation, as well as four-time British champion Conrad Mewse, who returns for Crendon Tru7 Honda after showing good speed at the MXGP of Flanders.
It’s sure to be another battle royale amongst the Kingpins of MXGP at Arnhem.
Photo courtesy F&H Kawasaki
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MXGP AND MX2 STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 15 of 20:
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 757 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 740 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 709 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 538 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 516 p.; 6. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 451 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 447 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 335 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 301 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 725 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 676 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 653 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 594 p.; 5. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 511 p.; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 498 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 457 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 415 p.; 9. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 274 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 273 p.
WMX STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 5 of 7:
WMX – 1. Lotte Van Drunen (NED, YAM), 198 points; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GAS), 195 p.; 3. Lynn Valk (NED, KTM), 166 p.; 4. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GAS), 163 p.; 5. Larissa Papenmeier (GER, HON), 138 p.; 6. Sara Andersen (DEN, KTM), 128 p.; 7. Courtney Duncan (NZL, KAW), 108 p.; 8. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 96 p.; 9. Danee Gelissen (NED, YAM), 93 p.; 10. Shana van der Vlist (NED, YAM), 89 p.