Febvre does the MXGP of Sweden double as Längenfelder takes narrow MX2 win

2025 FIM Motocross World Championship

Round 16 – MXGP of Sweden – Uddevalla

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The MXGP of Sweden arrived at Uddevalla over the weekend for round 16 of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships, with passionate Scandinavian fans adding a boisterous atmosphere as their home hero Isak Gifting put in an incredible effort that unfortunately ended in heartbreak.

It was a perfect weekend for red plate holder Romain Febvre, as the Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP veteran took two race wins to add to the Qualifying Race win and give him the first 60-point weekend haul of his illustrious career.

The late race charge that very nearly took the second race win in front of his home fans, ensured JK Racing Yamaha’s Swedish hero Gifting  won the hearts of Motocross fans by passing two legends of the sport in the last three laps to take the lead, only to drop the bike within sight of what would have been an epic first ever race win.

Jeffrey Herlings put together an excellent day to take second overall for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, while Calvin Vlaanderen earned his third podium result in four GPs for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP.

The MX2 class again saw the momentum swing in all directions, with Simon Längenfelder tightening his grip on the red plate with his fifth Grand Prix win of the year for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Kay de Wolf earned his very first podium at Uddevalla with second overall for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, while Andrea Adamo had an up-and-down day to claim third for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

The Uddevalla circuit also provided the setting for Round 11 of the EMX250 Championship, where Janis Reisulis looked to defend his advantage over closest rival JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz, while Spain’s Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia arrived in form after a string of strong results.

Garcia stamped his authority on the opening race, while Reisulis and Zanocz kept the title fight alive with key results. In Race 2, Zanocz showed his pace and determination by overcoming Reisulis to secure victory and, with it, the overall win on equal points with Garcia. Reisulis’ consistency allowed him to retain the red plate, his lead now standing at 27 points heading into the penultimate round in Arnhem.

Australia’s Jake Cannon posted top-three in his Qualifying group, then emerged just outside the top-ten from turn one in race one, only to  face a tough race in the hectic mid-pack action after slipping off on lap two; he advanced to tenth after twenty minutes and eventually took the chequered flag ninth, right in the wheel tracks of eighth.

Cannon finally got the good start he needed in race two as he powered out on turn one fifth but he surrendered three places halfway round the first lap as he was thrown off the side of the track after a big jump and needed time to settle back into his rhythm. Decisive moves during the second half of the race saw the Australian teenager regain fifth in moto on the final lap to also claim fifth overall on the weekend. He is now tied for eighth in the series standings.

Jake Cannon

“[On Race One] I felt good on the bike and was enjoying the track but the moto just didn’t go my way. I rode strong to get back to ninth after crashing on the second lap but I need to get better starts and minimise the errors. I know I have the speed to be at the front so if I cut out the mistakes I’ll be there. [On Race Two] I’m frustrated with my first lap as I jumped off the side of the track after a good start. After ten minutes I started riding like myself again and came back to fifth for fifth overall;  I just have to put it all together for a full moto.”

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MXGP Race One

Saturday’s Qualifying Race winner Febvre took fastest time in morning Warm-up, although it was by less than a tenth of a second over Honda HRC’s Tim Gajser, with Tim’s fellow Slovenian Jan Pancar third fastest for TEM JP253 KTM Racing.

Febvre asserted his authority over the field by taking the Fox Holeshot Award ahead of Herlings, Gifting, and Gajser, while the main challenger to the Frenchman’s red plate, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen, was buried in the pack, coming through the first timing zone in a lowly 22nd place.

Gifting’s presence at the sharp end was enough to get the crowd into it, but Herlings made them gasp first with a piercing move on Febvre to lead after the third corner, but the Kawasaki man struck back immediately at the bottom of the next hill.

Meanwhile, Gajser was snapping at the heels of Gifting for third, as Vlaanderen held fifth. Behind them was a major tear-up between Honda HRC’s Ruben Fernandez and the Aruba.it Ducati Factory MX Team leader Jeremy Seewer, which the Swiss star won before ejecting over the handlebars on lap six.

By then, it had gone a little quiet in the valley, as Gifting and Gajser came together on a downhill jump in a scary crash that left the Slovenian unable to restart his bike, and the Swede having to work forward from outside the top 20.

All this elevated Vlaanderen to third ahead of Fernandez, with Pancar in a solid fifth ahead of the second Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP of Maxime Renaux and Glenn Coldenhoff of Fantic Factory Racing MXGP in seventh.

While the top four held station, Coenen was advancing by at least a position a lap until around half distance, when he passed the second Aruba.it Ducati of Mattia Guadagnini for eighth. Factory men Renaux and Coldenhoff had gotten around Pancar by lap 12 for fifth and sixth, and Coenen followed suit almost immediately.

The Belgian was unable to advance any further however, and he had to settle for seventh at the flag, ahead of Pancar, while Andrea Bonacorsi took his Fantic Factory Racing MXGP machine past Guadagnini with two laps remaining, taking the honour of top Italian in ninth ahead of his countryman. Gifting was able to recover to 17th despite a further fall on lap 11.

MXGP Race One Results

MXGP Race Two

Febvre had extended the gap at the top of the table to 25 points, but clearly that wasn’t enough for him as he rocketed to another Fox Holeshot Award, his seventh of the season, but the roar from the crowd signalled that Gifting was right with him through the first corner and nearly passed him there and then.

Herlings had no time for sentiment, however, as he dived past the Swede into second around the third corner, but his fellow factory KTM rider Coenen had another awful start, this time tangling with riders around him and hitting the ground, remounting at the very back of the pack.

Gajser and Gifting were at it again, and collided on the end of the start straight during the first full lap, with the Slovenian holding the inside line and forcing the home hero wide to take third place.

Behind them was a factory Yamaha battle between Renaux and Vlaanderen, which the Frenchman took the advantage in, for at least the first half of the race. Coldenhoff, Fernandez, Pancar, and the returning Kawasaki Factory Racing MXGP rider Pauls Jonass rounded out the initial top ten.

The Latvian was able to stay in tenth despite being passed by Brent van Doninck’s JM Racing Honda, and Jonass took tenth overall.

Bonacorsi had a rough second race but ended the day in ninth overall behind Coenen, who could only recover to 12th in race two. Pancar took seventh with 8-6 finishes, Fernandez sixth with a 4-8, and Coldenhoff fifth with 6-5 scores.

For several laps, while Febvre and Herlings were close but not in passing range at the front, Gajser held off the Yamaha freight train behind him while they also fought with each other.

Just after Vlaanderen and Renaux had swapped places several times, Gajser fell in a rutted corner on lap 11, putting Gifting up to third. As Renaux ran off track to briefly lose his duel with Vlaanderen, so the Super Swede got close to “The Bullet”, finally passing the Dutchman on a downhill section with a stunning full-on attack into the bottom corner.

The crowd were ecstatic, and as Febvre had lost most of his lead with a brief stall of the engine, everyone watching saw that the Swedish dream could be on.

In a repeat of his move on Herlings, Isak launched past the Championship leader on the same downhill to take the lead on the very final lap. The sense of joy around the venue was palpable, even from otherwise neutral fans who couldn’t fail to be captivated by the valiant Swede’s efforts.

In the same way, the howl of anguish could probably be heard across the country when Isak’s front wheel broke away just five corners afterwards, putting him on the floor and crushing the dream just as it looked to be coming true. Unable to restart the bike, he even had to suffer the indignity of walking back to the paddock.

In the wild atmosphere, it was easy to miss Renaux sneaking past Vlaanderen for third in the race, but he would still finish behind his teammate overall as Calvin was delighted to score his first hardpack podium of the year.

Herlings was just over a second behind Febvre at the flag, and the Championship leader’s first 1-1-1 since the Qualifying Race counted for points has put the ball firmly in his court. Coupled with Coenen’s rough day at the office, he leaves Sweden with a 41-point Championship lead with just four Grands Prix to go.

MXGP Race Two Results

MXGP Round Overall

Romain Febvre – P1

“We have been working even more on the starts and I took two holeshots today; it always makes life easier to have a clear track at the front. In the first moto Jeffrey was not far behind at the end but I wasn’t worried. The second moto was more stressful. I honestly didn’t know where Lucas was in the race but I think the top-five were within a couple of seconds so I didn’t want to risk any mistakes. Jeffrey was on my rear wheel most of the race but then the last couple of laps I noticed it was a Yamaha and, when I heard the crowd, I realised it was Isak. I knew for sure he would go for it on the last lap and he had a really good line where I didn’t expect him. I knew I would still be winning the GP and extending my lead in the championship but then he crashed a couple of turns later and handed it back to me. But I take my hat off to Isak; he was really going for it. I have been looking to make a perfect weekend all season and it all clicked here; it’s awesome to do it as the season enters the final stages. This was good for the championship but it’s not done until the last round so I must remain sharp until the end.”

Jeffrey Herlings – P2

“Really good. Three 2nds! In the last moto I felt quite close and was really pushing but I ran out of tear-offs. I didn’t have any more for the leader. 2-2 for 2nd overall is not bad for being on the bike for only two and a half weeks. Now we’ll look forward to my home GP at Arnhem and hopefully we can be back on the box there. I won last year and it would be great to repeat. I just need more starts and I know I can do the rest. My physical condition is getting better and better.”

Calvin Vlaanderen – P3

“I’m super happy to be on the box again and make it back-to-back podiums. I really wanted to get it done on the hardpack, and that was my goal coming into this Grand Prix. I was really happy with my riding this weekend and I felt great on the bike too, so I wasn’t stressed at all, and I knew I could do it. It was a lot of fun battling with Maxime and Isak in Race Two, and it was a shame that Maxime beat me and Isak fell, but I’m still so happy to be on the podium again.”

Maxime Renaux – P4

“We have some positives to take away from today. Obviously, I’m a bit disappointed to miss the podium by just a couple of points, but I felt like we’ve made some steps in the right direction. Fourth overall, not the results we’re here for, but after the year I’ve had, we need to take it step by step, and we’re improving. So, we’ll stay positive and we’ll keep building.”

Camden McLellan – P7

“This weekend has been okay. Not great, but not too bad. I felt awesome on the bike and strong all weekend, and my starts were good too. I just lacked the intensity needed on the first few laps of each race, and unfortunately, this affected my results. Overall, it was alright, though, and now it’s back to the sand in the Netherlands next weekend.”

Lucas Coenen – P8

“I really have nothing to say about this weekend: only bad starts and bad luck. That’s it. We go again next time.”

Guillem Farres – P9

“My starts held me back this weekend. One positive is that I was able to make passes, especially as this track is difficult to pass on. I should have been higher overall today, and like always, I tried my best. The goal for the upcoming races is to be back nearer the front, and I’ll be working on my starts this week to be better.”

Pauls Jonass – P10

“It was a tough return to the GPs. It’s never easy to come back from injury during the season and I just didn’t get the flow in either moto. I had a small tip-over and then several more mistakes in the first moto, but the second moto went a little better, just one small mistake mid-moto. But I needed to start somewhere; back to the drawing board now for a better result in Arnhem.”

Tim Gajser – P12

“Overall, a good comeback weekend, I rode a good pace for a lot of the races but there were obviously some moments that I wish had turned out differently. It’s a shame what happened in race one because I saw Isak make the mistake and I thought I could get past him, but I think he thought he could block me and we obviously collided. It would have been good to have got 35 minutes under my belt, as then in race two, I got a bit of arm pump and crashed in one of the corners after changing my lines. Like I said though, a lot of good points and I’m definitely ahead of where I thought I would be, so now we have to keep that momentum up in the Netherlands.”

Mattia Guadagnini – P17

“It was quite a positive weekend, where we made a big step forward. In the first race, with a decent start, I managed to find myself in the middle of the pack. With a few crashes from the riders in front of me and a few good passes, I climbed up to eighth place, staying there for most of the race. Then a rider passed me, and on the penultimate lap, I lost another position. The second race didn’t go the way I wanted. At the start, I tried everything I could to stay ahead, but I overdid it and went wide on the barriers, finding myself last. In an attempt to recover, I crashed twice, but I kept going to finish the race even though I was out of the points.”

Jeremy Seewer – P18

“Very positive start to today and then very negative very quickly in the first moto with the big crash. I had a really good start, we worked hard, even yesterday, and finally found a little bit of the issue we had. I’m back on the start, which is something we needed – it wasn’t there the last few races – and it cost us a lot. Also, my riding has improved. I think we’re at the best point we’ve ever been with the bike, so that’s something positive. My pace in the first moto was pretty good, just an unlucky crash. I take the positives from it. I’m not injured, just some bruises. In the second moto, I had a really good jump, really good start again but got squeezed somehow – a bit unlucky – but the start was there. For that, we need to improve our position. If I’m in the top seven or something, then I can battle for the holeshot. But overall, it was a positive day. We learnt a lot again. We went in a good direction after a long period of struggling. I think even in the sand next weekend, we shouldn’t be as far off, so it should be better.”

MXGP Round Overall

MXGP Championship Points

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MX2 Race One

It was the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammates, Sacha Coenen and Simon Längenfelder, who took the top times in the morning Warm-up ahead of Monster Energy Triumph Racing star Guillem Farres, while Qualifying Race winner Thibault Benistant clearly wasn’t pushing with ninth for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2.

Having rediscovered his starting touch at Lommel, Coenen claimed his 12th Fox Holeshot Award of the season in race one, and had Liam Everts, returning from injury for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing, directly behind him, as Benistant, Adamo, and Kawasaki Racing Team MX2’s Mathis Valin gave chase through the first few corners.

Title rivals De Wolf and Längenfelder were buried in eighth and 12th with a lot of work to do.

Coenen began to build a big lead out front, as Benistant slipped back to fifth by running off-track on lap four. Adamo gave chase to Everts and caught the Belgian to pass him in the new section of the circuit for second on lap eight. He was 11.240 seconds down on Coenen at this very moment.

De Wolf and Längenfelder continued their separate charges throughout, working past both Farres and his Monster Energy Triumph Racing teammate Camden McLellan by lap nine to run fifth and sixth.

Honda HRC’s Valerio Lata rode well to take tenth place behind Farres, but Benistant slipped down the order continually to finish in a disappointed eighth behind McLellan.

De Wolf kept himself and Längenfelder apart by passing Valin on lap 12, while the German took another five laps to pass the Frenchman to take fifth with two laps to go.

Amazingly, Adamo took just six laps to hack down the substantial gap to Coenen, and used a slingshot move to pass his younger rival for the lead on lap 15.

Coenen was able to hang onto second, as De Wolf pulled a nice outside pass on his teammate Everts on the very final circulation, hacking four points out of Längenfelder’s points lead in the process.

MX2 Race One Results

MX2 Race Two

After his below-par first race, Benistant fired into the first corner to take only his second Fox Holeshot Award of the season, with Längenfelder hot on his heels. Valin and McLellan swapped places in the first lap to emerge in third and fourth, although De Wolf got past McLellan by the end of the first full lap.

The two Triumph riders would spend the entire race in fifth and sixth, while Coenen could only advance from ninth to pass a tiring Everts and a falling Adamo.

Latvian Karlis Reisulis recovered from a big first race crash to claim tenth in race two for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2, although his teammate Rick Elzinga took that spot overall with consistent 13-12 finishes.

Farres took ninth on the day behind Everts and McLellan, while Valin held De Wolf at bay until the very last lap, when he ran off-track in the third corner to allow the Dutchman past. This put the French rookie sixth overall.

Längenfelder was not about to pass up the opportunity of a race win, and railed around the outside of Benistant on lap five, and from there the top two were set.

Thibault took fifth overall behind Sacha Coenen, and even with eighth in race two, Adamo would climb the podium in third, although he now sits 59 points behind the series leader. De Wolf lost just a single point on the day to go to his home GP next weekend with a 40-point gap to hack down in his beloved sand.

However, Längenfelder took his eighth career Grand Prix win to show that his serious pace and determination will be present to the very end. It’s going to be a fascinating fight in the last four GPs of the season.

MX2 Race Two Results

MX2 Round Overall

Simon Längenfelder – P1

“Not the best start in the first moto and you need to ride differently in the pack, try new lines and be aggressive: lately I’ve not been too good at this… but I showed I can do it this weekend! In the second race I got a better start and could find my way to 1st position. I hope we can be better prepared for our starts in Arnhem, and then be open in the races for whatever might happen. I feel comfortable and I’m feeling good.”

Kay de Wolf – P2

“Both races were a bit of catch-up, but I salvaged two strong results and I’m really happy with how the weekend went. It’s my first podium here in Sweden, which feels special because in the past I haven’t had the best results at this track – so to go 3-3-3 including qualifying is something I’m proud of. I didn’t lose too many points in the championship and did what I needed to, so it’s definitely a positive step. Now I’m really looking forward to my home GP next week in the sand – it’s always an amazing feeling racing in front of the Dutch fans, and hopefully we can close the gap and make up some big points there. Massive thanks to the team for all their support; I feel good on the bike and I know we’ve got more to give in these last four rounds.”

Andrea Adamo – P3

“The GP was not great. We need to go for the win each time and we didn’t reach the goal. The first race was really good. I made my way to 1st and closed a big gap to Sacha. I was really happy and motivated for race two but I didn’t get the best start and unfortunately after five laps my kit broke. I then had a crash and broke the clutch! A disaster. Anyway, happy at least to be on the podium. We have to go all-in for the remaining races.”

Sacha Coenen – P4

“An up-and-down weekend. I had the holeshot in the first moto and created a big lead but then had some arm-pump and had to fight it. I wasn’t too happy to finish the race like that. Not a good start at all in the second moto and I did what I could to come back to 7th. Let’s see what we can do in Arnhem.”

Thibault Benistant – P5

“Today didn’t quite go to plan after winning the Qualifying Race yesterday. The track was quite soft and slippery in Race One today, and I didn’t find my flow until the end of the race. But by then it was too late. I had a perfect start in the second race, though, and led until I had a little bit of arm pump mid-race. In the end, second in that race was OK, but for the overall I really wanted to be on the podium.”

Mathis Valin – P6

“It was another good weekend. I have the speed and everything is coming better and better; I am learning so much even faster than I could have expected when I race with the top guys at the front every week. I was racing in P4 for most of race one before the riders racing for the championship could pass me at the end. In the second moto I was again fighting with the top guys; I stayed third ahead of the world champion until the last lap before I unfortunately made a big mistake and Kay could pass me. Anyway, back to sand next week at a new track for me; I never raced Arnhem before.”

Liam Everts – P8

“It feels great just to be back behind the gate again after a long time away. To finish 4-9 for eighth overall is really positive for me and the team. In the first moto I felt strong – running second for a while and then fighting inside the top three until the final laps. The second race was more about riding consistently and making sure we scored points. I’m happy with how the comeback went and now I’m excited to keep building from here.”

Rick Elzinga – P10

“It’s quite difficult to set the bike up for this track, and my starts weren’t the best in both races. So, it’s been a difficult weekend for me. On the positive side, 10th overall is not too bad, and I was able to make passes in both races despite this track being tough to pass on.”

Karlis Reisulis – P17

“I had a pretty big crash in the first race while running 11th and it wasn’t possible to continue. I felt fine, but I think it affected me a little bit in the second race, and I had to dig deep for 10th. I’m looking forward to Arnhem next week and being back on the sand.”

MX2 Round Overall

MX2 Championship Standings

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EMX 250 Race One

The opening EMX250 race in Uddevalla delivered excitement right from the drop of the gate. A big pile-up in the first corner left several riders tangled after one clipped the fencing on the inside, but out front it was Sweden’s own Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s Mads Fredsøe who thrilled the home fans by grabbing the holeshot.

He was closely followed by Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia, with Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s Simone Mancini and Janis Reisulis also in the mix.

Garcia, who had topped time practice earlier in the day, wasted no time in seizing control of the race. Before the end of the opening lap, he muscled his way past Fredsøe and immediately began to build a gap. Behind him, Reisulis was on a charge, after battling with Mancini and Fredsøe, the Latvian made a decisive outside move past the Dane to climb into second.

While Garcia stretched clear, the championship picture was unfolding further back. Title leader Reisulis had the advantage, while his closest rival Noel Zanocz found himself buried in eighth after the chaos of the first lap.

The Hungarian, however, quickly set about recovering, carving past Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Ivano Van Erp and the fading Mancini who would later retire with another spell of mechanical misfortune, before closing down on Fredsøe.

By mid-race, Garcia was untouchable, even setting the fastest lap on the sixth lap of fifteen, while Reisulis held a comfortable second. The real battle was for third, as Zanocz relentlessly pressured Fredsøe.

Lap after lap the Swede resisted, cheered on by a passionate home crowd, but eventually Zanocz found his way through with a perfectly timed outside pass. Soon after, Van Erp also pushed by demoting Fredsøe to fifth despite a spirited performance.

Up front, Garcia never looked back. The Spaniard controlled the race brilliantly to take his fifth victory of the season, and his fourth in the last five races. Reisulis came home second, securing vital championship points, with Zanocz completing the top three after his determined comeback ride. Van Erp was fourth, while Fredsøe gave the Swedish fans plenty to cheer about with a strong fifth-place

Aussies Liam Owens and Jake Cannon slotted into eighth and ninth.

EMX 250 Race One Results

EMX 250 Race Two

Blue skies welcomed riders for the second EMX250 race in Uddevalla, and it was championship leader Reisulis who took the holeshot ahead of Britain’s Joe Brookes and local favorite Fredsøe.

Brookes’ challenge ended quickly as he dropped out a lap later, leaving Reisulis to control the opening stages while Fredsøe, Billy Askew and Zanocz gave chase. Race 1 winner Garcia was buried outside the top 15 and faced a huge task.

Zanocz was the man on the move in the early laps. After working past Fredsøe, the Hungarian set his sights on Reisulis and steadily closed the gap. Behind them, Garcia was charging hard through the pack, slicing his way to the top ten by lap three.

Both Australians, Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s Liam Owens and Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Jake Cannon, who finished 8th and 9th respectively in race 1, were holding strong inside the top seven, keeping Garcia honest as he fought through.

By lap four, Zanocz finally found his way past Fredsøe and shortly after, he capitalised on a rare mistake from Reisulis to snatch the lead. The JM Honda rider immediately stamped his authority on the race, pulling clear with a string of fastest laps.

Reisulis regrouped in second, doing exactly what he needed for the championship, while Garcia’s relentless comeback carried him past his countryman F4E GASGAS Junior Racing’s Elias Escandell, Owens,and eventually Cannon and Valentin Kees to climb into fourth.

Inside the final stages, Garcia managed to close a huge gap to Fredsøe, diving past the Dane for third to salvage a podium finish and keep his overall hopes alive. Out front, though, there was no catching Zanocz. The Hungarian crossed the line comfortably ahead of Reisulis, with Garcia completing the top three.

With a third in Race 1 and victory in Race 2, Noel Zanocz claimed the overall win on equal points with Francisco Garcia but secured it thanks to his race victory. Janis Reisulis’ pair of second places gave him third overall, though the Latvian still holds a strong 27-point lead in the championship with two rounds remaining

Noel Zanocz

“I was a bit disappointed yesterday because I came here to win, but today I did. With two rounds to go, I’ll just try my best, keep the ball rolling and ride my best. It’s also my first back-to-back overall, which feels really good. Last year was a bit up and down, one good result and then a bad one, but now I feel like we’ve got the flow and I just want to keep it going.”

EMX 250 Race Two Results

EMX 250 Round Overall

EMX 250 Championship Standings

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