HERZOGENRATH, AGULLO AND KOVAR CLAIM GOLD AT EUROPEAN FINALS IN LOKET.
The MXGP of Czech Republic was the stage for an action-packed weekend of racing, featuring the highly anticipated European finals of the EMX65 and EMX85 Championships, as well as the exclusive single round of the EMX2T where all riders fought for the Gold Medals. Riders from across the continent and beyond gathered at the iconic Loket circuit, all fighting not only for race wins but for prestigious European titles, making this event one of the most important events of the season.
Spectators were treated to thrilling battles across all classes, with Enzo Herzogenrath clinching the overall victory in EMX85, Mathys Agullo dominating both races to secure the EMX65 title, and home favourite Vaclav Kovar from Becker Racing delighting the Czech fans with a stunning win in the one-off EMX2T round. The weekend delivered intense battles and racing, as well as amazing moments, showcasing Europe’s next generation of motocross stars.
In Race 1, Enzo Herzogenrath made his intentions clear right from the gate drop, blasting into the holeshot as chaos erupted behind him with a multi‑rider pile-up in the first corner. The Frenchman instantly checked out, stretching a huge lead that would eventually exceed 40 seconds, leaving the real excitement to unfold behind him.
One of the pre‑race favourites and fastest rider in time practice, Lucas Leok, suffered heartbreak before the race even began. A mechanical issue on the starting grid meant his bike would not start, leaving him devastated, head down as the gate dropped without him.
Cristian Amali initially secured second but came under intense pressure from Jaggar Townley and Pau Caudet. Townley found a way past Amali in the early laps, only to lose the position again when the Italian countered smartly in a tight switchback. Caudet also joined the fight, briefly moving ahead of Townley and setting his sights on Amali for second.
For several laps the trio traded lines and positions, Townley eventually making a decisive move to reclaim third place from Caudet with three laps to go. Amali, despite the pressure, held his ground to secure second, while Townley’s late charge ensured he completed the podium.
Behind them, Simon Hahn from KTM Kosak Team kept a steady pace to finish fifth after fending off Max Lindström from Powerbyjjracingteam and Cohen Jagielski, who were climbing back from the opening-lap drama.
At the flag, it was Herzogenrath with a dominant win, Amali holding strong in second, Townley completing the podium in third, Caudet fourth and Hahn rounding out the top five.
Leok redeemed himself from Saturday’s start by grabbing the holeshot in Race 2 and quickly breaking free from the pack. Behind him, Herzogenrath, winner of the opening moto, found himself locked in an early battle with Caudet and Latvian rider Patriks Cirulis. Caudet was the rider on the move, pushing past Cirulis and then relentlessly chasing Herzogenrath for second. By lap five, he made his move stick, slotting into second and turning his focus toward Leok.
Leok, however, had control of the race, responding to every time gain Caudet managed to make. Herzogenrath, now third, kept a steady rhythm knowing that with his Race 1 victory, the overall was still in his hands. Further back, Robin Mooses and Dominick Maifredi were locked in their own fight, eventually finishing fourth and fifth respectively, while Luca Nierychlo, Cirulis and Lindström battled hard just outside the top five.
The best fight of the closing stages was for positions four through seven, with Mooses holding off Maifredi and Nierychlo as the three traded lines lap after lap. Townley had a solid second race going from 7th up to 5th until lap 10 out of 12. However he got a scare when he crashed out of fifth. In the end, he salvaged ninth, which was enough to maintain a strong overall, placing himself on the third step of the podium.
Leok crossed the line over twelve seconds clear to take an impressive Race 2 win, followed by Caudet in second and Herzogenrath in third. Mooses and Maifredi rounded out the top five.
With 1-3 scores, Herzogenrath secured the overall victory with 45 points, Caudet’s late-race charge earned him second overall while Townley claimed third overall despite his ninth in Race 2. Cristian Amali, fourth in Race 1 but only 13th in the second race, missed the podium by two points, while Leok’s dominant win salvaged sixth overall after his DNF on Saturday.
Enzo Herzogenrath: “It’s incredible! In the first race I got the holeshot and took the win, which felt amazing. In the second race, I started second and made my way to third on a really difficult track. I was also a bit more stressed nd didn’t want to make the same mistake as in the Junior World Championship in Romagné! I’m so happy, I am European Champion, Yes!“
EMX85 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Enzo Herzogenrath (FRA, KTM), 25:39.848; 2. Cristian Amali (ITA, KTM), +0:47.277; 3. Jaggar Townley (NZL, Yamaha), +0:48.892; 4. Pau Caudet (ESP, GASGAS), +0:56.838; 5. Simon Hahn (GER, KTM), +0:57.405; 6. Max Lindström (SWE, Husqvarna), +0:58.396; 7. Cohen Jagielski (GBR, GASGAS), +0:59.372; 8. Maxim Zimmerman (SVK, Husqvarna), +1:12.938; 9. Francesco Assini (ITA, GASGAS), +1:14.259; 10. Tommaso D’Amico (ITA, KTM), +1:16.459
EMX85 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Lucas Leok (EST, KTM), 25:31.122; 2. Pau Caudet (ESP, GASGAS), +0:12.161; 3. Enzo Herzogenrath (FRA, KTM), +0:46.689; 4. Robin Robert Mooses (EST, Husqvarna), +0:56.960; 5. Dominick Maifredi (ITA, KTM), +0:59.206; 6. Luca Nierychlo (GER, KTM), +0:59.827; 7. Patriks Cirulis (LAT, Husqvarna), +1:00.236; 8. Max Lindström (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:16.564; 9. Jaggar Townley (NZL, Yamaha), +1:19.955; 10. Ebbe Callemo (SWE, Husqvarna), +1:23.452
EMX85 – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Enzo Herzogenrath (FRA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Pau Caudet (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 3. Jaggar Townley (NZL, YAM), 32 p.; 4. Cristian Amali (ITA, KTM), 30 p.; 5. Max Lindström (SWE, HUS), 28 p.; 6. Lucas Leok (EST, KTM), 25 p.; 7. Robin Robert Mooses (EST, HUS), 25 p.; 8. Luca Nierychlo (GER, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Simon Hahn (GER, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Olly Waters (GBR, GAS), 20 p.
EMX85 – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Enzo Herzogenrath (FRA, KTM), 45 points; 2. Pau Caudet (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 3. Jaggar Townley (NZL, YAM), 32 p.; 4. Cristian Amali (ITA, KTM), 30 p.; 5. Max Lindström (SWE, HUS), 28 p.; 6. Lucas Leok (EST, KTM), 25 p.; 7. Robin Robert Mooses (EST, HUS), 25 p.; 8. Luca Nierychlo (GER, KTM), 24 p.; 9. Simon Hahn (GER, KTM), 21 p.; 10. Olly Waters (GBR, GAS), 20 p
EMX85 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. GASGAS, 40 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 33 p.; 4. Yamaha, 32 p.;
In race 1, Mathys Agullo made the best of the slick, rain-soaked start straight, grabbing the holeshot while chaos erupted behind him. Liam Morette quickly moved into second and stayed glued to Agullo’s rear wheel in the opening corners, while Haakon Rønning slotted into third with Izan Rodriguez and Arthur Annelot just behind.
Brando Danesi was also in the mix early but tangled with Annelot and went down, dropping him outside the top five. Annelot continued to push forward, making a strong move on Matej Masar with two laps to go fifth.
Out front, Agullo suffered a brief scare when he tipped over, but he was back on his bike before losing the lead. Morette tried to close the gap, but Agullo’s pace was untouchable as the laps counted down. Rønning held firm in third, fending off Rodriguez, while Annelot stayed steady to bring home fifth.
At the flag, Agullo took a confident win ahead of his countryman Morette in second, Rønning third, Rodriguez fourth and Annelot rounding out the top five.
Eleu Jose rocketed around the outside to grab the holeshot, but Race 1 winner Agullo quickly slotted into second and wasted no time making his move for the lead, executing a clean pass on the outside to take control of the race by lap two. From there, Agullo set a relentless pace at the front, steadily opening a gap over Jose as Morette moved into third, eyeing up second place.
Further back, Rønning rode consistently in fourth, knowing that position would be enough to secure him an overall podium. However, Annelot who was riding strong and was pushing hard, eventually found a way past Rønning in the last lap of the race but still fell short of the points needed to threaten for the overall top three.
In the closing laps, Morette mounted one last charge on Jose for second but couldn’t make the move stick, while Annelot’s pass on Rønning gave him fourth in the race but left him outside the overall podium by just two points.
At the finish, Agullo claimed his second dominant win of the weekend to go 1‑1 for a perfect overall victory with 50 points. Morette’s consistent 2‑3 scores secured second overall, while Rønning’s 3‑5 results were enough to hold onto third overall despite Annelot’s late effort. Jose’s impressive holeshot and runner‑up finish in Race 2 earned him eighth overall for the weekend.
Mathys Agullo: “I had a good weekend, a really good weekend. I rode well, I did what I had to do, I made good starts and I’m really happy to be European Champion, that’s what I wanted. It’s a shame with the Junior World Champion, but today I’m a European champion, which is great. I want to thank my parents, my dad, my mum, my coach Cyril and all my other sponsors.“
EMX65 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathys Agullo (FRA, KTM), 17:45.464; 2. Liam Morette (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:03.844; 3. Haakon Ronning (NOR, Husqvarna), +0:23.512; 4. Izan Rodriguez (ESP, GASGAS), +0:24.805; 5. Arthur Annelot (FRA, GASGAS), +0:47.973; 6. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GASGAS), +0:56.019; 7. Matej Masar (SVK, KTM), +0:56.724; 8. Bas Verspaandonk (NED, GASGAS), +1:06.210; 9. Brando Danesi (ITA, Husqvarna), +1:11.274; 10. Lucas Bos (FRA, KTM), +1:17.037
EMX65 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathys Agullo (FRA, KTM), 18:40.576; 2. Eleu Jose (ESP, GASGAS), +0:04.084; 3. Liam Morette (FRA, Husqvarna), +0:08.133; 4. Arthur Annelot (FRA, GASGAS), +0:11.072; 5. Haakon Ronning (NOR, Husqvarna), +0:12.563; 6. Timoteï Cez (FRA, KTM), +0:37.075; 7. Brando Danesi (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:41.277; 8. Izan Rodriguez (ESP, GASGAS), +0:51.105; 9. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GASGAS), +1:01.608; 10. Laur Kallikorm (EST, GASGAS), +1:08.429
EMX65 – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathys Agullo (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Liam Morette (FRA, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Haakon Ronning (NOR, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Arthur Annelot (FRA, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Izan Rodriguez (ESP, GAS), 31 p.; 6. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GAS), 27 p.; 7. Brando Danesi (ITA, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Eleu Jose (ESP, GAS), 22 p.; 9. Timoteï Cez (FRA, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Riccardo Galia (ITA, KTM), 18 p.
EMX65 – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Mathys Agullo (FRA, KTM), 50 points; 2. Liam Morette (FRA, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Haakon Ronning (NOR, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Arthur Annelot (FRA, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Izan Rodriguez (ESP, GAS), 31 p.; 6. Jordan Cadenel (FRA, GAS), 27 p.; 7. Brando Danesi (ITA, HUS), 26 p.; 8. Eleu Jose (ESP, GAS), 22 p.; 9. Timoteï Cez (FRA, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Riccardo Galia (ITA, KTM), 18 p.
EMX65 – Manufacturers Classification: 1. KTM, 50 points; 2. Husqvarna, 42 p.; 3. GASGAS, 40 p.; 4. Yamaha, 15 p.;
Sampo Rainio nailed the start and hugged the inside of the first corner while chaos unfolded behind him, quickly giving the Finnish Beta rider clean air at the front. Vaclav Kovar and Mirko Valsecchi initially disputed second, but Zoltan Ordog came through aggressively on lap two to snatch the position. His challenge was short‑lived as Kovar regrouped and reclaimed second on the very next lap, settling in to try and reduce the gap to Rainio.
Behind them, the battles were intense. Valsecchi held fourth but came under pressure as Elias Escandell, starting outside the top five, began carving his way through the field. By lap seven, Escandell had moved past JG MOTOPROX Racing Team’s Andrea Rossi and was closing rapidly on Valsecchi. With five laps to go, he made a precise inside move for third and immediately pulled clear, even beginning to close on Kovar in the final laps.
Further back, Yann Crnjanski had a strong, steady ride coming from 16th in opening lap and gained places late on, benefiting from Ordog’s fade through the pack and a late move on Rossi to secure fifth. Rossi, after his early top‑five run, eventually settled for sixth, while Karlis Kalejs and Markuss Kokins traded blows for many laps to both finish inside the top ten in 7th and 9th respectively.
At the front, Rainio was in a class of his own, maintaining perfect pace throughout all 16 laps and crossing the line 16.5 seconds clear of Kovar. Escandell’s charge secured him the final podium spot, with Valsecchi fourth and Crnjanski rounding out the top five.
In Race 2, Kovar made the perfect start, launching around the outside and grabbing the holeshot to the delight of the home fans. It was the dream scenario for the Czech rider, while Race 1 winner Sampo Rainio found himself buried in 27th after being caught up in the first-turn chaos. Marvin Salzer and Rossi slotted in behind Kovar, with Adam Fridlund running strongly in fourth.
Kovar wasted no time in opening a gap, already over two seconds clear by the end of the opening lap. Rossi soon moved past Salzer on lap 6 of 15 to secure second, as the Austrian made a while Fridlund also charged through into third. Behind them, Escandell was on the move from 12th on the opening lap, picking off riders after riders and climbing to sixth, aiming to protect his overall podium from Valsecchi, who was running inside the top five.
The key battle was for that third step of the podium: Escandell and Valsecchi were tied on points deep into the race, trading virtual positions depending on each overtake. With five minutes to go (4 laps), Valsecchi found another gear, moving up to fourth and taking control of the overall podium advantage. Rainio, despite a late push, could only recover to 14th, ending any chance of defending his Race 1 success.
Up front, Kovar was untouchable, waving to fans and even receiving a mid‑race fist bump from a fellow Czech rider as he stretched away to a commanding win. Rossi held firm in second, Fridlund impressed in third with Valsecchi fourth and Salzer rounding out the top five.
With a 2‑1 scorecard, Kovar claimed the overall victory on home soil, much to the delight of the Czech crowd. Rossi’s consistent 6‑2 results earned him second overall which he was delighted for, and Valsecchi secured the final podium spot thanks to his late‑race charge, edging Escandell by a single point. Rainio, after his opening‑race dominance, had to settle for fifth overall.
Vaclav Kovar: “Yesterday I had also good start I was I think in 5th position. Then I tried to push a lot and my goal was to win both races. But yesterday I didn’t have the speed for it. I thought.. okay second place is also good for this race, for the second race. And today the track was completely different. And I had a really good start, it was really important. Then I managed all the race and it was an easy win in the end so it’s nice.”
EMX2T – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Sampo Rainio (FIN, Beta), 30:21.018; 2. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), +0:16.547; 3. Elias Escandell (ESP, KTM), +0:19.287; 4. Mirko Valsecchi (ITA, GASGAS), +0:25.677; 5. Yann Crnjanski (FRA, Yamaha), +0:34.747; 6. Andrea Rossi (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:35.935; 7. Karlis Kalejs (LAT, Husqvarna), +0:49.092; 8. Markuss Kokins (LAT, GASGAS), +0:59.001; 9. Alfredo Memoli (ITA, Beta), +1:10.218; 10. Adam Fridlund (SWE, Fantic), +1:13.505
EMX2T – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), 30:53.920; 2. Andrea Rossi (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:34.643; 3. Adam Fridlund (SWE, Fantic), +0:53.412; 4. Mirko Valsecchi (ITA, GASGAS), +1:04.161; 5. Marvin Salzer (AUT, Fantic), +1:07.902; 6. Elias Escandell (ESP, KTM), +1:17.720; 7. Paolo Martorano (ITA, KTM), +1:26.296; 8. Martin Zavrsky (CZE, KTM), +1:33.258; 9. Alfredo Memoli (ITA, Beta), +1:34.174; 10. Damian Wedage (NED, KTM), +1:38.008;
EMX2T – Overall Top 10 Classification: 1. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), 47 points; 2. Andrea Rossi (ITA, HUS), 37 p.; 3. Mirko Valsecchi (ITA, GAS), 36 p.; 4. Elias Escandell (ESP, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Sampo Rainio (FIN, BET), 32 p.; 6. Adam Fridlund (SWE, FAN), 31 p.; 7. Yann Crnjanski (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Marvin Salzer (AUT, FAN), 25 p.; 9. Alfredo Memoli (ITA, BET), 24 p.; 10. Markuss Kokins (LAT, GAS), 18 p.
EMX2T – Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Vaclav Kovar (CZE, KTM), 47 points; 2. Andrea Rossi (ITA, HUS), 37 p.; 3. Mirko Valsecchi (ITA, GAS), 36 p.; 4. Elias Escandell (ESP, KTM), 35 p.; 5. Sampo Rainio (FIN, BET), 32 p.; 6. Adam Fridlund (SWE, FAN), 31 p.; 7. Yann Crnjanski (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Marvin Salzer (AUT, FAN), 25 p.; 9. Alfredo Memoli (ITA, BET), 24 p.; 10. Markuss Kokins (LAT, GAS), 18 p.
EMX2T – Manufacturers Classification: . KTM, 47 points; 2. Beta, 37 p.; 3. Husqvarna, 37 p.; 4. GASGAS, 36 p.; 5. Fantic, 31 p.; 6. Yamaha, 26 p.;
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