REISULIS DOMINATES IN EMX250 WHILE FAURE IGNITES ON HOME SOIL IN EMX125 PRESENTED BY FMF RACING IN THE ROUND OF EUROPE.
The iconic hillside of St. Jean d’Angély hosted a spectacular second round of the FIM Europe EMX Championships series, and both EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing classes delivered action-packed weekends that reshaped the title-race narrative.
In EMX250, Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Janis Martins Reisulis dominated both motos with raw speed and technical brilliance, but it was Adrien Petit, the French crowd favorite, who retained the red plate by a single point with back-to-back second-place finishes and a show of true championship consistency. While in EMX125 Presented by FMF, Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Mano Faure sent the home fans into raptures with a commanding win in Race 1 and the overall.
After overnight rain, the track was just beginning to dry as the gate dropped for Race 1. RFME Spain National Team’s Salvador Perez looked to have nailed the start but ran wide in the first corner, opening the door for Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Jake Cannon to take the early lead.
But the early story was short-lived, Janis Reisulis, showing remarkable composure and aggression, quickly powered past Cannon and assumed control of the race. From there, the Latvian rookie never looked back—executing clean laps and stretching his advantage with every sector.
Further behind, Cannon’s challenge ended in frustration. A crash followed by a technical issue forced him out. Meanwhile, Fantic Factory Racing EMX125’s Simone Mancini and Perez fought for the final podium spot while Adrien Petit, on Yamaha, quietly worked his way through the chaos. It wasn’t the best start for JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz as he turned the first lap in 17th but the solid Hunfgarian
Petit’s patient approach paid off. As mistakes took their toll on rivals, he climbed to second and held the position to the flag, staying close but unable to truly challenge Reisulis. Perez crossed in third, a much-needed result after an underwhelming Cozar.
Incidents were plentiful mid-pack. GABRIEL SS24 KTM Factory Juniors’ Max Werner faded in the final laps, and both his teammate, Gyan Doensen and GHIDINELLI Racing Team’s Brando Rispoli suffered race-defining issues. Bike It Kawasaki’s Bobby Bruce, tagged by another rider, limped to 19th, while others like RFME Spain National Team’s Francisco Garcia didn’t get what they could with their pace finishing 18th. It was a frustrating race spell for podium holder in Cozar Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Mads Fredsoe who made a mistake and finished outside the points in 25 place.
In Race 2, Reisulis once again stormed into the lead, leveraging his now-signature lightning-fast starts. He was followed closely by KTM Sarholz Racing Team’s Leon Rudolph, Mads Fredsoe, and JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz, while red plate holder Petit settled into sixth.
Rudolph’s mistake on the hill before pitlane opened the door for Zanocz, who slipped into third, then shortly after into second. Petit continued his quiet progression, capitalising on another Rudolph error on lap 4 out of 15 to go third. Rudolph faded to eighth.
Doensen and Mancini ran sixth and seventh at that point, but it was Petit who stole the spotlight. By lap 5, he caught Zanocz and overtook him to move into second. Still, Reisulis was 14 seconds ahead. Petit charged hard, shaving the gap to just 2 seconds by lap 14—but the Latvian held firm to take a wire-to-wire win and sweep the weekend.
Meanwhile, Garcia stormed through the field from 13th to 4th in a sensational comeback, passing Fredsoe and Doensen along the way. The Spaniard, who scored zero points in Race 1, proved he belongs among the front runners.
Fredsoe finished fifth, Doensen sixth, and Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Lyonel Reichl took seventh. Rispoli, Cannon, and Wozniak MX Racing Team’s Nicolai Skovbjerg rounded out the top 10 while Mancini’s day ended early.
From Cozar to St. Jean d’Angély, Adrien Petit has ridden with maturity and consistency. Despite being outpaced twice by Reisulis in France, his 2-2 finishes gave him 44 points for the weekend—and more importantly, allowed him to retain the red plate by just 1 point.
Janis Reisulis proved at the round of Europe that he’s no longer a newcomer—he’s a genuine title threat. But Adrien Petit’s resilience and consistent podiums show why he still holds the red plate. Meanwhile, riders like Zanocz, Garcia, and Fredsoe are finding their form, and the championship is now anyone’s to win.
Janis Reisulis: “This victory means a lot more for me that me other wins because I didn’t really have the chance to rider last year with my injury. The year felt very long. But then following my pre-season, I was really ready to race. Here the track was really hard with many ruts. I kept my cool as Adrien (Petit) was riding super well too. Again I really want to say a big thanks to everyone supporting me. To my team, my sponsors, my family. Also to my trainer for getting my head sorted before the races”
Text/Bild: Infront