LATVIA ROARS FOR REISULIS IN EMX250 AS YAMAHA CELEBRATES A PERFECT WEEKEND WITH FAURE WINNING IN EMX125.
The EMX250 round 8 in Latvia, Kegums delivered a home hero story that had the Latvian crowd on their feet all weekend. Janis Reisulis from Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official was unstoppable on home soil, mastering the sandy and technical terrain to claim a flawless 1-1 result and dominate both races in front of an adoring crowd. Despite battling sickness, the Yamaha rider pushed through to deliver one of the most convincing double wins of the season, grasping even more his claws on the red plate.,
Round 9 of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing delivered high spectacle across two contrasting motos, with Mano Faure from Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC claiming his fifth overall victory of the season thanks to a resilient 2-1 performance. The French rider bounced back from a crash in Race 1 to dominate the rain-soaked second race, narrowing the gap to red plate holder Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’ Nicolò Alvisi, who stayed consistent with a 1-3 result. With Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Dani Heitink also securing a strong podium finish, the title fight now heads into its final stages with renewed intensity.
Gyan Doensen got off to a flying start by grabbing the holeshot ahead of AIT Racing Team’s Hakon Osterhagen, but it was home hero Janis Reisulis who quickly became the man to watch. Despite an average launch and possible contact in the first corner, the Latvian wasted no time slicing his way through the pack.
By the fourth lap, Reisulis had stormed into the lead and never looked back, delivering a dominant performance in front of the home crowd, for whom he said he was determined to finish strong and get the win although he was feeling sick.
Noel Zanocz ran up front in the early stages but soon lost ground. He was battling among the top three but a rear brake issue made it difficult to maintain pace, particularly under pressure from a charging Reisulis. Zanocz eventually finished fifth.
Venum BUD RACING Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia capitalised on the shifting order and a great pace, taking advantage of a mistake from Doensen who came to a stall to secure second place with a solid ride.
Doensen, who had shown great aggression early on, including a robust elbow-to-elbow exchange with Reisulis, faded slightly in the latter stages and had to settle for third after getting passed by Garcia on lap 11 of 14. Osterhagen, meanwhile, put in arguably his best ride of the season. After losing positions early, he found his rhythm and steadily climbed back to fourth.
Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s Simone Mancini was also in the mix early but had a crash that dropped him down the order to 10th. Both Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna riders Liam Owens and Mads Fredsoe delivered solid rides, finishing sixth and seventh respectively, while Nicolai Skovbjerg edged into the top eight.
Further back, Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Ivano Van Erp had a troubled race, going a lap down and being unable to recover.
As the gate dropped for Race 2 in Kegums, Doensen fired out to take the holeshot, with local favourite Reisulis in hot pursuit and Fredsoe slotted into third while Garcia was behind him. The track was drying but still technical after earlier rain, making for another intense showdown in the EMX250 class.
On lap two, the roar of the Latvian crowd hit full volume as Reisulis made a decisive move past Doensen for the lead, one he wouldn’t relinquish. The Yamaha rider immediately began building a gap, showing the same dominant form he had displayed in Race 1. By the third lap, he had already pulled out a 2.4-second advantage.
While Reisulis extended his lead, the race behind him began to shift. A mistake from Mads Fredsoe dropped him from the top five while Mancini struggled with mechanical issues before eventually retiring from the race to finish 16th overall in a weekend to forget for the Italian. Zanocz moved up methodically and eventually overtook Doensen for second, signalling an issue for the Dutchman, who lost time and momentum after briefly running off track.
Home rider Markuss Kokins was on form, holding fourth place ahead of Australia’s Liam Owens from Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna, who was having another impressive run just like in France. Garcia began to fade late in the race, allowing Nicolai Skovbjerg to catch and pass him with a bold move on the final lap, securing sixth place.
At the checkered flag, it was all about Reisulis once again, completing a perfect weekend with another runaway win and maximum points. Zanocz took second while Doensen salvaged third despite his mid-race drop in pace. Kokins gave the home crowd more reason to cheer with a strong fourth, followed by Owens in fifth.
In the overall, Janis Reisulis topped the charts with a perfect 50-point score (1-1), followed by Gyan Doensen with 40 (3-3), and Noel Zanocz rounding out the podium with 38 (5-2). The result tightens the fight at the top of the championship as the series moves into its final stretch.
Janis Reisulis: “Being sick didn’t stop me from winning in front of my home fans! I actually had some hot peppers this morning, so I had that extra fire in the first laps. The second half of the race was tough, probably my worst riding but I kept it cool. The energy from the fans on every jump, every corner… I just love it. I want even more of that next year in MX2. Huge thanks to everyone out there!”
EMX250 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 30:23.435; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:03.092; 3. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:21.991; 4. Hakon Osterhagen (NOR, Fantic), +0:29.786; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:34.508; 6. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:36.287; 7. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:39.710; 8. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:46.076; 9. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:52.135; 10. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), +1:03.990
EMX250 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 31:15.224; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:04.986; 3. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:08.909; 4. Markuss Kokins (LAT, GASGAS), +0:14.770; 5. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:17.168; 6. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:37.704; 7. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:45.531; 8. Ivano Van Erp (NED, Yamaha), +0:51.568; 9. Joosep Parn (EST, GASGAS), +0:55.795; 10. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:57.580
EMX250 Overall – Top 10: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 50 points; 2. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 38 p.; 4. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 36 p.; 5. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 28 p.; 7. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 22 p.; 8. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, HUS), 22 p.; 9. Joosep Parn (EST, GAS), 20 p.; 10. Markuss Kokins (LAT, GAS), 18 p.
EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 318 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 281 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 232 p.; 4. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 215 p.; 5. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 177 p.; 6. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 159 p.; 7. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 153 p.; 8. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 150 p.; 9. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 139 p.; 10. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 136 p.;
EMX250 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 351 points; 2. KTM, 292 p.; 3. Honda, 292 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 274 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 270 p.; 6. Fantic, 175 p.; 7. GASGAS, 160 p.; 8. Triumph, 107 p.; 9. Beta, 11 p.;
Under bright blue skies, it was KTM Sarholz Racing Team’s Moritz Ernecker who launched out of the gate and claimed the holeshot in the opening race of Round 9 of the EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing. Filippo Mantovani and Mano Faure were right there in the mix, with Ryan Oppliger also muscling into contention early.
Faure quickly dispatched Mantovani and began closing in on Ernecker. With a confident move, the Frenchman took the lead, but Ernecker immediately fought back. It was a tense exchange over the next few corners, but eventually, Faure edged ahead and built a gap.
Meanwhile, championship leader Nicolò Alvisi started in fifth but began methodically working his way forward. He passed Mantovani for third, then chased down Ernecker. By lap three, Alvisi was into second place and eyeing the lead.
At that stage, Faure held a 7.5-second advantage, but disaster struck. The French rider tucked the front and crashed, remounting just as Alvisi arrived on his rear wheel. Not long after, Faure went down again, folding the front for a second time, an unfortunate repeat of the previous round.
Alvisi, calm and clinical, capitalised on the mistake and took over the lead. From there, he controlled the race to the flag, securing his second consecutive win. Faure held on for second, while Mantovani completed the podium in third.
Dani Heitink delivered a solid ride to finish fourth, while his teammate at Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC, Jarne Bervoets rounded out the top five. Oppliger, who had shown early speed, eventually crossed the line in sixth.
Despite a strong start, Ernecker couldn’t maintain his pace and slipped to 11th by the checkered flag. TM Moto CRD Motosport’s Niccolò Mannini had an eventful race, crashing from fifth early on but remounting to salvage a ninth-place finish.
Alvisi now tightened his grip on the red plate with another smart and opportunistic race win.
Race 2 of the EMX125 European Championship in Kegums got underway on a tricky, rain-soaked circuit, setting the stage for an intense showdown. Filippo Mantovani took the holeshot as the field powered through the first turns, with Faure quickly applying pressure. Home rider Jekabs Kubulins from JK Racing Yamaha made a strong start slotting into fourth, following his finish in 12th in the first race, while red plate holder Alvisi found himself buried in the pack, around 14th.
Faure wasted no time, passing Mantovani on the opening lap to take control of the race. Latvian hopeful Sturm STC Racing Team’s Raivo Laicāns was impressive in the early laps, running inside the top three ahead of Heitink and countryman Kubulins. By the end of lap one, Alvisi had already surged into the top ten.
Heitink steadily gained momentum, clocking his fastest lap and climbing to third. Oppliger’s early promise faded after a series of errors that saw him drop to top twenty but coming back with an impressive run to 11th in the end. Alvisi and Niccolò Mannini capitalised, both moving forward as the race went on.
At the halfway point, Faure had stretched out a 5-second lead over Mantovani, followed by Heitink, Kubulins, and Alvisi. A crash from Laicāns shuffled the running order, promoting Alvisi into fourth and within striking distance of the overall podium.
In the final laps, Heitink made a decisive move on Mantovani to grab second, while Alvisi advanced to third, securing vital championship points. Kubulins impressed with a fifth-place finish, giving the local fans something to cheer about.
Faure led every lap from start to finish, earning him the overall victory for the weekend with 47 points (2-1). Alvisi’s consistency (1-3) was enough for second overall on 45 points, and Heitink rounded out the podium with 40 points (4-2).
With three rounds remaining, the title fight remains intense, but Faure’s performance in Latvia has significantly closed the gap to the championship leader.
Mano Faure: „ I’m really happy to take the overall win this weekend. Yesterday I pushed a bit too much and it cost me, but today I managed to stay focused and win the moto. Now we look ahead to Matterley Basin, let’s keep the momentum going.”
EMX125 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 31:29.143; 2. Mano Faure (FRA, Yamaha), +0:04.518; 3. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), +0:20.306; 4. Dani Heitink (NED, Yamaha), +0:24.360; 5. Jarne Bervoets (BEL, Yamaha), +0:30.439; 6. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), +0:33.087; 7. Douwe Van Mechgelen (BEL, Fantic), +0:36.416; 8. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), +0:50.523; 9. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), +0:56.361; 10. Riccardo Pini (ITA, TM), +0:57.935
EMX125 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mano Faure (FRA, Yamaha), 30:25.329; 2. Dani Heitink (NED, Yamaha), +0:10.765; 3. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), +0:15.672; 4. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), +0:15.960; 5. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:23.045; 6. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), +1:00.780; 7. Douwe Van Mechgelen (BEL, Fantic), +1:02.683; 8. Raivo Laicans (LAT, GASGAS), +1:35.482; 9. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), +1:55.591; 10. Francesco Bellei (ITA, Fantic), +2:25.671
EMX125 Overall – Top 10 Classification: 1. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 47 points; 2. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Douwe Van Mechgelen (BEL, FAN), 28 p.; 6. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), 27 p.; 7. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 25 p.; 8. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), 25 p.; 9. Jarne Bervoets (BEL, YAM), 23 p.; 10. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), 17 p.
EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 330 points; 2. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 302 p.; 3. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), 266 p.; 4. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 248 p.; 5. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), 246 p.; 6. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 234 p.; 7. Francesco Bellei (ITA, FAN), 225 p.; 8. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 217 p.; 9. Riccardo Pini (ITA, TM), 197 p.; 10. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), 169 p
EMX125 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. KTM, 406 points; 2. Yamaha, 379 p.; 3. Fantic, 307 p.; 4. TM, 306 p.; 5. GASGAS, 117 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 93 p.;
Bild/Text: Infront