REISULIS INCHES CLOSER TO THE EMX250 TITLE WITH IMPORTANT WIN IN ARNHEM.
The sands of Arnhem delivered a brutal test as the penultimate Round of the EMX250 European Championship pushed riders to their limits. With deep ruts, heavy bumps and a passionate Dutch crowd lining the fences, the weekend provided title-defining moments worthy of the world stage.
In EMX250, Leader Janis Reisulis from Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official showcased his class with a 2-1 scorecard to take his fifth overall victory of the season and extend his championship lead to 39 points. Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia and Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens joined him on the podium after two hard-fought races, while title rival JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz saw his challenge falter in the tough Dutch sand.
The twelfth round of the EMX250 European Championship roared into action on the deep and unforgiving sand of Arnhem. A spectacular crash on the opening lap saw Britain’s Billy Askew go over the bars in dramatic fashion after clipping another rider, his bike striking him hard in the back. Fortunately, he was able to walk away but it set the tone for a chaotic and physically demanding race
At the front, it was business as usual for championship leader Janis Reisulis, who stormed into the early lead ahead of Francisco Garcia and closest rival Noel Zanocz. Australian Liam Owens settled quickly into fourth and would remain there for the entirety of the race, a steady and consistent ride on the brutal Dutch circuit.
The early laps saw Garcia pushing hard to match Reisulis’ pace, but a small tip-over while holding second cost him valuable seconds. Remarkably, he remounted quickly enough to stay ahead of Zanocz and keep himself in contention. Meanwhile, further back, the Aussie Jake Cannon from Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki was mounting an impressive comeback. Starting outside the top ten, Cannon worked his way forward with determination, passing KTM Kosak Team’s Bradley Mesters, Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory’s Max Werner, and JK Racing Yamaha’s Jekabs Kubulins in the second half of the race to secure a strong sixth-place finish.
As the race entered its closing stages, the intensity at the sharp end rose. Garcia, having recovered from his earlier fall, closed back in on Reisulis and launched a decisive move that carried a hint of controversy as he cut across the Latvian’s line. Reisulis lost several seconds in the exchange, while Garcia powered ahead to take his sixth race victory of the season. Reisulis had to settle for second, just 3.4 seconds adrift, while Zanocz crossed the line a further half-second back in third. Owens confirmed fourth, with Switzerland’s Nico Greutmann from Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s completing the top five.
Garcia’s victory keeps his momentum alive in the title fight, while Reisulis’ runner-up finish, combined with Zanocz in third, means the Latvian still maintains his red plate with a slim margin as the championship edges closer to its climax.
The second EMX250 race once again showcased the class of Reisulis. Just as he had in Race 1, the Latvian blasted out of the gate very well while his fellow Latvian Kubulins was the one claiming the holeshot in front of him.
It was a less fortunate start for his closest rival Zanocz, who struggled to find his rhythm in the opening stages. Instead, the surprise early challenger was Kubulins, fresh up from the EMX125 class on his Yamaha two-stroke, who took the lead and held his position well through the first laps. Reisulis, however, quickly struck to move past Kubulins and claim control at the front.
Behind them, Garcia once again showed his speed but also some inconsistency. The Spaniard climbed into second by lap seven of sixteen, but a costly crash dropped him back to fourth, allowing Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna ‘s Mads Fredsøe and Owens to capitalise. Fredsøe briefly held the runner-up spot before Owens found a way through on lap thirteen, strengthening his claim on a career-first EMX250 podium. Fredsøe kept pushing to secure third, while Garcia had to settle for fourth after his mistake. Zanocz’s recovery ride only carried him to fifth, losing further ground in the championship battle.
At the flag, it was Reisulis who dominated to take his tenth race win of the season, crossing the line more than two seconds clear of Owens, with Fredsøe completing the top 3. Garcia and Zanocz rounded out the top five, followed by Greutmann in sixth. The result delivered Reisulis his fifth overall victory of the year with a 2-1 scorecard, ahead of Garcia (1-4) and Owens (4-2).
With one round remaining in Turkiye, Reisulis now enjoys a commanding 39-point lead in the standings, with Zanocz still second and Garcia just a few points further adrift in third.
Janis Reisulis: „It was very tough but also a very good weekend. The starts really helped me a lot and I’m happy with the improvements we made. In the first race I made a few mistakes, and at the end my back and arms were completely dead, but I managed to pull everything together for the second race. I’m really happy to win here, it’s a big confidence boost, now we focus on Turkiye.“
EMX250 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), 30:00.570; 2. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:03.411; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:04.053; 4. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:04.981; 5. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:35.913; 6. Jake Cannon (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:37.402; 7. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:49.781; 8. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:57.452; 9. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +1:01.225; 10. Maxime Lucas (BEL, KTM), +1:03.960
EMX250 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 30:39.340; 2. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:02.584; 3. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, Husqvarna), +0:08.690; 4. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:21.298; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:24.881; 6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:26.042; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:27.469; 8. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:39.940; 9. Tom Brunet (FRA, Yamaha), +1:04.605; 10. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:22.513
EMX250 Overall – Top 10: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 47 points; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 43 p.; 3. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 40 p.; 4. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 36 p.; 5. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 31 p.; 6. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, HUS), 29 p.; 7. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 27 p.; 8. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 24 p.; 10. Tom Brunet (FRA, YAM), 20 p
EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 478 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 440 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 407 p.; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 271 p.; 5. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 266 p.; 6. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 251 p.; 7. Liam Owens (AUS, HUS), 248 p.; 8. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 200 p.; 9. Jake Cannon (AUS, KAW), 197 p.; 10. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 182 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 528 points; 2. Honda, 451 p.; 3. Kawasaki, 449 p.; 4. KTM, 407 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 406 p.; 6. GASGAS, 236 p.; 7. Fantic, 223 p.; 8. Triumph, 147 p.; 9. Beta, 26 p.;
Bild/Text: Infront