FRISK FLIES IN SWITZERLAND IN EMX250 WHILE KATONA WINS IT IN EMX125 PRESENTED BY FMF RACING.
The Swiss round in Frauenfeld delivered a weekend of high-stakes racing across both the EMX250 and EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing classes, where riders were all tested on the hard-pack circuit. With championship implications looming large, every race where so important and it shows in their intensity and with some standouts performances!
In EMX250, August Frisk made the most of every opportunity, storming to a perfect 1-1 result and celebrating his first overall win in the category. Meanwhile, the EMX125 class witnessed a brilliant fightback from red plate holder Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’ Áron Katona, who took control in Race 2 to secure the overall victory and extend his lead in the standings.
The first EMX250 race of the Swiss round in Frauenfeld delivered plenty of action and raised the stakes once again for the championship.
At the start, RFME Spain National Team’s Salvador Pérez went down in the first turn and appeared injured, struggling to return to his bike. Although he eventually remounted, he was unable to continue and recorded a DNF, putting a stop to his hopes for a strong result in Switzerland. The Holeshot went to August Frisk as he sped away with the lead.
Behind Frisk, Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official’s Janis Reisulis, the current red plate holder, slotted into second but began experiencing mechanical issues just a few laps into the race. Smoke coming from his Yamaha signaled trouble, and midway through the moto, his bike gave out completely. With Reisulis out, Swiss rider Nico Greutmann, racing for Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna, stepped up into second place to the delight of the home fans.
Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Francisco Garcia made an impressive charge after a tip-over mid-moto. The Spaniard quickly regrouped and worked his way back into the top three, eventually reclaiming third place from Simone Mancini of Fantic Factory Racing EMX125, who crossed the line in fourth. JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz also had a strong comeback, rising from outside the top ten to finish fifth. With Reisulis not scoring, Zanocz joined him at the top of the championship standings after that race.
Further back, Adria Monne from RFME Spain National Team held sixth ahead of Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki’s Jake Cannon, with consistent laps helping both riders secure solid points. KTM Kosak Team’s Bradley Mesters, William Askew and Ghidinelli Racing Team Alexis Fueri completed the top ten. Fueri had to battle hard in the final laps to hold off Gyan Doensen from GABRIEL SS24 KTM FACTORY JUNIOR. Both riders exchanged positions several times before locking down10th place for Fueri and 11th for Doensen.
Meanwhile, Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens had shown early promise and was running inside the top five before a mistake dropped him out of contention. Frisk claimed a well-earned and career-first race victory in EMX250, putting together a calm and calculated ride from the front. The Swedish rider took the holeshot and kept his cool lap after lap, gradually building a gap that no one could close.
Just like in Race 1, Frisk timed the gate perfectly and snatched the holeshot to lead from the very first corner. Behind him, Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory Junior’s William Askew moved into second, followed by Garcia in third. But the opening lap chaos caught out Cannon, who had made a strong start but went down early and had to remount from the back of the pack.
Zanocz wasted no time making moves, gaining ground to fifth on the opening lap, with teammate Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens just behind in sixth. Meanwhile, Saturday’s DNF rider Reisulis was buried deeper in the pack, but began steadily picking his way forward.
As Frisk started to stretch a gap at the front, the battle behind him quickly intensified. Garcia, Askew, Zanocz, and Reisulis were all bunched up and eyeing both podium points and championship position. By lap five, Frisk was sitting comfortably but the rest of the standings were incredibly tight — four riders were within a point of each other in the overall.
Garcia put in a brilliant effort to first close on Askew and then make a move for second. That pass would prove crucial for both the race and the overall standings. Just behind, Reisulis and Zanocz were locked in a duel, knowing full well that every point could swing the red plate in their favour. The Latvian eventually found a way past Zanocz and then Askew, moving into third place by lap 9.
Swiss rider Greutmann was on the charge too, battling with Mancini and later sneaking past Owens into sixth by the checkered flag — just enough to secure his first career podium in front of a thrilled home crowd.
Further down the top ten, Monne, 8th, andDoensen 9th, all delivered solid rides, while Askew slipped a couple of spots late in the race to finish 5th. Garcia’s little scare on lap 6 nearly cost him, but he recovered quickly to hold off both Zanocz and Reisulis in the final stages.
At the front, Frisk remained untouched, managing a late scare with backmarkers and still crossing the line with a comfortable gap. His lights-to-flag win marked a perfect weekend: 1-1 and 50 points, a major milestone for the Swedish rider
August Frisk: “It was amazing. Hard work paid off! I’ve had some tough starts to the year, but this weekend everything clicked. Two holeshots, two wins, and I didn’t touch the suspension all weekend, that’s how good I felt. It’s unbelievable, I have no words! This first EMX250 win will give me a lot of confidence going forward.”
EMX250 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 28:53.565; 2. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:07.028; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:16.936; 4. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), +0:23.275; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:27.323; 6. Adria Monne (ESP, GASGAS), +0:30.637; 7. Jake Cannon (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:33.714; 8. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:37.663; 9. William Askew (GBR, Triumph), +0:39.035; 10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, KTM), +0:48.702
EMX250 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 29:24.785; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:04.960; 3. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +0:11.525; 4. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:16.990; 5. William Askew (GBR, Triumph), +0:20.032; 6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:20.785; 7. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:24.658; 8. Adria Monne (ESP, GASGAS), +0:26.477; 9. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:26.947; 10. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:29.57
EMX250 Overall – Top 10: 1. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 50 points; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 42 p.; 3. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 37 p.; 4. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 34 p.; 5. William Askew (GBR, TRI), 28 p.; 6. Adria Monne (ESP, GAS), 28 p.; 7. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 28 p.; 8. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 22 p.; 9. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 20 p.; 10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, KTM), 19 p
EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 126 points; 2. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 124 p.; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 124 p.; 4. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 104 p.; 5. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 91 p.; 6. Adrien Petit (FRA, YAM), 85 p.; 7. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 83 p.; 8. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 82 p.; 9. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 76 p.; 10. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 75 p
EMX250 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. Yamaha, 154 points; 2. Kawasaki, 146 p.; 3. KTM, 143 p.; 4. Honda, 135 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 131 p.; 6. GASGAS, 84 p.; 7. Triumph, 80 p.; 8. Fantic, 77 p
The opening race of the EMX125 class in Frauenfeld set a competitive tone as riders faced the technical challenges of the hard-pack Swiss circuit
Swiss rider Ryan Oppliger made a strong impression at home by grabbing the holeshot and leading the early laps of the race in front of a cheering local crowd. Just behind him, Racestore KTM Factory Rookies’ Nicolò Alvisi and Filippo Mantovani slotted into second and third, closely pursued by Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Dani Heitink, MCV Motorsport-TM Moto’s Riccardo Pini, and a charging field behind.
Red plate holder Áron Katona didn’t get the start he hoped for. He chose the inside gate but was boxed in, emerging from the first turn in 11th. Meanwhile, Mantovani suffered a costly crash on the landing of a jump, dropping out of podium contention early in the race.
Alvisi wasted no time once he moved into second. After shadowing Oppliger through the first two laps, he made his move on lap three, finding a way past and starting to build a gap at the front. Behind them, Heitink capitalised on Mantovani’s error to move into third along with Gennaro Utech from MCV Motorsport-TM Moto in his wake, then quickly set his sights on Oppliger. Within a few laps, the Dutch rider made the pass and took over second, looking strong and consistent. Utech quickly followed the example of the Dutch rider to move up to 3rd on lap 9 of 16.
As the front rider pulled away early in the race, Katona began his charge. He set the fastest lap of the race on lap 6 of 16 and methodically picked off rider after rider, climbing up to fourth by lap 10. He eventually closed in on Utech, and with a bold move on lap 14, Katona took third and tried to cut the gap to Heitink ahead.
Despite Katona’s efforts, Heitink remained steady under pressure in the closing laps. The Hungarian rider got within two seconds of second place but couldn’t quite complete the pass before the checkered flag.
In the end, Alvisi rode flawlessly to take the win with a composed and fast performance from start to finish. Heitink came home second, and Katona’s strong comeback secured him third. Utech and Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Mano Faure who came back strong after an average start rounded out the top five, while early leader Oppliger settled for sixth.
With the top riders still separated by only a handful of points after Saturday’s outing, the second race of the EMX125 presented by FMF Racing in Frauenfeld had everything on the line..
This time it was Yamaha Europe EMX125 MJC’s Jarne Bervoets who stormed into the lead with a perfect start and held off a charging pack into the opening corners. Right on his tail was red plate holder Katona, who wasted no time taking over the lead on lap one. Once out front, the Hungarian was untouchable, immediately creating a gap and setting the fastest lap of the race on lap 4.
Behind him, JK Racing Yamaha’s Jekabs Kubulins slotted into third early on and soon passed Bervoets to take second. The Latvian rider looked confident on the hard-packed Swiss circuit, while Bervoets began to fade as the race progressed. Meanwhile, Alvisi, Saturday’s winner, was buried in the pack after getting tangled in the first turn alongside Oppliger and had to push from outside the top 20.
As Katona extended his lead to seven, then ten, and eventually twenty seconds, the real battle took place behind him. Fantic Factory Racing’s Francesco Bellei was on a mission. After a mid-pack start, the Italian rider surged through the field, moving into fourth and then pouncing on Kubulins for second. Their scrap was one of the race highlights — Bellei passed, Kubulins responded, and the two traded positions in the final laps. Eventually, Bellei made the pass stick, securing a hard-earned second place.
Further back, Dream Team’s Cole McCullough was also on the move. He worked past Bervoets and later inherited fourth after Utech suffered mechanical issues and was forced to retire. Pini and Mantovani completed the top seven, while Alvisi clawed his way back up to sixth after a small crash temporarily dropped him to eighth.
In the closing moments, all eyes turned to Heitink, who needed to make one more pass to earn an overall podium. With just a couple of laps to go, he went bar-to-bar with Pini and pulled off a brilliant outside move to take eighth place — and with it, third overall for the weekend
Aron Katona: “This last race was unbelievable! My start was really good.I was surprised! And then I passed Bervoets and led the whole race easy going and just rode with the flow so it was amazing. Thanks to my team, my family and everyone who is supporting me”
EMX125 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 29:44.910; 2. Dani Heitink (NED, Yamaha), +0:03.702; 3. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), +0:05.586; 4. Gennaro Utech (ITA, TM), +0:18.367; 5. Mano Faure (FRA, Yamaha), +0:18.677; 6. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), +0:28.208; 7. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:32.793; 8. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), +0:35.562; 9. Cole McCullough (IRL, Fantic), +0:38.166; 10. Jarne Bervoets (BEL, Yamaha), +0:39.107
EMX125 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 29:24.681; 2. Francesco Bellei (ITA, Fantic), +0:21.278; 3. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, Yamaha), +0:26.134; 4. Cole McCullough (IRL, Fantic), +0:35.872; 5. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), +0:43.131; 6. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), +0:44.214; 7. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), +0:48.262; 8. Dani Heitink (NED, Yamaha), +0:52.314; 9. Riccardo Pini (ITA, TM), +0:54.043; 10. Mano Faure (FRA, Yamaha), +0:54.598
EMX125 Overall – Top 10: 1. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 45 points; 2. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 40 p.; 3. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 35 p.; 4. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 34 p.; 5. Francesco Bellei (ITA, FAN), 31 p.; 6. Cole McCullough (IRL, FAN), 30 p.; 7. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 27 p.; 8. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), 22 p.; 10. Dean Gregoire (NED, KTM), 22 p
EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Áron Katona (HUN, KTM), 195 points; 2. Francesco Bellei (ITA, FAN), 156 p.; 3. Nicolò Alvisi (ITA, KTM), 153 p.; 4. Mano Faure (FRA, YAM), 145 p.; 5. Niccolo Mannini (ITA, TM), 143 p.; 6. Dani Heitink (NED, YAM), 138 p.; 7. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM), 129 p.; 8. Riccardo Pini (ITA, TM), 126 p.; 9. Cole McCullough (IRL, FAN), 121 p.; 10. Filippo Mantovani (ITA, KTM), 117 p
EMX125 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. KTM, 225 points; 2. Yamaha, 212 p.; 3. TM, 186 p.; 4. Fantic, 178 p.; 5. GASGAS, 73 p.; 6. Husqvarna, 19 p.;
Bild/Text: Infront