Van Erp Secures Second EMX125 Victory in Sweden as Elzinga Tightens Grip on EMX250 Championship

MJC Yamaha Official EMX125’s Ivano van Erp was back on top at round eight of the EMX125 Championship in Uddevalla, Sweden. The speedy Dutchman powered his GYTR kitted YZ125 to a stunning 1-3 finish to claim his second overall victory of 2022. Teammate Ferruccio Zanchi rounded out the top five after a mistake in race two spoiled his chance at the podium after a stellar second place finish in race one.

In EMX250, a crucial top-five finish saw Hutten Metaal Yamaha Official EMX250’s Rick Elzinga extend his lead to 44-points over Cornelius Toendal. At the same time, teammate Andrea Bonacorsi dropped to fifth after injuring his left leg in an unavoidable crash.

The European Motocross Championship returned to Sweden for the first time since 2019, with the two-year hiatus coming as a result of the global pandemic. Van Erp started outside of the top-10 in EMX125 race one but quickly proved his prowess as he charged through the field. The young Dutchman caught and passed his teammate Zanchi on lap 7 before inheriting the lead from Janis Reisulis, who fell with two laps to go.

Zanchi battled inside the top-three for the entire 25-minute and two-lap race duration and was also able to capitalize on the mistake of Reisulis to finish second, 6-seconds adrift of the winner, van Erp.

On Sunday morning, the EMX riders were faced with much wetter conditions after the track was watered by the circuit coordinators overnight. Nevertheless, van Erp and Zanchi radiated confidence as they zoomed to a top-five start and challenged the front runners.

After five patient laps, Van Erp made a pass for third and controlled it to the flag, while Zanchi fell from fifth and only recovered for 10th.

Karlis Reisulis withdrew from race one due to an ‘off’ feeling but bounced back in race two with a fourth-place finish. He was classified 10th overall.

The MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team now heads for Hyvinkaa, Finland, for the ninth and final round of the EMX125 Championship. Reisulis is third in the standings, van Erp is fifth and Zanchi is eighth.

In EMX250, Elzinga had to make an off-track excursion to avoid the carnage that caught-out Bonacorsi on the exit of turn one in race one. The tall Dutchman rejoined the race at the back of the pack and charged hard to finish ninth.

In race two, a much cleaner start saw the ‘44’ march from eighth to fourth.

As a result, he now leads the EMX250 Championship by 44-points going into the penultimate round in Hyvinkaa, Finland, in less than a week’s time.

For full results from the EMX Rounds of Sweden, click here.

Geerts Strengthens Grip on MX2 Championship Lead with Vital Grand Prix Win in Sweden

Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Jago Geerts held off his main title rival to claim a crucial Grand Prix win at the 15th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Uddevalla, Sweden. As a result, he maintains a 23-point lead in the championship.

Starting from Pole Position, Geerts powered his YZ250FM to second position in race one after two great passes on Simon Laengenfelder and Kevin Horgmo. At the same time, teammate Thibault Benistant fought back from ninth to finish sixth after a mistake on lap 1.

A frantic start in race two saw Geerts slip back to sixth as he took a gradual and calculated approach to the race. By lap 5, he had found his edge and was up to second, and six laps later, he took over the lead after a thrilling battle with Laengenfelder.

After taking his position at the front of the field, the ‘93’ had to fend off a high-pressure charge from Tom Vialle to secure the race win and, consequently, the Grand Prix victory.

Benistant fell from second on lap three and recovered for ninth. He was classified seventh overall and remains fifth in the championship standings.

The Swedish Grand Prix marks Geerts’ 40th career podium and his first-ever hat-trick of Grand Prix wins. His success also sees Yamaha extend its lead in the Manufacturer’s World Championship.

The next round of the FIM Motocross World Championship will take place in Hyvinkaa, Finland, in less than a week’s time – on August 13th and 14th. The last time Geerts raced at Hyvinkaa, he was crowned EMX85 Champion in 2014. Benistant has never raced there in the past.

For full results from the MX2 Grand Prix of Sweden, click here.

Jago Geerts

MX2 Grand Prix of Sweden Winner, 47-points

MX2 World Championship Leader, 637-points

“I’m really happy about the way I rode today. In the second race, I needed to take a few laps to find my flow and the best lines, but in the end, I managed to make some good passes to win the GP. I also kept the lead in the championship, so it was a really positive weekend for me. I am really looking forward to returning to the sand next weekend in Finland and for the final three races of the season.”

Thibault Benistant

7th MX2 Grand Prix of Sweden, 27-points

5th MX2 World Championship Standings, 405-points

“It was not an easy weekend for me. In the first race, I started around sixth but made a mistake on the first lap. I took some time to find my rhythm out there, but once I found it, I could return to P.6. In the second race, I got a good start. I was second and pushing to make a gap on the faster guys, but I fell and hurt my shoulder a little bit. At the end of the race, I was feeling better, but it was already too late, but I still managed to do some good laps, so I am looking forward to the next one.”

Seewer Celebrates Third Grand Prix Win as Coldenhoff Ensures Double Podium for Yamaha in Sweden

The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team celebrated its fifth double podium of 2022 at the 15th round of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Uddevalla, Sweden. Jeremy Seewer sprayed victory champagne for the third time this season and celebrated on the podium with teammate Glenn Coldenhoff, who finished third overall. Maxime Renaux took a spectacular race win but could not finish the event after a fall on the opening lap of race two. Still, he finished eighth overall.

Chilly temperatures and occasional showers made for tricky conditions in Uddevalla, a track and location that has welcomed the FIM Motocross World Championship no fewer than 19 times in the past quarter century.

The first race was one for the history books, with all three riders finishing inside the top three after an intense 34-minutes of ‘follow-the-leader’. IXS Hostettler Yamaha’s Valentin Guillod led the Factory trio around turn-one but went wide and was quickly shuffled back to fourth by Renaux, Seewer and Coldenhoff, in that order.

After taking the lead, Renaux performed flawlessly and led all 18 laps for his fifth race victory of the season. He was followed over the finish line by his hard-charging teammates Seewer and Coldenhoff.

In race two, Seewer powered his YZ450FM to an incredible holeshot and remained inch-perfect from start to finish, edging the championship leader Tim Gajser for the race and Grand Prix win.

Coldenhoff ran a fantastic pace but couldn’t progress any further than fifth. The Dutchman happily took the 16 points awarded for the final place in the top five, which awarded him third overall.

At the same time, the race one winner Renaux crashed out of contention less than a quarter of a lap into the second heat. The Frenchman was unable to continue after taking a heavy knock but has been cleared from injury and will be back to business in Hyvinkaa, Finland, in a week’s time – on August 13th and 14th.

For full results from the MXGP of Finland, click here.

Jeremy Seewer

MXGP of Sweden Winner, 47-points

MXGP World Championship Standings, 530-points

“I had two good starts today, and that is really important. Taking a holeshot in the second race makes it easier, especially on this track, because passing is super difficult. I won the GP, so it was an amazing weekend. There are three rounds to go now, so I just want to keep going and collect as many first-place trophies as possible.”

Glenn Coldenhoff

3rd MXGP of Sweden, 36-points

4th MXGP World Championship Standings, 478-points

“We made some changes today and it definitely worked out, so I am just grateful to the team. We had a dream finish for Yamaha with the three of us going 1,2 and 3, although I wish the order that we finished was different, still, it says something. I am happy to be here on the podium again, it’s always good to be here.”

Maxime Renaux

8th MXGP of Sweden, 25-points

5th MXGP World Championship Standings, 466-points

“It’s really frustrating. I had the perfect start to the day with a top start and a race win after leading the whole race. But, on the second race, I came together with another rider and crashed. Some riders rode over me, so I was a little bit bruised. I tried to continue, but I couldn’t hold the handlebar, so I had to stop. It’s disappointing, but luckily no injuries and I will be ready to return in Finland.