Round 17 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, started on a high note – with sunny skies, a moto victory for Simone Mancini in EMX125, and a strong performance by Glenn Coldenhoff, who secured sixth place in Saturday’s MXGP qualifying race. However, heavy overnight rain presented a different challenge on Sunday, and ultimately, the Fantic riders weren’t rewarded for their efforts.
The Fantic XX 125 riders showcased their speed from the very start of practice. Noel Zanocz secured pole position, and Simone Mancini was third of his group, while Douwe Van Mechgelen qualified in 14th position.
In race 1 on Saturday afternoon, Zanocz got off to a fast start and quickly moved into the top 3 within the opening lap. By lap 5, he had taken over the lead. Unfortunately, a technical issue forced him to retire from the race. Mancini, on the other hand, didn’t have the best start, finding himself in the middle of the pack after the first right-hander. He charged through the field to reach the leading group and, with three laps to go, took the lead to secure his third race win of the season. Douwe Van Mechgelen finished 16th after recovering from a costly first-lap crash.
Heavy rain overnight shook things up for the second race on Sunday morning. Simone Mancini positioned himself in the top 5 right from the get-go, while Noel Zanocz made quick and decisive passes after a challenging start. Despite the difficult track conditions, both riders maintained a strong race pace, with Mancini finishing third and Zanocz fourth. Unfortunately, Douwe Van Mechgelen was forced to retire after a strong start that saw him fighting in the top 10.
After crossing the finish line, Mancini was docked 10 positions for not respecting a yellow flag. The penalty significantly impacted the GP outcome, dropping the Italian from first to sixth overall, a result that didn’t reflect his strong performance on track. It was an unfortunate weekend for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX125 squad, with Noel Zanocz now trailing the new championship leader by just six points. The title will be decided in the final round in Spain at the end of September.
Simone Mancini: “It is such a shame to lose the victory. Unfortunately, the track conditions on Sunday morning were really tough. With all the mud, my helmet became very heavy, and I could barely see for most of the moto. Because of this, I didn’t notice the yellow flag at all, but rules are rules, and we respect the decision of the race direction.”
Noel Zanocz: “Unfortunately, I lost a lot of points on Saturday. I did my best on Sunday after a tough start, but the conditions were very demanding. Even though I managed to make up some ground, it wasn’t enough to reclaim the red plate. I am still close to the championship leader, and one thing is for sure – we will fight till the end!”
Coming off his outstanding performance in the sand of Arnhem, Glenn Coldenhoff adapted well to the tight and technical hard-pack track of Frauenfeld. He secured seventh in time practice, while his teammate Brian Bogers was close behind in ninth.
However, the start of the qualifying race didn’t go as planned, with both Fantic Factory Racing MXGP riders finding themselves down the order in 18th and 19th after a tricky first corner. “The Hoff” was on a mission, steadily picking off riders to break into the top 10 by lap 7, eventually finishing with an impressive sixth place. It was a more challenging race for Bogers, who was caught up in another rider’s crash, losing more ground and finishing in 22nd.
Track conditions changed significantly for Sunday, as rain had arrived overnight. In race 1, Glenn Coldenhoff had a decent start around P10. He managed to maintain a solid pace while avoiding mistakes in demanding conditions to secure seventh place. Brian Bogers struggled to find the right rhythm in the deep ruts and had to settle for 14th.
In race 2, Coldenhoff was quick out of the gate once again. The Dutchman moved into sixth on his Fantic XXF 450, holding the position for several laps before settling into eighth. Unfortunately, his race ended prematurely when his chain came off, forcing him to retire with four laps remaining. Bogers faced a tough start and couldn’t find the pace needed to make significant progress, finishing 16th. Coldenhoff ended the day 13th overall, thanks to his top-7 finish in the first moto, while Bogers placed 14th overall.
Glenn Coldenhoff: “I felt really good on Saturday, the pace was there and I had a good feeling. The rain came overnight and the track was completely different, and I didn’t feel as good on Sunday as I did the day before. I didn’t quite have the pace and finished seventh in race 1. My start was really good in race 2, I could hold on in the beginning but I rode a little bit too tight and lost a few positions. Unfortunately, my chain came off and we ended the weekend with a DNF. I think I hit a stone in a deep rut and that was it. It is such a shame because I was getting closer to the top 5 in the championship. We could have gained a lot of points but it didn’t go to plan. Luckily, we have a weekend off now. I will also get some treatments as I hit my shoulder and ribs in a crash on Saturday. We will prepare in the best possible way for Turkey and I hope to finish the season strong. I will keep fighting and we will keep working together with the team and Fantic. I am still aiming for that podium, we don’t give up, we keep working hard and we keep believing, which is the most important.”
Brian Bogers: “Well, what can I say? It was a struggle all weekend long. I wanted to push, but somehow, I just couldn’t manage it. Even though the track isn’t one of my favorites, you need to be good on any track. That is what I always keep in mind. For example, in Maggiora, another difficult track for me, I had one of my best races so far. This weekend was one of the most challenging. Of course, I made it very difficult for myself with a bad gate pick. The track is quite tight, I was struggling – when you put everything together, it just wasn’t good enough in the end. I think we actually found a good setup for the bike, but from my side, it wasn’t as good as I had hoped. We will keep our heads up and try again next time.”
The MXGP of Switzerland began on a promising note for Fantic’s MX2 squad, with David Braceras posting the tenth fastest lap time in free practice. In time practice, Braceras secured the 15th best time, while Kay Karssemakers took 18th. During the qualifying race, Braceras managed to come back to 15th after a challenging start, while Karssemakers had to retire due to a minor technical issue.
In race 1, Kay Karssemakers delivered a solid performance despite starting from a difficult gate position. He steadily worked his way up the standings, finishing in 14th place. Braceras had a strong start and was running in 12th, but unfortunately tipped over and damaged his clutch lever, forcing him to retire from the race.
Race 2 saw an impressive start for both Braceras and Karssemakers, with the Fantic XXF 250 duo breaking into the top 10 in the opening stages. Karssemakers maintained a fast pace during the first part of the race but had to slow down in the latter stages, ultimately finishing in 14th place. Braceras crossed the finish line in 13th position. In the overall classification, Karssemakers secured 13th place in only his second GP back from injury.
The EMX250 riders were also in action in Frauenfeld, with Alexis Fueri setting a strong lap time in qualifying, placing eighth overall. In race 1, the Frenchman struggled to find his rhythm after a poor start. Later on, an issue forced him out of the race. Race 2 on Sunday turned into a muddy challenge, but Fueri managed to secure 13th place with a solid performance in tricky conditions.
Kay Karssemakers: “It was quite a good weekend for me, even though I didn’t have the best gate pick after my DNF in the qualifying race. I still had a decent start in the first moto and settled into my rhythm until I had an issue with my front fender, which made things difficult. I tried to fight until the end and managed to finish in 14th. In race 2, I had a really good jump out of the gate. The first 20 minutes were really good, I was battling in the top 10, but towards the end, my wrist started to feel tired and my pace dropped a bit. I finished 14th again. Considering this was just my second GP back after the injury, I am pretty happy with how the weekend went.”
David Braceras: “The weekend started off well with a good feeling and P10 in free practice, but in the qualifying race, I didn’t quite have the same feeling, especially after hitting the gate at the start. From the back of the field, I managed to come back to 15th. Race 1 on Sunday started well, and I was running in P12, but then I crashed and damaged the clutch lever, and I couldn’t continue the race. I felt better in the second moto, running in eighth in the beginning, but a small mistake cost me some positions, and I eventually finished 13th. It was a solid moto overall, but I am a bit disappointed about the mistake in the first moto that affected my overall result. We will keep working and get ready for Turkey.”
Photocredits Fantic
