Round six of the FIM Europe EMX250 European Championship in Lugo delivered a weekend of intense racing, heavy conditions, and a clear statement from red plate holder Janis Martins Reisulis. The Team VHR VRT Yamaha Official rider was in a league of his own, executing a flawless 1-1 performance that saw him lead every lap of both races, extending his championship advantage in emphatic fashion.
From Saturday’s red-flagged restart to Sunday’s rain-soaked showdown, the young Latvian rose above the chaos while several title hopefuls battled misfortune, penalties, and the elements. Ultimately, it was Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Nico Greutmann and JM Honda Racing’s Noel Zanocz who joined Reisulis on the overall podium after two action-packed races that reshuffled the title fight.
The opening EMX250 race on Saturday at round six of the European Championship in Lugo, Spain, saw a clinical performance from Janis Reisulis, who delivered a flag-to-flag victory in tough conditions after an initial red flag restart.
When the gate dropped for the second time, Reisulis launched perfectly from the inside and took the holeshot, never relinquishing the lead for the entire 16-lap contest. Fantic Factory Racing EMX250’s Simone Mancini was quick to slot into second and maintained his composure to secure the runner-up position.
Behind them, August Frisk showed great pace. Initially starting fourth, he advanced into third by lap four and remained there to round out the podium. Noel Zanocz had a strong opening in third, but brake issues mid-race saw him slip down the order. He battled back to finish fifth, just behind Cat Moto Bauerschmidt Husqvarna’s Liam Owens, who executed a strong pass on Zanocz on lap 14 to claim fourth.
Nico Greutmann maintained a consistent pace throughout the race to take sixth, holding off Gabriel SS24 KTM Factory Juniors’s Gyan Doensen, who had stayed consistently into the top 10 to secure seventh.
Further back, Spanish hopes were hampered as Francisco Garcia from Venum BUD RACING Kawasaki was forced to retire on lap six, which was a disappointing ending to race 1 for the local rider in front of the home crowd. Instead, it was Adrià Monné and Salvador Pérez from the RFME Spain National Team who carried the Spanish flag into the points, finishing 11th and 14th respectively after measured rides.
Reisulis’s dominance was clear: from holeshot to checkered flag, he held P1 every lap and crossed the line with a margin of over seven seconds. The Latvian further cemented his place as the title favourite with such commanding form before the deciding race 2.
Reisulis made no mistakes again on Sunday. Despite a deep and rain-saturated circuit, he rocketed out of the gate and quickly passed early leader Paolo Maschio on the opening lap. A swift triple overtakes on the first lap saw him move from fourth to first in a matter of corners, immediately pulling away from the pack.
Behind him, Doensen, Monné, and Zanocz jostled for position in the early laps. Doensen momentarily held second before a charging Zanocz blasted around the outside on lap 3 to take the position. The Hungarian, however, could not hold off a relentless charge from Greutmann, who was surgically precise in the middle stages of the race.
Greutmann’s late-race pace was unmatched, cutting down time on Zanocz before executing a clean pass for second. With Reisulis managing his race from the front, the Swiss rider secured the second step of the overall podium.
Zanocz, consistent across both races, was rewarded with third overall despite overcoming brake issues in the first race. Meanwhile, Mancini who had finished second in Race 1, was set for a top-three overall until disaster struck late in Race 2. While running fifth for second overall, rider’s bike stalled on the final lap, leaving him stranded and ultimately classified 16th.
Elsewhere, Spanish fans had reason to cheer as Garcia rebounded from a Race 1 DNF to finish fifth in Race 2. His countryman Monné battled into the top ten again, finishing 10th despite a mid-race tip-over.
Four riders, including Owens and Frisk, were disqualified for receiving outside assistance, underlining how punishing the conditions were throughout the weekend.
Reisulis’ double win in Lugo tightens his grip on the red plate with a dominant 50-point haul. Greutmann’s performance vaults him to sixth in the standings, while Zanocz and Doensen solidify their place among the lead contenders. Mancini’s heartbreak in Race 2 could prove costly in what remains a tightly contested championship race.
As the EMX250 paddock heads towards the next stop in Ernée, France, the field knows that consistency and resilience, in any weather, will be the key to championship glory.
Janis Reisulis: “It was a good weekend but actually in this second race it wasn’t so easy to focus because I had a really, really bad sleep last night, but I’m from Latvia, so it’s okay! I’m starting to feel like I’m becoming more professional in my head: not making many mistakes, getting good starts, and extending the championship lead like I need to. Just a big thanks to the whole Yamaha squad and my family. See you in France!”
Main Photo: EMX250 Start
Top Photo: Janis Reisulis
Bottom Photos: 1. Nico Gretumann; 2. Noel Zanocz
EMX250 – Race 1 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 28:51.671; 2. Simone Mancini (ITA, Fantic), +0:07.604; 3. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), +0:09.691; 4. Liam Owens (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:13.300; 5. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:15.245; 6. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:18.214; 7. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:27.339; 8. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, Husqvarna), +0:33.783; 9. Alexis Fueri (FRA, KTM), +0:36.543; 10. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), +0:37.111
EMX250 – Race 2 – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 29:06.616; 2. Nico Greutmann (SUI, Husqvarna), +0:05.596; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, Honda), +0:06.692; 4. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), +0:21.148; 5. Francisco Garcia (ESP, Kawasaki), +0:26.002; 6. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, Yamaha), +0:54.822; 7. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, KTM), +0:55.534; 8. Paolo Maschio (FRA, Honda), +1:13.263; 9. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, Husqvarna), +1:15.599; 10. Adria Monne (ESP, GASGAS), +1:28.401
EMX250 Overall – Top 10: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 50 points; 2. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 37 p.; 3. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 36 p.; 4. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 32 p.; 5. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 27 p.; 6. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 25 p.; 7. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 24 p.; 8. Adria Monne (ESP, GAS), 21 p.; 9. Maximilian Ernecker (AUT, KTM), 20 p.; 10. Alexis Fueri (FRA, KTM), 20 p.
EMX250 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, YAM), 226 points; 2. Noel Zanocz (HUN, HON), 200 p.; 3. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW), 178 p.; 4. Nico Greutmann (SUI, HUS), 147 p.; 5. Simone Mancini (ITA, FAN), 137 p.; 6. August Frisk (SWE, KTM), 136 p.; 7. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM), 133 p.; 8. Lyonel Reichl (LIE, HUS), 131 p.; 9. Nicolai Skovbjerg (DEN, YAM), 122 p.; 10. Bradley Mesters (NED, KTM), 115 p.
EMX250 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: . Yamaha, 254 points; 2. Honda, 211 p.; 3. KTM, 210 p.; 4. Kawasaki, 208 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 207 p.; 6. Fantic, 139 p.; 7. GASGAS, 126 p.; 8. Triumph, 95 p.;
Photo: EMX250 Podium
All the photos from the MXGP of Spain will be available HERE.
You can find the complete results HERE.
MXGP OF SPAIN QUICK FACTS:
Circuit length: 1550m
Type of ground: Dark Soil
Temperature: 11°
Weather conditions: Rainy
Photocredit – MXGP
