The Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP and MX2 teams are primed to build on their podium-challenging speed as the FIM Motocross World Championship heads to the hard-sand circuit of Kegums, Latvia, for Round 11.
After a solid Grand Prix in which he posted two solid results and moved up to third in the MXGP Championship Standings, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Maxime Renaux arrives confident and determined to keep momentum. He has fond memories of the Latvian Grand Prix, having celebrated his first-ever 1-1 victory at the track in MX2 in 2021. Despite still dealing with the aftereffects of an injury sustained in Switzerland, Renaux is eager to get his season back on track and hopes to be in the fight for a podium finish this weekend.
At the same time, Jago Geerts has experienced significant success at Kegums throughout his career. He claimed victory at the circuit in EMX125 in 2016 and has won three Grands Prix there in MX2. Geerts has been steadily increasing his speed and gaining confidence aboard his YZ450FM with each race and aims to put the pieces of the puzzle together on Sunday.
Calvin Vlaanderen completes Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s charge this weekend. The South African showed his potential with a hard-fought third-place finish in Germany’s opening race but faced adversity after a minor knee tweak in Race 2. With no major damage confirmed, Vlaanderen—a former podium finisher in Kegums (in MX2) —is determined to uncork his first bottle of podium champagne this season.
The Latvian Grand Prix carries special significance for Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2’s Karlis Reisulis and VHR VRT Yamaha Official EMX250’s Janis Reisulis. The brothers, both hailing from Latvia, rank among the nation’s brightest young motocross talents. Older brother, Karlis, aims to secure a good result in front of his home fans, while Janis hopes to extend his lead in the EMX250 Championship.
While K.Reisulis aims to continue his progression in his first full season in MX2, his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 teammate, Thibault Benistant, is determined to rebound after a challenging German Grand Prix. The Frenchman’s past Kegums mastery, which include three dominant EMX250 round wins in 2020—fuels his quest to be in MX2’s podium fight.
Bolstering Yamaha’s presence in Latvia this weekend, VHR VRT Yamaha Official EMX250’s Ivano van Erp will team up with J. Reisulis for the eighth round of the European EMX250 Championship. J. Reisulis enjoys a comfortable 25-point lead in the series, while van Erp is making a determined comeback in the standings after missing three rounds due to injury. He is currently 17th.
At the same time, the MJC Yamaha Official EMX125 team returns to action for the third consecutive weekend. Mano Faure, fresh off an impressive victory in Germany—his fourth of the season—is closing in on his first EMX125 title. The young Frenchman has surged to second in the championship standings and is rapidly gaining confidence. Meanwhile, teammate Dani Heitink is determined to advance from his current eighth position, and Jarne Bervoets, returning from injury, is set on improving his 12th-place position.
Maxime Renaux
3rd MXGP Championship Standings, 326-points
“I’m feeling good going into a third straight GP! I like Latvia, the track is really nice. It’s physical and quite technical and tricky. I’ve had some good memories there in the past like my first ever double race win in MX2, in 2021. My expectations for the weekend are more or less the same, I was to take some strong and consistent results and obviously, try to be on the box would be great.”
Calvin Vlaanderen
8th MXGP Championship Standings, 262-points
“The body doesn’t feel bad after the two back-to-back GP’s we’ve just had. Unfortunately, I did twist my knee and I do have some pain and swelling, but I hope it will settle down before the weekend. I like the track in Latvia, it’s a bit sandy with a hard base. I had my first ever podium in Kegums, so I definitely have good memories there!”
Jago Geerts
15th MXGP Championship Standings, 154-points
“I’m still feeling good. I feel that I’m getting a bit better every weekend so it’s nice to have a race again this weekend. Kegums is one of my favourite tracks so I’m really looking forward to this weekend. I always have fun riding in Latvia and had a lot of good results there in the past. The goal is to keep building my confidence and get the best result possible on the day.”
Thibault Benistant
6th MX2 Championship Standings, 337-points
“It’s nice to have all these races in a row. It’s not always easy when the race doesn’t go as expected, but we keep working and training, and it’s nice to know we will be on the gate again this weekend. I’ve had some good races in Kegums, especially when I was in EMX250. I like the track, it’s a bit sandy, but not too much, and it has cool jumps and wave sections and things like that, so I look forward to racing there.”
Karlis Reisulis
14th MX2 Championship Standings, 170-points
”I’m feeling very good! It’s nice to spend some time at home. Kegums is a good and heavy track, which will be a test for all riders. I like it. I’ve had podiums there in EMX, and I’m just always happy to ride there. This weekend, I really want to make a good result in front of my home crowd!”
Photocredits Full Spectrum Media
