Fantic Factory Racing MXGP’s Glenn Coldenhoff narrowly missed out on the podium in Kegums, finishing a strong weekend in fourth overall and climbing to third in the championship standings. Andrea Bonacorsi and Brian Bogers also delivered top-5 race results, rounding out a remarkable team performance to kick off the second half of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship. In EMX125, it was Douwe Van Mechgelen who scored fifth overall for Fantic.
The eleventh round of the MXGP season was off to a promising start for Fantic. Brian Bogers and Glenn Coldenhoff were clearly at ease on the sandy “Zelta Zirgs” circuit of Kegums, placing third and fourth respectively in Saturday’s time practice session, and Andrea Bonacorsi joined them in the top 8. The positive momentum continued in the qualifying race, as the Fantic XXF 450 trio powered out of the gate to a strong start. During the opening lap, Coldenhoff, Bonacorsi and Bogers settled into fifth, sixth and seventh, holding their positions with a rock-solid performance all the way to the finish line.
The Fantic stars kept pushing on Sunday, and in race 1, it was Brian Bogers who led the charge in the early stages, slotting into third on the opening lap. Glenn Coldenhoff followed closely in fifth and, when another rider made a mistake, he was right on his teammate’s rear wheel. With five laps to go, “The Hoff” moved into third and managed to open up a small gap on the chasing pack. Bogers fought hard to secure fifth, fending off late pressure from the championship leader. Andrea Bonacorsi was right in the mix too, as all three Fantic XXF 450 riders finished inside the top 7.
Hopes were high going into the final race of the weekend, but Coldenhoff and Bogers didn’t quite get the start they needed to fight for the podium positions. Nevertheless, both gave it their all, battling hard right up to the chequered flag. It was Bonacorsi who led the Fantic trio in race 2, showing true fighting spirit to claim fifth place and seventh overall. Coldenhoff finished seventh in the race, placing him fourth overall – just one point shy of the podium. Bogers crossed the line in 13th, rounding out a positive Grand Prix that saw him inside the top 5 across most sessions in ninth overall.
In the championship standings, Coldenhoff moves up to third after an intense triple-header, as the MXGP series now takes a well-earned weekend off before heading to Matterley Basin, Great Britain.
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“It was actually a pretty solid weekend – it is just a shame about the second race. I didn’t get the best start, and I knew I had to pass two guys to make the podium, but I simply didn’t have the energy left to move forward. We were in a great position after race 1 and I really feel like this GP should have ended with a podium, which is why I am so disappointed right now – but still, I gave it my all. We scored good points for the championship, and fourth overall is a good step in the right direction after a few tougher weekends. Hopefully, we can keep building from here.”
Andrea Bonacorsi:
“It was a tough weekend, also because I got sick in Germany and couldn’t train during the week. So, I knew it was going to be a very long GP here in Kegums, but with a seventh and a fifth in the races, it went quite well. My starts were good, and I know I could have done even better if I had been at my best, but for this time, a seventh overall is a decent result. Now we have a weekend off and we will be back at 100% for Matterley Basin.”
Brian Bogers:
“All in all, we can be happy with this weekend. Apart from the qualifying race and race 2, we were inside the top 5 in every other session. Of course, I am a bit disappointed about that second race, but to be honest, I was a little tired, didn’t get a great start, and it was difficult to make passes. But we will take the positives – we are getting better and better. The trend is going in the right direction, and I am happy to be in the top 10 and getting closer to fighting for the top 5 on a regular basis. Now we have got a weekend off to recover, and we will be ready for Great Britain.”
FANTIC FACTORY RACING EMX
Dutch Masters champion Douwe Van Mechgelen feels right at home on sand tracks, and he proved it once again in Kegums, Latvia – kicking off the weekend with a strong fourth place in his EMX125 qualifying group, closely followed by teammate Francesco Bellei in fifth.
The Fantic Factory Racing EMX duo made a solid start in race 1, battling for a top-10 position from the opening lap. However, Bellei’s charge was cut short when he couldn’t avoid a fallen rider in front of him and went down as well. The crash caused damage to his Fantic XX 125, ultimately forcing him to retire. Van Mechgelen, meanwhile, rode a mistake-free race with consistent pace and strong lap times, bringing it home in seventh place.
After heavy overnight rain, race 2 on Sunday morning took place in demanding track conditions – and a less-than-ideal start made the challenge even tougher for the two Fantic youngsters. Van Mechgelen was up to the task once again, climbing through the field to cross the line in seventh, securing a well-earned fifth overall. Bellei had to fight back after a fall midway through the race, but still managed to finish in tenth position, placing him 14th overall.
In EMX250, Simone Mancini had a rocket start aboard the Fantic XXF 250, exiting the first corner in second place. However, a moment in the second turn cost him a few positions. Although sand isn’t his favourite surface, the 17-year-old Italian dug deep to secure a solid tenth place in race 1.
Things quickly went wrong in race 2, as another rider crashed right in front of Mancini going into turn 1. With nowhere to go, the Italian went down as well. By the time he got going again, he was at the back of the field. Despite this, he posted competitive lap times and was making solid progress until a minor issue forced him to retire. Still, the much-improved feeling in race 2 was a positive takeaway.
Douwe Van Mechgelen:
“It was a consistent weekend, I just missed a good start. I came back to seventh both times and fifth overall is a strong result, but I also feel like the speed is there to fight for more. I am feeling good on my Fantic, I just need to work on the starts and I am sure we can be even further up there.”
Francesco Bellei:
“It was just one of those weekends, unfortunately – but racing is like that sometimes, and there are tough moments too. What matters is to react and keep looking ahead. We will keep working, and I am sure we will have more reasons to be satisfied this season!”
Simone Mancini:
“If we focus on the positives, my starts were good and my feeling in the sand improved in the second race. On Saturday, I struggled to find the rhythm on a track that was anything but easy. On Sunday, I was riding much better, but unfortunately, it went wrong from the first turn. All we can do is keep working like we always have.”
Photocredits – Daniele Barreca
