With a strong third place in EMX125 race 2, Gennaro Utech wrapped up the weekend in the sand of Kegums fourth overall, while Bertram Thorius put a second Fantic XX 125 inside the top 6. It was a more challenging GP for the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team, which is already looking ahead to the highly anticipated MXGP of Italy.
FANTIC FACTORY RACING EMX
With the MXGP of Latvia, the EMX125 series passed the halfway point of the season, and the Fantic Factory Racing EMX riders once again showed strong form in the sand of Kegums, coming close to the podium.
In time practice, Gennaro Utech and Bertram Thorius set the fifth and sixth fastest times in their group. At the start of race 1, Utech slotted into seventh place, with Thorius right behind in eighth. While the Italian rider battled for fifth position, his teammate tipped over midway through the race and lost ground. Utech stayed mistake-free to secure a solid sixth-place finish. Thorius, meanwhile, fought his way back to 11th thanks to a strong pace, particularly in the closing stages.
Sunday’s race 2 once again saw the Fantic riders among the front-runners of the class. Both got off to strong starts aboard the race-kitted XX 125, with Utech quickly moving into third place. Thorius was right on his teammate’s rear wheel, but while attempting to make a pass, he made a mistake, losing one position but fortunately avoiding a crash. Pushing all the way to the chequered flag, Utech held on to a strong third place. A great result that left him just two points short of the GP podium. He placed fourth overall, while Thorius crossed the line fifth, securing sixth overall.
Further proof of the strong work being done by the Fantic Factory Racing EMX team, Thorius and Utech now sit fourth and fifth in the provisional championship standings. The next round of the EMX125 Championship will take place in Portugal on June 27 and 28.
Gennaro Utech:
“It was a good weekend and a great race 2, after a strong start. I came out of the first corner in fourth, moved straight into third and tried to push as hard as I could all the way to the finish in the fight for the overall podium. Unfortunately, I ended up fourth overall, missing out on the podium by just two points. That obviously stings a little, but it was still a really positive weekend and we will try to keep building from here.”
Bertram Thorius:
“All in all, it was a pretty okay weekend. I struggled at the beginning of race 1, making too many mistakes before finding my rhythm and coming back to eleventh. Today, I had a great start. I was in third, then my teammate passed me, and as I tried to pass him back, I hit a soft spot and almost went over the bars. Somehow, I saved it, but my front brake was damaged in the contact, and that made things a bit more difficult. Still, I tried my best and finished in P5, moving up to fourth in the championship. We keep building towards Portugal.”
Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
Latvia marked round 8 of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, and the sand of Kegums brought some new challenges for the Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team. The weekend got underway in wet conditions, with Alberto Forato securing a solid tenth place in time practice. In Saturday’s qualifying race, “Alby” then narrowly missed out on the top 10, finishing 11th, with his teammate Brent Van doninck crossing the line in 13th.
The sun was out on Sunday, and race 1 proved more difficult than expected for the Fantic pairing. Van doninck battled hard to finish 15th. Forato, meanwhile, was unable to find a way through at the tricky first corner and found himself outside the top 20. He struggled to find the right lines to make progress and had to settle for 20th place.
Both riders were determined to fight back in race 2, but Forato crashed in the opening stages and was once again forced to come through from the back of the field. He put his head down and charged through to 13th place. Van doninck was in a stronger position, but an issue brought his race to an early end while running 12th.
With valuable experience gained in Latvia, the Fantic squad is already looking ahead. In just two weeks’ time, the MXGP stars head to the Italian brand’s home round in Montevarchi for the GP of Italy.
Alberto Forato:
“This weekend was more complicated than we had expected. We had to work a lot between sessions, but we struggled to find the right setup. I did feel a little better in race 2, and I am happy to leave Latvia in one piece. We still have a few tests planned over the next few days before heading back to Italy. It is always special to race in front of the home crowd, and I am looking forward to that extra boost once again!”
Brent Van doninck:
“The final result is not what we were aiming for, but I felt a little better with every session. It is a shame about the small issue in race 2, but it seems like it was a difficult weekend for a lot of riders, and we know that is part of motocross. We still take the positives – I felt better, and without the DNF, we would have been close to the top 10. Now we look ahead to another home GP for Fantic, with a few surprises in store. It will be a good one!”
