This year’s Estonian Motocross National Team comprises Jörgen-Mathias Talviku, Harri Kullas and Sebastian Leok. Talviku has been a fill-in rider for the Fantic factory team at several World Championship rounds this year and has achieved results near the top ten in the MXGP class. Kullas has just returned from the Canadian Championships with a second-place finish, whilst Leok has won a round of the German ADAC MX Masters and shown strong pace in Europe in the EMX250 class.
We asked the national team members what experience they are taking from the season so far into the Motocross of Nations, how they would describe their team-mates, and what their thoughts are heading into this major competition.
Jörgen-Mathias Talviku
“First and foremost, the intensity of the World Championship. I’ve experienced that even more this year, but of course I need to take with me the experience and maturity gained throughout the season, as well as from previous seasons.
I like Ernée. When I think back on previous races, this track has generally suited me well.
The team is brilliant and I believe we work well together as a unit. Sebastian is having a season of good progress and Harri has also been working really hard all summer on the other side of the pond. The aim is first and foremost to fight our way into the A final and, of course, to give it our all there.
I don’t really have any specific advice to give Seb. Mentally, he’s already been trained quite thoroughly under Tanel´s guidance. If I had to mention one thing, it would be that this isn’t a one-man show – all the lads have to keep fighting right to the end.”
Harri Kullas
“There’s a lot to take away from this season. We had tracks in Canada very similar to those in Ernée, so I can carry over the bike set-up from there, which helps with confidence and enjoyment. It makes me feel good about heading to Ernée!
Ernée is a really cool place and track. My previous races there went well too, so we’re hoping we can repeat the same strong performance and, through that, the result as well.
Sebastian has developed very well and had a strong year. His most recent races in particular have shown he’s performing well on tough tracks. At the moment, it’s easier to find 450cc riders in Estonia, but it’s great that we now have a strong rider in the 250cc class too!
Jörgen-Mathias is performing just as well as he did last season. He’s determined to do his bit, and being a reserve rider for the factory team will certainly give him the experience and confidence to compete alongside the World Championship riders.
So, on paper, we should have a really good team.
As for the result, I think our first aim should be to make it straight into the final on Saturday. Once that’s done, as a small nation we could aim for the top 10 again.
I believe Sebastian will get proper advice from his father, so I’ll be fully supportive and we’ll try to make him as confident as possible so he can get on with his work and ride.”
Sebastian Leok
“I’m taking the experience from all the races this season with me. The Ernée track actually suits me quite well – I achieved my best result there last year.
I think Talviku and Kullas are good team-mates and they have a lot of experience. We’re going there to get a good result.”
Martin Arumäe: Sebastian could surprise us all
According to national team manager Martin Arumäe, Ernée has been a successful venue for Estonia. In 2015, Estonia finished fourth there, which also equalled the team’s best result of all time.
As for this year’s team, Arumäe sees great potential in combining three very different sets of experience.
“Looking at this year, Harri, Jörgen and Sebastian are currently the fastest. Sebastian has proved that he really is very fast on the 250. Harri has had a very good season in Canada, and Jörgen is still largely the fastest in the MXGP today. He’s standing in for Fantic’s factory rider Forato and has put in good performances both at Kegums and at the ADAC.
I think we’ve got a good team. If we get off to good starts and nobody runs into any problems, we could end up with a really good result.”
This year’s Motocross of Nations is Sebastian Leok’s first, but Arumäe believes the young rider could spring a surprise at this major event.
“I’d like to think that Sebastian might surprise us all more than we realise. In fact, he’s also been training on a larger motorbike, a 350, and many people don’t even know that. He’s incredibly fast on a larger bike and is in no way inferior to our other two riders.
Over the course of the season, he’s simply had a run of silly mishaps – he falls, someone crashes into him, or he gets caught up in the starting grid. But if everything goes to plan and those sort of daft situations don’t crop up, then I think he’ll ride very well.
He’s so young and, in a good way, unspoilt. He perhaps doesn’t have that fear or nervousness inside him that some more experienced riders might have. I reckon he’ll go out there with absolutely no nerves. And of course, having a coach or father like Tanel by his side – you couldn’t ask for a better combination than that.”
The final class allocation for the national team will be decided following discussions with the riders and Tanel Leok. As things stand, one possibility is Jörgen-Mathias Talviku in the MX Open and Harri Kullas in the MXGP class. According to Arumäe, the physical demands of race day and the order of the races must also be taken into account.
“The MXGP riders get a lap’s rest, but for the others the races come one after the other. We still need to see how fit everyone is and talk to the lads to find out how they’re feeling. Harri will be back in Estonia by the end of the week, so we’ll bring Tanel along too and go through these matters.”
Before the competition, the national team also plans to hold a joint training day in France.
“Tanel and I agreed that, after the ADAC round on the last weekend of September, we’d hold a training day with them in France around 30 September.”
The Motocross of Nations, the most prestigious and best-attended team competition in the world of motocross, will take place this year from 2 to 4 October in Ernées, France. It is an event where the world’s top riders from more than 30 countries line up on the starting grid every year.
The Estonian national team has been a regular participant in the Motocross of Nations for 33 years and has repeatedly finished in the top ten. In recent years, Estonia has been able to put up a strong fight and has demonstrated a consistent level of performance amongst the world’s top nations. The goal for 2026 is to reach the top ten once again, and under ideal conditions, to finish in the top five – a result Estonia has achieved on three previous occasions.
The Estonian national team finished fourth at the Nations Cross in Ernée in 2015, which also equalled Estonia’s best-ever result. Harri Kullas, a key member of this year’s team, was also part of that squad.