The fourth round of the Motocross World Championship, MXGP of Sardegna 2026, took the Osička MX Team riders to the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, specifically the track in Riola Sardo. It is known as one of the toughest on the entire series calendar — deep, heavy sand and an extremely rough surface test riders’ physical and technical readiness to the limit. Unlike the previous race in Switzerland, which was held in cold conditions on hardpack, Saturday in Sardinia brought intense heat. On Sunday, however, it cooled down noticeably, bringing slightly more favorable conditions.
Historic result for Julius Mikula in the MX2 class
In the MX2 class, Julius Mikula delivered a performance that will go down in team history. He finished 11th in Saturday’s qualifying race, which was in line with his standard. The real drama came in Sunday’s motos.
In the first moto, Mikula got a rocket start that put him among the absolute front-runners. He made the most of his chance, maintained a strong pace, and for a long time ran in 4th place with a comfortable gap to the rest of the field. Later, under pressure from Janis Reisulis, he crossed the line in a superb 5th place, earning 16 world championship points! He also set the second-fastest lap time — only race winner Sacha Coenen was quicker.
Motivated by that result, Mikula put in another strong ride in the second moto. He once again got away brilliantly and held 3rd place for several laps. Small mistakes, however, cost him a few positions, and he ultimately finished eighth.
The combined result meant an overall 6th place — the best result of his career and the best finish ever for Osička MX Team in the World Championship! A result that is the product of Mikula’s hard work and determination, as well as the excellent work of the entire team.
Julius Mikula:
“The fourth round of the World Championship was held in Riola Sardo — for me, the toughest track in the world. The sand there is basically bottomless, so the track gets extremely rough. Anyway, I set both my own and the Czech MX2 record there — 5th in the first moto, 8th in the second, and 6th overall. It was a good weekend. Thanks to everyone for the support.”
Janout struggled in the sand: losses after the starts made the difference
The weekend also included the third round of the 2026 EMX250 Championship, which featured Václav Janout. He struggled mainly with weaker starts, which are crucial on the sandy track in Riola Sardo.
In both motos, he managed to move forward through the pack, but the difficult overtaking in the deep sand took a lot out of him. By the end of the motos, he could no longer maintain the pace and lost the positions he had gained. The result was 28th and 29th in the individual motos and 32nd overall.
Václav Janout:
“A tough weekend behind me. In the first moto, I started around 20th place, where I stayed for about half the race, but then I couldn’t keep the pace and finished 28th. The start in the second moto wasn’t as good as in the first, but from the back I worked my way up again to around 20th. Unfortunately, I couldn’t maintain the pace again and dropped to 29th. In one word, this weekend was a disaster. Next weekend I have another race on my favorite track in Arco di Trento. Thanks to the team and my family for the support.”
Next stop: MXGP of Trentino
The MXGP and EMX250 series now move north to Italy, to the iconic Pietramurata Circuit, set in the picturesque mountain landscape of Italy’s Trentino region.
The motivated Julius Mikula will also line up at MXGP of Trentino 2026 (18–19 April), coming off the best result of his life in Sardinia and currently holding 11th place in the MX2 championship standings.
In the EMX250 European class, Václav Janout will also be back. The Pietramurata track has long suited him and is among his favorites.
PHOTO: Daniele Barreca
