The MXGP of Great Britain will be remembered as a landmark moment for both Fantic Motor and the FIM Motocross World Championship, as Glenn Coldenhoff powered the Fantic XXF 450 to a historic victory in race 1 and went on to secure his fourth podium of the MXGP season. In EMX125, Francesco Bellei narrowly missed out on a trophy in fourth overall.
Glenn Coldenhoff did it again. After claiming Fantic’s first-ever MXGP qualifying race win last year in Arnhem, and celebrating the Italian brand’s first overall podium earlier this season alongside teammate Andrea Bonacorsi in Cózar, “The Hoff” made history once more this Sunday at Matterley Basin – clinching Fantic’s first-ever MXGP race win. To round out a memorable day, he secured third overall, recording his fourth podium of the season and the fifth for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP.
But let’s go in order, as Saturday already hinted at something special on the horizon. Coldenhoff wasted no time in making his intentions clear, launching out of the gate aboard his Fantic XXF 450 to claim the holeshot in the qualifying race. Making the most of his strong start, the experienced Dutchman settled into second place during the opening laps. Although he had to relinquish one position halfway through the race, he maintained a strong pace and managed a comfortable gap to the rider behind, securing third gate pick and valuable championship points.
Brian Bogers confirmed his positive trend with another top-10 result, finishing ninth. Andrea Bonacorsi, meanwhile, needed more time to find the feeling on the British track and couldn’t climb higher than 18th in the qualifying race. Third place in Sunday morning’s warm-up looked better for the Italian, but the outside gate would make starts tricky in the all-important races.
Coldenhoff continued his impressive form in race 1, exiting the first corner in second place after a fast start – and he was right where he needed to be when the rider ahead made a small mistake, allowing the Fantic star to take the lead early on. Fending off pressure from the likes of Herlings and Coenen, Coldenhoff delivered a brilliant race win, to the delight of the entire Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team.
Confidence was high heading into race 2, but Coldenhoff didn’t get the perfect launch off the gate and found himself in fifth. He pushed hard all the way through, closing in on the rider ahead multiple times, but overtaking proved tricky. Despite an impressive late-race charge, Coldenhoff crossed the line in fifth, which was still enough for third overall – just one point shy of second place.
Brian Bogers showed solid pace once again, battling within the top 10 throughout race 1 to secure P8. In race 2, “BB189” was running in 11th until a late fall dropped him down the order, eventually finishing 17th and 12th overall. Andrea Bonacorsi faced a challenging day, but showed great determination to climb to 12th in race 1. In race 2, he wasn’t feeling at his best and had to settle for 18th, finishing 16th overall.
With the MXGP series taking a two-week break, “Bona” will have time to recover and aim to further improve his eighth place in the standings when the championship resumes with round 13 in Finland. With another podium in the bag, Coldenhoff continues to hold third place.
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“It was a great weekend for me. I felt good, my bike was amazing, and I was able to fight with the top guys again – and even win a race! It had been a while, so taking the win meant a lot, and it was a huge moment for Fantic. They have put in so much effort this season, and it is paying off. I was confident heading into race 2, but unfortunately, I didn’t get the best start. I kept fighting, pushed as hard as I could, but it was really difficult to pass. I honestly didn’t think that going 1-5 would be enough for the podium, so I am happy to be up there. It was an amazing race weekend for me, although it came with some very sad news off the track, as the mother of close friends of mine passed away. I would like to dedicate this podium to her.”
Brian Bogers:
“Another solid weekend! I already felt good on the track on Saturday, even though it was really dry and not exactly the kind of conditions I enjoy. But we made some good progress with the bike, and you can see the improvement in my riding. Ninth in the qualifying race, eighth in race 1, and I was running eleventh in race 2 but crashed with three laps to go. It happened in one of the slower sections, but it was a pretty big one. That was a shame, because the riding was good again – but thankfully, I am okay. Now we get a bit of a break, and I am feeling motivated to step things up for the rest of the season.”
Andrea Bonacorsi:
“It was a tough weekend. I struggled a bit to find the right feeling with the bike and the track. Starting from the outside definitely didn’t help either, but in race 1 I still managed to make a decent recovery, all things considered. In the second race, however, I wasn’t feeling well – I even threw up. I did what I could, and the good news is that we now have two weekends off, so there is plenty of time to recover. A big thank you to the whole team for the support – see you at the next one.”
FANTIC FACTORY RACING EMX
Francesco Bellei and his Fantic XX 125 were back where they belong in Matterley Basin, battling at the sharp end of the highly competitive EMX125 class all weekend. Sixth in time practice and highly motivated going into race 1, it took the young Italian just one lap to move into the top 3. He put in a strong ride from start to finish to secure a well-deserved second place.
Once again in the top 5 early on in the decisive second race and eyeing a podium spot, Bellei fought hard all the way to the chequered flag, eventually crossing the line in fifth. That result left him just off the overall podium in fourth, tied on points with the third-placed rider. Still, it was a strong performance and a convincing bounce-back after a few unlucky races.
His Fantic Factory Racing EMX teammate, Douwe Van Mechgelen, showed competitive pace once again but suffered a crash early in time practice, taking a hard hit to his shoulder. Despite the setback, the young Belgian was determined to fight in the races. Although he didn’t get the starts he needed to battle with the lead group, he still managed solid comebacks, finishing 9-11 for ninth overall.
Results don’t always tell the full story, and that was also the case for Simone Mancini in EMX250. The 17-year-old Italian was fast right from the get-go, setting impressive lap times and securing fourth gate-pick in time practice. Race 1 got off to an even better start, with Mancini taking the lead in the opening lap and holding it for much of the race. A tough final phase saw him lose a few positions, but he still crossed the line in fifth. Race 2 on Sunday proved more challenging, and he dropped back to 14th, though it was still enough for a top-10 overall finish.
Francesco Bellei:
“I am really happy with the first race – the pace was there and we came close to the win. The second race was tougher; I gave it my all, but unfortunately the podium just slipped away. Of course, there is some disappointment, but the positive thing is that we are back where we belong, fighting at the front. Now we have to keep going like this to finish the season strong.”
Douwe Van Mechgelen:
“I hurt my shoulder on the first lap of time practice, so physically I wasn’t in ideal condition. I still managed to salvage ninth overall thanks to some painkillers, taping, and physio. I am not really satisfied with how I rode, but given the circumstances, I did what I could. It is a bit of a shame because I showed good speed in free practice and I know what I am capable of. I won’t give up!”
