Vencislav Toshev of AIT Racing wrapped up the Dutch Masters of Motocross 125 series with a strong performance in Markelo.

The track in Markelo was in perfect condition. Thanks to favorable weather, the circuit was completely dry, resulting in a hard surface. Toshev felt right at home and managed to set a solid sixth-fastest time in qualifying.

He continued his strong riding in the motos. In both the first and second race, Toshev got off to a good start. He rode consistently in both motos, which earned him fifth place finishes in each.

Toshev finished fifth in the overall results for the day, which also secured him fifth place in the final championship standings. This coming weekend, he will compete in the EMX125 race in Ernée, France.

Dutch Masters 125 Day Results in Markelo:

Douwe van Mechgelen – 45 pts

Dean Gregoire – 45 pts

Dani Heitink – 44 pts

Jarne Bervoets – 36 pts

Vencislav Toshev – 32 pts

I Won at round 2 of the British championship at Canada Heights and took the championship lead! Dirt store Triumph Riders 1st and 2nd!

The final round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross took place at Markelo over the weekend, with Van Venrooy KTM arriving in high spirits. Cas Valk had been a dominant force throughout the series, heading into the final round unbeaten in the MX2 class.

Valk continued his fine form at Markelo, delivering another flawless performance to win both motos by huge margins. It was a fitting way to cap off an outstanding campaign, as he clinched the MX2 title in perfect style—undefeated across the entire series.

This marks Van Venrooy Racing’s first domestic championship since switching to KTM machinery, and the team will be hoping it’s the beginning of many more to come.

The team will travel to Frace this weekend for round nine of the MX2 World Championship taking place at Ernee for some hard pack racing.

Cas Valk (1st overall): It was the perfect day at Markelo to win the championship. I am so happy to take all moto wins in the championship – six from six. The riding and the feeling was good on a nice track. Up to the next Grand Prix!

Bajaj Auto Ltd., the European arm of the India-based company and co-owner of KTM AG, appears to have secured a one-year loan of $632 million to keep KTM’s operations running. According to the insolvency plan agreed upon by the Austrian motorcycle manufacturer, KTM has until this coming Friday (May 23) to deposit approximately $600 million with the insolvency administrator. This loan is intended to ensure KTM can meet that financial obligation.

For now, it seems KTM has been saved — and can move forward!

The new South African Safari Rally roared to life today with a short but demanding 9km prologue near Sun City, setting the stage for the Monster Energy Honda HRC riders.

The course, composed of 60% gravel and 40% black turf, a hallmark of South African terrain, proved anything but easy. Despite the brief distance, the prologue played a crucial role in determining the starting order for tomorrow’s first stage and the mixed surface kept riders on their toes.

After clinching every prologue victory in the rallies he competed in last year, all eyes were on Tosha Schareina to see if he could take his second prologue win of 2025.  With the timed action completed in just over seven minutes, a few mistakes cost the Spaniard the win by just four seconds, with Daniel Sanders claiming the top spot.

Ricky Brabec, more accustomed to desert racing, likened the course to a grass track, far from his preferred conditions and trailed the leader by 14 seconds. Frenchman Adrien Van Beveren followed closely, just one second behind Brabec, as he navigated the tight, freshly cut grass sections. Meanwhile, Skyler Howes finished eighth overall, nearly 30 seconds off the lead, after some early confusion caused by tractor markings and a constant battle with the slippery terrain.

Looking ahead to stage one, the riders will tackle a demanding 557km route aboard their Honda CRF450 RALLY machines, with 262km counting as the timed special stage. As they leave Sun City behind and head into dense woodland, they’ll face a fresh set of challenges, navigating through trees, thick shrubs and tall grasses that promise to test both skill and focus.

Ruben Faria

General Manager

Today’s prologue was not too bad, only Skyler lost a little bit of time because he went straight on at one corner and needed to turn around, so he lost a little bit of time and finished twelfth in the overall bikes result. Adrien ended the prologue in sixth position, he also went straight at one corner, however, he felt good on his Honda CRF450 RALLY and is happy to start properly tomorrow. Ricky finished fifth and although he didn’t feel too comfortable with his bike set up, the team will make adjustments so that it’s better for him tomorrow. Riding well was Tosha, who finished in second place. Later on the riders will choose their starting positions for tomorrow and this will be a little bit different to a desert race as we will need to see what position the other riders choose and then adjust our choices. Tomorrow will be a long stage, it’s an early start, however, the team is ready for this first day.

Ricky Brabec   9

PROLOGUE: 3RD

It feels good to get the monkey off our back and do some kilometres in the competition. The prologue was like a grass track, ISDE Six Days style, so it definitely wasn’t my style but I had a lot of fun. I really struggled today with a couple of things, luckily navigating wasn’t one of them. I’m looking forward to the next five days of racing, hopefully we can clear the mind and make a good push this week.

Skyler Howes   10

PROLOGUE: 8TH

The prologue was a little bit similar to the shakedown, but they took a tractor out there and cut all the grass down and smoothed all the ground out. It actually made things a little bit more tricky for me as I expected the tractor marks everywhere and so I missed the very first corner because the tractor marks went the wrong way. That slowed me down a bit, then the grass was quite slippery when it’s cut down like that, so I slid out again. It is what it is, it determines our starting position for the next day. With the dust and with the navigation, there was also 50 bikes in front of me so you almost couldn’t see the tracks on the ground. I don’t think starting behind or having a really perfect prologue matters at this race, starting first would suck but I don’t think it’s going to be that big of a deal. The dust is going to be really bad and the grass is going to be the trickiest part for sure. Not being able to see the ground, especially if the grass is tall is going to be a really difficult thing to try and push through and make up time or to do a good stage. Today I didn’t do a perfect prologue, but we have five more days left to go and this vegetation, the grass and the trees are going to be a way bigger factor than we all thought.

Adrien Van Beveren   42

PROLOGUE: 4TH

The stage was quite twisty and difficult to guess where it was going to turn. Twice I rode into the bushes so I think I lost some time, but overall it was the same for everybody, so I tried to make the best of it. The feeling on the bike is good even though the track was slippery, but we are in a good position to start the rally tomorrow.

Tosha Schareina   68

PROLOGUE: 2ND

I’m happy with the result coming in second, I did three or four mistakes but the real race starts tomorrow. We will choose the starting position later so I’m really motivated for tomorrow.

Rally GP Provisional Standings after Prologue

Pos.       Rider     Num     Nation  Team     Time/Gap

1            SANDERS Daniel                          AUS       KTM Factory Racing Team         07:08

2            SCHAREINA Tosha        68          SPA       Monster Energy Honda HRC    +0:04

3            BRABEC Ricky  9            USA       Monster Energy Honda HRC    +0:14

4            VAN BEVEREN Adrien  42          FRA       Monster Energy Honda HRC    +0:15

5            BENAVIDES Luciano     1            ARG      KTM Factory Racing Team         +0:18

6            EVAN BRANCH Ross    16          BWA     Hero Motorsports Team Rally  +0:20

7            COX Bradley     49          RSA       BAS DAKAR KTM RACING TEAM             +0:25

8            HOWES Skyler 10          USA       Monster Energy Honda HRC    +0:27

9            CORNEJO FLORIMO José Ignacio         11          CHI       Hero Motorsports Team Rally     +0:37

Follow the Husqvarna Factory Racing star as he dominates the 2025 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship

Witness the grit, the glory, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. Billy Bolt: Undefeated 2 takes you inside a season where focus, talent and pure determination rewrote the rulebook. The full documentary is live on the Husqvarna Motorcycles YouTube NOW.

This isn’t just racing – it’s total commitment, laser-sharp focus, and world-class skill.

See what drives one of Enduro’s most exciting and unstoppable talents at the top of his game. During the 2025 SuperEnduro season, Billy achieved:

    7 Grand Prix Wins

    19 Race Victories

    5 SuperPole Wins

This is what complete domination looks like.

Every champion needs the perfect machine – and for Billy, that’s the Husqvarna FE 350. A mid-size

Check out Billy Bolt: Undefeated 2 on YouTube now to go behind the scenes of Billy’s championship-winning season.

Van Mechgelen and the Fantic XX 125 Crowned Dutch Masters Champions, Mancini and Bellei Shine in Italy

Fantic Factory Racing riders delivered standout performances across the top national championships this weekend. Douwe Van Mechgelen clinched the 125cc title at the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Markelo, while Brian Bogers secured third place in the premier class standings. At the Italian Prestige Championship in Cingoli, Simone Mancini claimed his first podium of the season, and Francesco Bellei opened the 125 Rookies Cup with a solid third overall.

As the MXGP and EMX championships took a weekend off ahead of the upcoming triple-header that will see the Fantic Factory Racing teams head to France, Germany and Latvia over the next three weeks, the spotlight shifted to two of the most prestigious national championships: the Italian MX Prestige Championship in Cingoli and the final round of the 2025 Dutch Masters of Motocross in Markelo.

At the latter, it was Douwe Van Mechgelen who stood out aboard the Fantic XX 125, securing the Italian brand’s first title of the season by clinching the 125cc crown in a thrilling finale at the Dutch Masters. The young Belgian sealed the championship with an impressive overall victory – his second win from three rounds – courtesy of a third-place finish in race 1 and a stunning win in race 2.

There was more good news from Brian Bogers, the sole Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider competing in Markelo. With a solid performance consisting of two fourth-place finishes, Bogers ended the 2025 Dutch Masters third overall in the premier class standings.

It was also a positive weekend for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX squad in Cingoli, where Simone Mancini claimed a well-deserved first podium of the 2025 season aboard the Fantic XXF 250. Racing in front of his home crowd, the 17-year-old from the Marche region immediately impressed by setting the second-fastest MX2 time in Saturday’s qualifying – just two tenths off pole position.

Despite battling a cold, Mancini had a lightning start in Sunday’s first race. He slotted into second place from the first corner and stayed close to the leader in the opening laps, eventually pulling away from the chasing pack. Thanks to a strong pace and smart race management, he crossed the line in second. After a slightly slower launch off the line in race 2, the Fantic rider fought hard right to the chequered flag, crossing the line in fourth – and securing third overall. It was Mancini’s first podium of the 2025 season and his second in the MX2 class of the Italian Prestige Championship, following his stunning 250 debut in Arco last October.

Also racing in Cingoli was his Fantic Factory Racing EMX teammate Francesco Bellei, who took part in the opening round of the 125 Rookies Cup. The 16-year-old Italian grabbed the holeshot in Saturday’s first race aboard the Fantic XX 125. Although he had to relinquish the lead in the early stages, he delivered a strong performance to secure second place.

Race 2 got off to a hectic start, as Bellei came close to going down in the second corner but managed to recover just in time, albeit losing valuable ground. While battling his way back through the field, he suffered a minor crash but continued to push hard. A decisive overtake in the closing stages earned him sixth place in the race to secure third overall.

Douwe Van Mechgelen:

“What a special day! I felt really good right from time practice. In race 1, my start wasn’t the best, and the track was quite one-lined. I was sitting behind third for a while before making a pass, and even though I set the fastest laps, I couldn’t close the gap to the leaders. So, the championship was tied on points going into the final race. I took the holeshot, made a mistake and lost a position, but with two laps to go I managed to pass again – and secure the title. I am just so happy right now because we work so hard for moments like this. Thanks to my family, my team and everyone at Fantic, my friends, and all the people supporting me trackside this weekend. I am really looking forward to carrying this momentum into the upcoming races.”

Simone Mancini:

“It feels great to get on the podium at my home race! I woke up with a bit of a cold and was struggling to breathe, but I still gave it everything I had. In race 1, I got off to a very good start, tried to keep my rhythm and stay consistent, and I managed to bring home a strong second place. The top riders weren’t too far ahead in race 2 either, but after a slightly slower start, I just couldn’t get any closer to them. Still, I am really happy with this first podium of the season – it is definitely an important step forward. I want to thank my team and everyone at Fantic for the great work they have done. A big thanks also to all the fans in Cingoli and all my friends who came to cheer for me – you were amazing!”

Nicolas Vennekens of VNT KTM Racing sustained a foot injury during the final round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Markelo. After securing a strong seventh place in the first moto, Vennekens crashed while riding in tenth position during the second moto.

He immediately felt pain in his foot and was forced to withdraw from the race. A hospital examination later revealed that a piece of bone in his foot had broken off and that there is a tear in the ligament behind his big toe.

Due to this injury, Vennekens will not participate in the ninth round of the MX2 World Championship this coming weekend in Ernée, France. Whether he will be able to compete the following week in Germany will be assessed next week.

Photocredits – Fullspectrum Media

The 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship is gearing up for the first GP of the triple header in Ernée for the MXGP of France on the 24th and 25th of May.

Checkout the Timetable and Entry Lists for the Monster Energy MXGP of France below:

TIMETABLE

MXGP ENTRY LIST

MX2 ENTRY LIST

EMX250 ENTRY LIST

EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing ENTRY LIST

MXE ENTRY LIST

Photocredits – MXGP

Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing claimed victory at the final round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Markelo, winning both motos and securing his first overall win of the season.

Feeling increasingly confident in his form, Herlings arrived at the Markelo finale in a positive mindset. The track was in perfect condition and, thanks to the good weather, featured a harder surface than usual. In time practice, Herlings posted the second-fastest lap, earning an ideal gate pick for both motos.

A strong start in the first moto put Herlings straight into the lead group. After initially sitting in second, he patiently sized up the race before making his move to the front. Once in the lead, he pushed hard to open a gap. In the latter part of the race, his closest rival closed in and was right on his rear wheel, but Herlings held firm with sharp lines and smart defensive riding, leaving no room for an overtake. After a thrilling battle, he crossed the finish line as the winner.

The second moto saw an even better start, with Herlings leading from the first corner. Romain Febvre was right behind him, making for a nail-biting race. The two raced wheel-to-wheel for the entire moto, but once again, Herlings delivered a flawless performance under pressure. Despite Febvre’s relentless pursuit, Herlings maintained the lead and took the win.

With a double moto victory, Herlings captured his first major win of the season. He now looks ahead to next weekend’s French Grand Prix in Ernée.

Overall Results – Dutch Masters of Motocross 500, Markelo:

Jeffrey Herlings – 50 pts

Romain Febvre – 44 pts

Jago Geerts – 40 pts

Brian Bogers – 36 pts

Micha Boy de Waal – 30 pts

 

Photo credit: True Focus 381