The Talkessel cauldron, located near Teutschenthal, echoed this weekend—May 31 and June 1, 2026—with the sounds of whistles, foghorns, and custom chainsaws for the seventh round of the FIM Motocross World Championship. This 2026 Liqui Moly German Grand Prix will be remembered for its shifting conditions, shifting from hard, dry, and deeply rutted terrain to a slippery quagmire on Sunday afternoon. In this mechanical and physical hell, giants emerged: Lucas Coenen dominated the premier MXGP class, young Frenchman Mathis Valin secured a historic victory in MX2, while Australian Jake Cannon claimed his second consecutive win in the EMX250 European Championship. A detailed look back at a wild weekend that completely upends the dynamics of the championships.
MXGP: Lucas Coenen Dominates, First Podium for Adamo and Fernandez
The premier class delivered a dramatic storyline, marked by the undisputed dominance of championship leader Lucas Coenen and major setbacks for his main rivals in the world title race.
First race: Coenen pulls away, Herlings stalls
Right from the morning warm-up session, held on a drier track, Maxime Renaux (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP) signaled his ambitions by setting the fastest time ahead of Jeffrey Herlings (Honda HRC Petronas) and Tim Gajser.
However, at the start of the first race, it was the unstoppable Lucas Coenen who shot out to the lead to claim his fourth Fox Holeshot of the season. Behind him, Ruben Fernandez and Tim Gajser immediately battled for second place. The Slovenian found an opening coming out of the tight turn along the pit lane to set off in pursuit of the Belgian leader. Having started around 15th place, Jeffrey Herlings struggled to make his way up the field.
Early in the race, Andrea Adamo held on firmly to fourth place against the attacks of the previous day’s qualifying race winner, Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP). Alberto Forato (Fantic Factory Racing), who had made a strong start, lost his sixth-place position to Maxime Renaux on the very first full lap. On the fourth lap, as rain began to fall and worsened the already well-worn racing lines, Adamo briefly passed Fernandez before the two riders collided violently at the end of the starting straight. The Italian resumed in 9th place, just behind Herlings.
That’s when the dramatic turn of events occurred: clearly in trouble, Jeffrey Herlings was forced to pull into the pit lane for good due to a technical issue. At the same time, Kay de Wolf attacked Forato for 6th place, while Maxime Renaux picked up the pace. The Frenchman managed to brilliantly outmaneuver his compatriot Romain Febvre on the new “Dragon’s Back” obstacle located after the finish jump. In attempting to respond immediately, defending champion Febvre got caught in the ruts and crashed heavily. Stuck in the sticky mud, he crossed the line in a distant 17th place.
At the end of the 35-minute race, Lucas Coenen took the win with a comfortable five-second lead over Tim Gajser. Ruben Fernandez rounded out the podium. Isolated at the end of the race, Kay de Wolf crashed in a tight left-hand turn but managed to salvage 5th place behind Renaux, finishing ahead of Alberto Forato, Andrea Adamo, Pauls Jonass, and Brent van Doninck, who recorded his best performance of the season. With Herlings’ retirement, Coenen made a significant move in the standings, extending his lead to 28 points.
Race 2: A 1-2 finish for Coenen, Gajser crashes
Determined to drive the point home, the young Belgian prodigy claimed another Fox Holeshot in the second race. However, Andrea Adamo took advantage of a perfect outside line in the second corner to seize the lead, while Romain Febvre and Kevin Horgmo (Team Honda Motoblouz SR Motul) slipped in ahead of Jeffrey Herlings. "The Bullet" Herlings reacted quickly, but this time the drama struck Tim Gajser. The Yamaha rider took a hard fall in the fast valley between the pit lane and the finish jump, restarting in last place and managing to climb back up only to 19th.
In the farthest section of the track, Lucas Coenen launched a decisive attack on Adamo to retake the lead. No one would see the KTM rider again, despite the efforts of Herlings, who took second place from Adamo at the end of the first lap. Behind the leading trio, the battle raged between Febvre, Fernandez, Horgmo, De Wolf, and Renaux.
Romain Febvre quickly closed in on Adamo. Unfortunately, the Italian drifted wide after getting stuck in a crossing line, and the French champion collided with his rear wheel before hitting the dirt. Restarting in 5th place, Febvre avoided the worst because, right behind him, Kay de Wolf nearly crashed while attacking Fernandez. At the same moment, Maxime Renaux, who had come charging back like a cannonball after passing Horgmo, saw De Wolf slide into the same rut as him. Both riders went down in unison. De Wolf was quicker to get back up and held his position, while Renaux took the opportunity to pass Fernandez. This incident cost Fernandez second place in the race to Adamo, but secured him third place on the overall podium by a single point over Renaux.
Lucas Coenen crossed the finish line as the winner, once again five seconds ahead of Herlings and Adamo. Romain Febvre finished 4th ahead of Kay de Wolf, Maxime Renaux, and Ruben Fernandez. Thanks to this perfect 1-1, Coenen secured the 19th victory of his Grand Prix career and extended his lead over Herlings to 31 points in the world championship. Andrea Adamo and Ruben Fernandez, meanwhile, returned to the podium for the first time since the 2025 Chinese GP.
MXGP Rider Statements
Lucas Coenen: A great weekend, two holeshots, and I led every lap. The track was crazy; every time we hit a rut, we were on the verge of flipping over. Let’s just get the race over with, because I don’t want to end up upside down. Overall, I’m thrilled; I think I did a good job. I can’t wait for next weekend in Latvia.
Andrea Adamo: This is incredible! It’s my very first podium in my rookie season, and there are so many fast riders and world champions here. The line between 3rd and 10th place is razor-thin. Following is almost easier than leading right now, because I learn a lot when I’m behind. My expectations aren’t too high; I came here this season to learn from every race, keep pushing, and never give up. That’s the main goal for the year.
Ruben Fernandez: It feels really good to be back on the podium, especially since my last one in China last year. I haven’t been feeling my best on the bike lately. We’ve worked hard with the team and made quite a few changes to get a better feel for it. It seems to be paying off. Speed, results—it all depends on how you feel on the track. I hope to feel even a little better so I can get back to my full self.
MX2: Mathis Valin’s historic feat, Sacha Coenen takes the red plate
The MX2 class delivered a moment of pure history for French motocross and for Kawasaki, following a wild day marked by penalties and physical setbacks.
First race: Sacha Coenen puts on a show in the mud
During the morning warm-up, Sacha Coenen confirmed his raw speed on a single lap ahead of Valerio Lata (Honda HRC Petronas) and rookie Janis Reisulis (Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2).
At the start of the first race, contested in very wet and muddy conditions, the Belgian rocket Sacha Coenen took the Fox Holeshot, immediately chased by Mathis Valin, Valerio Lata, and Camden McLellan. Liam Everts (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing) made a mistake in the very first corner and went off the track, beginning a grueling climb back up from 12th place.
Karlis Reisulis initially held 5th place before being overtaken by his brother Janis, who went on to challenge McLellan for 4th place. Behind them, Guillem Farres (Triumph) moved up to 6th. The German crowd had eyes only for local hero and defending champion Simon Längenfelder. Unfortunately, the KTM rider battled a bad cold all day and lacked strength. He still managed to pass Julius Mikula on the fourth lap alongside Kay Karssemakers (DRT Kawasaki).
At the halfway point, McLellan regained the advantage over Janis Reisulis for 4th place, while Sacha Coenen maintained a safe lead to prevent Mathis Valin from mounting an attack. In the final moments, Valerio Lata made a small mistake on the downhill section, losing his third-place position to McLellan and fourth to Janis Reisulis. In the penultimate turn of the final lap, Längenfelder crashed just ahead of Everts. Both riders quickly got back up to cross the finish line in 7th and 8th place. Sacha Coenen won ahead of Valin, virtually taking the lead in the championship with a six-point advantage.
Race 2: First Win for Valin, Devastating Blow for Coenen
At the start of the second race, on a track that had dried out significantly and been improved by the technical teams, Sacha Coenen claimed his 8th Fox Holeshot of the year after a neck-and-neck duel with Mathis Valin. Längenfelder was in third place this time, ahead of McLellan and Maxime Grau (Maddi Racing Honda).
On the fourth lap, a dramatic turn of events: Sacha Coenen lost traction on the front end in a dip between two jumps and went off course. Mathis Valin and Simon Längenfelder surged into the lead, triggering cheers from the German crowd. The joy was short-lived for the locals, as Sacha Coenen managed to pass Längenfelder in the very next corner to move into second place.
The track then became extremely difficult for passing. Just as the positions at the front were stabilizing, a rules-related incident shook up the final standings: on lap 13, Sacha Coenen jumped under a yellow flag following Julius Mikula’s heavy crash. Aware of his mistake, the Belgian immediately apologized with a wave of his hand, but race officials were uncompromising: he was handed a 5-point penalty in the championship standings.
On the track, Mathis Valin held his ground and crossed the finish line as the winner. Thanks to this 2-1 result, the young Frenchman secured the very first Grand Prix victory of his MX2 career, marking his third consecutive podium finish. He becomes the first French rider to win in the category since Thibault Benistant in 2023. Furthermore, Valin gave Kawasaki its first MX2 win since Dylan Ferrandis in July 2016 at Loket!
Despite the disappointment of his penalty, which cost him the overall GP victory (tied on points with Valin), Sacha Coenen had reason to be consoled: he leaves Germany for the first time in his career with the red leader’s plate, maintaining a three-point lead over Längenfelder. Camden McLellan took third place on the podium ahead of the surprising Janis Reisulis and a heroic but exhausted Simon Längenfelder.
MX2 Rider Statements
Mathis Valin: It was a very good weekend. I had great speed on the track again. I also got off to two good starts, which is a good thing. In the first race, Sacha and I were attacking hard and built up a nice gap over third place. A very good first race for me, and it was more or less the same in the second race. Sacha and I started off in first and second again, and he had a little crash, so I was able to pass him. From there, I had a strong race—I was really pushing hard. All in all, it was definitely a great day. Finally a win—I’m really happy. What was different this time? Honestly, I don’t know. We didn’t change much. I was injured at the start of the season; I didn’t ride much, or even do much testing. It’s mostly a matter of confidence, I think. I know I can start out in front on the bike, but also that my speed is coming back. I’m more consistent now, and I’m more confident too. This is my third consecutive podium, so I think I’m capable of being consistent and on the podium every time. At least, I hope so. We’ll see next weekend, but that’s what I’m here for. With Kawasaki, we’ve been working toward this. We’re working to win as many races as possible, and helping them win again in MX2 is a good thing. Now, we’ll have to be able to repeat this every weekend, but it’s good to get the ball rolling.
Sacha Coenen: I got two great starts, two Fox Holeshots. I led the entire first race to take the win. The second race was different: I was in the lead and lost the front end coming off the start straight. I had to fight my way back from third place; I quickly regained second place, but it was really tough to pass for the win. I’m a little disappointed about that five-point penalty. Seeing two brothers get the red plate on the same weekend is exceptional. I’m taking the races one at a time and having fun on the bike.
Camden McLellan: To be honest, this isn’t my best day because I completely messed up both my starts. I spent 35 minutes in the second race looking for an opening to pass, but there was no line to take. I’m pretty frustrated. A lot of it is my own fault; I needed to get off to a better start. I have the speed—that’s not the problem. I’m in great shape, no question about it. I just need to get off the line consistently. I know I have what it takes to win races and that I’m the best on the track when everything clicks.
EMX250: Jake Cannon Doubles Up in the Hell of Teutschenthal
The fifth round of the EMX250 European Championship offered a striking contrast between two races contested under diametrically opposed conditions, crowned by Australian Jake Cannon (Venum BUD RACING Kawasaki).
Race 1: Fredsoe Dominates, Cannon Limits the Damage
Held under a clear blue sky on a hard, treacherous surface, the first race immediately went south for championship leader Francisco Garcia. Poorly positioned at the pit lane entrance after a decent start, the Spaniard lost touch with the leading group and got bogged down in the middle of the pack.
This mistake left the field open for Mads Fredsoe (Cat Moto Bauerschmidt KTM) to take the lead, under immediate pressure from Gyan Doensen (GABRIEL SS24M Factory Juniors). Behind them, Jake Cannon began a solid charge to seize third place and close in on Doensen. In the final laps, Cannon attempted an aggressive move in a deep rut to take second place, but he ran wide and lost all his momentum. Liam Owens took advantage to snatch third place from him. Capitalizing on the battle, Mads Fredsoe managed the end of the race perfectly to secure a superb victory ahead of Doensen and Owens. Cannon crossed the line in fourth place.
Race 2: Garcia’s Show in the Downpour, Overall Win for Cannon
The start of the second race took place under torrential rain, turning the track into a giant mud slide. A specialist in such conditions, Jake Cannon took the holeshot ahead of his teammate Francisco Garcia. Eager for revenge after his disappointment in the first race, Garcia stepped up the pace and passed Cannon before the end of the first lap to literally fly away alone in the lead.
Cannon, showing great maturity, chose to secure his second-place position rather than take unnecessary risks in the mud spray kicked up by his teammate. Behind them, Lyonel Reichl took third place at the expense of Francesco Bellei. The winner of the first heat, Mads Fredsoe, made a major mistake and dropped to 9th place, while Gyan Doensen staged a magnificent comeback to finish 5th.
At the finish, Francisco Garcia won by a massive margin over Jake Cannon and Lyonel Reichl. Thanks to his consistent results (4-2), Jake Cannon claimed the overall title by just two points over Gyan Doensen (2-5). Young Nicolò Alvisi (6-4) rounded out the overall podium, securing his very first top-three finish in his debut year in the 250 class. In the championship standings, Garcia retains the red plate with 202 points, ahead of Cannon (172 points) and Nicolai Skovbjerg (158 points).
EMX250 Rider Statements
Jake Cannon: I couldn’t be happier. Compared to last year, I’ve made a huge leap forward. I’m continuing to improve, and that’s great for me, for the championship, and for the team. Fran (Garcia) and I are really putting on a show right now. I’m still working hard to get my first race win; I don’t know how it’s still eluding me given all my second-place finishes, but it’ll come. It’s been a great weekend, and my confidence is growing.
Gyan Doensen: Yes, finally! To be honest, the start of the season was very difficult, and I struggled a lot mentally. Getting back to this level is a big step for me. In the second race, I didn’t have what it took to go for the podium or the win because I was in a lot of physical pain, but I hung in there. A big thank you to my team, my coach, and everyone who supports me.
Nicolò Alvisi: It’s just incredible. Two great starts and a podium finish overall in my first year in the 250 class! It’s fantastic, and I’m absolutely over the moon. See you next weekend in Latvia!
Detailed results from the weekend in Teutschenthal
MXGP Class
Race 1 Top 10:
Race 2 Top 10:
Provisional MXGP World Championship Standings (Top 10):
MXGP Manufacturers' Standings:
- Honda, 384 pts
- KTM, 360 pts
- Yamaha, 315 pts
- Kawasaki, 288 pts
- Husqvarna, 223 pts
- Fantic, 156 pts
- Ducati, 148 pts
- Beta, 49 pts
- Triumph, 45 pts
MX2 Class
Race 1 Top 10:
Race 2 Top 10:
Provisional MX2 World Championship Standings (Top 10):
MX2 Manufacturers' Standings:
- KTM, 377 pts
- Triumph, 359 pts
- Kawasaki, 288 pts
- Husqvarna, 281 pts
- Yamaha, 270 pts
- Honda, 212 pts
- TM, 87 pts
- Ducati, 58 pts
- GASGAS, 27 pts
- Fantic, 8 pts
EMX250 Class
Race 1 Top 10:
Race 2 Top 10:
Provisional Standings of the EMX250 European Championship (Top 10):
EMX250 Manufacturers' Standings (Top 5):
- Kawasaki, 190 pts
- KTM, 150 pts
- Husqvarna, 136 pts
- Yamaha, 130 pts
- Honda, 108 pts
Starting next weekend, the entire Motocross World Championship circus will head to Kegums for the Latvian MXGP. It’s a very unique sandy track where Jeffrey Herlings holds an all-time record of 9 wins, while Lucas Coenen has yet to claim victory there. The showdown is already shaping up to be epic!
Info and photo credits: mxgp.com
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