The Motocenter Zelta Zirgs in Kegums was the scene of a historic moment on Sunday, June 7, 2026. Under bright sunshine following the gray skies of the previous days, the Latvian Grand Prix, the eighth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, saw the complete triumph of a pair of brothers. For the very first time in MXGP history, twins stood on the top step of the podium on the same day. A unique feat that had not been approached by brothers since the double victory of Sébastien and Christophe Pourcel in Faenza (Italy) on July 15, 2007. At the time, Lucas and Sacha Coenen were only nine months old!
Alongside this global sensation, the EMX250 and EMX125 European Championships delivered a spectacular show on the Latvian sand, cementing the positions of the leaders and revealing new faces.
MXGP: Lucas Coenen Imperial and Untouchable
Already the winner of his qualifying race, Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) literally dominated the premier class. In the first race, the Belgian secured his 7th Fox Holeshot of the season to take the lead, overcoming a minor technical issue late in the race to finish ahead of Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) and Jeffrey Herlings (Honda Petronas).
In the second race, defending champion Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) snatched the Holeshot from him, but Lucas retook the lead on the very first lap. Behind him, Jeffrey Herlings’ bike let him down, forcing the Dutchman to retire just as he was putting pressure on the leader. Lucas Coenen cruised to a comfortable victory with an 8-second lead, securing his 20th Grand Prix win (his 10th in MXGP) and extending his championship lead to 62 points. Kay de Wolf (2-3) claimed second place on the podium ahead of Romain Febvre (4-2).
Lucas Coenen:It’s simply incredible; I can’t describe it any better. To see my brother and me win every race together on the same weekend is just magical. The track was very tricky; I just tried to stay in control and avoid making mistakes. I wasn’t trying to open up a huge gap because you could easily make a mistake; I just wanted to stay in front with a clear view.
MX2: Sacha Coenen follows his brother’s lead and pulls away
In MX2, Sacha Coenen pulled out all the stops to deliver the perfect weekend for his family and the Red Bull KTM team. An absolute master of the starts, he claimed both Fox Holeshot Awards of the day (bringing his total to 10 this year). In both the first and second races, the young Belgian led from start to finish, maintaining a comfortable lead of up to 25 seconds in the final stretch before easing off the gas. He secured his third consecutive victory at Kegums.
Behind the untouchable leader, life for the title contenders was chaotic. Simon Längenfelder (KTM), Sacha’s runner-up in the championship, had a nightmare: 5th in the first race, he crashed heavily in the second, injuring his back on his handlebars before being forced to retire. Sacha Coenen now holds a 37-point lead in the overall standings. Camden McLellan (Triumph) claimed second place overall (3-2) after a legendary final sprint, denying local hero Karlis Reisulis a podium finish on home soil in the final lap.
Young French rider Mathis Valin (Kawasaki) continued his superb run by taking third place on the podium (2-6), his fourth consecutive top-3 finish in the GP.
Sacha Coenen: It’s incredible, I’m speechless. Winning every race on the same weekend as my brother is really special. Especially on this track where I won my very first GP, and where I’m now winning for the third time in a row. I’m not really thinking about the championship; I’m taking the races one at a time.
EMX250: Francisco Garcia’s Dominance
In the EMX250 class, the boss is Francisco Garcia. The Venum BUD Racing Kawasaki rider had a perfect weekend, racking up the maximum 50 points thanks to a splendid 1-2 finish on the sand at Kegums.
In the first race, despite Saku Mansikkamäki’s strong start, the Spanish rider took the lead on the 5th lap and was never caught, winning ahead of Gyan Doensen and Liam Owens. The second race sparked tremendous excitement among the crowd when local hero Jekabs Kubulins (Yamaha) of Latvia took the holeshot to the roar of the crowd. But once again, Garcia quickly demonstrated his speed. Moving up from 5th to 1st place by the 3rd lap, he set the fastest lap of the race to pull away at the front, despite a close call on a short jump.
Australian Liam Owens took a superb second place (3-2) in the day’s overall standings ahead of Gyan Doensen (2-6). On the French side, Tom Brunet (VHR Racing) had a strong second race, finishing 5th to break into the weekend’s top 10 (9th overall). In the championship standings, Garcia has pulled away and now leads his teammate Jake Cannon by 53 points.
EMX125: Ernecker stays in control despite Bauer’s challenge
The EMX125 Championship presented by FMF Racing delivered two very distinct races and a breathtaking finale. The first race was a frenzied, all-out battle between the two Norman KTM Factory Rookies teammates, Ricardo Bauer and red-plate rider Moritz Ernecker. After taking the holeshot, Bauer gave Ernecker a run for his money. Ernecker attempted a sharp inside move on the penultimate lap, but Bauer immediately countered on the outside to win by less than a second. Dutch rider Timo Heuver (Fantic) made the comeback of the day, climbing from last on the grid to the podium (3rd).
The second race, however, was a one-man show for Moritz Ernecker. Starting in the lead after taking the holeshot, the Austrian dominated the field to cross the finish line nearly 14 seconds ahead. Behind him, New Zealander Levi Townley (Yamaha Europe Monster Energy MJC) delivered a highly mature performance to secure 2nd place, thereby claiming the very first podium of his EMX125 career along with 2nd place overall.
Saturday’s winner, Ricardo Bauer, saw his hopes of victory vanish after losing the front end on the fourth lap while in eighth place. He fought his way back up to ninth place, securing the third step of the podium for the round. French rider Sleny Goyer (Yamaha) had a solid weekend (5-6) and leaves Latvia in 5th place overall, retaining his provisional third place in the championship, which is still led by Ernecker ahead of Bauer.
All weekend standings
MXGP Standings
Overall Race
- 1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM) 50 pts
- 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS) 42 pts
- 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW) 40 pts
- 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM) 34 pts
- 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW) 30 pts.
World Championship (provisional top 10)
MX2 Standings
Overall Race
- 1. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM) 50 pts
- 2. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI) 42 pts
- 3. Mathis Valin (FRA, KAW) 37 pts
- 4. Guillem Farres (ESP, TRI) 36 pts
- 5. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, YAM) 35 pts.
World Championship (provisional top 10)
EMX250 Standings
Overall Race
- 1. Francisco Garcia (ESP, KAW) 50 pts
- 2. Liam Owens (AUS, KTM) 42 pts
- 3. Gyan Doensen (NED, KTM) 37 pts
- 4. Mads Fredsoe (DEN, KTM) 36 pts
- 5. Jekabs Kubulins (LAT, YAM) 30 pts.
Championship (provisional top 10)
EMX125 Standings
Overall Race
- 1. Moritz Ernecker (AUT, KTM) 47 pts
- 2. Levi Townley (NZL, YAM) 40 pts
- 3. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM) 37 pts
- 4. Gennaro Utech (ITA, FAN) 35 pts
- 5. Sleny Goyer (FRA, YAM) 31 pts.
Championship (provisional top 10)
News and photo credits: mxgp.com
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