Montevarchi welcomed the MXGP World Championship for round nine of the 2026 season, with Italy’s Miravalle venue serving up another pivotal weekend in both MXGP and MX2. Hear more from the leading riders of each division in this Reaction feature.

MXGP

Image: Supplied.

P1 | Jeffrey Herlings (Honda HRC Petronas):
That isn’t really a track that suits me, but we got two good starts and I made some good passes early-on in race two. It was tough out there, but the track was much better today and even though we were racing on conditions that I’m not the most comfortable on, I still was happy with my one-two and my fourth win of the season. The team have worked so hard and it’s great to get the victory and just hopefully keep this momentum going.

P2 | Lucas Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
I’m happy to be here on the box and I didn’t really expect it. It took some time to adjust to this track and I had a bad jump from the gate. I rode well to make passes and arrive to the other guys at the front and the second moto was good also…but I didn’t want to make a big mistake. The track was sketchy, so I rode smart and played the long game.

P3 | Maxime Renaux (Monster Energy Yamaha):
It was a really tough day. The first moto was very positive and I felt like my pace was strong from the start. Unfortunately, I’m still dealing with a virus of some sort and that caught up with me as the day went on. By the second moto, I just didn’t have anything left physically, which was frustrating because I knew the speed was there. It’s disappointing when your body won’t let you perform at the level you know you’re capable of, but that’s part of racing sometimes. Despite that, I’m really happy to come away with another podium. Now, the focus is on recovering properly, getting back to full strength, and coming back even stronger next weekend in Portugal.

P4 | Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
Definitely a good weekend I’m pretty happy with my consistency. I went a bit too quick for the start of the first moto but the others were good. We might have been able to think about the podium if the first moto hadn’t been wrecked. P4 overall is still solid though and that’s what we aim for. My home GP was amazing, even if the track was not the best. A crazy atmosphere. Now to Portugal where I have good memories of the 1-1-1 last year.

P5 | Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team):
We had to use the hard track tyre today and we just couldn’t get the starts. I came back really well through the pack but I’m a little frustrated because this is my type of track and I am sure I could have won the GP if I had started with the other guys. It’s always easier to pass at the end of the motos when the other guys drop the pace but I lost too much time at the beginning. We could change line in almost every turn in the first moto but with the rain during the interval the inside was muddy for race two so there were less lines to pass.

P6 | Calvin Vlaanderen (Red Bull Ducati Factory MXGP Team):
It was a positive weekend, the best overall result that we have got this year so we can’t be disappointed with that. I’m very very happy with my race, in the first moto I showed myself that I’m back and I can still still run in the top five and still do it comfortably; it was nice to feel like I was riding easy and comfortably and still can keep up with the front guys so that was a big confidence boost for me. In the second race I struggled to find the flow at the beginning, but the guys in front got away from me and then I couldn’t couldn’t catch them towards the end, but all in all I’m happy with the weekend and yeah big thanks to the team; we’ve been working hard the last months and we made a nice change last week and it’s definitely making me feel more comfortable on the bike. I’m looking forward to the next GP.

P7 | Tom Vialle (Honda HRC Petronas):
I think it was a good comeback this weekend overall. There were a couple of moments that I’d like to take back but for the most part, there were a lot of positives to take into Portugal next weekend. I got a good start in race one, almost getting the holeshot next to Jeffrey and then I think it was just a little bit of race-rust that stopped me finishing higher up. Still, it was good to back on the line and I’m excited to progress in all these upcoming GPs.

P8 | Jan Pancar (KTM):
P2 in the qualifying race – history made again. P8 overall in the races, thanks all!

MX2

Image: Supplied.

P1 | Sacha Coenen (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
A difficult weekend here and with this track. It actually changed quite a lot. We made the best out of it and I just tried to finish in the best and safest way. In the first moto I started good but made a stupid mistake in front of the pitlane. It meant I had to win back a lot of positions and had a good flow.

P2 | Guillem Farres (Triumph Factory Racing):
It was a solid day overall here in Montevarchi. In the first moto, I got a decent start and was running around seventh early on. I made some good passes, found a good rhythm, and worked my way up to the lead, which is where I finished, and it was great to get another race win. Unfortunately, the second moto was much more difficult. I didn’t get a good start and then crashed on the opening lap, which made life a lot harder. From there, I had to come through the field from almost last place and could only recover to fifth by the finish. It’s a little frustrating because I feel like I missed a great opportunity to fight for the overall victory, but there are still a lot of positives to take away from the weekend. The speed was there, the riding was good, and I scored solid points for the championship. Now the focus is on keeping the momentum going into the next round.

P3 | Camden McLellan (Triumph Factory Racing):
It was a decent weekend overall in Italy. My feeling on the bike improved every time I went out on track, and the bike was working really well all weekend, so a big thank you to the team for all of their hard work. Sunday had its ups and downs. In the first moto, I made things difficult for myself with a poor start and a crash on the opening lap, which meant I had to come through the field to finish seventh. The second moto was much better. I got a solid start, rode a smart and calculated race, and gradually worked my way to the front. Once I got into the lead, I was able to control the race and take the win. I scored some good championship points this weekend, and now the goal is to keep building on that momentum heading into the next round.

P4 | Liam Everts (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing):
It was a strong weekend overall, even if we just missed the podium. In the first race I had to work my way forward, but once I got into fourth I felt like my pace was good and I could close on the guys ahead. Race two was tricky with the rain and the track changing so much, but I felt smooth and managed to make the pass for third near the end. Fourth overall is solid, but of course I wanted that podium. We’ll keep pushing.

P5 | Mathis Valin (Kawasaki Racing Team):
I was feeling better with every session and managed two good motos. I think I could have had three holeshots this weekend but I braked a little too early today. In the second moto I was pushing to try to pass in front but I always had someone pushing me from behind.

P6 | Simon Langenfelder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing):
A tricky weekend. I came to Italy feeling good but the start crash in the Quali race set me back. Still, I could come back to 11th and the pick was not too bad for the Sunday races. The holeshots were the only positive because I needed another level to go with those guys. I made the wrong decisions. Not the best riding or feeling so hard to come out of it. I won’t stop fighting.

P7 | Julius Mikula (Osicka MX Team):
It was a positive weekend. I had some nice battles and good stars going 6-8 for P7 overall. The weather wasn’t really nice to us and that made the track very dry and sketchy. Next one is Portugal.

P8 | Maxime Grau (Maddii Racing Honda):
P8 overall, let’s go! Good battles and we fought till the end. Thanks to my team and my mechanics for the great work.