In 2026, the EMX125 European Championship presented by FMF Racing got underway with an explosive start in the demanding sands of Almonte, Spain. There were endos and cartwheels in the background as home rider Jorge Salvador took the early lead on the #385 machine.
Race Report and Images by Infront Moto Racing
But more drama followed just a couple of corners later, exiting Turn 3, where multiple riders went down in heavy piled up. Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s Gennaro Utech was one of those caught up, eventually being ejected over the bars and retiring from the race.
Salvador led the way briefly, pushing hard, while Riganti was running in third. Salvador began to slip back through the field, and CTM Motorhomes Priem MX’s Seth Priem also dropped from eighth to fourteenth by lap four, with the #32 eventually disappearing from the top twenty altogether.
Elsewhere, riders were charging through the pack after poor starts, with battles forming for the top positions. David Cracco from Dreams Racing was among those under pressure as riders fought their way forward. At the front, Moritz Ernecker took control and went on to claim his first race victory, ahead of the solid Frenchman Sleny Goyer form Yamaha Europe Monster Energy MJC and Swiss Ryan Oppliger.
Race 2 delivered another intense racing as MCV Motorsport TM Moto’s Riccardo Pini launched out of the gate to grab the holeshot, with RFME Spain National Team’s Jordi Alba also starting strongly inside the top three. Just behind them, Race 1 winner Ernecker was immediately in contention, positioning himself perfectly to challenge from the opening lap.
Fantic Factory Racing EMX’s Bertram Thorius quickly emerged as the rider on the move. After breaking into the lead group, the Dane carried impressive momentum down the long straight on the opening lap to take control of the race. From there, he began to stretch a small advantage at the front, holding off pressure from behind.
Behind him, the battle for the overall win intensified. Ernecker remained firmly in the fight, while Goyer worked his way forward after a more difficult start, carving through the pack to rejoin the leaders mid-race.
Further back, Utech produced a standout recovery ride. After his crash in Race 1, the Italian charged back into the top five, showing strong pace and determination throughout the race.
As the race entered its final stages, the fight for victory came alive. Goyer closed in rapidly and made decisive moves and then capitalised on Ernecker’s crash after the Austrian banged bars with Thorius. Ernecker would then settled for third in race 2.
With just a few laps remaining, the Frenchman however pushed the race leader Thorius to the limit, as a race win would have given him the overall victory but the Dane showed great strength and refused to give in even if he stayed within striking distance and held firm under pressure to take the Race 2 victory.
Faure secured second while Ernecker completed the podium in third after setting some of the fastest laps of the race.
Moritz Ernecker’s victory in Race 1 combined with third place in Race 2 was enough to secure the overall win with 45 points, narrowly edging out Sleny Goyer, whose 2-2 results left him just one point behind.
In doing so, Ernecker became the first Austrian rider to win an EMX125 overall since Rene Hofer at Round 3 in Latvia back in 2018. His Race 1 victory also marked the first race win for an Austrian in the category since Hofer’s success in Germany earlier that same season.
Bertram Thorius’ impressive Race 2 performance, finishing second, earned him third overall and confirmed him as one of the standout performers of the weekend. Ryan Oppliger and David Cracco completed the top five overall after consistent performances across both races, while several riders endured mixed fortunes in the demanding conditions.
British riders Drew Stock and Hayden Statt both managed to get in the points in the brutally tough conditions, with Stock taking 19th overall and Statt taking 21st, although both showed they had the speed to be higher up the order. Brian Gyles just missed out on qualifying and was first reserve but didnt manage to get a race.
Moritz Ernecker “I am really happy to take the red plate. It was a mixed weekend, now, with the second race, but I’m really happy about the overall win.”
Results
EMX125 – Race 1:
MEC_EMX125_R1_RaceClassification-4102_6_33_351_1_682ED4484EF4091A1A98CDEB732A400CEMX125 – Race 2:
MEC_EMX125_R2_RaceClassification-4102_6_33_352_1_0A4622B6D341055BE176D008DAD7019E
EMX125 Overall
EMX125 Championship – Top 10 Classification: 1. Moritz Ernecker (AUT, KTM), 45 points; 2. Sleny Goyer (FRA, YAM), 44 p.; 3. Bertram Thorius (DEN, FAN), 38 p.; 4. Ryan Oppliger (SUI, KTM), 35 p.; 5. David Cracco (ITA, KTM), 34 p.; 6. Ricardo Bauer (AUT, KTM), 29 p.; 7. Andrea Uccellini (ITA, TM), 26 p.; 8. Edoardo Riganti (ITA, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Liam Bruneau (FRA, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Timo Heuver (NED, FAN), 19 p.
EMX125 Manufacturers – Top 10 Classification: 1. KTM, 45 points; 2. Yamaha, 44 p.; 3. Fantic, 38 p.; 4. TM, 26 p.; 5. Husqvarna, 9 p.
