Round seven of the FIM Motocross World Championship at the Crossdromo Internacional de Águeda circuit is underway. An inconsistent weather forecast has thrown another variable for the riders to deal with as it switched between calm, warm weather to extreme heavy downpours of rain and a thunderstorm during the MXGP qualifying race! Located in the southwestern part of Europe means not as many British riders have made the long trip over; however, there are still a handful of Brits waving the flag high on the world stage. Let’s take a look at how they fared on day one.
Words by Edward Heather – Images by Cult Moto
Adam Sterry’s weekend got off to a strong start as he continues to impress on the world stage. In timed practice, he placed 15th and went one better in the qualifying race, bringing his Chambers Racing machine home in a solid 14th. Lexa MX’s Josh Gilbert also began his weekend on the right foot, finishing 18th in qualifying and was the second-highest-placed Brit in the premier class after a modest showing in the practice sessions. It’s great to see both riders putting their privately supported bikes ahead of some factory competitors.
MRT Racing Team Beta’s Ben Watson didn’t have the start to the weekend he would have hoped for, by his high standards. A 21st in timed practice followed by 23rd in the qualifying race is a far cry from where the #919 is capable of running, and he’ll be looking to bounce back in the main races tomorrow. The second Lexa MX rider, John Adamson, suffered a bike malfunction on the opening lap, forcing him to retire from the qualification race. It’s certainly not how the Scotsman would have hoped his Saturday would go, but the silver lining is that he’s uninjured and ready to regroup for tomorrow.
In the EMX250 class, Dixon Racing’s Bobby Bruce once again showcased his raw speed by qualifying in second place. Billy Askew qualified 12th aboard his Dirtstore Triumph, while Ollie Colmer placed 35th on his Chambers Racing machine. Jake Davies narrowly missed qualification for the races by just 0.100 of a second and is listed as the reserve rider in case there are any withdrawals tomorrow.
Moto 1, the track was a complete mudfest after the downpour during the latter stages of EMX125 moto 1. Bobby Bruce got off to a great start, running in third for the opening portion of the race. However, a crash damaged his front brake, forcing him to retire. Once again, luck wasn’t on the #79’s side—but don’t count him out just yet. The results at the start of the 2025 EMX season are far from where he could and should be here shortly.
Billy Askew pieced together a solid and mature ride in the tough conditions. Askew started inside the top-10 and would run as high as 8th until being shuffled back to 10th, where he would finish. Askew has shown real improvements in his riding in 2025 and today is another illustration of that! Chambers Racing’s Ollie Colmer managed to secure the last points paying position coming home in 20th place. He started outside the top-20 and made his way into 15th by lap five; however, a small tip over and a goggle change pushed him back outside the points and the #456 put a late race charge to claw himself back into the points.
Cole McCullough is the sole Brit representing the EMX125 class, and he started his day off well. The Dream Team Fantic rider posted the sixth-fastest lap in both free practice sessions and looked in good stead heading into the opening moto of the weekend. In Moto 1, the Northern Irishman started inside the top 10 before crashing early on the opening lap. He appeared to be in some discomfort as he lay on the ground for some time before remounting his machine. Once back up and running, McCullough maximised the 25-minute-plus-two-laps moto to charge his way through the field. By the halfway mark, McCullough was in 27th position before passing a further seven riders to claim the final points-paying position in 20th. A 20th-place finish is a far stretch from what the #555 would have envisioned for himself; however, given the circumstances, it was an extremely impressive ride. He displayed true heart as he continued to battle through the pack in extreme rainfall.
