Francesco Bellei put the Fantic XX 125 on the podium in the European Championship, his Fantic Factory Racing EMX teammates came close, and Andrea Bonacorsi and Glenn Coldenhoff secured a double top 6 in the premier class – a strong result after an eventful and brutal mud race at the MXGP of Portugal.
Fantic Factory Racing MXGP
Before the rain hammered the track, turning the red soil of Agueda into a mud bath, Glenn Coldenhoff clocked the second-fastest time in free practice and backed it up with a seventh in time practice.
Things got complicated from the start, though, in an absolute mudder of a qualifying race, as the “Hoff” found himself buried at the back of the pack in turn one after a less-than-ideal launch off the gate. Amid the chaos of the opening lap – which included an early incident involving Brian Bogers – it was Andrea Bonacorsi who emerged as the lead Fantic rider in tenth. Coldenhoff fought his way up to join his Fantic Factory Racing MXGP teammate in the top 10, before Bonacorsi dropped a few spots after struggling in a corner. In the end, Coldenhoff secured eighth gate pick, Bonacorsi salvaged 11th, and Bogers fought back to finish 13th.
The heavens opened once again on race day, causing a delay to the schedule but not taking anything away from the action. It was Brian Bogers who seemed particularly at ease in the treacherous conditions, as he capitalised on a good start to move into third on the opening lap of race 1. He impressively held that position for the first part of the moto, until one small mistake proved very costly and resulted in a dislocated left shoulder. However, the Dutchman was able to quickly pop it back into place and continue his race, eventually finishing 18th and even picking up points despite the unfortunate incident.
Andrea Bonacorsi took over as the leading Fantic Factory Racing MXGP rider, finishing a solid sixth in extremely tricky conditions. Glenn Coldenhoff had even more work to do after a poor start, but managed to move up the order and take the chequered flag in eighth.
Race 2 got off to a better start for Coldenhoff, and he was joined by Bonacorsi in the top 6 from the beginning. The Fantic duo avoided any mistakes and maintained a solid pace, which allowed the Italian to take fifth place for another strong fourth overall, while the Dutchman secured sixth both in the race and in the overall classification. For Bogers, bad luck struck again, as he was forced to retire early due to a minor technical issue.
Despite receiving a five-point penalty for not respecting a yellow flag in race 1– which he hadn’t seen due to the brutal conditions – Coldenhoff remains fourth in the championship standings. Bonacorsi follows in seventh ahead of round 8 of the 2025 MXGP World Championship, set to take place in Lugo, Spain, in just one week.
Andrea Bonacorsi:
“Two solid races – sixth and fifth – and another fourth overall. I have to be satisfied with this result because I struggled a bit with the track on Saturday, but I knew I would find my rhythm in the races. It is not easy at all to be consistently in the top 5 in MXGP, so we have to be happy with that. We have made a big step forward. I want to thank the whole Fantic Factory Racing MXGP team and everyone at Fantic, because without them, I wouldn’t be here. We are doing an amazing job, and we are proving it.”
Glenn Coldenhoff:
“The rain wasn’t too nice, at least not for me. In race 1, I stalled the bike at the start and even crashed in the second turn. From last, I came back to eighth, which was quite okay. It’s a pity I lost five points due to the yellow flag – I didn’t see it, unfortunately. I got a good start in race 2 and had a solid ride. I pushed quite hard, but the conditions were difficult. An 8-6 for sixth overall is definitely not what I am aiming for, but I am happy to be healthy. Hopefully, next weekend the conditions will be better, so we can have some real racing again. I am looking forward to that because I am feeling strong.”
Brian Bogers:
“I felt good out on track, and it felt great to be riding in third in race 1 – I even had a gap to fourth. Then I made a mistake, my shoulder dislocated, but it popped back in and I finished the race, still in 18th. The shoulder felt fine in race 2, but we had an issue that forced me to retire. We learn to be tough and mentally strong. If you fall down seven times, you get up eight. But actually, nobody tells you what happens when you fall down again… It feels like every time I am there, something happens. So much bad luck isn’t easy to deal with mentally, but we try to stay strong.”
Fantic Factory Racing EMX125
Times were tight during Saturday’s practice sessions, when the track in Agueda was still dry, and the Fantic youngsters were right in the mix. EMX250 rookie Simone Mancini placed third in free practice and followed up with sixth in time practice. In 125, Francesco Bellei secured fourth gate-pick – just 0.508 seconds off pole.
Bellei got off to a decent start in race 1, with some quick passes on the opening lap allowing him to move up to sixth. The 16-year-old Italian kept pushing even as the rain turned into a monsoon, avoiding mistakes in treacherous conditions, and his determination paid off with a strong third-place finish. His teammate Douwe Van Mechgelen – fresh off his win at the Dutch Masters – joined Bellei in the top 10 from the start. Fighting hard in the mud, he held firm to secure an excellent ninth, placing both Factory Fantic XX 125 bikes inside the top 9.
Race 2 was another mudder, but Bellei kept his composure on the tricky track, crossing the line in fourth to secure third overall. A great result and valuable championship points for the Italian, who continues to hold second place and has narrowed the gap to the leader. Van Mechgelen was on course to deliver a double top-5 finish for the Fantic Factory Racing EMX team, but a crash while running fourth dropped him to eighth. Still, he secured an encouraging seventh overall.
In EMX250, Simone Mancini pulled off a dream start in race 1 on Saturday, grabbing the holeshot aboard his Fantic XXF 250 and breaking away at the front. The Italian rookie impressed with his skill and pace despite the brutal conditions, and although he had to relinquish the lead with four laps to go, he crossed the line in a stunning second place – well ahead of the chasing pack.
Race 2 on Sunday was an even bigger challenge, taking place under relentless rain. Mancini got off to another good start and was right in the podium battle, sitting in a virtual second overall until three laps from the end. In absolutely brutal conditions, he fell and had to stop to change his goggles, which dropped him to P8. He ultimately finished a strong weekend in fifth overall – just three points shy of third place.
Francesco Bellei:
“Another mud bath, but we bring home a third overall thanks to two solid motos. The track conditions were really at the limit, but we secured important points for the championship. I am happy with the result, now a short break for EMX125, but we are pumped for the next round in France.”
Simone Mancini:
“Saturday went really well, I grabbed the holeshot and finished second in race 1. Sunday wasn’t bad either, although the conditions were even worse than what we faced in Cozar earlier this year. I gave it my all, I wanted that podium, but in the end, I just tried to salvage what I could, and a fifth overall is definitely a solid result.”
Douwe Van Mechgelen:
“Overall, it was a consistent weekend, and that is what I wanted. In race 2, a top-3 finish was in reach, but I gave it away with a crash. That was a shame, but still there are plenty of positives this weekend with a good time practice, two good starts and, all in all, a good result.”
