Vive KTM! The Grand Prix of France permitted more MXGP spoils for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing crew at Ernee today as Lucas Coenen won another moto and finished runner-up in the premier class and Simon Laengenfelder, Andrea Adamo and Sacha Coenen filled all three steps of the MX2 podium respectively to prove the exceptional capabilities of the KTM 250 SX-F.
For the second time in 2025, MXGP jumped into French soil. Famed Motocross of Nations and established world championship venue, Ernee, packed the fans into the hillside setting, not far from Le Mans, for the ninth round of the season. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing aimed to continue their march of success in both MXGP and MX2 classes: the works line-up had won two GPs with the KTM 450 SX-F and four with the KTM 250 SX-F so far.
Ernee was overcast but busy on Saturday where the schedule included the ninth points-scoring Qualification Heat of the campaign. Coenen started well and led every lap of the MXGP race to ensure his third checkered flag and Pole Position. Jeffrey Herlings was 10th. In MX2 Andrea Adamo won the Heat convincingly after dealing with the threat of teammate Simon Laengenfelder and with Sacha Coenen in P3 ensuring a top three lockout.
The potential for performance continued into Sunday. Morning rainfall created a soft and very rough surface and where starts were at a premium. Coenen started ahead of Herlings in the first moto and the Belgian kept P1 all the way to the line. His win banked a seventh haul of 25 points and means he is now the most prolific racer in the division in his rookie term. Herlings 3rd place was a personal best of 2025 to-date. In the second moto Coenen could not stop Romain Febvre. His 2nd position behind the Frenchman ultimately meant the second step. Herlings was 5th and tied on points for the rostrum; just missing out on a first top three and ranked 4th.
Laengenfelder excelled on the bumpy and technical track. The German was a fast starter along with his teammates. He beat Adamo in the first moto as Sacha Coenen confirmed P6. Simon then got the better of the Italian in the second race as Coenen improved to P4. The post-race ceremony was a sweep for the team for the first time.
The upshot of the results in Ernee makes for bright reading in the championship standings. Coenen is 2nd and 47 points behind Febvre. Laengenfelder has the red plate by 11 points from Adamo with Coenen hovering in 6th.
Round seven of 2025 EMX250 pushed Gyan Doensen into the gate and the Dutch rookie took his Gabriel SS24 KTM 250 SX-F to a new milestone. Doensen was runner-up in the second moto for his highest classification yet. Gyan had been 3rd earlier in the weekend and his 3-2 card – the best of 2025 so far – allowed him to be P2 on the podium despite the muddy and slick surface on Sunday. Ernee also entertained round seven of EMX125 and more action for the KTM Racestore Factory Rookies squad. Nicolo Alvisi was perfect, going 1-1 on the KTM 125 SX for the first time this season and consolidating his championship lead ahead of teammate Aron Katona who did not pick up any points in France.
MXGP spins south and east for the Grand Prix of Germany and the halfway point of the 2025 calendar. Talkessel in Teutschenthal, close to the city of Halle, has been the constant home of world championship motocross in the country since the start of the century and the narrow hard-pack course will become rutted again for round ten next weekend.
Lucas Coenen, 1st and 2nd for 2nd overall in MXGP: “We had to put on a charge at times today and it was good for the fans here! I struggled with arm-pump a bit and got tired but, honestly, P2 and three podiums in a row: it’s really good. We’ll hope for some more strong races coming up.”
Jeffrey Herlings, 3rd and 5th for 4th overall in MXGP: “It was quite disappointing to have the same points as 3rd and not get on the podium. I was fighting for the lead for a long time in the first moto and at the end I had to back-it-off a bit because of arm-pump and took P3. It was a bit less in the second moto, and I then had to comeback from the start and the small crash. I just missed the pass for 4th which would have given me the podium. Very close. P4 overall and a good step. We are getting there every weekend.”
