Coenen earns first MXGP moto win as Adamo takes another MX2 podium in Sardinian sand

MXGP encountered its first sandy challenge of the 2025 season with the Grand Prix of Sardinia and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing left the demanding bumps of Riola Sardo with more spoils. Standout performances came from Lucas Coenen on the KTM 450 SX-F who won the first moto on Sunday while Andrea Adamo collected another podium trophy with P3 in MX2. Jeffrey Herlings made his first GP appearance this year, scoring 15th overall.

  • Overcast Sardinia takes MXGP onto Italian terrain for the first time this term and Lucas Coenen says ‘Ciao’ with a dominant first career moto win but then cannot finish the second race
  • Jeffrey Herlings pockets his first MXGP points of 2025 after recovering from right knee surgery performed at the end of October 2024 with 20-7 results and briefly leads the second moto
  • Andrea Adamo finishes on the MX2 podium for the second Grand Prix in a row. The Italian leads the second moto until the final lap and confirms P3 on the day
  • Simon Laengenfelder grabs 4th overall after a consistent day in the sand and Sacha Coenen rounds-out the top five after a hard charge to 4th in the second moto. Red Bull KTM own both MX2 holeshots with the KTM 250 SX-F
  • MXGP makes the relatively short journey across the water to Arco di Trento for round five next week and swaps beaches for mountains, and sand for stony hardpack soil

After the Spanish/French Grand Prix double, MXGP had a week to recuperate before Italian back-to-back fixtures with distinct flavors. First-up for Red Bull KTM was the Grand Prix of Sardinia around the compact, sandy course on the island that serves as a popular off-season training site.

In contrast to Cozar and St Jean D’Angely in recent weeks, the climate was stable on the western tip of the Sardinian territory. Red Bull KTM welcomed all-time record wins holder Jeffrey Herlings back in the awning for the Dutchman’s return to world championship competition and where he steers the KTM 450 SX-F for the eighth consecutive season. Teammate classmate Lucas Coenen was the marker for speed and rhythm in the first MXGP moto. The youngster led from the start until the checkered flag and even a small, late tip-over was not enough to derail the rookie from his first 25 points. Herlings didn’t get the best start and weathered arm-pump to ride to 20th. In the second race Coenen had to pick-up and restart in last place after a crash when he clipped the inside bank of the first turn. The Belgian charged back to the fringe of the top ten but two more mistakes ended his moto early, meaning 7th overall. Herlings had a decent getaway and led the first three laps of 18 before guiding the #84 KTM across the line in 7th; a result earned with less than a week of saddle time after a six-month lay-off.

In MX2 Sacha Coenen and Andrea Adamo blasted to the holeshots. Coenen achieved the distinction in the first moto before an error dropped the Belgian down the order and he fought back to 5th. Sacha barreled to the top four in the second race to take 5th overall, classifying behind the steady Simon Laengenfelder, who was close to a third podium of the season with a 3-6 scorecard and took maximum points on Saturday by owning the Qualifying race. Adamo, who won the French Grand Prix two weeks ago, almost had the flag in the second moto but was denied by world champion Kay de Wolf. P2 was still sufficient for 3rd for the Grand Prix.

The Racestore KTM Factory Rookies team again had cause to celebrate for the third date in the 2025 EMX125 championship. Hungarian Aron Katona grasped his first checkered flag in France and then added to the tally with an impressive 1-1 and overall success in Sardinia. #817 also rose to 1st place in the championship standings. Riola Sardo was near perfect for the squad as Nicolo Alvisi was confirmed as runner-up by finishing 2nd and 4th with the KTM 125 SX.

The Italian theme for MXGP continues this week as the series moves to the mainland and to the north for the Grand Prix of Trentino. The hardpacked Pietramurata circuit in Arco di Trento and close to Lake Garda will stage round five and where Red Bull KTM scored victory in the MX2 class last year.

Lucas Coenen, 1st and DNF for 7th overall in MXGP: “I felt good in Timed Practice and almost won the qualifying race but things went even better in the first moto on Sunday. I made the start I wanted and then just controlled the gap. I don’t know what happened at the start of the second moto: I think somebody hit me into the first turn. I came back to 8th or 9th until I found another rider in mid-air and then crashed. The weekend was done. Good and bad. More luck next weekend I hope.”

Jeffrey Herlings, 20th and 7th for 15th overall in MXGP: “We decided at the last minute to come to this race and use it as the best practice. Yes, a P20 can hurt but…I think it was just my sixth day on the bike after six months. So, for the circumstances I think it was quite good today. It was the first time I’d done a 35-minute moto! We got some points and finishing 7th in the second moto was quite good. Now just to build and get better every single week. Step-by-step now.”

Andrea Adamo, 4th and 2nd for 3rd overall in MX2: “Super-weekend. I was consistent. I led a little bit in the second moto – it is not easy to beat Sacha for the holeshot! - and I was following Kay then he made a mistake and I could breathe a little. I knew he would come back though! It’s a bummer. I wanted that win. But, anyway, I’m super-happy with the race, my fitness and my speed and being on the podium again. Compared to last year this is a step ahead. Let’s go to the next one.”

Simon Laengenfelder, 3rd and 6th for 4th overall in MX2: “The weekend was just OK. A good qualifying win on Saturday but I had to come from outside the top ten in the first moto and got back to 3rd: that was good. I felt fast on the bike and could push. Second race I got cut-off at the start and struggled to push back due to some stomach pain. 6th was not ideal but it was a half-positive weekend and we have stuff to work on for the next rounds.”

Sacha Coenen, 5th and 4th for 5th overall in MX2: “Today went quite well. I led almost the whole first moto but just made a mistake on a jump when I was with Kay. So that meant 5th. I was a bit disappointed and then my reaction was not the best at the start of the second race. I was also hit by someone else’s handlebar. At that point I just said, “give it everything” and rode really well. I had a little contact with [Camden] McLellan and then decided to take P4 and collect the points. A better weekend than the last one.”

 

Results MXGP Sardinia 2025

 

1. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 4-1

2. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Fantic, 2-3

3. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 5-2

4. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA), Fantic, 3-5

5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR), Honda, 7-8

7. Lucas Coenen (BEL), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 1-DNF

15. Jeffrey Herlings (NED), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing 20-7

 

Standings MXGP 2025 after 4 of 20 rounds

 

1. Tim Gajser (SLO), Honda, 215

2. Romain Febvre (FRA), Kawasaki, 181

3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED), Fantic, 156

4. Lucas Coenen (BEL), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 141

5. Maxime Renaux (FRA), Yamaha, 125

 

Results MX2 Sardinia 2025

 

1. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna, 1-1

2. Camden McLellan (RSA), Triumph, 2-3

3. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 4-2

4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 3-6

5. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 5-4

6. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna, 6-5

 

Standings MX2 2025 after 4 of 20 rounds

 

1. Kay de Wolf (NED), Husqvarna, 185 points

2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 177

3. Liam Everts (BEL), Husqvarna 175 points

4. Andrea Adamo (ITA), Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 171

6. Sacha Coenen (BEL) Red Bull KTM Factory Racing, 143

KTM NEWS

TOM VIALLE CLAIMS SECOND 250MX PODIUM OF THE YEAR AT HIGH POINT NATIONAL

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Red Bull KTM Factory Racing's Tom Vialle charged to a hard-fought podium finish in Round 4 of the 2025 AMA Pro Motocross Championship at the High Point National, as 450MX teammate Aaron Plessinger impressed once again with an opening moto podium and fourth-place result overall. Two-time MX2 World Champion and current 250SX East title-holder Vialle posted a strong performance at the fourth round of the season in Pennsylvania, powering his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to fourth position in the opening moto of the weekend. An elevated P2 performance in Moto 2 was enough for the Frenchman to claim second overall – marking his second podium in the opening for rounds – and he maintains fifth in the 250MX standings in these early stages of the series. Tom Vialle: "My last two results haven't been where I wanted them to be, so coming in here the plan was for sure to be on the box, and we accomplished that. Looking forward after the weekend off, I feel comfortable at Southwick, and we've done a lot of work these last couple of weeks, so I am looking at turning things around and hopefully getting another good result." 250MX teammate Julien Beaumer began his weekend with P8 in qualifying, before two difficult motos with 15-40 scores onboard his KTM 250 SX-F FACTORY EDITION leaves the number 23 with his sights set on Southwick after the break. He is currently ninth in points following Mt. Morris. Julien Beaumer: “It was a tough day in High Point for me. Moto 1 was going good, and then I crashed with three laps to go. Moto 2, better start, and I made some good passes on lap one, but then I had a good crash at the mechanic's area. We'll rest up now and get ready for Southwick." Plessinger's High Point National began with him setting the sixth-fastest time in 450MX qualifying, before taking his KTM 450 SX-F FACTORY EDITION to the lead during the early stages of Moto 1. 'The Cowboy' would go on to finish third in another positive outing. A strong start in Moto 2 saw Plessinger again in the mix with the front-runners, however, the skies would open up and cause chaos for the field, with the number 7 entering the pits for fresh goggles. With the race red-flagged soon after, a P4 finish also earned him fourth overall, and he sits third in the 450MX championship. Aaron Plessinger: “High Point was a good day. First moto, I got a good start, then Jett [Lawrence] stalled it and I led for a little bit, but I got a bit tight for a while there and I finished P3 in that one. Second moto, I didn't know it was going to rain and I picked the wrong goggles. [My] tear-offs were gone, had to pull in, and then pretty much straight after that, we got red-flagged. Overall, still P4, so I can't be too mad! We'll have a weekend off and get ready for Southwick." Next Race: June 28 – Southwick, Massachusetts Results 450MX Class – High Point National 1. Jett Lawrence (Honda) 2. Hunter Lawrence (Honda) 3. Eli Tomac (Yamaha) 4. Aaron Plessinger (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 8. RJ Hampshire (Husqvarna) Standings 450MX Class 2025 after 4 of 11 rounds 1. Jett Lawrence, 190 points 2. Eli Tomac, 162 3. Aaron Plessinger, 156 6. RJ Hampshire, 117 14. Malcolm Stewart, 60 Results 250MX Class – High Point National 1. Haiden Deegan (Yamaha) 2. Tom Vialle (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) 3. Levi Kitchen (Kawasaki) 8. Casey Cochran (GASGAS) 16. Ryder DiFrancesco (GASGAS) 20. Julien Beaumer (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) Standings 250MX Class 2025 after 4 of 11 rounds 1. Haiden Deegan, 194 points 2. Jo Shimoda, 152 3. Chance Hymas, 132 5. Tom Vialle, 125 8. Casey Cochran, 88 9. Julien Beaumer, 87 17. Ryder DiFrancesco, 54