Published On: 19 mei 2026
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NAfter a long break, the Motocross World Championship is finally getting back underway. Although there was a GP break, the riders certainly haven't been idle; after all, the past few weeks saw plenty of action in countless national championships and international races throughout Europe.

With a grueling schedule ahead, in which the GPs will follow one another in rapid succession, there is absolutely no room for mistakes from now on. Anyone sustaining an injury in the coming period can immediately kiss their title chances goodbye.

Herlings versus Coenen: A striking contrast

In the meantime The tone has been set, and the contrasts in the preparation between the two absolute stars of the MXGP class are stark. Jeffrey Herlings went on the attack and started in no fewer than five national races, winning four of them. This approach was crucial to gain as much race rhythm as possible with his new Honda following his contractual transfer on January 1st. The hunger and form are therefore undeniably there.

Lucas Coenen chose on the other hand for a completely opposite strategy: he sought absolute tranquility and focused entirely on training, without the pressure of competition. It will soon become clear, both physically and mentally, which approach yields the best results.

WMX trapt af in Lacapelle-Marival

At the same time The women can also finally start their World Championship season. That takes place this weekend in Lacapelle-Marival, France, a circuit that last hosted a Grand Prix in 2021. The WMX calendar has become slightly more compact this year. because Long and expensive trips to Sardinia and Turkey have been eliminated. HoweverThe distant final in Australia later this year remains a significant financial burden for the teams.

The top favorites for the title:

  • Lotte van Drunen: The two-time world champion will once again be the woman to beat. Last year, the self-proclaimed Queen of Sand Admittedly not the fastest on the track — she only won the opening GP — but thanks to her unprecedented consistency and constant podium finishes, she claimed the title. finally towards itself.

  • Kiara Fontanesi: The now 32-year-old record champion (six world titles) proved last season that she still belongs to the absolute world elite. Although Despite poor results on sand and a penalty in Turkey costing her the title last year, she remains just as dangerous. This season is perhaps one of her last chances to take down the young talent.

  • Daniela Guillén: After narrowly missing out in 2024 and 2025, the Spaniard has only one goal left this year: the world title. On paper, she seems to be the only one who can truly challenge Van Drunen on both hard surfaces and in the sand.

The challengers and the Belgian assets

Next to In the top three, there are more riders to keep an eye on. Lynn Valk is starting a new chapter at TM, after an injury ended her season prematurely last year. beside Larissa Papenmeier commands deep respect; the 'veteran' of the field, as it were, has been competing since the inception of the Women's World Cup. Although a world title in the autumn of her career seems out of reach, her list of honours with eight World Championship medals is impressive.

Amandine Verstappen (Yamaha) will be aiming for her first podium finishes this year after a respectable top-five finish last year. For Shana van der Vlist, the main goal lies on the other hand especially at her home GP in Arnhem. On the hard tracks, the decline to the absolute top has been too great in recent years, but in the sand she can certainly compete for the podium.

Finally With Britt Van Muylem and Maxime Breugelmans, the peloton has extra Belgian assets to look forward to. It promises to be a spectacular WMX season!