MX Arnhem already on fire: Fontanesi challenges them all, Herlings set for yet another show

Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 07:30

The Arnhem round is almost decisive for the WMX Women’s World Championship, but keep an eye on MXGP and MX2 as well. Key contenders, standings, and GP schedule.

With the mid-August stop in Sweden in the books, it’s time to focus on the Netherlands. We’re in the backyard of MXGP dominator Jeffrey Herlings, as well as Lotte van Drunen: the WMX Women’s World Championship is back too, with the two-time defending champion who, like all riders in the class, is chasing points leader Kiara Fontanesi after the Foxhills round. In MX2, watch the head-to-head between a resurgent Sacha Coenen and an ailing Guillem Farres. Will there be surprises? Below you’ll find the outlook, standings, and timings for the Arnhem GP: full live coverage on mxgp-tv.com by subscription, Rai’s programming will be confirmed in the coming days.

Where we left off

Jeffrey Herlings is now marching on in this 2026 MXGP season, and he will also be backed by his home crowd: will anyone be able to stop him? We’ll then see whether Lucas Coenen returns or not, who was ruled out last weekend in Uddevalla due to injury. Keep an eye on reigning champion Romain Febvre, on Tim Gajser, and on anyone looking to jump into the fray of this World Championship that’s edging closer to its conclusion. Even though, weekend after weekend, it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Honda ace, barring cataclysms, is flying unstoppably toward another great story!

In MX2 we pick up from Sacha Coenen’s first win since his shoulder injury, while points leader Guillem Farres is coming off a complicated weekend (but ultimately salvaged) after a heavy crash. They seem to be the main contenders for the crown, but the weekends we’ve seen so far suggest we shouldn’t rule anyone out, like Camden McLellan, the reigning champion Simon Laengenfelder, Liam Everts, and keep an eye on the Reisulis twins too... The list is long.

The WMX Women’s World Championship returns: we resume with our Kiara Fontanesi on top, but the rivals are very close. Arnhem will be a red-hot penultimate round before the grand finale in Darwin (Australia), and every point is crucial. A well-deserved mention for a superb Courtney Duncan, provisionally third on her return after the 2025 layoff due to health issues, and we’ll see how the youngest two-time champion in history, Lotte van Drunen, performs—currently seventh and a bit adrift in the overall.

The standings

MXGP: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 735 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 619 pts; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), 575 pts; 4. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 566 pts; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), 483 pts; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 483 pts; 7. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), 454 pts; 8. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 449 pts; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 375 pts; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), 312 pts.

MX2: 1. Guillem Farres (ESP, Triumph), 701 points; 2. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 677 pts; 3. Camden McLellan (RSA, Triumph), 656 pts; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, KTM), 640 pts; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, Husqvarna), 595 pts; 6. Janis Martins Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 552 pts; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), 441 pts; 8. Valerio Lata (ITA, Honda), 381 pts; 9. Mathis Valin (FRA, Kawasaki), 352 pts; 10. Julius Mikula (CZE, KTM), 341 pts.

WMX: 1. Kiara Fontanesi (ITA, GASGAS), 141 points; 2. Daniela Guillen (ESP, GASGAS), 139 points; 3. Courtney Duncan (NZL, Kawasaki), 100 points; 4. Shana van der Vlist (NED, Yamaha), 89 points; 5. Malou Jakobsen (DEN, KTM), 88 points; 6. Lucy Barker (GBR, KTM), 87 points; 7. Lotte van Drunen (NED, Yamaha), 85 points; 8. Amandine Verstappen (BEL, Yamaha), 84 points; 9. April Franzoni (FRA, Honda), 73 points; 10. Lynn Valk (NED, TM MOTO), 57 points.