Arnhem up next as Honda HRC trio prepare for the Dutch sand

The last sand round of the 2025 MXGP calendar awaits the Honda HRC trio of Tim Gajser, Ruben Fernandez and Valerio Lata, with Arnhem, the Netherlands playing host for this 17th round of the season.

After last weeks’ hard-pack gravel track in Uddevalla, a new setup is required for the Honda CRF riders as they look to tackle the sand, that whilst isn’t as treacherous as Lommel – known as the toughest track in the world – it still provides a stern test of their sand-riding capabilities. Earlier in the year, Gajser came home in an impressive second place at Riola Sardo (another sand round), so he knows his way around the soft-stuff, however that was before his shoulder injury so any expectations are tempered by the fact that he only made his return last weekend, after a four-month absence. Still, the Slovenian did place in third place in the qualification race and was running high up the field in both races in Sweden, so his speed is definitely at a high level.

Fernandez didn’t have the best of luck in Lommel, crashing twice in the second corner, which really made his life difficult. Now though, with a few more weeks on the prototype Honda CRF450R, he will be excited to try again and challenge up nearer the front of the field. He still is in with a shot of finishing third in the MXGP championship, so the Spaniard knows that every point in crucial and that means he needs to avoid any big mistakes when he takes to this Dutch circuit.

Lata is also coming off a run of form that he knows isn’t a true representation of the speed he has. The young Italian has struggled in recent weeks to maintain the momentum he had earlier in the campaign, but with this being already being six rounds more racing than he has ever done before, it is something that every MX2 rookie has to deal with when they step-up from the European championship. Still, these last four rounds do provide the #18 with a chance to finish the season on a high, and head into the off-season with a lot more confidence so that is the goal. And while sand isn’t his favourite terrain, he knows he can’t use that as an excuse and will instead work hard all weekend for every point available.