Belgium returned to the top step of the Motocross of Nations podium for the first time in 13 years, taking a memorable victory at the 79th running of the event at Ernée in France. The young Belgian squad of Lucas Coenen, Sacha Coenen and Liam Everts delivered the consistency needed across the three races to secure the Peter Chamberlain Trophy. It was Belgium’s 16th Motocross of Nations victory, drawing them level with Great Britain for second on the all-time winners’ list.
For Red Bull KTM Factory Racing brothers Lucas and Sacha Coenen, the result delivered their first FIM gold medals following a challenging season. It was also a particularly significant victory for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Liam Everts, who follows both his father and grandfather in winning the Nations for Belgium. His grandfather Harry Everts first won the event for Belgium 50 years ago.
While consistency ultimately won the event for Belgium, several of their rivals produced standout individual performances. France’s Romain Febvre won the opening race on his final day competing for Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP, while Jeffrey Herlings was in superb form for the Netherlands. The Honda HRC Petronas rider claimed two race victories, secured the Open class win and helped the Dutch team onto the overall podium.
Spain also made history by securing its first-ever Motocross of Nations podium. Guillem Farres topped the MX2 classification on his final outing in the class for Triumph Racing Factory Team, while Jorge Prado took MXGP honours for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing. Francisco Garcia completed the Spanish line-up, battling through the Open category aboard his BUD Racing Kawasaki despite having to adapt to the 450cc machine.
The Netherlands also enjoyed a strong weekend. Glenn Coldenhoff competed in MX2 at the Nations for the first time since 2014, riding his GCR Racing Yamaha to fourth in the class. The result helped the Dutch squad back onto the podium and marked Coldenhoff’s seventh Nations podium from 14 consecutive appearances. Roan van de Moosdijk completed the team alongside Herlings, finishing eighth in the individual MXGP standings aboard his Kosak KTM.
For the enormous home crowd, France’s challenge ended in disappointment. All three French riders suffered significant crashes during the event, with two unable to finish following their incidents. Those non-finishes effectively ended the host nation’s hopes of fighting for overall victory by the conclusion of the second race.
Despite France missing out on the result its supporters had hoped for, Ernée once again provided an impressive backdrop for the Motocross of Nations. More than 105,000 spectators attended across the three days, creating a huge atmosphere as Belgium finally ended its 13-year wait to lift the Peter Chamberlain Trophy again.
