Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP team’s Maxime Renaux has placed seventh overall at the third round of the 2025 MXGP World Championship.

Taking place in France at the Saint Jean d’Angely circuit, the MXGP of Europe was the first of two home Grands Prix for Renaux, who overcame incidents in both races to secure important championship points and remain third in the series standings.
 
The MXGP races were both affected by rain that made the already slippery hillside circuit even more technical. As the opening race of the day progressed, the rain faded away as the laps wound down, while in Race Two, it returned onc again after the race had begun under sunny skies.
 
Renaux’s weekend in France started on a positive note with fourth in the MXGP Qualifying Race. Lining up in front of his home fans for Race One, the Frenchman was focused on a strong start as the rain created difficult racing conditions. After being unable to get the start he needed, a fall on the opening lap gave the early championship leader a lot of work to do. By race end, and following a hard charge through the field, Renaux crossed the finish line in 10th.
 
Starting seventh in Race Two set the 24-year-old up for a much-improved result. With the heavy rain creating deep ruts all the way around the circuit, Renaux became stuck in one on lap two and he dropped to ninth. From there, he worked his way forward, despite the rain, to place fifth for seventh overall. Through three rounds, Renaux remains third in the MXGP World Championship standings.
 
With a podium race result secured just one week ago in Spain, Calvin Vlaanderen was eager to replicate the same result in France. After a mid-pack start in Race One, a late-race charge rewarded him with eighth. An unfortunate first-turn crash collected a handful of riders in Race Two, including Vlaanderen. Following the incident, Calvin withdrew from the race, rode back to the paddock, and visited the on-site medical centre for a precautionary assessment. An update on his condition will be provided when available.

Jago Geerts also suffered from crashes in France, with falls in both races affecting his race results. He now drops to 18th in the MXGP World Championship ahead of round four.
 
From the hardpack of France, the FIM Motocross World Championship now heads to the bottomless sand circuit of Riola Sardo for the MXGP of Sardegna. The fourth round of the series is set to take place over the weekend of April 5-6.

Maxime Renaux
7th MXGP of Europe, 27-points
3rd MXGP Championship Standings, 121-points
“It’s been a tough weekend here in France. Bad starts in both races and I just didn’t put myself in good positions. I couldn’t get into a good rhythm in Race One and crashed, so that wasn’t great. Race Two was better, but while in fifth I got stuck in a really deep rut, so I lost a lot of time. I battled back quite well though and got back to fifth so that wasn’t so bad. We have a weekend off now, and then it’s on to the sand of Riola Sardo.”

Jago Geerts
24th MXGP of Europe, 2-points
18th MXGP Championship Standings, 28-points
“It’s been a really difficult weekend. In the first race, I couldn’t get into a good rhythm and then had a small crash. In Race Two, I got held up when a few guys crashed in the first turn, but then I pulled through quite well to 14th before I had a big crash that ended my race. Fortunately, I’m ok, but it’s a shame as I was coming through the pack really well in Race Two.”

Featured Image: MXGP Yamaha