19/08/2026
****** UPDATE******
Just heard off Max Harris and unfortunately he won’t be making the trip this weekend. Max has had issues with both of his bikes and only ridden twice since the British Round at Canada Heights and so makes the hard decision to withdraw from this weekend. Let’s hope he gets this sorted soon. All the best Max.
Young Brits all set for EMX250 in Arnhem this weekend
A whopping 76 riders will attempt to qualify for this weekend's penultimate round of this year's EMX250 series at Arnhem in the Netherlands. In that group will be four young British riders. Regulars Joe Brookes and Billy Askew are joined by Max Harris and Jamie Keith respectively.
Also stepping up to the EMX250s this weekend are the EMX125 Yamaha Europe squad of Sleny Goyer and Levi Townley. Goyer was EMX85 European champion in 2024 and Townley was World 85cc champ in that same year, twenty years after father Ben won his MX2 World title.
The standout performer in this class of 2026 is the young Spaniard, Francisco Garcia. The venom Bud Kawasaki man missed the round at Lommel with a knee injury but was back in action last weekend in Sweden to take another double race victory, his sixth maximum score of 2026. His closest rival is the Dane Nico Skovbjerg who sits 87 points behind so a seventh in Race 1 will guarantee the EMX250 crown for Garcia before he moves to the factory Kawasaki MX2 Team for 2027.
Skovbjerg and Gacia's team mate, Australian Jake Cannon have been the most consistent of the rest and it's no surprise that they sit second and third in the standings.
Gyan Doensen sits fourth aboard his Gabriel SS24 KTM. This has been a "bit of a flip" season for Gyan in that he's enjoyed better results in the British Championship with three overall victories and just the two podiums in EMX250... so far. However, this weekend Gyan will fancy his chances, especially at home on the circuit that he secured a brilliant double race viictory in EMX 125 in 2024. Good luck Gyan
Mads Fredsoe makes it two Danes in the top five on his KTM and is good in sand with Nico Alvisi on the Maddi Honda in sixth. Alvisi was a bit of a road block in Race 1 last weekend but the young Italian showed when clinching the EMX125 crown at Lommel in 2025 that he can more than hold his own in the sand. Tom Brunet is seventh ,Francesco Bellei is eighth and in good form after the podium in Sweden last weekend as the injured Liam Owens is ninth with young Latvian, Jakub Kubulins rounding at the top ten. The two stroke Yamaha youngster is another who loves the sand.
So, after bigging up that lot, what of our boys ? Joe Brookes is the "form horse" outside of the top three . Starts are crucial in every meeting in this group, but this weekend with it's flick left and right first two corners can see the first half a dozen get away. There's absolutely no reason why Joe or Billy can't be in that group. Ironically, I thought Billy rode really well last weekend. Coming from the back of the pack on a track that is notoriously difficult to pass on to get into the points was a great effort. After a victory at Lommel Billy should be relishing this weekend.
Jamie Keith was an excellent fourth in Race 1 EMX125 at this venue two years ago and the young Cumbrian certainly has the speed in 2026 that warrants a chance at this level. Jamie has made excellent starts at home in the British Championship and providing he can negotiate his way through a packed track for timed qualification, Jamie could surprise a few this weekend.
Max Harris on his two stroke Yamaha makes his debut in EMX250 for 2026. Max is definitely stronger in sand than on the slick hard packs, where the power delivery of the two stroke is less of a disadvantage (if any in sand) . Max certainly caught the eye in Race 1 at Lyng in the British Championship where he finished an excellent seventh. As with Jamie, if Max can negotiate his way through qualification then that would be excellent to have four riders get through at this level at an overseas round.
Good luck to the British youngsters this weekend.
