Jeffrey Herlings claimed victory in the MX2/Open race on Saturday at the Motocross of Nations in Ernée, France, clocking a winning time of 24:16.770 for Honda, as reported by Moto.it. The result delivered a vital victory chance for the Netherlands on the opening day of the historic team event.
Francia leads qualifying as team crashes reshape the grid
Tom Vialle added a third-place finish for the host nation in his heat. Spain finished second in the qualifying standings with 5 points, backed by Jorge Prado’s victory in the opening heat, as Federmoto reported.
The qualification battles saw significant attrition across the 32-nations field. Those incidents altered the trajectory of the heats on the Loira valley circuit.
Belgian consistency and Italian resilience at Ernée
Belgium locked down third in the qualifying standings with 7 points, driven by strong performances from Liam Everts and the Coenen brothers, as Moto.it noted. Liam Everts finished second in the Open heat behind Herlings, crossing the line 19.625 seconds back. Sacha Coenen crashed while leading the MX2 class but recovered to finish seventh, while Lucas Coenen fought back from an earlier fall to take fifth in MXGP.
Italy placed fourth in the overall qualifying standings with 8 points despite starting from a challenging 28th gate pick, according to Federmoto. Alberto Forato opened with a fourth-place finish in the MXGP heat after overtaking Australia’s Jed Beaton. Ferruccio Zanchi took eighth in his MX2 debut, and Andrea Adamo secured fourth in the third heat after passing American rider Cooper Webb.
Broadcast schedules and viewing options for Sunday finals
The decisive three races on Sunday, October 4, 2026, will air live in Italy on RaiPlay, with Gara 1 starting at 13:10, Gara 2 at 14:40, and Gara 3 at 16:08, according to Motocross.it. Comprehensive live coverage of the full weekend, including the B-Final at 10:50, remains available on the official streaming platform MXGP-TV.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the 2026 Motocross of Nations taking place?
The event runs on the historic circuit in Ernée, located in the Pays de la Loira region of France, which has hosted four of the last five French editions of the event, as reported by Get Dirt.
How did the Italian team perform in Saturday qualifying?
Italy finished fourth in the qualifying standings with 8 points despite selecting their starting gate from the 28th position, according to Federmoto.
Who won the opening qualifying heats on Saturday?
Jorge Prado won the opening MXGP heat for Spain, Mathis Valin took the MX2 heat for France, and Jeffrey Herlings won the Open heat for the Netherlands, as detailed by Federmoto and Moto.it.
The 2026 event brings 100 riders representing 32 nations to the historic French circuit for the Chamberlain Trophy.
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