I have mentioned it last week, in an article I did on Riola, but the closer the MXGP of Sardinia gets, the more excited I am about what is possible in that deep, deep sand.

With Tim Gajser is sizzling form and leading the MXGP championship, its going to take something magical from the opposition to keep the HRC man off the top of the podium in Sardinia.

Gajser finished with a 2-2 performance at Riola in 2024, with Jeffrey Herlings claiming 3-3 scores. In the MX2 class, MXGP debutant Lucas Coenen finished with a 1-2 score, to finish equal first on points with Kay De Wolf, but second overall. I think these three men, and two others, Glenn Coldenhoff and Romain Febvre will make for some very intense racing when round four of the 2025 MXGP championship takes place.

Coldenhoff has had a couple of good results from Riola over the years, with a third overall in 2022, and second overall in 2023. The likeable Dutchman is in very good form heading into this coming weekend, in fact, he has never been so well placed in the series points since his career began, more than a decade ago. Of course, we all remember his Arnhem GP victory and his sand skills are as good as anyone.

Febvre has also been impressive at times in the deep sand, winning Lommel, and finishing with 3-3 in his first-year racing Riola, and while he hasn’t made the podium since, you can never count out the Kawasaki factory rider.

Still, while Coldenhoff and Febvre are both good sand riders, the other three, Gajser, Herlings and Coenen, I just think these three will be going to war in five days’ time. Herlings won in 2021 with 1-1 scores and won again in 2023 with 2-2 finishes. It might be added, that 2022 season, he was coming off missing the complete 2022 season, so a year not racing and in the second GP of 2022 (the first was Argentina), he claimed a GP win, so his time off the bike recently, might not trouble him.

We have seen this year how good Lucas Coenen can be, winning the Saturday qualifier in France and finishing on the podium. He will win GPs this year and why not Riola? I honestly wouldn’t like to pick a winner, but, if I had to bet my house, I am going with the young Belgian, in one of the best weekends the sport has seen at this bumpy and deep sand facility.