Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing weathered the storm – quite literally – at Round 7 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Águeda, Portugal, where Kay de Wolf powered through mud, crashes, and chaos to claim second place overall, and extend his MX2 championship lead.
Celebrating 40 years since hosting its first ever MXGP event, the iconic Crossódromo Internacional de Águeda was hit by torrential rain on Sunday morning, flooding the 1630-metre hard-pack track and forcing a delayed start. From the opening laps, every outing turned into a gruelling battle of attrition against deep ruts and axle-deep mud that tested both riders and machines to the absolute limit.
Following a solid fourth in Saturday’s qualifying, Kay de Wolf headed into Sunday with confidence – and proved once again why he’s wearing the Red Plate. In Race One, the Dutchman was quickly into podium contention before a mid-race crash and goggle issues slowed his charge. He rebounded well, muscling into second with just two laps remaining, only to be edged out by Simon Längenfelder in the closing moments. De Wolf crossed the line in third after a punishing, and ragged moto.
Race Two saw a more measured ride from the Husqvarna star. Moving up to third by lap five, he posted the fastest lap of the race and kept the pressure on at the front. A small crash late on threatened to derail his charge again, but he regrouped swiftly and held off late advances from Längenfelder to secure another third-place finish – and with it, second overall on the day. Crucially, de Wolf maintains his grip on the MX2 championship lead, now four points clear heading into Lugo, Spain.
It was a far more difficult weekend for Liam Everts, who arrived in Portugal looking to replicate his winning form at the Portuguese venue from 2024. After grabbing the Holeshot and the early lead in Race One, disaster struck with a first-lap crash that jammed his front brake. From there, it was an uphill battle through the field, with further mistakes leaving him 11th at the flag. In Race Two, an early fall saw him stuck on the side of the track in the deep mud, forcing an early retirement and capping off a frustrating weekend for the Belgian racer.
Despite the brutal conditions, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing leaves Portugal with the MX2 championship lead intact and momentum building behind de Wolf. The team now looks ahead to Round 8 in Lugo, Spain on 12th May, as the title fight heats up.
#1 – Kay de Wolf: “That was one of the toughest GPs we’ve had so far this season. The conditions were just brutal – deep mud, super physical, and really easy to make mistakes. I did my best to stay consistent and ride smart. In the first moto I had a crash and some goggle problems, but I kept pushing and managed to get back to third. The second moto was similar – I had to dig deep after a small crash, but I stayed focused and held onto another podium. I’m happy to come away with second overall and keep the red plate. Now it’s all eyes on Lugo.”
#26 – Liam Everts: “Honestly, a weekend to forget for me. I felt really good coming to Portugal – I’ve had great memories here – and grabbing the Holeshot in the first moto was a good start. But after that crash and the brake issue, it just snowballed. The conditions were so tough, and I couldn’t find my rhythm again. The second moto was short-lived with a crash, and I got stuck off track. It’s frustrating, but this is racing. I’ll regroup with the team and come back stronger in Spain.”
Results – 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Seven:
MX2 – Overall:
1. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 50pts; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 40pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 40pts; 7. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 24pts; 18. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 10pts;
MX2 – Moto One:
1. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 37:06.238; 2. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 37:18.933; 3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 37:20.225; 11. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 39:39.015; 19. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 37:48.484;
MX2 – Moto Two:
1. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 36:42.637; 2. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 36:46.991; 3. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 37:10.310; 4. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 37:12.636; DNF. Liam Everts (Husqvarna);
MX2 – Standings:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 328pts; 2. Simon Längenfelder (KTM) 324pts; 3. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 318pts; 4. Liam Everts (Husqvarna) 269pts; 7. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 222pts; 28. Marc-Antoine Rossi (KTM) 6pts;
