Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing delivered a dominant double-podium performance at the MXGP of the Netherlands, with both Kay de Wolf and Liam Everts finishing second overall at round 16 of the FIM Motocross World Championship in Arnhem. The final mainland-European Grand Prix of the season drew a sell-out crowd of 30,200 fans to the sandy 1,660-metre circuit.
Racing on home soil, de Wolf showcased exceptional pace throughout the weekend. After recovering from first-corner trouble in Saturday’s qualifying race to finish second, the 21-year-old Dutchman carried that momentum into Sunday’s motos. In race one, he went elbow-to-elbow with Jeffrey Herlings from the start, remaining the Honda rider’s closest challenger and finishing just 3.773 seconds behind—more than 40 seconds clear of third place.
The second moto saw de Wolf quickly recover from a slower start to reach second by lap three. He steadily closed the gap to Herlings during the second half of the race, getting to within little more than a second before a late crash ended his challenge for the win. He remounted safely in second to complete a 2-2 scorecard and claim his second MXGP runner-up finish in three Grands Prix.
“I gave it everything and a little bit more today,” said de Wolf. “A few weeks ago I was 40 seconds behind, and today I was fighting with him until the second-to-last lap, so that shows how much progress we’ve made. The Dutch fans were incredible, and I definitely wanted to put on a show for them.”
In MX2, Everts started the weekend by claiming his first qualifying-race victory of the season. Sunday’s opening moto proved challenging as the Belgian circulated as low as ninth during the early stages before working his way forward to finish fourth.
Race two produced a very different story. Everts charged into the lead during the opening sector and initially stretched his advantage to six seconds. As Camden McLellan closed rapidly and piled on the pressure, a tense final-lap battle ensued. Everts held his nerve to take the chequered flag just 0.766 seconds ahead, securing his second race victory of the season. His 4-1 results earned second overall and a second consecutive Grand Prix podium following his runner-up finish in Sweden one week earlier.
“To take the moto win like that was definitely one of the nicest wins of my career,” said Everts. “It was a really tough race—Farres was pushing me in the beginning, then Sacha came on strong, and at the end I had Camden putting the pressure on as well. Overall, it was a really positive weekend, especially with my riding and the feeling I had on the bike.”
With both riders leaving Arnhem second overall, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing now heads into the final three flyaway rounds of the season with strong momentum, beginning with the MXGP of Türkiye on 5-6 September.
Photo: Husqvarna Media
