Riola Sardo (OR), April 6-7, 2025 – The extremely tough sandy track of Riola Sardo hosted the GP of Sardinia, valid for both the World Championship and the European EMX125 Championship. Competing in the race were Julius Mikula with his TM MX 250 FI and Niccolò Mannini with his TM MX 125.

The weather over the weekend was relatively good, and Julius and Niccolò, who was proudly displaying the red plate as the EMX125 leader, took to the track on Saturday for free practice and then the timed sessions.

For Julius, after getting comfortable with the track, the timed sessions saw him set a good lap time, but in his attempt to improve, he had a bad fall after coming wide from a jump. At first, it seemed nothing serious, but the pain in his right shoulder worsened, preventing him from improving his time. He ended up in 15th place. Unfortunately, the shoulder injury turned out to be more serious than expected. Julius tried to race in the Qualifying race but was unable to finish due to the pain. It was then decided that he wouldn’t race on Sunday and would return home for further medical examinations. We will know soon the extent of the injury and the possible recovery times. After the fourth round of the MX2 World Championship, Julius is in 16th place overall.

Niccolò showed his speed in the timed sessions, securing 3rd place and guaranteeing a great position on the starting gate. In the first race on Saturday afternoon, he got off to a great start and was immediately among the front runners. However, as the laps went on, his pace slowed down, but he managed to maintain 5th position. A fall on the 6th lap cost him several places, and in the final laps, he tried to fight back but finished in 15th place.

On Sunday morning, in the second race, he made another strong start, and by the end of the first lap, he was in 5th position. Unfortunately, as time passed, his performance weakened, and combined with some mistakes, he lost many positions, eventually retiring on the 11th lap. With these results, Niccolò lost the red plate as the championship leader and now sits in 5th place in the standings.

After this forgettable weekend, the best thing is to focus immediately on the next GP, which will take place next weekend in Arco di Trento. The GP of Trentino will see both our riders back on track, and we’ll have to see if Julius can be present, while for Niccolò, it will be an immediate opportunity for redemption.

NICCOLÒ MANNINI: “It was not a positive weekend. Unfortunately, I suffered from a bad cold, which limited me, especially on Sunday. It’s a shame because the third-fastest time in qualifying had made me hopeful. In the first race, I had a good start and was in 5th position when I fell. When I got back on the bike, I tried to fight back, but I didn’t make much progress. On Sunday, I wasn’t feeling well, I tried to take something, but after a good start, I progressively got worse, and I had to retire to avoid further risk. It’s a tough setback, and I’m really sorry for the team as well. This week, I’ll try to recover fully to bounce back in Arco at the GP of Trentino. I need to recover the points I lost this weekend. Thanks to everyone who helps and supports me.”