The French Elite Motocross Championship heads to Gaillac this Sunday, May 17, for the fifth and penultimate round of the season, in what could prove to be a decisive weekend in both MX2 and MX1. While Fran García has his first mathematical chance to secure the MX2 title, the premier class remains completely open with Maxime Desprey, Thibault Benistant, and Kevin Horgmo separated by only a handful of points. Adding even more excitement to the event, Tom Vialle has confirmed his participation.
The major story in MX1 will be the return of Tom Vialle to the French championship. The current third-place rider in the MXGP World Championship standings, who already competed in the opening round at Castelnau-de-Lévis, will line up once again in Gaillac aboard his factory Honda CRF450R as preparation for the French Grand Prix at Lacapelle-Marival. Following Jeffrey Herlings’ appearance in Romagné earlier this season, French fans will once again have the opportunity to watch another world-class MXGP star in the Elite Championship.
As for the MX1 title fight, Maxime Desprey reclaimed the championship lead with his victory in Vesoul and now holds a seven-point advantage over Thibault Benistant. However, reigning French champion Kevin Horgmo remains firmly in contention, sitting only seventeen points behind the lead, leaving everything wide open heading into the final two rounds of the season.
In MX2, Fran García arrives as the clear championship leader after winning three of the four rounds held so far, including another dominant double victory in Vesoul. The Kawasaki Bud Racing rider currently holds a 74-point advantage over teammate Jake Cannon, meaning he could potentially wrap up the title in Gaillac depending on the results.
Behind him, however, the battle for second place is incredibly tight. Cannon sits on 320 points, with Mathys Boisramé just one point behind on 319, while Alexis Fueri remains in contention with 308 points. Interestingly, García, Cannon, and Boisramé are all also scheduled to compete in selected rounds of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship this summer in the United States. García and Cannon are set to race Southwick on July 11, while Boisramé already has the opening two rounds confirmed at Pala Raceway and High Point.
