They are a plethora of MX2 riders who are just waiting to go to the next level in 2026 and become permanent front runners. Race wins and podiums are not out of their reach and neither is a championship run if they can find consistency!
Here are the underdogs who could take the next stepl in 2026. (Get our title contenders here).
The first on that list is Janis Reisulis. This kid is a special talent and, if it wasn’t for an ACL injury om 2024 he likely would have been in MX2 last year. Reisulis beat Mathis Valin to win EMX125 before his year out that saw Valin fly in EMX250. But now they are both in the same class again and Reisulis should really showing his speed at the sharp end. Yes, he lacks experience but this rookie is the real deal and could well go on to be a superstar of the sport. The EMX125 & EMX250 champ knows how to win, it won’t be long before he figures it out in MX2.
The Triumph boys – McLellan and Farres. Camden McLellan showed some brilliant speed at times last year and proved that he can run with the best on his day. The same can be said of Guillem Farres who didn’t take much time to adapt back to GP racing after his American stint despite some big crashes! Both riders should come into the season confident with themselves and the Triumph machine. Don’t be surprised to see either rider or both go to the next level in 2026 and be consistent podium threats.
Valerio Lata has an abundance of talent, smooth and technical the factory Honda rider showed flashes of brilliance last year. Both he and the bike should improve from 2026 and if he can get the starts Lata could well be a guy that really steps up this season. Once he gets the confidence of a few good results, he really could be a consistent threat all year as long as the starts are on point. Honda might have found another little Italian genius on a bike!
