Vencislav Toshev didn’t have the rookie EMX250 season he’d have liked after a huge crash at the MXGP of Italy in Montevarchi brought his season to an abrupt halt – but it could have been much worse.
Toshev suffered a serious back injury in the crash and was left understandably worried after initially being unable to move his legs. Almost three months on, the De Baets AIT Yamaha rider is back home in Bulgaria and making positive progress in his recovery, with daily physiotherapy and gym work now part of his routine.
While his results this season may not have reflected his true potential, Toshev admits he has often been a completely different rider on race weekends compared to the practice track, where he has regularly matched the pace of some of the EMX250 class’ leading riders. We caught up with Toshev to discuss the frightening crash in Montevarchi, his road to recovery, adapting to the 250cc four-stroke, the challenges of stepping up from EMX125, his struggles to translate practice speed into race results, and his plans for 2027.
With a clear desire to return to the paddock and racing, Toshev is now focused on getting back to 100% and showing what he can really do on the EMX250 stage.
GateDrop: Vencislav, you had a big crash during the MXGP of Italy and a pretty big injury. Can you just remind everyone of the extent of the injury?
Toshev: I crashed quite big in Montevarchi, it was one of the biggest crashes I’ve ever had. I was feeling good, I had done two laps in free practice and I started the third lap but before the finish jump there were waves and I jumped a little bit too far from the wave. I jumped into the take off so I let go of my handlebars and I jumped without the bike. I fell directly on my ass and my back so I was compressed. I tried to move away from the track, I tried to stand up and I couldn’t, I tried two times. I got angry actually, the doctors they told me not to move. So, I was lying on the ground and this was sh*t. I didn’t feel good with my legs and stuff so I was a little bit scared, but they asked me, can you move? I showed them, they said, okay, so I was a little bit relieved thinking at least I’m not going to be in a wheelchair because I was thinking directly about this. But yeah, this was the sh*t part.
GateDrop: It happened round three months ago. Can you give us an update of how you are now and what the recovery was like?
Toshev: Yes, it happened almost three months ago. I’m doing good now. I’m back in Bulgaria and I’m going to the physio almost every day and when I need to go. I have started to do exercises and stuff. I have started a little bit with the weights and stuff already. This is going really good and that’s it from my side.
I want to say a big thank you to my team, De Baets AIT Yamaha. They were really good to me this year and they were like my family. They still text me almost every day asking how I am and how it’s all going. Everybody in the team was down when this happened but I was really happy that I had people like this next to me.
GateDrop: Take us back to over winter, how did you find making the switch from the two-stroke to the 250cc four-stroke Yamaha?
Toshev: I made the switch from Fantic to Yamaha but obviously it’s the same, just the plastics and the colour are different. I would say, everybody says the same for the two stroke and the four stroke – I prefer the four stroke, I would say. I just find it better, I think.
GateDrop: I know you raced Arnhem at the end of last season in the EMX250 class, but how did you feel at the start of the season in the class?
Toshev: I raced last year in Arnhem which was good. In the first moto I finished 16th and in the second moto 20th so two times in the points so it was not so bad. This year in the beginning, I felt really good during the training and stuff and I was feeling quite okay. But at the races, I was like a completely different person. I couldn’t ride like I know I can. I also struggle in the timed practice, I’m not so good at timed practice and that was a struggle.
GateDrop: What’s the jump up from the EMX125 to the EMX250 class like?
Toshev: I think this year is really strong in the EMX250 class, the beginning of the season was so strong. I think, I would say now it’s not so strong or what it was like at the beginning of the season. The jump up from the 125cc to the 250cc, I think it is quite a big step because the 125cc, we are just kids. In EMX250 you go race with the big boys I would say. I prefer the 250cc to be honest. I do like to be aggressive and stuff but I would say it’s better for me on the 250cc. But again, I say it’s a big step.
GateDrop: What’s this recent period been like for you away from the sport and the races?
Toshev: Actually, I’m missing my bike. I really miss racing my bike and I also really miss being in the paddock. I went to Arnhem to watch this year. I really miss it, especially when the EMX250 class was there riding, I was missing a lot.
GateDrop: Someone told me that you are really fast at the practice tracks and are as fast as the top EMX250 riders when practicing – but so far you haven’t brought that speed to the races – is that true?
Toshev: It’s’ true. On the practice days, I was really fast. Sometimes I was faster than guys that are in top 10 and I was even the same speed as the top five guys so this was really strange. I went a little bit down there in my head and thinking what I was doing wrong and stuff like this. This was a little bit sh*t, but I know that I’m good in practice. I was trying to keep myself up mentally but I went down. I did have one good moto in Sardinia, in the second moto I finished 12th, which was okay, not good, but okay. This was the only one moto I did good and that was frustrating.
GateDrop: What do you think you need to do to bring your practice speed to the races?
Toshev: I was really thinking about this actually and what I needed to bring from the practice days to the races. To be honest, I think I was riding like two different people and a different guy, this was my problem. Actually, I didn’t know what I had to do but in the future I will try my best to change it and do good at the races.
GateDrop: Have you got any plans for 2027 yet?
Toshev: For 2027, I don’t have plans at the moment. I’m now focused on my recovery to be 100%, and then I will see what I do.
GateDrop: Would you consider making the jump up to MX2 or do you want another year in the EMX250 class to develop?
Toshev: For the moment, I don’t have anything on the table. If I do something, I will stay in the EMX250 class. Maybe if I’m good enough, I will do some GP rounds. For sure for next year, I will stay in the EMX250 series all year.
GateDrop: When do you think you’ll be back on a bike again?
Toshev: To be honest, I don’t know when I’ll be back on a bike yet. They told me from four and a half to six months. I hope to be back as fast as possible. I start to feel good and my back is doing good, so that’s positive. But we’ll see, we have time.
