Jörgen-Matthias Talviku had a strong weekend racing at the Motocross des Nations, with the Estonian producing a series of impressive performances throughout the weekend at Ernée. Despite arriving with a modest goal of finishing inside the top 15, Talviku found himself battling inside the top five and ultimately secured a top-ten finish in one of the main races.
The 23-year-old has enjoyed an interesting second half of the season after being handed the opportunity to join Fantic’s factory MXGP effort following the Lommel round of the championship. Racing alongside the experienced factory team and working with Jacky Martens, Talviku quickly showed glimpses of the potential that had been evident earlier in his career.
Now, with the 2026 season over, Talviku is hoping his performances have done enough to secure a place on the MXGP grid for 2027. With talks ongoing but nothing yet confirmed, we caught up with the Estonian at Ernée to discuss his impressive weekend, racing at the sharp end of the field, his experience as a factory Fantic rider, the difference of competing in the MXGP paddock and his hopes for the future.
GateDrop: Jörgen-Matthias, you were at the front pretty much all weekend, a bit of a surprise for me. I thought you could be good, but did you expect to be quite as far up at the front as much as you were this weekend?
Talviku: Honestly, not that much. I had my goal and my goal was to finish top 15 two times, but to be in top 10 in one of the main races today, that was an achievement. Yesterday also, I had a little pressure because I needed to carry Estonia a little bit into the mains. I kept my nerves cool and also had a good ride yesterday. I some solid starts, so I’m happy.
GateDrop: How did it feel running at the front? You were battling with some really top riders, Jed Beaton, Alby Forato and guys like that. Did it feel normal?
Talviku: Yes, it honestly did. The first race today, for 20 minutes, I think I was P5, I had fun there, I didn’t do anything over the limit, I was just riding at my own pace. My lap times showed that I can be there, even on a hard pack where I maybe need to improve a little bit still. I was happy about that, the second race, when the track dried out a little bit, I wasn’t as confident as I wanted, but things don’t change overnight, it just comes by time.
GateDrop: The track was really rough all weekend, very technical. How would you describe riding around there? It looked like you needed to be very precise and that you had to concentrate a lot, or it was easy to make a mistake?
Talviku: For sure it was. Once you make a mistake, with the uphills, downhills, it’s quite hard to recover. So the track was, man, it was really technical. It was way more technical than what we had here in 2023. But yeah, I enjoyed. I think the GP season, the second part, has made me a better rider. Like I said, I enjoyed a lot of lines today, a lot of line selection, and I needed to be really precise there.
GateDrop: And Estonia, I think it was 12th overall. Maybe a bit of a surprise. You’re coming here with two riders that have never raced this event, and that means more pressure on you. You’ve usually got more experience alongside you, so it is something to build on for the future, I think.
Talviku: For sure. I’m really happy about it. We improved one position from last seasons Des Nations. We had quite young teams this time so I’m really happy. I’m happy that I managed to also bring some good results to Estonia, and keep the country in a big picture. Also for the Fantic guys, it means a lot for me and them. Let’s hope we can find something good for next season.
GateDrop: I was going to ask you, before Lommel, you know, the phone went, you got this opportunity to be a factory Fantic rider. Just how did it feel to get that phone call towards the end of the season, racing with Fantic?
Talviku: Honestly, it felt really good. Racing on my own, it’s a lot to handle mentally and financially so I was really happy about the call, and happy about doing more GP’s. Like I said, thanks to them for unlocking, let’s say, a new chapter in my career. That means a lot and I hope I showed a little bit of myself. I’m still quite young, just 23 years old, so I hope I find something to race more GP’s next year.
GateDrop: I mean, you were an official Yamaha rider in the EMX125 class. Apart from that, I don’t think you’ve been a factory rider, and obviously MXGP is a different kettle of fish. How did it feel being a factory rider? You know, waking up every day, knowing you are a factory rider, and just working with the factory team in general, and guys like Jacky Martens?
Talviku: Honestly, it felt really, really good. The guys are really professional. Thanks to them, they took me with open arms, taught me well how to handle the situation, and didn’t put too much pressure at the first point. But I also showed myself that every race I was on the track, I can improve a little bit and that was the goal. It’s been professional, also my job, not so much doing everything on my own, focusing more on recovery, training, stuff like that. So no, I’m really, really happy.
GateDrop: I mean, you’d done some GP’s before Fantic but how did it feel being in the paddock every week? The level is so high, and Jeffrey Herlings showed today how fast the guys are going at the front…
Talvuku: The level is really high, like you said, and it won’t get easier. To be able to ride in top ten in the GPs, that means a lot. It means you’re a very good rider, and I can see I have a potential. But yeah, sometimes you need to be in the right time, right place to have a chance, and the sport can be quite brutal sometimes. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a nice future.
GateDrop: Just on next year, are there any talks, anything on the table as of right now, or is it just a case of waiting and seeing? How much do you hope it’s MXGP you get to do, even if it’s just the European rounds?
Talviku: Yeah, there have been some talks, but nothing really official. I’ve also been focusing on my results at the moment, to do my best during the season. Now we’ll see if there is a chance. I would love to continue with the guys, but there are a lot of changes in the paddock lately, so I think we’ll need to get some heavy hitters decided first, and then see if I can land somewhere. I feel I need that GP season to become a better rider so I’m in for that.
