Cas Valk is gearing up for a pivotal step in his young career, as the Dutch talent will join TM for the 2026 season. After a strong rookie year in the MX2 World Championship, Valk is ready to take on new challenges, adapting to a fresh bike, team, and environment.
We caught up with Valk as he opens up about the decision to sign with TM, his first impressions of the bike, what he hopes to achieve in his second MX2 season, and how he plans to balance racing in Italy, Holland, and the world stage. From testing the aluminium-framed TM to aiming for consistent top-five finishes, Valk shares an honest and insightful look at the season ahead.
GateDrop: Cas, you’re making the move to TM for 2026 – how did this opportunity come about?
Valk: Actually, they contacted me during the season. They contacted me to tell me that they were interested in me for the 2026 season. I always look at every bike and at every team. The TM bike always looked good in my eyes. I was willing to talk to them and to see what they wanted to do. Everything went pretty quick… We started talking and everything went quite well.
GateDrop: Just on MX2, I mean, how difficult is it to get a good ride? There seems to be a lot more teams and riders in the EMX250 series. I mean, did you have that many options? And what stood out to you for TM? People are probably thinking, why TM?
Valk: For sure, there are not many spots in MX2, so you always need to be lucky to have a good spot. For sure, I had more options but what stood out for me with TM was definitely to have a manufacturer that is willing to work, to improve and to work together with the rider to get good results in. They really want to get better, and they are for me already on a really good level. I think with a good winter, with good training and testing, I think we are able to compete a bit more at the front than this year.
GateDrop: I believe you tested the TM before signing the final contract. I mean, just when you first got on the bike, what were your first impressions of it?
Valk: Of course, I was quite impressed with the bike. You never know what to really kind of expect when you test a bike but when the test is positive, I think it’s always great for the rider and for the team. It was really positive. I was happily surprised with the ableness of what the bike can do. I was happy.
GateDrop: How did the bike feel compared to other bikes you’ve ridden in the past? Obviously, 250 wise, you’ve only really raced the Fantic and the KTM. I mean, did it feel totally different to those bikes or not?
Valk: Of course, it’s different than the KTM because the frame is completely different. Also, one difference is that the tank is in the middle of the bike and not at the front. The bike is different, but I really felt at home during the first meters I rode the bike. I’m looking forward to getting some days on the bike soon.
GateDrop: The TM uses the aluminium frame, which you touched on there. Have you ever ridden an aluminium frame before and how did that feel initially?
Valk: Yes, I rode an aluminium frame before with the Fantic 250cc four-stroke. I have not raced the bike, but I rode the bike during the 2023 season. I then raced the 250cc two-stroke Fantic but it’s always a bit different with the two-stroke. But on the four-stroke, I did two seasons with KTM so that’s a different frame, but I think the frame of the TM is really good.
GateDrop: Before signing the contract, did you reach out to anybody that raced for TM before to get any insight to how the team works? Or maybe you just focused on the staff that are there at the moment?
Valk: No, I actually didn’t reach out to anyone so no, I didn’t really go around to ask how they work or something. No, I didn’t do. But I heard from some people that how they work is really good and really nice so that gave me a good feeling for sure.
GateDrop: At the minute, is it a one-year contract you’ve signed or how many years have you signed with the brand?
Valk: No, it’s been signed for two years.
GateDrop: That must bring confidence because it means you’re not under too much pressure the first year. The first year is probably going to be about getting comfortable and learning the bike and then go for it again in 2027?
Valk: Yes, exactly. It’s good for both to be able to work on something also for the near future. It gives all sides – the team, the factory and the rider a good feeling to be able to give it a good go for the next seasons.
GateDrop: Obviously, next year is going to be your second year racing the MX2 World Championship. What would a good year for Cas Valk look like in 2026?
Valk: To always make improvements and to be better than this year. For me, I really think I can fight for sure inside the top ten and I think even better than that. So, I’m really willing to be there… I can sometimes be and maybe almost every race be around the top five. For me that should be the goal. I think if we can do a really good winter and test a lot of things, I think we can do it.
GateDrop: Just on TM, they’ve shown their potential in the MX2 before. If we go back to Samuele Bernardini, he’s probably the last guy that’s done really, really well getting inside that top 5. Julius Mikula did quite good this year but how proud would you be to get this bike back in the top 5 consistently, because it’s been a while since it’s been done?
Valk: For sure. It’s been a while, but I think you can say that it’s a bit underrated. I really think that the bike has the potential to be able to get inside the top five again. If everything works well with the rider and the bike. It would be super cool to be able to bring them back inside of the top five, that would be amazing.
GateDrop: When you take a step back for a moment and look back at your rookie season at MX2, how would you describe it? Obviously, you started unbelievably well. I don’t think anybody would have expected that in Argentina. But not only that, how did you find making the step up from the EMX250 class? You know the format’s different, you’re racing against a different competition, but now you’ve had a few months to reflect on it. How would you sum it all up?
Valk: The season started really well. The first couple of races were really amazing. Not only Argentina, but the first couple of rounds where I finished sixth overall and a fifth overall. It was an amazing start of the year. The ending of the season was not what I wanted, not what the team wanted to end the year, but I learned a lot this year.
It’s quite a big step to go from the EMX250 championship to do the full MX2 World Championship season. It’s different but I really enjoyed it. I enjoyed it way more than EMX. With the format, you ride six times in the weekend, but I liked that way more. There are a lot of things that I probably could have done much better this year but you still learn if you fail sometimes in things. I learned a lot this year to take with me into the future.
GateDrop: It’s interesting that you say that you like the format because you’re out on the track 6 times. I know a lot of GP riders would like a one-day format for everything just to be in the one day. But actually, do you prefer the two days? From a fan’s point of view, I prefer the two days… But what’s your perspective?
Valk: I mean, if you compare it, for example, to a Dutch Masters race where we just ride one day, it’s nice. I think it’s better, but what I mean is the difference is from EMX250 to MX2. In EMX you have one moto on Saturday and one moto on Sunday and this I really didn’t like so much. I really like to have the two motos on the same day. I think for everyone it makes it easier to have a one-day format. I think you have way more time during the week because the weeks are super short now when you have the two-day format but actually it’s a three-day format now with the start practice. It would make it easier for everyone to have a one-day format but I don’t think that’s going to happen in the near future. On the perspective from what I prefer more from the EMX250 or MX2 format, I definitely prefer the MX2 one more.
GateDrop: TM are obviously Italian, but you’re no stranger to Italy. You were based there with the Maddii team when you were there. I assume you’ll be spending most of your time in Italy with TM. Is that a good thing for you and how’s that going to work? I assume you will go back to the Netherlands again at times?
Valk: I’ve spent two seasons already mostly in Italy so I’m no stranger to Italy and it has worked really well in the past for me. I think it’s going to work well for me again. I will be in the months of November and December mostly in Italy. In January it’s normally the month to go to Spain or Sardinia so that we will do and we’ll go to Sardinia. Then the season will already start so the season starts early, and I think once the season starts, I will be able to do things from home so that I don’t need to be always in Italy. But this we still have to figure out exactly to make a proper and good plan.
GateDrop: In terms of pre-season races, do you know yet what you’re going to do? Usually the TM guys would do the International Italian Championship so I’m assuming you’ll probably do that.
Valk: Of course, I will do those races for sure. The pre-season races that I will race are the International Italian Championship so the two pre-season races in Italy, for sure.
GateDrop: Once the season gets underway, I mean obviously you’ll be racing the MX2 World Championship. Will you be doing the Italian Championship as well? And where would that leave the Dutch Masters? Because obviously you are the reigning champion, so you’d maybe like to defend that title if you can. But is that still to be decided?
Valk: Yeah, so I am able to race the Dutch Masters Championship again in 2026. That was important for myself, I wanted to race again in Holland to try to take the title for another year so yes, I will do the Dutch Masters Championship. I will probably also do one or two races of the Italian Championship, the Prestige Championship but we still have to see but I think for sure I will do one race of the Italian Championship but not all the rounds.
GateDrop: Just on the MX2 World Championship, I mean what’s the plan there? Are you going to do the full championship? I assume you will do the first flyaway, but obviously the last three rounds, it’s very, very expensive. So maybe does it depend where you are in the championship coming up to the end of the season? Or are you committed to doing the full series?
Valk: For sure we are committed to the full season. But there are some things… I need to be good in the championship, and I fully understand that I need to be sitting inside of the top ten of the championship. Otherwise, it makes no sense to go to the last three races especially because like you said, it’s really expensive.
