After a tough rookie EMX250 season plagued by injuries, Lyonel Reichl has started 2025 looking like a different rider altogether. The young talent from Liechtenstein impressed at the opening round of the Youngsters Cup with consistent performances to secure the overall victory — despite not winning a single moto. Currently sitting eighth in the EMX250 championship standings after four rounds, Reichl is showing just how far he’s come in a short space of time. We caught up with Reichl to discuss his strong start to the season, overcoming injuries, the changes he’s made over the winter, and his goals for the future.
GateDrop: Lyonel, let’s start with the weekend, you didn’t win a moto but you were super consistent and won the youngsters cup overall at round one. Describe your weekend and how did it feel to win?
Reichl: For sure, it was a really special weekend. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t proud. It was, after the last weeks, let’s say, a big relief to finally not crash and put everything things together. Especially on this track, it’s not my favourite track, but I did like it more that way around. It was really cool to be on the podium and winning was a special feeling.
GateDrop: Did you know crossing the finish line that you had actually won the overall or was it a surprise to you? It would have been a nice surprise (laughs)…
Reichl: Yeah, actually, it was a total surprise. I knew it could be good enough for the podium because to be honest, I couldn’t look to the pit lane because there were huge bumps. The last four or five laps, I couldn’t look, and I didn’t see what the pit board was saying.
So, I didn’t know, I thought I would be on the podium but never thought about the win because when you put 1-1 together then normally Prugnieres should have won if he kept it on two wheels. I didn’t think about the win so it was hard to believe, but it was really nice. It’s just too many words to put it in a sentence.
GateDrop: Let’s go back to last year, it was your first year racing the 250cc and an EMX250 rookie. You only scored 1 EMX250 championship point – I am sure you wanted more, how did you find making the jump up to the EMX250 class?
Reichl: Actually, the jump to the 250cc was really good. I did it already when I was racing the 125cc still. Then the winter came and I had the first injury and then let’s say before that injury healed, I always got the next one and the next one… So, I got I think four or five injuries that year.
So, it was like a year full of injuries, and I wasn’t riding like myself. It was a really difficult year, but for sure it did not go as planned. But yeah, how do I say it? Yesterday is yesterday and tomorrow is tomorrow. I just wake up every day and try to do my best. It doesn’t matter if yesterday I finish first or last, I still do the same today. That is how I think.
GateDrop: You look like a different rider this year, so I want to ask you about your winter preparation. How did this go for you and did you make any changes?
Reichl: Yeah, for sure. Big thing was the switch of the team. I went from Cat-Moto Bauerschmidt to Bauerschmidt Husqvarna. So, that gave me the opportunity to go with a new trainer. Since November, I’m with Chrispo (Christophe Selent) and we had a really hard winter. We were working hard with Chrispo in the sand, working on technique as well as speed and stuff. I do also have a really good suspension and a fast bike that is making the job way easier.
But we put a lot of work in this winter, and it seems to have worked out. When we started, it wasn’t going so well, but it seems to get better and better.
GateDrop: After four rounds of the EMX250 series this year you are sitting eighth in the championship, you must be happy with this? Sum up your season so far?
Reichl: Yeah, for sure. It’s a good start to the season and way better than I thought. Except Switzerland, I have been quite consistent, which is good in the EMX250 class. It’s just Switzerland was a bummer. The start really let me down there that weekend. I was like always pretty much last off the start and then it’s difficult to come back to the front, I always had some incidents with other riders and stuff. Switzerland definitely wasn’t good, but yeah, we will be back in Portugal this weekend and I’m ready for it. I’m looking forward to it, to give my best there and we will see where we are at there.
GateDrop: After only scoring a point in the series last year, did you really expect to be this good coming into the season?
Reichl: For sure, I didn’t expect it but like I said, we had a really good winter and in general, like I always believe in me, but I don’t go after results. I just want to go out there and give my best and that every time. It doesn’t matter if I pull a holeshot or I have a start crash, I always go out there and give my best. I try to be consistent and just minimize the risk as little as possible, so I don’t crash. I think that’s also a big part, because that’s where I made my mindset a bit to try and be more comfortable on the bike, to not crash as often in the races. I do crash a lot in training, but luckily not in the races, but we have been working on that a lot.
GateDrop: Any goals for the rest of the season – you haven’t got an EMX250 podium yet so I guess you’d love to achieve that…
Reichl: Yeah, for sure, that would be cool. But like I said, I just go out there every weekend and give my best and see what comes out. If I am able to get on the podium, then it’s really cool and I take it. If I’m about 10th place, I just want to go out there and give my best. That’s the most important thing for me, that I can go home after the weekend and say that was all which was possible for me this weekend. So, I pulled out the maximum of my potential for that weekend.
GateDrop: You look to have a pretty privateer setup in the paddock, is the goal to try and secure a good EMX250 team for the 2026 season?
Reichl: For sure. It’s really early in the season and from now on, I would say I will just try to ride my best every weekend. I will see what happens and for sure would be cool. But I think when the time is right, it comes and until then, we are just giving 100% every weekend.
GateDrop: You come from Liechtenstein – I don’t ever remember a Motocross rider coming from there in the past. It must be cool to try and put Liechtenstein in the Motocross map?
Reichl: It’s cool to ride for this country. Actually, I’m 50% Liechtenstein and 50% Swiss. So, I’m kind of like from both, but I do ride for Liechtenstein and I’m also proud of that. It’s cool to try and put the flag up there.
