The first round of Internazionali d’Italia Motocross EICMA has officially kicked off the 2026 season for the Beta MRT Racing Team. The stunning scenery of the Lazzaretto track, just above the popular Bombarde beach (Alghero, Sardinia), proved to be tough and demanding, putting both riders and bikes to the test. With Rick Elzinga forced to sit out due to his injury, it was left to Jago Geerts (Beta RX 450) alone to defend the team’s colours in the MX1 Class.
Seventh at the end of the timed trials, the Belgian rider started the first heat just behind the top ten and crossed the finish line in eighth position. The second heat was more troubled, as he was involved in a crash at the start and restarted among the last riders.
Jago showed that he has already developed an excellent feeling with the bike, managing to finish the race in tenth position. Thanks to his results, Geerts finished the day seventh overall and holds the same position in the Championship Standings.
“I’m happy with how I rode today. In the first race, my arms got stiff, but in the second race, everything went well physically. Unfortunately, I crashed at the start, but my pace was good and I recovered to finish tenth overall. The start went very well and I can’t wait to get back on track next Sunday in Mantova.” These were Jago’s words at the end of his debut with Beta.
Alexis Fueri and Brando Rispoli made their MX2 Class debut on the Beta RX 250 2T. The French rider started the day’s racing by setting the twelfth fastest time in practice in his group. In race one, despite a crash immediately after the start, Alexis fought back to finish twenty-third. In the second race, after a start close to the leaders, he finished eighth, achieving an encouraging twelfth position in the overall standings for the day.
“The day didn’t start well and I only finished twelfth in practice. – said Alexis – In race one, despite starting from the outside, I managed to get off to a good start. However, at the second corner, I ran off the track and lost time getting out of the mud. I pushed as hard as I could but couldn’t do better than twenty-third. In the second race, I started well again and thanks to an excellent pace, I finished eighth. A good result, but I feel we can do better. I can’t wait to get back to work with the team.”
Sixteenth in his timed practice group, Brando Rispoli was forced to choose a back row starting gate and finished the two races in fifteenth and nineteenth positions. The Italian rider earned eight points at the end of the day, allowing him to finish seventeenth overall.
‘All in all, my race went well. – commented Rispoli – The feeling with the bike continues to improve and we know where we need to work to grow further. Unfortunately, I paid for my poor qualifying position, which didn’t help me at the start. Now the focus is entirely on the race in Mantua.’
Next weekend, the Beta MRT Racing Team will take to the track in Mantua, Italy, for the second and final round of the 2026 edition of the Italian Motocross EICMA International.
