Austria have confirmed their three-rider squad for the 2026 Motocross des Nations at Ernée, with EMX125 Champion Ricardo Bauer set to make his international debut on a 250 machine. Bauer will be joined by Michael Kratzer and Michael Sandner as Austria will look to put together a strong showing on French soil.
Fresh from securing the EMX125 title, Bauer now faces a very different challenge as he steps up to the 250cc class for the first time on the international stage. With Kratzer and Sandner bringing further experience to the line-up, Austria will be hoping their trio can deliver a strong performance at one of the biggest events on the motocross calendar.
The team posted the following on social media confirming the riders selection:
TEAM AUSTRIA – MXoN 2026 🇦🇹
Our team for Ernée is set:
Michael Kratzer
Ricardo Bauer
Michael Sandner
With Kratzer and Sandner, we are sending two strong riders from the Austrian Championship into the race. Ricardo Bauer heads to France as the newly crowned MX125 World and European Champion and will face the international challenge of racing a 250 for the first time.
Of course, there will always be different opinions when it comes to rider selection. But for us, one thing is what matters most: representing Austria at the Motocross of Nations with three riders who will give everything they have.
Unfortunately, Marcel Stauffer is unable to compete due to injury – we wish him a speedy and full recovery!
Jennifer and I are looking forward to Ernée and would already like to say THANK YOU to everyone who stands behind our team and supports us!
Off to Ernée!
Karl Schmidinger
Team Manager
