South Africa takes 15th out of 32
Photos by MXGP
Thirty-two nations, three motos and one trophy that every motocross rider wants to get their hands on. The 2026 MXoN brought the world’s best together at Ernée, France, for a weekend where national pride counted just as much as outright speed. Belgium came out on top, Spain made history with second, and the Netherlands rounded out the podium. South Africa finished 15th overall, with Camden McLellan delivering a performance worth celebrating.
Three Motos, One World Champion’s Playground
The MXoN is a different beast from an ordinary race weekend. Riders compete in combined MXGP, MX2 and Open motos, with their results counting towards their country’s overall score. Every position matters, and one bad result can make life very uncomfortable for the entire team.
Belgium got the job done, finishing ahead of Spain and the Netherlands. For Spain, second place was a landmark achievement, while the Dutch team had plenty to celebrate thanks to Jeffrey Herlings’ commanding performance in the Open class.
South Africa had its work cut out against a stacked international field, but there were positives to take home, particularly from McLellan’s efforts in MX2.
Race 1: MXGP and MX2
The opening moto saw France’s #7 Romain Febvre on his Kawasaki take the win, with Spain’s #28 Jorge Prado on his KTM finishing second and Belgium’s #10 Lucas Coenen on his KTM claiming third.
South Africa’s #41 Camden McLellan, riding his Triumph, got SA’s campaign off to a strong start with seventh place. Teammate #40 Slade Smith, aboard his Yamaha, finished in 34th spot.
It was a solid opening effort from McLellan, putting South Africa in the mix against some serious competition.
Race 2: MX2 and Open
If anyone needed a reminder of just how quick Jeffery Herlings can be, the second moto provided one. The Netherlands’ Herlings, rode his Honda to claim the win, followed by Italy’s #18 Andrea Adamo on his KTM and Latvia’s #27 Pauls Jonass on his Kawasaki.
McLellan continued to deliver for South Africa, taking eighth place. South Africa’s #42 Trey Cox, riding his KTM finished 32nd.
Two consistent results from McLellan proved to be so valuable, particularly in a class where every position counts towards the final individual and team standings.
Race 3: Open and MXGP
The final moto brought another victory for Herlings, adding to Netherlands tally. Prado added to Spain’s score in second, the hometown hero Febvre took his Kawasaki over the line for third.
For South Africa, Slade Smith took 32nd followed by Trey Cox in 33rd place.
With all three motos complete, the attention turned to the final team calculations and the individual class standings.
Camden Mc Lellan Delivers for South Africa
South Africa finished 15th overall in a seriously competitive field, with the team taking on some of the biggest names in world motocross. Among the weekend’s highlights was #41 Camden McLellan who rode his way to a superb second place overall in MX2.
McLellan’s finished 2nd to his Triumph teammate Spain’s Guillem Farres, while Belgium’s #11 Sacha Coenen on his KTM took third.
McLellan also added to what has been a standout season, finishing runner-up in the MX2 World Championship before carrying that form into the Nations.
Two major second-place overall finishes in the same season are nothing to shrug off.
Individual Class Results:
MXGP Overall
1st #28 Jorge Prado KTM Spain
2nd #7 Romain Febvre Kawasaki France
3rd #10 Lucas Coenen KTM Belgium
MX2 Overall
1st #29 Guillem Farres Triumph Spain
2nd #41 Camden McLellan Triumph South Africa
3rd #11 Sacha Coenen KTM Belgium
Open Overall
1st #57 Jeffrey Herlings Honda Netherlands
2nd #12 Liam Everts Husqvarna Belgium
3rd #27 Pauls Jonass Kawasaki Latvia
Final Team Classifications
Team Belgium are the 2026 Motocross of Nations champs. Team Spain took second with the Netherlands finishing third. South Africa ended the weekend in 15th place out of 32 competing nations.
For the South African team, there will be plenty to review and build on. The competition at this level is unforgiving, and lining up against the best riders from around the world is a challenge in itself.
But Mc Lellan’s second-place MX2 result was a genuine highlight, showing that South African talent can mix it with the best on the international stage.
The Nations Never Disappoint
The MXoN is about more than one rider or one race. It’s about three teammates pulling together, carrying their country’s colours and fighting for every position, even when the odds are stacked against them.
The racing might be over, but the bragging rights last all year. Bring on the next one!
Pos | Country | Pts. | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 |
1 | 23 | 3 / 12 | 4 / 7 | 4 / 5 | |
2 | 26 | 2 / 4 | 5 / 36 | 2 / 13 | |
3 | 34 | 9 / 14 | 1 / 9 | 1 / 18 | |
4 | 52 | 13 / 20 | 3 / 12 | 8 / 16 | |
5 | 53 | 10 / 25 | 6 / 14 | 6 / 17 | |
6 | 69 | 6 / 32 | 2 / 17 | 12 / 36 | |
7 | 82 | 16 / 23 | 10 / 24 | 9 / 30 | |
8 | 82 | 15 / 22 | 13 / 15 | 19 / 20 | |
9 | 87 | 11 / 21 | 21 / 37 | 10 / 24 | |
10 | 90 | 1 / 40 | 11 / 38 | 3 / 37 | |
11 | 95 | 24 / 38 | 19 / 20 | 11 / 21 | |
12 | 109 | 8 / 36 | 23 / 26 | 23 / 29 | |
13 | 110 | 5 / 37 | 31 / 33 | 7 / 34 | |
14 | 110 | 30 / 39 | 16 / 22 | 15 / 27 | |
15 | 112 | 7 / 34 | 8 / 32 | 32 / 33 | |
16 | 127 | 19 / 28 | 27 / 39 | 14 | |
17 | 133 | 26 / 29 | 18 / 25 | 35 / 38 | |
18 | 142 | 27 / 35 | 30 / 35 | 22 / 28 | |
19 | 145 | 31 / 33 | 28 / 29 | 26 / 31 | |
20 | 94 | 17 / 18 | 34 | 25 | |
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21 | 10 | Â | Â | Â | |
22 | 11 | Â | Â | Â | |
23 | 13 | Â | Â | Â | |
24 | 19 | Â | Â | Â | |
25 | 25 | Â | Â | Â | |
26 | 33 | Â | Â | Â | |
27 | FIM LATAM | 36 | Â | Â | Â |
28 | 37 | Â | Â | Â | |
29 | 41 | Â | Â | Â | |
30 | 56 | Â | Â | Â | |
31 | 57 | Â | Â | Â | |
32 | 57 | Â | Â | Â | |
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