The fifth round of the 2025 EMX Women’s European Championship took place this weekend in Pärnu, Estonia, with just 16 riders on the gate and no local Estonian entries. Lucy Barker took the win with a perfect 1-1 score, while Sweden’s Elsa Andersson Löf came one step closer to securing her second EMX Women 125 title.
Race 1: Barker Sets the Pace, Andersson Löf Charges Through
In the opening moto, Lucy Barker immediately took control of the race. Behind her, Adrija Skudutyte, Elena Kapsamer, Kyshara Das, Laura Raunkjaer, and Elsa Andersson Löf followed closely. Barker steadily extended her lead, riding confidently at the front.
The fight for second place was intense between Skudutyte and Kapsamer. Meanwhile, Raunkjaer moved up to fourth ahead of Das. On lap four, Andersson Löf made a costly mistake, dropping to the back of the top 10. Jenny Engeland took advantage, moving into sixth and closing the gap to Das, followed by Theodora Gumeniuc and Demi Verploegh.
Barker (KTM) took the win with a commanding lead. Kapsamer managed to overtake Skudutyte on the final lap for second. Despite her earlier mistake, Andersson Löf (GasGas) stormed back through the field to finish fourth and first in the 125cc class. Engeland claimed fifth, followed by Gumeniuc and Das. Melissa Mäntylä overtook Verploegh for eighth, while Raunkjaer, after a mistake on the final lap, dropped to tenth.
Following the race, Verploegh received a five-position penalty after a sound control. Wilma Hansson finished into the top 10.
Race 2: Another perfect start for Barker, Löf Stays consistent
Race two saw Lucy Barker once again dominate from the start. Skudutyte held second initially, just ahead of Kapsamer. Kyshara Das had a strong launch, but was quickly overtaken by Andersson Löf on lap three. Raunkjaer and Engeland followed closely, with the latter passing Mäntylä early in the race.
Barker rode unchallenged to her second win of the day. Kapsamer (GasGas) secured second place on lap five after making her move on Skudutyte (KTM), who settled for third. Andersson Löf once again crossed the line fourth and claimed her second 125cc class victory.
Raunkjaer (SYE Racing Team 423) finished fifth in this moto, ahead of Engeland (KTM), Mäntylä (KTM), and Gumeniuc (KTM), all riding at a similar pace. Das (KTM) faded to ninth after a few errors, while Verploegh (Yamaha) completed the top 10 following a challenging start.
Overall Results: Barker takes Round 5, Andersson Löf moves closer to a second title
With a perfect 1-1 score, Lucy Barker took the overall victory in Estonia and now leads the championship by nine points over Elena Kapsamer (2-2), heading into the final round. Kapsamer also had a strong weekend, finishing second overall. Adrija Skudutyte (3-3) rounded out the podium and climbed into third in the standings.
Elsa Andersson Löf (4-4) placed fourth overall, winning both motos in the 125cc category. The Swedish rider is now just five points away from securing her second EMX Women 125 title, with one round to go.
Jenny Engeland (5-6) completed the top five. Despite her crash in race one, Laura Raunkjaer (10-5) finished sixth overall. Theodora Gumeniuc (6-8) took seventh and scored her best-ever finish in the 125 class with second overall in that division. Mäntylä (8-7) earned eighth, a solid result for the Finnish rider.
Kyshara Das (7-9) finished third in the 125cc class and remains in the battle for the podium in the final round. She’ll face stiff competition from Berzina and Verploegh, both of whom are still in mathematical contention. Patricija Berzina (11-11) completed the top 10 in this round.
The 2025 EMX Women’s European Championship finale is set for next weekend in Slovakia, where both the overall and 125cc titles will be decided. With Barker and Andersson Löf leading their respective classes, the showdown promises excitement and intensity until the final checkered flag.
Lucy Barker : "I had a good weekend here in Estonia, it was tough and I worked hard over the last 2 weeks to be able to get back on the bike after suffering some injuries from teutshental. But I’m happy to have the championship lead and really excited for the final round!"
Elsa Andersson Löf : "A very, very fast track with long straits with plenty of speed jumps. Fun since everyone goes all out which makes for fast racing. Happy with my Saturday speed where I got P.1 in practise, P,2 just behind Lucy in Time Qualification and a P.2 in the Qualy race. Sunday was tougher with the starts against the fast 250 where the WMXwomen showed how it’s done. First heat, got away about 7th, worked my way up but crashed, got up at around 10th with a broken front brake, but managed to work my way up to 4th in the end. Similar story in the second heat but without the crash. Lucy is in her own class but behind there are always good fights. I’m working on ways to beat those 4-strokes but they are still too fast. Maybe next weekend in Velke Uherce. "
Pic of the podium by Lucy Barker