Jago Geerts crashes out at new Argentina circuit while Rick Elzinga remains sidelined
The 2026 MXGP World Championship season gets off to a difficult start for the Beta MRT Racing Team.
The first round of the season took place on the brand new “Bariloche MX Race Track,” nestled among the breathtaking scenery of Argentine Patagonia, which hosted the Argentine Grand Prix in front of a large and enthusiastic crowd.
With Rick Elzinga still sidelined due to his January injury, Jago Geerts, riding his Beta RX450, was the team’s sole representative in South America. The Belgian rider’s weekend did not get off to the best start: in Saturday’s timed practice, Geerts struggled to find the right feeling with the Argentine track, finishing the qualifying session in twentieth position. This was a performance below expectations on a track that was completely new to all the world championship contenders.
Sunday brought encouraging signs in the first part of the first race: starting close to twentieth position, Geerts had put together a good comeback, gaining ground on several opponents. However, everything came to a stop on the eighth lap when the rider, landing from a jump, hit a rock hidden in the ground with his front wheel and ended up on the ground in a violent crash. The impact forced him to retire from the first race and, due to the physical consequences, also made it impossible for him to start the second race of the day.
At the end of the day, Geerts commented on his weekend: “It was a really bad weekend for me in Argentina. I struggled a lot on this track on Saturday. Today I felt a little better on the bike, but in the first race, when landing from a jump, I hit a rock with my front wheel and had a bad crash. I’m feeling the effects of the crash quite a bit, but for luck I didn’t suffer any serious consequences.”
Despite the violence of the impact, the rider’s condition is not cause for alarm. Jago Geerts will now have two weeks to recover before the next world championship event. The Beta MRT Racing Team will be back on track in Almonte, Spain, for the Spanish Grand Prix, the second round of the 2026 World Championship season.
