TENSION PEAKS IN FÄLLFORS | TITLE CONTENDERS CLASH IN QUALIFYING HEATS

FÄLLFORS (Sweden) 11 April 2025 – The final round of the 2025 FIM Snowcross World Championship weekend kicked off in explosive fashion under the Swedish skies of Fällfors. With championships on the line across SNX, WSNX, and ESNX, the pressure was high as qualifying day delivered stunning performances and crucial shifts in the title picture.

In SNX, reigning champion Elias Ishoel laid down a flawless performance, while Finnish hopeful Topi Rinne saw his title hopes dashed in a crash-filled campaign. On the women’s side, the battle between Forsell and Jonsson has never been that tight. And in the ESNX ranks, the top contenders have virtually nothing that separates them going into Saturday’s decider.

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SNX – DOWN TO THE WIRE

Group 1: Ishoel in Command

Reigning red plate holder Elias Ishoel (NOR, Ski-Doo) delivered a masterclass in consistency and speed across both heats. In Heat 1, he launched out front early and never looked back, posting a strong performance and earning the full 10 points in the end. Behind him, Gustav Sahlsten (SWE, Ski-Doo) and Robert Lunden (NOR, Ski-Doo) completed a solid top three.

Heat 2 saw an identical top two. Ishoel once again controlled the race from the front, taking the flag and winning the race with the fastest lap of the session. Sahlsten finished second but 8 seconds behind, while Norum showed remarkable skills as he took the third while fending off a charging Lunden right behind him.

 Group 1 – Heat 1:

1. Elias Ishoel (NOR, Ski-Doo)
2. Gustav Sahlsten (SWE, Ski-Doo)
3. Robert Lunden (NOR, Ski-Doo)
4. John Stenberg (SWE, Lynx)
5. Oskar Norum (SWE, Polaris)

Group 1 – Heat 2:

1. Elias Ishoel (NOR, Ski-Doo)
2. Gustav Sahlsten (SWE, Ski-Doo)
3. Oskar Norum (SWE, Polaris)
4. Robert Lunden (NOR, Ski-Doo)
5. Martin Johansson (SWE, Ski-Doo)

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Group 2: Pihlaja Dominates, Andersson Keeps Pressure On

The second qualifying group in Fällfors brought forward a tense Scandinavian showdown, with Aki Pihlaja (FIN, Lynx) asserting dominance across both races.
In Heat 1, Pihlaja led from start to finish, winning the race by 3 seconds while Mille Andersson (SWE, Ski-Doo) followed, keeping the crowd engaged with a constant reminder that he was not far behind. Further back the field, Aleksi Juntunen (FIN, Ski-Doo) placed third ahead of Aki Pesonen (FIN, Ski-Doo).

Heat 2 confirmed Pihlaja’s control of the group, as he once again took the win over Andersson as the Swede maintained his consistency with another strong second-place finish while Juntunen rounded out the top three. Pesonen and Alfred Gunnarsson (SWE, Ski-Doo) completed the top five.
With back-to-back wins, Pihlaja secured the perfect qualifying result in Group 2. While Andersson didn’t take a heat victory, his pace and determination have kept him firmly in the title conversation heading into the final day.


Group 2 – Heat 1:

1. Aki Pihlaja (FIN, Lynx)
2. Mille Andersson (SWE, Ski-Doo)
3. Aleksi Juntunen (FIN, Ski-Doo)
4. Aki Pesonen (FIN, Ski-Doo)
5. Anton Lindström (SWE, Ski-Doo)

Group 2 – Heat 2:

1. Aki Pihlaja (FIN, Lynx)
2. Mille Andersson (SWE, Ski-Doo)
3. Aleksi Juntunen (FIN, Ski-Doo)
4. Aki Pesonen (FIN, Ski-Doo)
5. Alfred Gunnarsson (FIN, Ski-Doo)

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Last Chance: End of the Road for Rinne

Perhaps the most surprising development of the day came from Topi Rinne (FIN, Ski-Doo). Formerly third in the championship standings, Rinne suffered multiple crashes—first in Heat 1, then again in Heat 2, forcing him into the Last Chance race.
There, his qualifying hopes ended dramatically with a spectacular front flip crash, leaving him outside the top finishers and out of contention for Saturday’s finals—a major blow to his title dreams.

Top 10 – SNX Qualifying Classification:

Position	Rider	Nationality	Snowmobile	Points
1	Elias Ishoel	NOR	Ski-Doo	10
2	Aki Pihlaja	FIN	Lynx	9
3	Gustav Sahlsten	SWE	Ski-Doo	8
4	Mille Andersson	SWE	Ski-Doo	7
5	Aleksi Juntunen	FIN	Ski-Doo	6
6	Robert Lunden	NOR	Ski-Doo	5
7	Oskar Norum	SWE	Polaris	4
8	Aki Pesonen	FIN	Ski-Doo	3
9	John Stenberg	SWE	Lynx	2
10	Anton Lindström	SWE	Ski-Doo	1

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WSNX – Championship Twist

The Women’s Snowcross class delivered a rollercoaster of emotions in Fällfors. Coming into the final round, Saga Forsell (FIN) held the red plate with 116 points, but her qualifying session didn’t go to plan—while her main title rival Wilma Jonsson (SWE) came charging.
In Heat 1, Forsell got off to a strong start and appeared poised to control the race, but Jonsson kept the pressure high. The Swede made a decisive move and crossed the line first by 4 seconds on Emma Laamanen (FIN), and red plate Forsell. Tilde Karelius (SWE) was just behind in fourth.

The drama continued in Heat 2, where Forsell crashed during the opening stages. Though she remounted and fought hard, she could only manage fourth. Jonsson made it two-from-two, claiming victory, ahead of Laamanen by 6 seconds and Karelius in fourth.
These results saw Jonsson win both heats and take the maximum 10 qualifying points, allowing her to close the gap in the championship standings, though Forsell still retains the red plate heading into Saturday’s finals.
Visibly emotional after Heat 2, Forsell knows how costly her crashes might be. Despite still leading the title fight, the psychological momentum could be with Jonsson—who now has home soil support and a cpath to challenge for the title.

WSNX Qualifying Standings

Position	Rider	Nationality	Snowmobile	Qualifying Points
1	Wilma Jonsson	SWE	Ski-Doo	10
2	Emma Laamanen	FIN	Lynx	9
3	Tilde Karelius	SWE	Ski-Doo	8
4	Saga Forsell	FIN	Polaris	7
5	Victoria Laine	FIN	Lynx	6
6	Kelly Collier	USA	Ski-Doo	5
7	Venla Kauvosaari	FIN	Lynx	4
8	Samantha Gillieron	SUI	Lynx	3

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ESNX – Title Race Tightens After Thrilling Qualifiers

Ville Lehtisalo The European Snowcross Championship (ESNX) added another layer of unpredictability to the day. With different winners in the previous round, today’s qualifying delivered yet another shuffle in the leaderboard. Ville Lehtisalo (Polaris, FIN) topped the session and earned 10 valuable points, leapfrogging rivals in the process. Niklas Ollila (Ski-Doo, FIN), winner of the previous round’s second final, secured second place today and collected 9 points, keeping himself firmly in contention. Meanwhile, Atte Vanhatalo (Ski-Doo, FIN), who had also shown early-season pace, finished fourth and scored 7 points.
With just a few points separating the top three, the ESNX title is still wide open

ESNX Qualifying Standings

Pos	Rider	Nat	Snowmobile	Points
1	Ville Lehtisalo	FIN	Polaris	10
2	Niklas Ollila	FIN	Ski-Doo	9
3	Emil Pettersson	SWE	Arctic Cat	8
4	Atte Vanhatalo	FIN	Ski-Doo	7
5	Børge Hagberg	NOR	Ski-Doo	6
6	Thor David Rasmus	NOR	Ski-Doo	5
7	Linus Pettersson	SWE	Arctic Cat	4
8	Jan Even Romsdal	NOR	Ski-Doo	3
9	Gustav Vesterlund	SWE	Polaris	2
10	Hugo Rinne	FIN	Lynx	1

 
 
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TIMETABLE

SATURDAY – 12.04.2025

Warm-Up:

• 12:00 – 12:10 – ESNX
• 12:15 – 12:25 – WSNX
• 12:30 – 12:40 – SNX
• 13:00 – 13:15 – Opening Ceremony

Finals – Race 1:

• 13:40 – ESNX Final 1
• 14:05 – WSNX Final 1
• 14:30 – SNX Final 1

Finals – Race 2:

• 15:40 – ESNX Final 2
• 16:05 – WSNX Final 2
• 16:30 – SNX Final 2

For further information about the 2025 FIM Snowcross World Championship, stay tuned to both WorldSnowcross.com and MXGP’s social media channels including the official SNX Instagram page at @snowcross_official