"What a race it was!" Red Bull/
Dunlop/Alpinestars 450 XC-F rid-
er Dante said. "I don't know how
many
of us were in the lead pack,
maybe six or eight right there,
tight battling. I didn't get the best
of starts, and I had a slower first
VOLUME 63 ISSUE 3 JANUARY 21, 2026 P87
with two or three laps to go, and
it was a fight!"
Unlike his brother, Dante, and
DeMartile, Mateo Oliveira had a
race and a win under his helmet
from the previous weekend, so
he looked to carry that momen
-
tum aboard his new Dunlop/VP
half
of the race. I had some good
lines but should've made things
happen sooner. I saw Dare out
front—he was taking off a little
bit—and I just put the hammer
down. I felt good on the bike, and
it was absolutely hooking up, so
that was awesome. I got the lead
Though still working back to full
fitness, Mikayla Nielsen quickly
rebounded from a mediocre start,
sprinting early to control the Pro
Women's division and claim the
opening round win.
