Who was Enzo Badenas? Spanish motocross star dies in fatal accident

According to a report issued by MXGP and authored by Infront Moto Racing, the motocross community has been struck by the death of 17-year-old Enzo Badenas. The Valencia-born rider, regarded as one of Spain’s most promising young talents, lost his life in a training accident that ended a career still in its early rise. Enzo Badenas stood out in 2022 when he clinched the Spanish 85cc Championship, a win that opened the door to the RFME national team. He continued developing at the Centro Especializado de Tecnificación Deportiva del Motor at Circuit Ricardo Tormo, where coaches praised his commitment and calm determination.

“Infront Moto Racing and the whole MXGP family extend their deepest and most sincere condolences to his parents, sister, relatives and friends during this extremely difficult time,” the outlet wrote in its announcement.

In a separate report, Yamaha Racing traced the lineage of the championship that shaped riders like Enzo Badenas. The FIM Motocross World Championship, MXGP, had once operated with three engine-based classes: 125cc, 250cc, and 500cc. That system shifted in 2004 as four-stroke technology took over, bringing in the MX1 and MX2 categories. By 2014, the championship adopted the names MXGP and MX2.

The MXGP class accepted riders of any age and used machinery between 250cc two-strokes and 450cc four-strokes. MX2 remained limited to riders under 23, competing on smaller-capacity bikes. The 2025 MXGP season stretched across twenty events, touching South America, Asia, Europe, and Australia.

Motocross community grieved the loss of Enzo Badenas after the incident:

The Specialized Center for Motor Sports Technification (CETDM) announced on Instagram that it mourned the loss of Enzo Badenas, noting the motocross rider had been born in Gandia on January 24, 2008. The organization said,

“Throughout this time he has shown great personal and professional growth that has led him to achieve various podiums and victories, as well as being called up with the Spanish Motocross National Team and competing in autonomous, national and international events, such as the European Championship.”

Its message closed with a tribute:

“The Ricardo Tormo Circuit Technification Center is shocked by this news and all the staff of the CETDM and the Circuit wish to give condolences, love and a lot of strength to all the family members, colleagues, friends and close ones of Enzo in these difficult moments. Rest in peace.”

Roughly an hour before the fatal training accident at the Red Sand Park circuit in Castellon, Enzo Badenas had shared a short Instagram Story showing himself riding, according to People. His death arrived just six months after American motocross rider Camden Trail, 14, died from injuries sustained in a training crash in North Carolina. Trail had collided midair with another rider in what East Bend Motorsports owner Travis Rominger described as a “tragic accident” in which neither athlete was at fault.

Enzo Badenas shared a touching message with his father days before the crash:

As reported by Us Weekly, Enzo Badenas’ final Instagram post appeared on December 3, just days before the accident, and centered around his father’s birthday. The message, paired with snapshots of the pair, carried the kind of warmth he often showed publicly.

“Today is the birthday of one of the most important people in my life and one of the ones I love the most, I wouldn’t know how to thank you for all you have done and still doing for me, or how grateful I am for it,” he wrote.

He expanded on the memories they shared, adding,

“We know what a great team we are and how strong we can become together. We’ve had bad moments, like when we were in the hospital both crying, but also many good ones: finish a training happy, come back to music singing together, finish a race well or climb the podium. Despite those good and bad times, I thank God for living them by your side. You cannot imagine how good of a father you are and how proud I am of you. Happy birthday, Dad. I love you.”

On December 8, his family used his Instagram Story to announce the details of his wake and funeral mass.

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“On behalf of Enzo’s entire family, we would like to inform you that the wake will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 1:00 p.m. followed by a funeral mass at 6:00 PM at the Monduver Funeral Home in Gandía, we hope to see you all there. Enzo would have loved to see you. We are feeling all your love and support, and I’m sure Enzo feels it too,” the message read.

Tracks eventually settle, engines fade, and crowds drift home, but the echoes of a life lived with purpose tend to linger. For many, Enzo Badenas's loss felt like a chapter torn out mid-sentence. Those who knew him held on to the moments he shaped, grateful for every mile he completed.

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