The teenager used his first pick to choose the safety of the inside at the gate and KX250-SR saw him power into the first turn of race one almost a bike-length ahead before surrendering the lead through the turn to a rival using the momentum from the outside. A tense duel ensued for the entire moto as the leader defended the inside line at every turn to frustrate the Kawasaki youngster time-and-again around the tight track. Another electrifying start saw him again a safe second through turn one in moto two and, although he surrendered two positions through the hectic next few turns the home country talent was firmly established in the four-rider breakaway. The quartet were tied together for the next thirty minutes and through the final three laps, with just two seconds covering the front-four, the torch was lit as they each cast caution to the wind. A decisive pass took the home hero to third and also secured his second consecutive podium. He has jumped to sixth in the championship standings and pulled back fifteen points on the series-leader over the weekend.
 
Mathis Valin: "It means a lot to be back on the box, especially here at home in France; the crowd was amazing. I felt really comfortable yesterday for my victory in Qualifying but today was tough; the track is demanding and it is also quite small so I was taking the roost all moto. The speed is coming and we are getting closer and closer to the win."
 
Antti Pyrhönen (KRT team manager): "Mathis just keeps growing and his second podium was fully deserved. The break in the schedule came at just the right time for us as he burnt his skin in a crash after Switzerland but he is OK now as we saw this weekend. I am confident he will continue to improve so we expect more podiums and the aim is to go for GP victories soon."
 
Venum Bud Racing Kawasaki's Francisco Garcia, taking a wild card start during a break from his European EMX250 schedule, rode an impressive GP debut to finish tenth overall from a brace of tenth-placed motos. The Spanish teenager maintained a solid eighth place for half of the first moto amongst the factory riders and was even more impressive in race two as he pushed forward from a midpack start in sixteenth to earn his second top-ten finish of the day five laps from the finish.
 
Francisco Garcia: "It was a really good experience to race here this weekend and I want to thank Bud Racing for giving me the opportunity. I was satisfied with my riding and it was fun to battle with the GP riders; tenth was good, but I am sure I can do even better!"
 
 Bud teammate Jake Cannon, also experiencing GP action for the first time, crashed on the opening lap of race one but pushed to the end to secure seventeenth at the chequered flag. Avoiding mistakes in race two he pushed forward from seventeenth to thirteenth to earn fifteenth overall.
 
Jake Cannon: "We have a break in our European championship schedule and this was a close one, just three hours drive from the team base, so it was nice to enjoy the experience of racing a GP and have fun. I felt comfortable out there; I did some front loops in the first race but it was nice to race with the factory guys in race two."