By 
COLE McCullagh has signed to race for the Belgium-based De Baets MX Team for 2026.
The Castlederg teenager will compete in the EMX250 class of the European series onboard the team’s two-strike Yamaha 250cc machine.
The De Baets MX Team is looking ahead to the 2026 season with confidence and ambition, while remaining faithful to its successful formula: combining the development of young talent with top results.
After previously announcing that Lotte van Drunen will compete for the team in 2026, they also unveiled ‘three promising riders in the European classes’.
With Dex Kooiker and Torre van Mechgelen racing in the EMX125 class, McCullough will go out in the EMX250 class where he will be keen to build upon a 2025 season that began so promisingly when he claimed an eye-catching victory at Arco di Trento and finished on the podium in the deep sand of Riola Sardo.
That early-season form marked him out as one of the best young prospects in Europe, but a wrist injury unfortunately brought a premature end to a campaign that promised much.
Having spent the rest of 2025 watching from the sidelines, McCullough will be more determined than ever to make his mark in 2026. First, he will have to get used to his new team after spending two years racing Fantic machinery, his new bike after changing manufacturer and moving up from 125cc power to 250 and he’ll have to adapt to the new class which will see him race against older and more experienced opposition during his rookie EMX250 season.
But, there’s no doubt he’ll adapt quickly given his undeniable talent and the maturity he has shown on the bike over recent years.
