LUCAS COENEN – THE BATTLE BEGINS

Things might be warming up as the MXGP championship heads to Uddevalla in Sweden in around 5 days’ time. In Lommel last weekend, there was a moment in the opening MXGP moto, when series leader, Romain Febvre and second placed man in the championship points, Lucas Coenen nearly came together.

Febvre diving up the inside of the Belgian to make a pass, came very close to touching the KTM man, and without doubt, it didn’t just wake Coenen up, but it made him realize, things might change quickly in the battle for the 2025 MXGP championship.

“I have never been an aggressive rider,” Coenen would say after the weekend. “Like in Race one, in front of pit-lane, I was in front of him, but I backed off. If I wanted, I could have gone straight and he would have gone into the pit lane, but I am not that type of rider, maybe I need to learn to be like that. The pass he did, if I didn’t jump out of the track, for sure I would have been on my ear. For me, it is good he started it, because, when you start it, you know you can get it back. It won’t be my fault, if I give him the business back, you know. He started it, so I can also do it now. It is something he has unlocked. I have patience and I know if I get an opening, I will go for it and I won’t be shy, you know. We are racing for the championship, and he started with an aggressive pass, and he didn’t touch me, but now it’s on.”

Coenen knows that remaining focused and not get caught up in the heat of the moment fights, will be the best way to move forward, in trying to capture a world motocross championship for his country.

“I just try and stay focused, improve every weekend and don’t take any risk, like I did in moto one in Lommel. I was really fast and could gain two seconds in a lap, so I don’t need to take risks like I did in moto one. I made a big mistake and managed to take the bike back, with my strength and I backed off. I grew a lot from that mistake, in fact the last year I grew a lot in that. I know I have my head on my shoulders, and I will not take the extra risk for something like three points. I felt in Lommel, you couldn’t pass anymore in that last lap (Race one).”

One thing many didn’t know about Coenen leading into Lommel, was that he has picked up a virus, and was busy the whole week talking to media. Both the sickness and the heavy load with the Belgian media took him into Lommel, with a huge disadvantage.

“We started with the media on the Tuesday, and every day was stuff to do, interviews, videos. My body was destroyed, the night from Friday to Saturday I didn’t sleep, I got a fever, and I was under some medication for two days and I managed to survive. It was also mental, because, you know when you are sick, you are not 100% ready to give your fullest and you know Lommel is the toughest Grand Prix of the year. You need to be fit for Lommel and when you go there sick, it isn’t the best feeling. Overall, I kept it quiet and away from people. I took time with the fans on Friday, but I took some time for myself, because when you are sick, you are sleeping in the day.”

Now, with a free Grand Prix weekend, Coenen will still race, in a Belgian international event. He will lock horns with Febvre again at that event and will come into the next round in Sweden, a little wiser to what might be coming from the Frenchman in the final round of the 2025 season.

Photo credit: KTM