MX2

LOMMEL (Flanders, Belgium) 27 July 2024 – The deep sand of Lommel awaited the FIM World Motocross Championships today, and the RAM Qualifying Races at the Stedelijk Motorcrossterrein Lommel circuit tested the world’s top Motocross racers as always to make for two thrilling contests!

Reigning World Champion Jorge Prado won a stunning MXGP encounter for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing, as a packed venue couldn’t take their eyes away from a charging Jeffrey Herlings, who very nearly caught the Spaniard on the final circulation, ultimately having to settle for second for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing!

The win sees Prado get closer to Team HRC’s Tim Gajser for the lead in the RAM Qualifying Challenge for the season, as he now has four Saturday wins to the Slovenian’s six in the battle for the RAM Driving Experience.

The battle for victory in MX2 again came down to the two Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates, Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen.  With decisive early passing by Kay and a late mistake for Lucas, it was dynamic Dutchman De Wolf who extended his Championship lead, but for sure the teenage Belgian will be back tomorrow!

After Herlings had set the quickest time in Free Practice, Prado set a fast early pace in Time Practice which Herlings very nearly caught at the end of the session, while Crendon Tru7 Honda rider Conrad Mewse shocked everybody on his return to MXGP action with the third fastest time, even ahead of Gajser!

As it would play out, the RAM Qualifying Race would mirror the Time Practice session for the top two positions, as Prado pulled a clean holeshot, tailed by Gajser and JK Racing Yamaha fast starter Isak Gifting.  Prado proceeded to pull a gap, as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP duo Calvin Vlaanderen and Andrea Bonacorsi battled past Gifting, with Herlings initially in sixth place!

It took Herlings until lap five to get past Vlaanderen for third, as Fantic Factory Racing star Brian Bogers held fifth ahead of Team Ship to Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz charger Kevin Horgmo.  The Norwegian put on a brilliant race, passing both Bonacorsi and Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre halfway through, before lunging past Bogers for an eventual fifth position on lap nine of twelve, proof that his fitness is at a high level in the gruelling sand.

By lap seven, Herlings had caught Gajser, and was barely held up by the Championship leader as he swept past on a long left hander, and set his sights on the five-second gap to Prado out front!

Behind them, Gajser took a lonely third ahead of Vlaanderen, Horgmo, Bogers and Febvre, with Mewse proving his speed to recover from an awful start and pass Bonacorsi for eighth, as the Italian held on for ninth.  The final point went to Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer.

With Herlings quicker in the first three quarters of the circuit, he threatened to pass Prado in each of the last three laps, finally diving to the inside of a big left-hand corner berm in a move that looked decisive, but somehow the Spaniard danced out of the way and held on, using his speed in the final sector to claim a hard-earned fourth RAM Qualifying Race win of the season!

With the top three in the Championship again taking the top three positions in the race, albeit in a different order, there is little movement in the Championship situation, but with the big points being paid out tomorrow, that could be a different story! With an even bigger crowd due in to line the fences around Lommel, the atmosphere is going to be astronomical when the big boys hit the circuit on Sunday!

Jorge Prado:”I felt good quite all day long. In the RAM Quali race I didn’t find my flow at all but I managedto stay in front of everyone else. Hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a bit more flow and I can ride more like myself as I was a little bit tight. Also I need to get used to these ruts in the sand as it makes it hard to get the rhythm but it’s the same for everyone. We’ll go again tomorrow but it’s nice to be again inP1, especially in the sand right?!  So let’s see tomorrow two 35minutes, in will be interesting!”

MXGP - RAM Qualifying Race – Classification:  1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 26:24.996; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:01.078; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:25.512; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:40.400; 5. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:46.526; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +0:52.860; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:58.329; 8. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Honda), +1:07.539; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:10.247; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +1:10.723

MXGP - World Championship Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 671 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 637 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 617 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 478 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 452 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 389 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 367 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 289 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 p

Main Photo: Jorge Prado

Bottom Photos: 1. Jeffrey Herlings; 2. Tim Gajser

Again the Nestaan Husqvarna boys topped the Practice times, Lucas Coenen in the morning, before Kay de Wolf claimed first gate pick in the Time Practice session, ahead of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing star Liam Everts and a surprising Camden McLellan for Monster Energy Triumph Racing!

As with MXGP though, the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing team claimed the holeshot, as Simon Laengenfelder, helped by a near-crash in the first corner for Everts’ teammate Sacha Coenen,  took the early lead. He held off an outside charge from Lucas to keep the lead for over half of the first burst around the track!  That proved crucial as series leader De Wolf was able to reel them both in and make quick passes on them both to head the pack at the end of the first full lap!

Lucas Coenen was able to blast around the outside of the German to make an inside move stick into the following corner, and then it was the battle of the teammates out front as we have seen through much of this MX2 season.

Laengenfelder had to fend off a challenge from Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 sand lover Rick Elzinga, but the young Dutchman couldn’t make a move and the pair stayed in third and fourth until the chequered flag.  Behind them was Everts, who had suffered two crashes in the first four laps but still recovered to fifth with a last lap pass on McLellan. Without mistakes, Liam could be the biggest threat to the Husqvarna men tomorrow.

Karlis Reisulis brought his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 machine home in seventh ahead of Sacha Coenen, while Ferruccio Zanchi mounted a heroic comeback from the very back of the field to take ninth for Team HRC.  Dutchman Scott Smulders also advanced well to take the final point for KMR Honda Racing Team Powered by Krettek.

Lucas Coenen continued to pressure his teammate, looking for that two-point swing and the mental victory against his Championship rival, but a mistake that led him to running off track on the penultimate lap left the young Belgian with too much to do, and the Dutchman took the race win by just over six seconds at the flag.

De Wolf will take stock, as will his teammate, and the duo could well give us a pair of incredible races tomorrow, with Everts, McLellan, Laengenfelder, and Elzinga all with a chance of getting onto the podium as well!

Do not miss a single spinning wheel of action tomorrow, because both classes have some monumental battles in prospect for us!

Kay de Wolf: “It was a really nice and comfortable race. I felt good out there. I just did my own thing and, in the end, I made a few small mistakes but we’ll fix it for tomorrow. Otherwise, riding was good and I’m very happy with it and I’m looking forward for tomorrow to do it again”

MX2 - RAM Qualifying Race – Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), 26:15.748; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:06.539; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:42.429; 4. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:46.790; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:47.680; 6. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +0:49.153; 7. Karlis Alberts Reisulis (LAT, Yamaha), +1:12.016; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +1:32.898; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +1:56.757; 10. Scott Smulders (NED, Honda), +2:15.150

MX2 - World Championship Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 636 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 589 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 568 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 521 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 433 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 389 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 365 p.; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 236 p.; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 231 p

Top Photo: Kay de Wolf

Bottom Photos: 1. Lucas Coenen; 2. Simon Laengenfelder 

​WATCH RAM QUALIFYING RACES HIGHLIGHTS HERE 

All the photos from the MXGP of Flanders will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

MXGP OF FLANDERS QUICK FACTS:

Circuit length: 1850m

Type of ground: Sand

Temperature: 21°

Weather conditions: Cloudy

TIMETABLE 

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Lommel
 

Multi-year contract will see current MX2 leading team continue in the FIM Motocross World Championship into 2025 and beyond

Husqvarna Factory Racing is delighted to announce the extension of its successful partnership with Nestaan-MX. The new multi-year contract will see Nestaan-MX continue as "Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing" in the FIM Motocross World Championship, ensuring an exciting future for both organisations.

Under the leadership of dedicated team manager Rasmus Jorgensen - who is now in his fifth year with the team - Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing is currently enjoying a fantastic season with MX2 riders Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, as well as Mattia Guadagnini in MXGP.

De Wolf and Coenen currently occupy the top two spots of the MX2 championship with a combined nine wins from thirteen championship rounds so far. Furthermore, a combined tally of fifteen podiums between current MX2 Red Plate holder Kay de Wolf and second-placed Lucas Coenen, means Husqvarna currently leads the manufacturers' standings by sixty-six points.

Husqvarna Factory Racing is excited about the continued collaboration with Nestaan-MX, under the ownership of Kay Hennekens, and the expert leadership of Rasmus Jorgensen who has been instrumental in driving the team’s success on and off track.

Rasmus Jorgensen (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team Manager): "It is a big honour for us to continue writing this story with the Husqvarna brand. Our relationship with the factory has only grown in the last five years, and this is another big milestone for us. 2024 is going really well so far, with excellent support from Kay and all of our partners. I want to thank Kay for his leadership, all my crew members and also all the management at the Pierer Mobility AG as well. Our team is young, but I feel we have set high standards. The plan is to keep pushing for 2025 and beyond. I’m very excited!"

Pit Beirer (Motorsports Director): “We are more than happy to keep Nestaan onboard and continue to push for wins, points and podiums. This partnership extension reinforces the shared vision of Husqvarna Factory Racing and Nestaan-MX, focusing on continued success and the development of future champions. Both teams are excited to build on their established foundation and look forward to achieving new heights together."

Photo Credit : Husqvarna

LOMMEL (Belgium) 26 July 2024 – The 2024 FIM World Motocross Championships head to the deep sand of the Stedelijk Motorcrossterrein Lommel for the MXGP of Flanders in north-eastern Belgium this weekend!

The unforgiving nature of this circuit makes it physically one of the toughest for the riders, and its close proximity to the Dutch border will see plenty of support, helping the top racers from the Netherlands even more than the familiarity of the soft surface!

The MXGP World Championship is currently led by five-time World Champion Tim Gajser, after a stunning win for the Slovenian at the MXGP of Czech Republic, but his closest challenger, and reigning World Champion, Jorge Prado, declared himself “The King of the Sand” at the MXGP of  Sardegna, and the man they call “The Bullet”, Jeffrey Herlings, would dearly love to take that crown back with his local fans right on his shoulder! These three have been inseparable this season, and any one of them could swing the momentum their way this weekend!

The MX2 class should see a similar battle, as the Nestaan Husqvarna teammates Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen lead the series, both are absolute demons in the sand, and both will have a healthy and vocal pack of fans urging them on!  The atmosphere could prove to be absolutely out of this world, one you certainly don’t want to miss!

See below where you can find a list of TV channels that will air LIVE and delayed action of the MXGP of Flanders, as well as the 26-minute Behind The Gate magazine show featuring the best moments from the races, exclusive interviews and more.  All of this footage will be available on MXGP-TV.com and via our TV magazine partners following the Grand Prix.

As always, MXGP fans can follow the races LIVE throughout the weekend. All you need to do is log onto www.MXGP-TV.com Saturday and Sunday, from wherever you are in the world.  This could prove to be a decisive GP towards the fate of the Championship titles, never decided until the chequered flag is flown! Join us LIVE!

USA CANADA
 

CBS Sports Network

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 ET – Delayed

Sunday July 28 2024 – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 ET – Delayed

LATIN AMERICA

Direct TV

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

BRAZIL
 

Bandsports

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

MEXICO

FOX SPORTS Mexico

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

BELGIUM 
 

PLAY SPORTS OPEN

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

ESTONIA

Go3

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

FINLAND

MAX

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 18:00 – Finnish timing - LIVE

FRANCE
 

AUTOMOTO TV LA CHAINE 

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 15:00 CET Delayed

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

LA CHAINE L’EQUIPE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE Streaming

LATVIA
 

TV3 Sport Open

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

LITHUANIA
 

Go3

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

SLOVENIA
 

Sport TV1

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

SPAIN

TV Galicia

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM  - Jio Cinema

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 16:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 17:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 19:30 IST – Streaming

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 20:30 IST – Streaming

INDONESIA

CHAMPIONS TV

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

VIDIO

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 13:00 CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 14:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 16:00 – CET LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 17:00 – CET LIVE

PACIFIC / AUSTRALIA
 

STAN SPORTS

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 1 – 21:00 AEST – LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MXGP Race 1 – 22:00 AEST – LIVE

Sunday July 28 2024  – MX2 Race 2 – 00:00  AEST – LIVE

Monday July 29 2024  – MXGP Race 2 – 01:00 AEST - LIVE

26min Behind-the-Gate Magazine Partners:
 

AMERICA

Latin America             Direct TV                                 Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

Mexico                        FOX Sports                              Thursday after each MXGP 8:30pm

USA                             BEiN USA                                 TBA

EUROPE

Albania                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Austria                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Baltics                          TV3 Sport Open                      Thursday after each MXGP

Belgium                       Play sports                              tba

Belgium                       SPORT TEN                              tba

Bosnia                         GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Croatia                        GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Finland            MTV                                        During the week after the event

Hungary                      GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Kosovo                        GP1                                        Thursday after each event at 20:15

Montenegro                GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Northern Macedonia  GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Portugal                      SPORT TV                                Tuesday after the event        

Romania                      Look Sport                               Wednesday after each event

Serbia                          GP1                                         Thursday after each event at 20:15

Slovenia                      Sport TV                                  Tuesday after the event

INDIA and Subcontinent (Bhutan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Maldives)
 

VIACOM 18                                                                        Wednesday after the event

INDONESIA                  Champions TV

                                    Moji

                                    Vidio

AUSTRALIA

Australia                      Stan Sport                               Wednesday after each event

WORLDWIDE

Worldwide                  Motorvision                            During the week after the event

Worldwide                  Redbull TV                               Race Craft and Vlog

Worldwide                  YouTube – MXGP TV               16 days after the event.

Watch it ALL LIVE on www.MXGP-TV.com

MXGP of Flanders LIVE MXGP-TV Timetable

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 09:30 EMX Open Free practice, 10:00 EMX250 Free practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX Open Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX250 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 EMX Open Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMX Open Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

Lommel
 

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing will grow for the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship and for the Grand Prix seasons to come. The multi-title winning squad will reincorporate the Rome-based De Carli team for a return to the previous regime in both MXGP and MX2 categories.

LOMMEL (Belgium) 25 July 2024 – It’s time to get the paddle tyres ready for the FIM Motocross World Championship riders as round 14 of the series takes us to the deep sand of the Stedelijk Motorcrossterrein Lommel venue in the north-eastern corner of Belgium for the MXGP of Flanders this weekend!

While it is of course the home Grand Prix for the many Belgian riders that will take part, its close proximity to the Dutch border will bring many fans from The Netherlands to cheer on their heroes, and numerous riders from all nationalities have taken up residence in the area, with many of the top teams making it their base of operations for the GP season.

Belgium is famously home to more World Motocross Champions and Grand Prix winners than any other country, and more MXGP events have been held at Lommel than any other Belgian venue apart from the legendary Namur.  This will be the 11^th consecutive year that MXGP has visited the circuit, and the 22^nd event held here in total.  The first was back in 1990, a 250cc GP that was won by the determined Finn Pekka Vehkonen.  The circuit has also hosted two memorable MXoN events, the Trophee des Nations in 1981, which was the landmark event that saw the first ever win for the USA in Nations competitions, then the first ever win for Germany in an incredible 2012 Monster Energy FIM MXoN contest!

The current MXGP field has 6 previous Lommel GP winners entered for the event, including four of the top six of all-time!  It is current World Champion, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, who currently holds the record of four GP wins around the famous sands, although his two major rivals for honours this season, Team HRC’s Tim Gajser and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing main man Jeffrey Herlings, are close behind with three victories each. Herlings has won more individual races than anybody else at Lommel, with eight compared to Prado’s seven and Gajser’s five.  The “big three” will continue their epic battle for the MXGP World Championship after a stunning weekend of racing at Loket!

MX2 will see the two Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammates, Kay de Wolf and Lucas Coenen, continue their see-saw duel for the title, with the Dutch rider defending a 46-point lead over his young Belgian rival. Both can expect a solid turnout of their fans to get behind them at Lommel!  De Wolf is the only rider lining up for MX2 to have won races here before, which were actually the first two GP race wins of his career, the first in 2021 when he was still only 16 years old!

The event will also see the resumption of the battle for the EMX250 European Championships, with the top three of the series separated by only 19 points, as Bud Racing Kawasaki’s Mathis Valin lies just 13 ahead of Gabriel SS24 KTM teamster Cas Valk, with Valerio Lata just six points further back for Beddini GASGAS Factory Juniors!

The one-off EMX Open European Championship event will also be at Lommel, with a host of professional riders moving up from their domestic Championships to fight it out on the GP stage.  The class is unrestricted in terms of age and engine size, and has attracted over 50 riders to enter!

After a truly epic MXGP of Czech Republic that saw Tim Gajser take Saturday’s RAM Qualifying Race as well as the overall win, with Jorge Prado second and Jeffrey Herlings third after winning race one and charging through the pack in race two, the prospect of seeing these three titans fight it out in the deep sand of Lommel is truly mouth-watering!

The major factor in all of this is the sand, with only Sardegna and Latvia really giving us an idea of what these three might do in such conditions, and Prado added to the spice by declaring himself the ‘King of the Sand’ in the post-race interview at Riola Sardo! The Spaniard did enjoy a perfect weekend there during his best period of the season so far, but Herlings found winning form at Kegums to stake his own claim as the master of the soft stuff.  Both will need to make ground here, as Gajser’s Loket win saw him stretch his lead to 36 points over Prado, and 55 over Herlings.  There is no doubt that “The Bullet” is back to his brilliant best, and his local fans will be hoping to see more of that on the sort of surface that has seen even more dominance than usual throughout his amazing career.

That said, Jeffrey hasn’t won a GP at Lommel since 2018, as he was denied by Kawasaki Racing Team’s Romain Febvre in 2021, and hasn’t made it this far into the season since then.  The Dutchman’s wins took place back in 2011 in MX2, and then 2017 & ’18 in MXGP. He also won the Open class at the 2012 ‘Nations, even with him riding the 250 against the world’s best on 450s!  Gajser has won there three times in the MXGP class, once in 2019 and twice in 2020, when MXGP was here three times in the COVID-affected season.  Prado won his only MXGP overall in the other event that year, after winning for three straight seasons in MX2 from 2017 to ’19.

Another rider that is entered for MXGP is Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Jago Geerts, who has been out since getting injured in his MXGP debut back at the opening round in Argentina.  The Belgian has won at Lommel in MX2 for the last three years, and while it will be a different prospect in his return from injury in MXGP, he will certainly be encouraged by his previous success at the venue.

Febvre has been incredibly strong here in recent years, with GP wins in 2021 and ’23, and will hope to get amongst the title contenders in his second event back from injury. Fantic Factory Racing star Brian Bogers claimed his only career GP victory to date at Lommel in 2022, where he shared race wins with his 2024 teammate Glenn Coldenhoff. 

The riders currently in fourth and fifth, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s Calvin Vlaanderen and Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer, have both twice been on the podium at Lommel, but yet to taste victory. As well as Coldenhoff, they will be keen to keep their consistent season going and prevent Febvre from fighting back up the Championship order past them!

JM Racing Honda rider Brent van doninck, in his return from injury last weekend at Loket, incredibly became the first Belgian to score points in the MXGP class this season with an impressive ride for 8^th overall. In his more favoured terrain, he is likely to push even higher up the order at his home Grand Prix, with a lot of home support behind him!

The battle at the top of the order is not to be missed – who can call themselves the ‘King of the Sand’ and command the Championship momentum after this one?!

MXGP - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 663 Points;   2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 627 Points; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 608 Pts; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 471 Pts; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 451 Pts; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 389 Pts; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 363 Points; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 283 Pts; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 Pts; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 Pts.

Main Photo: MXGP Start Lommel 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Jago Geerts; 2. Brent Van doninck

The MX2 World Championship has been a brilliant one so far this season, with the result very much in doubt before every Grand Prix, even if the Championship lead has been consistently held by Dutchman Kay de Wolf since the end of the very first weekend of racing, and his fifth overall victory of the year at Loket was a result of persistent speed and enough patience to deal with the madness around him!

His Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing teammate, Lucas Coenen, has shown just as much speed, if not sometimes more, but hitting the ground again in the Czech Republic halted his impressive run of five race victories when you include the RAM Qualifying Races from both Lombok and Loket.  Looking back to the duels in the sand between the pair in both Sardegna and Latvia, it was Kay who won back on the Mediterannean island, but Lucas who got the better of his teammate to finish second only to his twin brother Sacha in the Baltic State.

With a taste of progress in the Championship still fresh on his lips from his success in Indonesia, and a feeling that he may have the edge on pace with his home crowd behind him, Lucas will certainly be hungry for his first win on home soil, even though De Wolf has undoubted form on this circuit from years gone by. Kay took race wins in both 2021 and 2022, just missing out on overall victory to Jago Geerts on both occasions.

Behind them, Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing star Simon Laengenfelder once again missed the chance for his first GP win of the year in Loket as he was hunted down by De Wolf in the final laps, but the German will certainly not give up as he looks to secure at least the bronze medal, and pounce if either or both of the Husqvarna riders slip up as we approach the last third of the season.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing again saw crashes for all three of their riders in the Czech Republic, and although Liam Everts scored a consistent fourth overall, both Andrea Adamo and Sacha Coenen failed to finish in race one, and the Italian could not return for race two, making their title chances now look very slim.  All three will be hungry for race wins, however, and their skills in the sand are not in question, especially Sacha after his overall victory in Latvia!

Monster Energy Triumph Racing still have high hopes of podium success, or even overall  victory, and Mikkel Haarup would dearly love to deliver on a circuit where a lot of their testing has been carried out.

MX2 - World Championship Top 10 Classification: 1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 626 Points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 580 Pts;  3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 560 Points;  4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 515 Pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 457 Pts;  6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 433 Pts; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 382 Pts; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 362 Pts; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 236 Pts; 10. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, HON), 229 Pts.

Top Photo: MX2 Start Lommel 2023

Bottom Photos: 1. Liam Everts; 2. Lucas Coenen

Don’t miss your chance to watch the MXGP of Flanders this weekend. Get your tickets HERE!

All the photos from the MXGP of Flanders will be available HERE.

You can find the complete results HERE.

TIMETABLE 

SATURDAY: 08:20 EMXOpen Free practice, 08:50 EMX250 Group 1 Free practice, 09:20 EMX250 Group 2 Free practice, 09:50 EMXOpen Qualifying Practice, 10:30 MX2 Free Practice, 11:00 MXGP Free Practice, 12:20 EMX250 Group 1 Qualifying Practice, 13:00 EMX250 Group 2 Qualifying Practice, 13:40 MX2 Time Practice, 14:15 MXGP Time Practice, 15:00 EMXOpen Race 1, 15:45 EMX250 Race 1, 16:35 MX2 RAM Qualifying Race, 17:25 MXGP RAM Qualifying Race

SUNDAY: 09:45 EMXOpen Race 2, 10:25 MX2 Warm-up, 10:45 MXGP Warm-up, 11:30 EMX250 Race 2, 13:15 MX2 Race 1, 14:15 MXGP Race 1, 16:10 MX2 Race 2, 17:10 MXGP Race 2.

LINKS

Infront Moto Racing

FIM

FIM Europe

Lommel
 

On July 18, the organizing committee of the MXGP China Shanghai Station held a press conference and ticket launch ceremony. The event was attended by Zhan Guojun, Chairman of CAMF; Xu Bin, Party Secretary and Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau; Wang Yiqun, Deputy Secretary of the Fengxian District Party Committee and District Mayor; Wang Chun, Deputy District Mayor of the Fengxian District People's Government; Ni Huajie, Chairman of H&H Group; and motocross rider Li Haoyu. These leaders and guests provided an overview of the event's preparations. Jorge Viegas, President of the International Motorcycling Federation, sent a congratulatory video message.

This year marks the return of the MXGP World Motocross Championship to China after a five-year hiatus. The Shanghai station is the penultimate event of the season, serving as a crucial showdown where riders from around the world will compete fiercely for the annual championship title. The race promises to be full of suspense and incredible racing.

At the press conference, Zhan Guojun, Chairman of CAMF and Director of the Organizing Committee, presented the "Outstanding Partner Award" to H&H Group. Xu Bin, Party Secretary and Director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, specially gifted a J22 racing helmet to Chinese motocross rider representative Li Haoyu. The ticket sales for the 2024 World Motocross Championship China Station also commenced, officially going on sale at 18:18 on July 18.

Ticket Purchase Link: https://www.trip.com/travel-guide/attraction/Shanghai/city-135103513?locale=en_xx