On paper, the Belgian trio looked strong, but luck – or rather, the lack of it – wasn’t on their side in the USA, especially with Sacha Coenen’s setbacks. Belgium ultimately had to settle for fourth place in this 2025 edition held at Ironman. Despite being competitive throughout the weekend, Lucas Coenen takes a mixed view of his Nations experience. Racing on American soil for the first time, the De Carli KTM rider was eager to measure himself against the Lawrence brothers, but he struggled to find comfort on this very different American-style track.
“Honestly, I struggled all weekend,” Lucas told Marco Kamper. “I struggled with my setup. The Ironman track is super fast with a lot of big compressions. We really didn’t find the right balance on the bike for this type of track. I wasn’t riding like myself, like I know how to ride. It wasn’t me out there; it felt like someone else on the track this weekend. I was just doing my laps, not riding at the level I’m capable of. I held something back, if you can say that, because I felt quite limited. I didn’t want to overdo it and push too hard.”
Starting in the lead in the first MX2+MXGP race, Lucas Coenen was overtaken within the opening meters by Jett Lawrence, who then pulled away to take the win ahead of the Belgian rider. Lucas would start in front again in the second race and hold second place behind Hunter Lawrence. In contact with the Australian for a while, he eventually crashed mid-race and dropped to tenth.
“In the second race, I was behind Hunter. I was watching him. I was waiting,” the KTM rider explained about his race alongside the eldest Lawrence. “I don’t know exactly what happened that made me crash there… I didn’t do anything special. It’s not like I tried to hit the double like Jett could. I rolled the bumps, then I lost the front and went over the handlebars. It’s really unfortunate. I know there’s still a lot of progress to be made, and I need to build confidence on the bike to feel better. There will be better days.”
Last year, Belgium had to settle for 16th at the Matterley Basin Nations. Competing in MX2, Lucas Coenen had battled against the 450 riders in the opening race before crashing and fracturing his collarbone. So, fourth place at Ironman is a small revenge, even if the bitterness of missing the podium remains. To succeed at the Nations, all the pieces of the puzzle have to come together.
“The final result is still better than last year, so that’s something,” Lucas admits cautiously. “But this year wasn’t really our year either. We showed some good things. Even if I didn’t feel great on the bike, I was able to ride with Jett and Hunter. It was cool to ride alongside them. A lot of people want to see battles with the Lawrences. I’m glad to see what I was able to do against them, even if I didn’t feel at my best. I’d love to ride against them feeling comfortable on the bike. At least, I got a glimpse of something this weekend. I also learned a few things from the Lawrences. It’s cool to be here in the USA and see what they do because on TV, you don’t really get the full picture.”
The MXGP vice-champion started his weekend under pressure, crashing on the very first corner of his qualifying race on Saturday. Restarting from last, Lucas managed to climb up to sixth, while his brother Sacha won in MX2 and Liam Everts finished fifth in Open. The Belgians showed their ambition and confirmed themselves as serious podium contenders.
“On Saturday, the track was less torn up, and for me, it was mainly about recovering after my crash at the start. Since the track was easier, I was able to manage with the bike. Let’s say we didn’t manage to find solutions for the rest of the weekend. Neither did I, personally. We were on a new track, and Europeans didn’t know Ironman. It’s the same when Americans come to Europe: they don’t know our tracks either. Things change a lot for everyone each time, but at least I was able to show good speed.”
Like many European riders, Lucas had to adapt – as best as he could – to Ironman with his European-style setup on a track that’s very different from Grand Prix circuits. “To be honest, I rode with my own European-style setup. We did what we could. We didn’t change much because it was a new track for us, and we didn’t have much time to test new things. I tried to stick to settings I was familiar with while aiming for the best possible result. I was there, I battled with my cards, I enjoyed it, and I know I can only improve. I can’t wait to race again with all these guys in the future.”
With an average age of just 19, the Belgian delegation was the youngest team at Ironman. Lucas, Sacha, and Liam make up a promising trio with a very bright future ahead. It’s already been 12 years since Belgium last lifted a Chamberlain Trophy. The next generation seems ready.
“We were able to talk a bit with Liam. We had a good weekend nonetheless. It’s just that we missed the podium. We lacked a bit of luck, but honestly, things look good for the future. I think we can really get closer to victory. If my brother hadn’t crashed at the end of the first race and hadn’t had mechanical issues, we would have been at the front this year. There’s still a lot of positives to take away. I’ll improve, and my brother will improve too: personally, and on the bike.”
“I can’t wait to see how it goes over the next few years. We may not have been in the spotlight, but we knew what we were capable of,” Lucas concludes. “I knew I was going to be fast, and Sacha would be fast. Liam is always a very consistent rider who delivers. I think we showed all that, and we’ll be back on people’s minds in the coming years. Trying to make Belgium win again would really be the most amazing thing we could do.”
Hear from Roger DeCoster on the Coenen brothers below:
