There was Lucas Coenen and then everyone else at Almonte. The Belgian rider dominated all three races of the MXGP of Andalucia and showed remarkable ease on the tricky Almonte circuit. Now leading the MXGP championship, Lucas reflects on his weekend in Spain, where everything seemed to fall perfectly into place. He spoke on the evening of his first victory of the season — the seventh of his career in the premier class.
“Overall, the track suited me really well,” explained Coenen. “I found good lines all weekend and had a good rhythm. I also got good starts — I was second every time, which was positive. I managed to make quick passes in every race and then controlled my races to take the wins in all three motos. It was a perfect weekend for me where everything worked.”
“The track was very demanding though,” he continued. “After the first moto I had a big blister on my hand, and before the second moto I was really hoping it wouldn’t burst during the race. I came up a bit short on the triple and it burst… It was painful, but when you’re fighting for the win you don’t really think about it.”
Hampered by an eye issue in Argentina, Lucas Coenen had been forced to limit the damage, bringing home a fifth overall after poor starts. The Belgian rider didn’t panic ahead of the second round and instead focused on improving his starts before heading to Spain.
“We made a few adjustments after Argentina on the starts. Over there it was at altitude, so it’s always difficult to know what’s going to work or not, what will be better or worse. I wasn’t really stressed after Argentina because I knew my starts were below par because of the altitude.”
Asked about his performance against Jeffrey Herlings in the sand — where the Dutchman is usually considered the benchmark — Lucas Coenen remained realistic despite his dominant performance.
“What does it mean to beat Jeffrey in the sand? I don’t know… I just got good starts and was ahead of him every time. If the scenarios had been reversed, maybe I would have finished second in both motos without being able to pass him. Jeffrey, Tim and I all have similar speed, so you have to take the opportunities when they come.”
Last season, Lucas Coenen had already shown several times that he could rise above the competition, just as he did this weekend at Almonte. But the Belgian rider insists nothing is ever guaranteed in MXGP.
“Honestly, you never really know how you’re going to perform until you see the chequered flag in the second moto. Everyone can raise their pace during a race. We saw Tim struggle in the first moto, then he was there in the second. Everyone can improve from one moto to another. I was even a bit stressed before the first start. The gate was a bit crooked and on a slope. Jeffrey lost his balance at the start of the qualifying race on Saturday, and I did as well in the first moto today. It was a bit tricky with that gate.”
Lucas Coenen leaves the second Grand Prix of the season with the red plate, holding an eight-point lead over Jeffrey Herlings. The last time he left an event with the red plate? At the final of the French Junior Championship in Villars-sous-Écot back in 2021.
“It’s my first red plate in years, going back to my 125 days, so it’s great to have it again,” concluded the KTM factory rider. “But it’s only the beginning of the season. I’ll need to stay consistent and keep riding at the front at every round.”
