Lucas Coenen continued his impressive MXGP title challenge at the Portuguese Grand Prix by delivering another mature performance. Although the Red Bull KTM factory rider didn’t leave Agueda with the overall victory, he still managed to extend his championship lead over rival Jeffrey Herlings by a single point.
After winning the qualifying race and taking victory in the opening moto, Coenen found himself under pressure from Herlings in race two. Rather than risking everything in an all-out battle for the win, the young Belgian showed maturity, settling for second place and focusing on the bigger picture – the championship.
Reflecting on the weekend, Coenen was pleased with both his speed and his decision-making.
“The key is to be smart, you know, so I think I did the best weekend I could do to win the qualifying race and the first moto. I mean, I didn’t lose points, I gained one. In the first moto, I felt like I was running a pretty good pace. I then had a tip over and I had people back on my wheel but then I pushed and got a gap so I felt great in moto one”.
The second moto saw an entertaining duel with Herlings, but Coenen admitted he was never interested in taking unnecessary risks. Instead, he was content to bank valuable championship points while still enjoying the close racing.
“Moto two, I was trying just to control it, I knew Jeffrey wanted to win and he needs to, so I felt like I was being smart and not really pushing it. At one moment I made that mistake, didn’t jump the triple, I felt he was getting close, and I was at waiting for him to go on the inside, so I slowed down, but then he went really close so I had to stop otherwise I was on my ear, but that’s what we love, good racing. I can also start to push a little bit. But it’s good, second overall, I gain one point, so I’ve got to keep pushing and being consistent. I will go to South Africa to enjoy it”.
While Herlings added another Grand Prix victory to his remarkable career, Coenen insisted records and statistics are not something he is focused on. Instead, the Belgian is concentrating on learning, improving and making the right decisions throughout his title campaign.
“I mean, I knew I won the first moto so that was the important thing. I knew Jeffrey wanted to win, he’s getting his stats on a high note. He’s breaking every time more and more (records), but I don’t really care about my stats. I just want to be smart, and with the team we’re doing a good job, and that’s the key. I’m young, so I’ve got to learn, and I can learn from the best, so that’s the main thing”.
Away from the MXGP paddock, Coenen recently fulfilled a childhood ambition by travelling to the United States, where he had the opportunity to race an AMA Pro Motocross finishing up on the podium at Thunder Valley. Marco Kamper asked him about his experience.
“It was fun. It was a dream come true to ride a USA track. I enjoyed every part of it. It’s completely different, you have got to learn and that’s about it”.
One of the highlights of the trip was spending time with motocross legend Roger De Coster, something Coenen described as a special experience.
“I know that Roger de Coster is the man, that’s what they call him. He’s one of the biggest people in our sport. To be honest it was the biggest thing for us to have. It was so good. For sure, it was a great part of it – it was so cool to be there with him”.
The visit also included a special Red Bull helmet project, which clearly left a lasting impression on both Coenen and De Coster.
“Roger was so happy. He was wearing the helmets the whole weekend. Red Bull had a great idea with that and they killed it. Everybody loved it and also us”.
Although the trip offered valuable experience, Coenen believes there are only certain aspects that can be transferred back to MXGP competition because of the many differences between the AMA Pro Motocross series and the MXGP World Championship.
“Sometimes you can learn a little bit (from USA). But it’s a new bike, a new track and it’s different with the schedule. It’s completely different”.
Coenen continues to impress not only with his raw speed but also with his growing maturity. At just a young age, he is already showing the patience and race management needed to fight for the World title.
