Lucas Coenen endured a challenging outing at Arco di Trento, managing to come away healthy and with valuable points despite admitting the circuit doesn’t play to his strengths.
Heading into the weekend, Coenen was realistic about his expectations, knowing the technical Italian track would pose difficulties. While a top five result was always the target, mistakes across the motos ultimately made things more complicated than anticipated.
Reflecting on his day, Coenen said:
“Overall, I’m happy I’m here standing and fit. Coming into this weekend, I already expected not much coming in here, a top five would be good because the track doesn’t really suit my style. I tried to get a good start and pass early. I didn’t want to have to make too many passes, but I had two crashes in moto one. In the second moto I was trying to settle in and being cool but somehow, I tipped over and then they passed me. I can’t complain. I’m healthy and now we have some weeks off. I’m going to go back to work and let’s see what’s coming”.
The second moto proved particularly frustrating, as another small mistake cost him momentum and track position when he was leading. Despite that, the young Belgian kept perspective, recognising that limiting damage on tougher weekends is key over a full championship campaign.
Speaking specifically about race two, he added:
“The Second moto I was just trying to keep my line and to not make a mistake but as we know I went on the deck. So, it was not good, but the championship is won on the bad days. I have got to be happy about the second moto and just look forward”.
Coenen also touched on the level of competition at Arco, acknowledging the strength of established frontrunners like Jeffrey Herlings and Tim Gajser, both of whom have a strong record at the venue. While rivalries remain intense on track, respect between riders is still evident.
Discussing that dynamic and the performances at Arco, Coenen said:
“As riders we want to beat each other. I mean it’s hard to give a compliment to your opponent, but I mean, in Riola I rode fast. Like we know Jeffrey’s the best sand rider in the world for me. So, I can’t say no for what he said but I mean, coming in here I knew these three guys would be on it. Jeffrey and Tim for sure won the most at this track. So, I was expecting them to be in front. I was just expecting to be around them a little bit but yeah, that’s how it is”.
While it wasn’t a perfect weekend, Coenen leaves Arco with his health intact and a clear understanding of where he stands. With a break in the calendar ahead, he now has time to reset, regroup and return stronger as the championship continues—knowing that salvaging points on difficult days can make all the difference come the end of the season—he currently has four points over Jeffrey Herlings in the championship chase.
