Sacha Coenen delivered a flawless performance at the MX2 World Championship round in Kegums, Latvia, sweeping the weekend with a perfect 1-1-1 scorecard to claim his sixth career Grand Prix victory.
The Belgian sensation once again proved that the sandy Latvian circuit is one of his favourite venues on the calendar. Interestingly, half of his six GP victories have now come at Kegums, making it the third consecutive year he has stood on the top step of the podium at the venue.
However, the weekend was about much more than just another Grand Prix win. Coenen and his twin brother Lucas etched their names into the history books as the first brothers ever to both go 1-1-1 during the same Grand Prix weekend. While Sacha dominated the MX2 class, Lucas was equally impressive in MXGP, making it a landmark occasion for the talented Belgian family.
The championship leader also strengthened his grip on the MX2 title chase. Arriving in Latvia with only a three-point advantage over Simon Längenfelder, Coenen leaves Kegums with a commanding 37-point lead after a disastrous weekend for his German rival.
Reflecting on an unforgettable weekend, Coenen struggled to find the words to describe what had been achieved.
“It’s amazing, I have no words. It’s really nice to win all the moto’s as the same time as my brother, on the same weekend, so it’s really special. Especially on this track I won my first GP, and I’ve won here three times in a row so it’s quite special, I’m really happy. Good starts were the key. I’m super-pumped to have won all three motos. Let’s keep it going”.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider admitted that Kegums is a circuit that naturally suits his riding style, helping explain his incredible record at the venue.
“I just like this track, it kind of suits me. I like everything about it. It’s kind of sketchy at some places, you need to be really careful”.
Despite extending his championship lead significantly, Coenen insists he is not allowing himself to become distracted by the standings. Instead, his focus remains on taking each round as it comes and continuing to enjoy his racing.
“I’m not really thinking about it (the championship), I’m just trying to go race by race, and do my best every weekend, and that’s what I’m doing for the moment. I’m still having fun with it, and just being in at the front every race to make the most points as possible”.
With momentum firmly on his side, a growing championship advantage and confidence soaring after another dominant display in the sand, Coenen now has another challenge as he’ll make the trip to America for the third round of the AMA Pro Motocross series.
In terms of his World Championship campaign, Coenen heads into the next round in a strong position. If his current form continues, Latvia could be remembered as the weekend that not only produced a piece of motocross history for the Coenen family, but also marked another major step towards Sacha’s first MX2 world title – but there’s still a long way to go.
