NThere are 360 points up for grabs in the final six GPs. Although the title race in the MX6 World Championship is more open than in the MXGP, the moment of truth has arrived here as well. Can reigning world champion Kay De Wolf call rivals Simon Längenfelder and Andrea Adamo to order?
Wunderkind Simon Langenfelder (pictured below) skipped the EMX250 class and made his MX2 World Championship debut at 15. The young German had already shown some impressive performances since 2020, but only this year did he shake off the "eternal 3rd" title. The 21-year-old Red Bull KTM rider now leads the World Championship standings.
Former MX2 world champion Andrea Adamo follows Längenfelder, 47 points behind. Neither Längenfelder nor Adamo are considered pure sand specialists. However, the World Championship leader holds his own in the sand. In both 2024 and 2023, he achieved the Urban Motocross Center The final podium. Fighting champion Adamo may not have the absolute speed of favorite De Wolf in the sand, but he will do everything he can to lose as few points as possible this weekend.
For defending champion Kay DeWolf 2025 has been a rollercoaster campaign so far. Although "Wolfman" has achieved 7 series victories and the most podium finishes (10 times), there have been too many setbacks. Kay is now 59 points behind Längenfelder. Not insurmountable, but then the Nestaan Husqvarna The star certainly made a statement, as he did in Finland. Even a hat trick like that (qualifying victory, double victory on Sunday) is just one ingredient of success. The eight-time GP winner needs the help of others to close the gap on the duo of Längenfelder & Adamo as much as possible.
Wolf seeks accomplices!
De Wolf's most logical ally to take points from his title rivals would be Liam Evert He's unfortunately not there after his nasty fall in Finland. Still, perhaps another Belgian can help Kay.
In particular Sacha Coenen (photo below). The 18-year-old pocket racer While still a bit too erratic to make a title run – he's currently 4th in the standings – he's unbeatable on his day. Lucas' twin brother has already achieved six podium finishes this season. Moreover, no one, except Längenfelder, has led more MX6 rounds than he has. Incidentally, Sacha has never reached the podium in his home country, so who knows, maybe he'll break the spell this weekend!
Just like in the MXGP, it promises to be an open battle for the Lommel final podium in the MX2. The South African Camden McLellan already finished 2nd in Sardinia, Rick Elzinga (photo below) was on the podium in Limburg last year, and also MX2 rookies Cas Valk, Mathis Valin en Valerio Lata perform well on this type of surface.
But which international rider still struggles in the sand these days? Oriol Oliver, Max Werner, Guillem Farres and of course Karlis Reisulis are all cut from the right cloth to score big points.
Reigning European champion Valin took his first podium last week, so the Kawasaki factory rider seems to be in the best form of the three. Lommel could be a welcome reset for Valin. Cas made a flying start to his first World Championship campaign. In Argentina, he already secured one P3 moto, and you can bet the cheerful Van Venrooy Racing rider will want to match that!
Thibault Benistant is 5th in the World Championship, 28 points behind Sacha Coenen. The three-time GP winner is falling short of expectations in his final MX2 season, alternating bright spots (two podiums) with weak performances.
We can hardly call the Yamaha rider a natural sand hog. Yet, he's already achieved some impressive results in Lommel. On his way to the EMX250 crown in 2020, the Frenchman even won three of the four motos.
He achieved podium finishes in the GPs in Sardinia in both 2023 and 2022. No Lommelwood, but still…
Lowlanders hungry for success
For home drivers Nicolas Vennekens (Photo below) Lommel is the platform to showcase his progress for family and friends. In the World Championship standings, the privateer KTM rider is close to the top 20, finishing 22nd. His challenge? To improve on his "personal best," which was a 17th-place finish in Sardinia and Finland. Not coincidentally, both are sand races.
For a low-country top 10 surprise, we'd rather look at Jens Walvoort en Kay Karssemakers who has been driving for the experienced Dixon Racing Team for several weeks now. Team manager Steve Dixon and his team certainly know what it takes to score in Lommel. Max Anstie won the GP there in 2014 and 2015.
Also the 18 year old Gyan Doensen (pictured below) has experience in his camp. For his MX2 World Championship debut, the Gabriel SS24 KTM rider can count on the expertise of former Lommel GP winner Shaun Simpson. Incidentally, Doensen himself is quite successful in the EMX250 class, currently sitting 4th in the standings. Lommelwood is an excellent test for the Limburg native, who aims to compete full-time in the World Championship next year.
Last year surprised Bradley Masters In Lommel, friend and foe in the EMX250 class with a strong P3 in the opening moto. This year, the challenge will be even greater! Scott Smulders, one of the few privateer riders on Triumph, is eager to achieve a top performance. The former EMX65 champion finished a creditable 2th in the second race in Latvia.
Home rider Emile De Baere, Roan Tolsma and Lotte Van Drunen, They all dream of World Championship points. In the case of Van Drunen, the WMX world champion, it would be an incredible feat… But not a first!
The 17-year-old powerhouse achieved an impressive record in her youth, winning two EMX medals and one junior World Championship medal against the boys. The lightning-fast woman from Gorinchem proved that a point in a GP is indeed possible during her World Championship debut at the GP of Flanders in 2. In the second MX1 round in Lommel, she finished 2024th, 2 seconds behind Vennekens.
Full list of participants here
Weekend timing here
Roll of Honour GP Lommel – MX2 / 250cc
2024 – Kay de Wolf (NED – Husqvarna)
2023 – Jago Geerts (BEL – Yamaha)
2022 – Jago Geerts (BEL – Yamaha)
2021 – Jago Geerts (BEL – Yamaha)
2020* – 2x Tom Vialle (FRA – KTM) & Ben Watson (GBR – Yamaha)
2019 – Jorge Prado (ESP – KTM)
2018 – Jorge Prado (ESP – KTM)
2017 – Jorge Prado (ESP – KTM)
2016 – Max Anstie (GBR – Husqvarna)
2015 – Max Anstie (GBR – Kawasaki)
2014 – Max Anstie (GBR – Yamaha)
2012 – Jeffrey Herlings (NED – KTM)
2011 – Jeffrey Herlings (NED – KTM)
2010 – Ken Roczen (GER – Suzuki)
2009 – Marvin Musquin (FRA – KTM)
2008 – Gert Krestinov (EST – KTM)
1994 – Stefan Everts (BEL – Kawasaki)
1993 – Marnicq Bervoets (BEL – Kawasaki)
1990 – Pekka Vehkonen (FIN – Yamaha)
*three consecutive GPs took place in Lommel due to the adjusted Covid calendar
Photos: JP Acevedo, Samo Vidic / Red Bull Content Pool, Fullspectrum Media
