Despite the fact the MXGP championship has been brutalized with the injuries to two five-time World Champions in Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings, this season is very much turning into a special fight. Red Bull KTM factory rider Lucas Coenen is showing some serious maturity and mental strength, and his race craft is something that belies the fact he is just 18 years of age. Last weekend, around the toughest motocross circuit in the world, the teenager took on championship rival Romain Febvre and came out with a 1-2-1 performance to take the Grand Prix victory and cut the series points deficit to just nine.
While the young rider goes into the final rounds with a lot of confidence having won the last three GPs in Finland, Czech Republic and Belgium, he knows that the fight has just began and after some aggressive racing in the deep sand. In addition, he knows that he will need to be more careful and race safe if he wants to become the first Belgian World Motocross Champion in nearly 20 years.
Last time a rider from that famous motocross nation won the world title? It was back in 2007 when Steve Ramon won the MX1 World Championship, a year when Coenen and his twin brother turned one year old. Unbeknown to the amazing history of this country, Coenen does know that a World title for Belgium would place them back at the top of the sport, a place the Belgian riders owned for decades.
Geoff Meyer of MXLarge.com caught up with Lucas today to talk about his sensational victory at Lommel yesterday.
MXLarge: It was a really tough Grand Prix, with Romain really pushing hard, really tough racing. You are so young, but you remain really calm. How did you learn to be so calm?
Lucas Coenen: I mean, it is difficult, because Romain had a good start and I came from the back and lost some energy passing people and he was just waiting for me to come, and he was just relaxing up front and waiting for me to push. I think I showed some lines too early in moto one. So, he knew where I was going. I said to myself, ‘Let’s try and take the lead on the pit lane.' I went for it and messed up the corner after. He always goes long on the finish line jump, and I went for it. I didn’t feel good for jumping the triple after and I just doubled it, and he tripled it, and I thought to myself, ‘I hope he isn’t going to cross into me’ but I saw a green fender coming straight into me. He went a bit straight, and I tried to stay calm. If you rode the main line, it was difficult to pass.
The pass looked very aggressive, but I didn’t think it looked dirty. Are you expecting that more now, that the points are close, that Romain will be more aggressive towards you?
I have never been an aggressive rider, like in moto one, in front of pit lane, I was in front of him, but I backed off. If I wanted, I could have gone straight and he would have been sent into the pit lane, but I am not that type of rider, maybe I need to learn to be like that. The pass he did, if I didn’t jump out of the track, for sure I would have been on my ear. For me, it is good he started it, because, when you start it, you know you can get it back. It won’t be my fault, if I give him the business back. He started it, so I can also do it now. It is something he has unlocked. I have patience but I know if I get an opening, I will go for it and I won’t be shy, you know. We are racing for the championship, and he started with an aggressive pass. He didn’t touch me, but now it’s on.
Your race craft is really impressive, and we see that with Jett Lawrence, where he can control a race really well, or find speed when he needs it. You remind me so much of him, but he also has great mental strength, and you also have that. Where does that come from? We see it with his father Darren; he seems to give his boys really good advice and keeps them calm. Where do you get that from?
I mean, I got that for some time, and I work on myself with my father and my brother. We have good people around and we are strong mentally. The start of the season was tough for me, so I grew a lot with mental strength. Everything together, it just gets better.
| Position | Rider | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Romain Febvre |  | 956 |
| 2 |  Lucas Coenen |  | 917 |
| 3 |  Glenn Coldenhoff |  | 678 |
| 4 |  Ruben Fernandez |  | 620 |
| 5 |  Jeffrey Herlings | | 608 |
You mentioned in the press conference yesterday that Finland was a better win and I assume you mean it was better racing from you, but nothing could beat winning your Grand Prix at home, with the fans going crazy for you. Was that the case?
Yes, I felt better in Finland, but Lommel, yes, it was the best one. Finland my starts were up front, and I controlled it, but Lommel, I didn’t take start at the front, and I was fighting. If I took the holeshot in moto one in Lommel and Romain was at the back, he would never catch me. If he was in my position in that moto and I was in his position, I was gone. I know how I would have raced that moto. That is what I mean about Finland, I felt better. It was good to see I got bad starts and I came from the back and went to the front, so that was good.
Tim is coming back for Sweden, Jeffrey will also be getting his speed up, so those two will be wanting to fight for moto wins and GP wins. They might make some difficulties for you and Romain as far as making the chance there can be a big points swing. Do you think about them at all and what could happen?
I don’t think about them at all, not at all. I just want to go racing, get the starts and do the rest. That is the main thing.
You have won the last three GPs and have a lot of momentum. How do you control that now, going into the final five rounds? Do you need to mentally sit and think how to deal with that, or you just let it happen as it happens?
I just try and stay focused, improve every weekend and don’t take any risk, like I did in moto one in Lommel. I was really fast and could gain two seconds in a lap, so I don’t need to take risks like I did in moto one. I made a big mistake and managed to take the bike back, with my strength. Then I backed off. I grew a lot from that mistake, in fact the last year I grew a lot in that. I know I have my head on my shoulders, and I will not take the extra risk for something like three points. I felt in Lommel, you couldn’t pass anymore in that last lap (moto one).
I was speaking to the Belgian media, and they said you had a lot of media leading into Lommel and you also got sick late in the week, maybe from having your energy down from all the media work. Can you tell me about that?
Yes, we started with the media on the Tuesday, and every day was stuff to do, interviews, videos. My body was destroyed. The night from Friday to Saturday I didn’t sleep. I got a fever, and I was under some medication for two days and I managed to survive. It was also mental because, you know when you are sick, you are not 100 percent ready to give your fullest and you know Lommel is the toughest Grand Prix of the year. You need to be fit for Lommel and when you go there sick, it isn’t the best feeling. Overall, I kept it quiet and away from people. I took time with the fans on Friday, but I took some time for myself, because when you are sick, you are sleeping in the day. Had I spent more time with the people, I would have been even more tired. It was difficult, but it’s part of it and it can happen. It was the first year at my home Grand Prix where the people really want a piece of you. They were so hyped when they saw me. I didn’t really understand it so well, so many fans wanting me. I don’t feel like I am special, so it was weird for me. It was good, but you get tired also from that. It was my first time like that, and it will get better when I have more experience from that.
You and Sasha had the special Fly Racing gear, and it looked really nice. Did you have anything to do with the design and how did you like wearing it?
Yes, we did it together. I checked with the team, and I wanted some red and white and some lines in the back and a Belgian flag somewhere and this was the second one they made, and I liked it a lot. It wasn’t difficult to like. They did a great job with the gear.
You mentioned in the press conference, that you don’t know much about the old Belgian history. For many older fans, we know it very well and it means a lot to us. You were not even born when Stefan Everts retired, and you were one year old when Steve Ramon won Belgium their last World Championship. I can imagine, with that history, and so long since we had a Belgian World champion, winning this MXGP title would be really important for the country.
Yes, that would be awesome to bring them back on top and get Belgium to the highest level. We also want to try and get more tracks, because we don’t have many tracks and maybe if they see we have a World Champion and riders at the top, we can get the sport on top and maybe they see the talent and try and make more tracks.
We saw at the Motocross of Nations last year, how passionate you are about that race and obviously, Jett Lawrence is the top guy over there and we all love watching him, such an incredible talent. How would it feel to line up against him and race him on American soil, a place you are very interested in? Is that something you think about at all?
I mean, I would love to battle with him or just be at his back (behind him), just learning. Enjoying everything I can about racing in America. Also I’ll be racing in the U.S. for the first time when I go there. When I go to the Nations, I go to enjoy it, but it has always been my dream to go to the U.S., so the first time I go there, I will enjoy going there even more than racing. It would be nice to battle with him. Next year I will race Grand Prix, but I would enjoy my first ever trip to America.
