When the kid is on, he is nearly unbeatable and yesterday in Almonte, Spain, Red Bull KTM factory rider, Lucas Coenen showed speed that was unmatchable by any of his rivals. Blazing starts, quickly to the front and looking like a future world champion, there isn’t a lot to add to what was a perfect weekend, with 1-1-1 results and the red plate in the MXGP championship.
Coming into the second round of the FIM world motocross championship, it would have been easy to select HRC factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings as a heavy favourite. His 1-1 victory in the opening round in Argentina looked as good as anything he had done in the past. He had also beaten defending MXGP Champion Romain Febvre in deep sand in Lierop and Oss, in international races in The Netherlands. But even “The Bullet” didn’t have anything for the Belgian teenager in the rough sand track of Almonte.
As for Coenen, his delicate procession of perfection around this very difficult circuit showed that his performance in Argentina was definitely something that we won’t see much of in 2026.
MXlarge: Just quickly on Saturday, both you and Sasha won the qualification race, which must have been nice to celebrate that a little on Saturday night?Lucas Coenen: Yes, it was fun, 1-1 for us both was amazing.
How did that win on Saturday feel?
A win is never easy, but I really enjoyed it out there. I made a big mistake at one point, but I’m trying to push myself and learn, even on the difficult sections. The track is fun but very technical, so tomorrow is going to be tough, but I’m looking forward to some good battles.
It was a very tough circuit, and you were perfect all weekend. What can you say about this win?
Overall, the track suited me. Took some good starts and had some good lines. I think I was always second out of the start, and that was good. I made quick passes and went out there and rode my own race. I took three moto wins, so the perfect weekend.
They held the gate a lot time in that opening moto and even though you won, it looked like it took great concentration on that start. Did that cause any problems?
I mean, feeling good, the start I had trouble (with them holding it longer), but then I locked in and took second behind Tom, but I passed him and then I got a gap and controlled it. I’m not thinking about the championship, just focusing on myself and I’m loving it.
Your starts were much better than in Argentina, did you make any adjustments between then and now?
Argentina, was difficult and it’s hard to know what is good and what is not. I wasn’t really stressed from Argentina, because I knew it was high altitude.
You got a big blister in the second race, did that cause any problems for you?This track is brutal and after the first moto my hand was already completely red and I said to myself, I hope it doesn’t pop in the beginning of the second race. I hit the triple and it popped open and it was pretty painful, but you don’t really feel it, because it’s for the win.
You also picked up the red plate, what do you think about this?
My first red plate! My first one, but it’s only the beginning of the season, so we’ve got to be consistent. I am so pumped at the moment, but we all know the season is still so long. The team worked really hard for me after the GP in Argentina and we bounced back pretty good. Fast starts and I passed people quickly here. I then managed the storm. Three wins this weekend: I can’t do better. We’ll try to keep it like that and look to the next round.
You showed amazing speed. Jeffrey has looked very good, winning in Argentina, and also beating Romain in two races in Holland, in Lierop and Oss. Coming into this race and beating him here, that must be pretty nice?
I mean, I took the start in front of him and that was it. Maybe if he was in front of me, I couldn’t pass. I think all the top riders are a similar class, so I had to take advantage this weekend. I took those two good starts and just pushed the whole way through. It was good. It was pretty tough and it was even in some ways tougher than Lommel, because underneath it’s hard and you get a lot of impact on your arms. Overall, it suited me.
MXGP of Andalucia (Spain) - MXGP
March 22, 2026
| Rider | Motos | Bike | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Lucas Coenen |  | 1 - 1 | KTM |
| 2 |  Jeffrey Herlings |  | 2 - 2 | Honda |
| 3 |  Tim Gajser |  | 6 - 3 | Yamaha |
| 4 |  Maxime Renaux |  | 4 - 6 | Yamaha |
| 5 |  Andrea Adamo |  | 7 - 4 | KTM |
| Position | Rider | Points | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lucas Coenen | | 102 |
| 2 | Jeffrey Herlings | | 94 |
| 3 |  Tom Vialle | | 89 |
| 4 |  Romain Febvre | | 75 |
| 5 | Maxime Renaux | | 75 |
You are very confident, and against some of the all-time great rider in the sport. Where do you get that confidence?
It is also about being good under pressure. Everything clicked and I am sure about myself, so that is good.
Coming into 2026, obviously Jeffrey and Tim are on new teams. Does that give you a feeling of an advantage, as you are on the same team and comfortable with the bike?
No, not really, because this is only my second year in the MXGP class. Sure, they changed teams and they didn’t have much time, but when we line up on the gate, everyone wants the same and that is to win. I think the three of us all did a really good job.
You are very young, and they are really experienced, with a lot of world championships. You might be a racer in the class, but obviously you are also a big fan of the sport. How is that lining up against two guys who are legends of the sport?
When you are on the podium, you realize with who you are standing, but on the gate, I am young, but I am the same as them. So, it’s kind of mental and it isn’t always easy, but I manage the pressure.
Romain mentioned last year, you had to prove yourself and once you did that, it would be more difficult to win, maybe less motivated, because you had already proven yourself early in the season. You for sure don’t have to prove yourself anymore, because we all know how good you are. Is it more difficult now, because you had last year and you have GP wins in the class?
When you do that good in the first season, it puts a lot of pressure on you and people are waiting on you, but I think I answered that question today. The season is still very long, and you have to keep pushing and also keep improving.
