Lucas Coenen’s return to MXGP competition will have to wait a little longer after the Belgian was forced to withdraw from his home Grand Prix at Lommel due to ongoing pain from the injury he sustained at Foxhills.
The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing De Carli rider arrived at Round 14 hoping to make his comeback after missing the last two rounds. Coenen was able to take part in Free Practice and posted the fifth-fastest time, but discomfort on the bike quickly made it clear that he was not yet ready to race.
After assessing the situation with his team, the decision was made to withdraw from the remainder of the event before qualifying and race action began.
The setback marks Coenen’s third consecutive missed Grand Prix since suffering nerve compression on the left side of his hip following his crash at Foxhills. His absence from Lommel dropped to third in the MXGP standings behind Romain Febvre.
The good news for the KTM rider is that the MXGP calendar now enters a weekend break before the next round in Uddevalla, Sweden. The coming days are expected to be crucial in determining both the progress of his recovery and a potential timeline for his return to racing.
«I was able to ride in practice, but I couldn’t do more than two laps because I was in too much pain. I had some tests done, and on Wednesday I’ll have more evaluations, when we’ll know more about my future.»
