It’s official! Lucas and Sacha Coenen will make their AMA Pro Motocross debut, a move fans have been dreaming about for years and one that previously seemed to surface only through rumors season after season. Now it’s finally happening: the talented Belgian brothers will line up for round three of the championship on Saturday, June 13, at Thunder Valley.
With that in mind, let’s take a look back at some Belgian riders who also left their mark in the United States.
Roger De Coster
Yes… maybe the obvious place to start. But there was simply no other choice than Roger De Coster, one of the most influential figures in motocross history. Alongside his success in the FIM Motocross World Championship, De Coster played a major role in helping motocross grow in the United States through the Trans-AMA Series, which brought together the best American and European riders of the era.
“The Man” won the Trans-AMA Championship four consecutive times between 1974 and 1977, becoming one of the sport’s most respected names on both sides of the Atlantic.
Harry Everts
Another Belgian legend who competed in the Trans-AMA Series was Harry Everts. The patriarch of the Everts family managed to defeat De Coster during the sixth round of the 1974 season in Washington.
That victory was not only his first in America, but also the only win for the Puch brand on U.S. soil.
Stefan Everts
More than two decades later, it was time for his son Stefan to take his shot. By 1997, Stefan Everts already had four world titles to his name, but he still wanted to prove himself against America’s best riders.
He entered the eighth round of the AMA Pro Motocross Championship at Unadilla and delivered a strong performance, finishing fourth overall with 3-5 moto scores aboard his Honda.
Could we one day see Liam Everts following the same path?
Clément Desalle
Desalle made a total of four AMA Pro Motocross appearances during his career. His first came in 2009 at Washougal as a privateer Honda rider, where he finished 10th overall with moto scores of 3-25.
Desalle vs Dungey
One year later he returned for redemption, this time as an official Suzuki rider. At Unadilla, Desalle battled side-by-side with Ryan Dungey and finished second overall.
In 2013 he returned once again for the Thunder Valley and Tennessee rounds, where he placed sixth overall in both events with moto finishes of 5-7-5-9.
Kevin Strijbos
Joining Desalle in 2013 was his Suzuki teammate Kevin Strijbos, whose performances also caught attention. The Belgian rider finished ninth and seventh overall in those same rounds with moto scores of 10-8-14-7.
