The Red Bull KTM De Carli rider will not compete at his home Grand Prix.
The deep sands of Lommel are hosting Round 14 of the FIM Motocross World Championship this weekend, and just as in the previous two rounds, uncertainty surrounded Lucas Coenen’s participation until the very last moment.
The Belgian rider did take part in Saturday morning’s Free Practice session, where he posted the fifth-fastest time. However, after further evaluation with his team, the decision has been made to withdraw from the remainder of the Grand Prix and focus entirely on his recovery.
Following Lommel, the championship will enter a scheduled weekend off before returning to action, giving Coenen additional time to recover ahead of the final stretch of the season.
The KTM rider is still dealing with a nerve compression injury in his hip sustained during the Qualifying Race crash at Foxhills. The injury has sidelined him from competition ever since and has ultimately cost him the championship lead.
As a result, Jeffrey Herlings (Honda HRC Petronas) now holds a 49-point advantage at the top of the MXGP standings. With Coenen out of action once again, Romain Febvre (Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP) becomes the closest active rider to the Dutchman in the championship, although he remains 74 points adrift of the series leader.
