On Sunday, March 5 Lierop (Netherlands), a good roster of riders will be racing at the start of the Dutch MX season at the Hersele bos circuit. According to the entry list, it looks like a mini-Grand Prix with factory riders in both MXGP and MX2 divisions.
In the MXGP class, Romain Febvre along with his Kawasaki Racing teammate Mitch Evans will be one of the favorites. Last weekend Febvre showed some speed beating Glenn Coldenhoff in the first moto at the International Hawkstone Park, but the Monster Energy Yamaha rider was the eventual winner, though. For Evans, this will be his first race of the year before Argentina.
GASGAS Factory rider Jorge Prado is also in for this weekend. The Spaniard started his preseason race calendar a week ago on his home soil in Lugo, Spain, in the second round of the Spanish championship. Prado was second overall behind Rubén Fernández of Honda HRC.
By the way, neither Coldenhoff nor Ferández will be racing in Lierop.
Also, Brian Bogers and Pauls Jonass of the Standing Construct Honda MXGP team will ride their last race in Lierop before heading to the first round of the MXGP World Championship.
Calvin Vlaanderen of Gebben van Venrooy Yamaha won the International of Sommieres (France) and now is heading to Lierop for his second preseason race.
Joining them Benoit Paturel, Sven van der Mierden, Micha Boy de Waal, Alvin Ostlund, Hardi Roosiorg, Harri Kullas, Adam Sterry and Davy Pootjes, as well as Belgian Brent Van Doninck of JM Racing Honda and former Grand Prix winner and reigning ADAC Masters Champion, Max Nagl.
In the MX2 class, Dutch riders like Kay de Wolf and Roan Van de Moosdijk of Nestaan Husqvarna, Kay Karssemakers of BT Husqvarna, Cas Valk of Madii Racing, and Rick Elzinga of Monster Energy Yamaha will be defending the Netherlands flag colors at Lierop against runner-up MX2 world champ Jago Geerts and french rider Thibault Benistant, both from Monster Energy Yamaha.
Besides the official factory Yamaha team in the MX2 class, the Hutten Metaal Yamaha team will also come to Lierop with Ivano van Erp, Andrea Bonacorsi and Karlis Alberts Reisulis.
In addition to these names, WMX stars such as Larissa Papenmeier, Lynn Valk, Shana van der Vlist, Amandine Verstappen, and Lotte Van Drunen will be lining up against MX2 boys as a preparation for the first WMX World Championship wich will be held in Sardinia on March 24 & 25
And what about Jeffrey Herlings? Well, “The bullet” will be racing too, but not in Lierop. Instead, Herlings will be lining up in Lacapelle-Marival in the first round of the French Elite series. You can check all the information and the entry list here:
