Lucas Coenen secured his third consecutive MX2 win, with Kay de Wolf finishing second. In MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini raced to a Fox Holeshot award on Saturday and a top ten overall finish on Sunday.
Grand Prix winners, championship leaders, and pace setters at every race. The Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing Team are a force to be reckoned with, delivering another outstanding set of results at the MXGP of Germany. Battling through the thick and rutted mud of the 1590m long Teutschenthal circuit, in the east of Germany, Lucas Coenen secured his third consecutive MX2 Grand Prix victory, with championship leader and current Red Plate holder Kay de Wolf finishing a close second.
The sheer dominance of the Husqvarna squad is impressive; with both riders locking out the podium. For Coenen, in particular, the result in Germany marks three overall event wins and five race victories in a row, with one in Galicia, two in France, and two at Teutschenthal.
In the opening MX2 moto, Lucas Coenen burst out of the start gate to secure his first Fox Holeshot of the season, immediately romping into the lead. He maintained this position throughout all 18 laps, virtually unchallenged by anyone other than his teammate. Meanwhile, Kay de Wolf battled fiercely from the start, engaging in a close fight with Simon Längenfelder before securing second place. De Wolf consistently closed the gap to Coenen, narrowing it to just one second by lap 15. Despite a hard push, de Wolf ran wide on the last lap, allowing Coenen to secure the win with a 2.5-second lead, leaving de Wolf to finish a commendable second.
The afternoon’s second moto saw improved weather conditions after the lunch break. In a slight role reversal, de Wolf surged into the lead by lap two, building a 2.5-second gap over Lucas Coenen by lap five. However, a crash at the pit lane corner on lap eight saw him drop to third. Undeterred, de Wolf fought back, overtaking Simon Längenfelder on lap 15 to reclaim second place. Meanwhile, Coenen maintained solid pace, building a comfortable 7.4-second lead at the head of the field. The victory marked Coenen’s fifth consecutive race win and his third Grand Prix victory in a row, propelling him to second in the championship standings.
Meanwhile, in MXGP, Mattia Guadagnini faced a challenging weekend. Despite a blistering start, Guadagnini was hampered by the tough track conditions and dropped back to 18th. Throughout the opening moto, he steadily climbed to 12th by lap four and held on to 11th from lap six onwards, finishing just behind rival Jeremy Seewer.
A similar race followed in the second moto for Guadagnini. Despite slipping to 25th on the first lap, he climbed back to 20th by lap four and eventually grabbed 12th on the last lap. More importantly, the 10th overall finish at the MXGP of Germany earned Guadagnini a three-position bump in the championship standings.
The 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship continues next weekend with the MXGP of Latvia on 9th June.
#101 – Mattia Guadagnini: “I can be quite happy with today! I didn’t feel great yesterday and couldn’t find my flow, but I took the holeshot in the qualifying race and did my best to finish in a respectable 10th place. Today was much better; unfortunately, I had two really bad starts, but I managed two solid comebacks and can be satisfied with my riding and determination. Things are getting better and better, and soon we’ll be closer to the front.”
#74 – Kay de Wolf: “I made a few mistakes in the second moto, but overall, it was a weekend full of positive vibes. We gained crucial points in the championship, which is what it’s all about. The main goal is to maintain consistency every weekend and keep finishing as high as possible. Overall, I’m really happy with this weekend; I think, as a team, we showed great speed and only made a few minor mistakes, which we’ll definitely work on. I’m really pleased and can’t thank the team enough!”
#96 – Lucas Coenen: “It feels fantastic to get this result, especially here, to be honest. I was concerned we might struggle as we did last year, but now I’ve put that behind me. It was a perfect weekend. In the first moto, I had a great battle with my teammate Kay, and in the second moto, I aimed to do the same. He was ahead of me, so I pushed hard and wasn’t sure if I could get past him. Then I saw him go down in a corner, which allowed me to overtake. It was an easier race from then on, but I’m just delighted to have another great weekend. We will keep building on these results, and I’m looking forward to Latvia.”
Results – 2024 FIM Motocross World Championship, Round Eight
MXGP – Overall:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 50pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 42pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM); 42pts; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 21pts
MXGP – Moto One:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 36:00.648; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 36:13.543; 3. Tim Gajser (Honda) 36:15.337; 11. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 36:59.117
MXGP – Moto Two:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 35:36.969; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 35:40.298; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 35:44.347; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 37:03.323
MXGP – Standings:
1. Jorge Prado (GASGAS) 402pts; 2. Tim Gajser (Honda) 400pts; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 336pts; 18. Mattia Guadagnini (Husqvarna) 71pts
MX2 – Overall:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 50pts; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 44pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 40pts; 4. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 33pts; 7. Liam Everts (KTM) 28pts; 12. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 19pts; 32. Marc Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 0pts
MX2 – Moto One:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:07.874;2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:11.538; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35:32.949; 4. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 36:02.634; 7. Liam Everts (KTM) 36:23.761; 13. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 35:26.761; 35. Marc Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) DNS
MX2 – Moto Two:
1. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 35:45.714; 2. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 35:55.219; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 35:56.893; 6. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 36:28.616; 7. Liam Everts (KTM) 36:44.741; 10. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 37:01. 596; DNS. Marc Antoine Rossi (GASGAS)
MX2 – Standings:
1. Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) 396pts; 2. Lucas Coenen (Husqvarna) 337pts; 3. Simon Längenfelder (GASGAS) 333pts; 4. Liam Everts (KTM) 304pts; 5. Andrea Adamo (KTM) 299pts
9. Sacha Coenen (KTM) 178pts; 14. Marc-Antoine Rossi (GASGAS) 122pts
