Last weekend it was the contrast of riding styles between Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl and Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser that set the tone at the MXGP of Czech Republic, which took place at the heavily elevated, rocky, clay-based track of Loket. Staying in tune with the theme of contrast, this weekend the fourteenth round of the FIM Motocross World Championship, the Fiat Professional MXGP of Belgium will take place in Lommel, a facility that has no hills but is made out of bottomless sand.

Ask anyone; ‘out of the eighteen tracks that make up the MXGP series, which one is the gnarliest?’ There is a 90 % chance that their response will be ‘Lommel’ and you’ll see why this weekend especially with the addition of the European Championship where titles can be won in the EMX250, EMX125 Presented by FMF Racing and the EMX300 Presented by FMF Racing. The Honda European 150 Championship will also line up for the third round of their series.

MXGP

Last weekend Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl ‘s performance was epic to see, especially with Tim Gajser being at the top of his game right now. The German, who was a member of Team Germany, the team that won the 2012 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations that took place right here in the brutal pits of Lommel, will be a threat for the podium once again this weekend.

The super flamboyant cat we call ‘Tiga’, Honda Gariboldi’s Tim Gajser, is bound to be a hard beast to tame this weekend. Flashback to his epic performance in the sand of Valkenswaard, another famed sand track that is only 30km away from here, earlier this season where he won the opening race. Tim has been laying the smack down on everyone in MXGP over the last thirteen rounds. He’s yet to finish off the podium and currently leads the championship by 109 points over Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli.

In case you missed it Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli switched back to the KTM350SX-F last weekend in Loket and while he didn’t make quite the splash he was hoping for, there’s a good chance he is 100% sure he’s made the right choice for this weekend, even though it’s not his home grand prix, it’s the next closest thing for the Italian who resides in Lommel during the season.

It will be an actual home grand prix for three more podium threats, Team Suzuki World MXGP’s Kevin Strijbos, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek and Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Clement Desalle. All three riders don’t ride Lommel as often as you think, but it is a track that is hard to forget, so they’ll be quick.

Meanwhile another rider you will need to keep an eye on is Wilvo Virus Performance KTM’s Shaun Simpson, last years MXGP of Belgium winner. Simpson has been struggling with bike set-up and injuries this season, but will be feeling home this weekend since he lives only a few minutes up the road.

As for the defending champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre, he will be feeling a bit better this weekend with another week of training and testing under his belt.

2015 MXGP of Belgium, Lommel MXGP Top 3

Shaun Simpson
Gautier Paulin
Romain Febvre

MXGP Championship Top Ten: 1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 576 points; 2. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 467 p.; 3. Maximilian Nagl (GER, HUS), 451 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, YAM), 448 p.; 5. Evgeny Bobryshev (RUS, HON), 419 p.; 6. Jeremy Van Horebeek (BEL, YAM), 385 p.; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, YAM), 286 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, KTM), 248 p.; 9. Clement Desalle (BEL, KAW), 244 p.; 10. Shaun Simpson (GBR, KTM), 225 p.

MX2

It’s been said about one hundred million times before; Jeffrey Herlings biggest problem is…Jeffrey Herlings. There is no confirmation just yet, but all fingers and toes are crossed that The Bullet will line up on his Red Bull KTM Factory Racing machine in Lommel this weekend. If he doesn’t line up then the main candidates for the win in MX2 will be Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Dylan Ferrandis, Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Anstie, Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass, if he was going to ride.

Anstie is a ‘coulda-shoulda-woulda’ type of rider. He’s got the skills, as we’ve seen before since he is a two-time grand prix winner here in the sands of Lommel. He has won it for the last two years and is likely to do the same again if Jeffrey is not on the line, although in saying that Ferrandis knows a thing or two about riding sand as well and since he is coming off his first grand prix win of the season, last weekend, he could be a good bet.

While you may not have normally picked Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer as a potential winner in the sand, it will be interesting to see his progression since training under the wing of the ten-time FIM Motocross World Champion Stefan Everts.

As for the super-spoilers… Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Petar Petrov is another “local”, even though he is originally Bulgarian, he has been living in Lommel for what seems like forever. Last year the ‘152’ landed on the podium here for the first time in his career. He’ll be expecting the same or better this weekend.

HSF Logistics Motorsport Team’s Brian Bogers is a killer sand rider as well, as is Kemea Yamaha’s Brent Van Doninck who is rumored to be back this weekend.

2015 MXGP of Belgium, Lommel MX2 Top 3

Max Anstie
Pauls Jonass
Petar Petrov

MX2 Championship Top Ten: 1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 597 points; 2. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, SUZ), 470 p.; 3. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KTM), 403 p.; 4. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 359 p.; 5. Dylan Ferrandis (FRA, KAW), 358 p.; 6. Aleksandr Tonkov (RUS, YAM), 320 p.; 7. Max Anstie (GBR, HUS), 316 p.; 8. Petar Petrov (BUL, KAW), 282 p.; 9. Samuele Bernardini (ITA, TM), 279 p.; 10. Brian Bogers (NED, KTM), 246 p.

TIMETABLE

Saturday: EMX300 Free/Timed Practice 07:55; EMX125 Group 1 Free/Timed Practice 08:30; EMX125 Group 2 Free/Timed Practice 09:05; EMX150 Free/Timed Practice 09:40; MX2 Free Practice 10:15; MXGP Free Practice 10:45; EMX125 Last chance Qualifying Race 11:30; EMX250 Group 1 Free/Timed Practice 12:00; EMX250 Group 2 Free/Timed Practice 12:35; EMX300 Race 1 13:20; MX2 Time Practice 14:00; MXGP Time Practice 14:35; EMX150 Race 1 15:25; MX2 Qualifying Race 16:10; MXGP Qualifying Race 17:00; EMX125 Race 1 17:45; EMX250 Last chance Qualifying Race 18:355.

Sunday: EMX300 Race 2 08:30; EMX250 Race 1 09:30; MX2 Warm up 10:10; MXGP Warm up 10:30; EMX150 Race 2 11:10; EMX125 Race 2 12:05; MX2 Race 1 13:15; MXGP Race 1 14:15; EMX250 Race 2 15:10; MX2 Race 2 16:10; MXGP Race 2 17:10.