Lommel – Danger Zone

It has long been considered the toughest circuit in the motocross world, and when the MXGP and MX2 classes head to Lommel, Belgium this coming weekend you can be sure that riders will suffer around the deep sand track.

For decades Lommel has been a place that riders have to dig deep, and control their fear of the roughest and toughest circuit in the world. No more so than in 1981 and 2012 for the prestigious Motocross of Nations.

Former World Motocross Champion Danny Laporte remembers Lommel well. Back in 1981 LaPorte was part of Team USA, which won the MXoN for America, for the first time ever. Laporte knew when the team arrived at the circuit that it would be hard work, but also felt confident.

“We were training for Lommel,” Laporte said. “Roger (De Coster) said we need somebody to go 45 minutes flat out in this deep Lommel sand. So I said I will do it, and I rode hard, just pinned it and two laps before the 45 minutes I ran out of gas. So we put the gas tanks from the 500cc bikes on our bikes so we had enough gas to finish. Now had we not tried that we wouldn’t have even finished the moto’s in Lommel? That was one really tough circuit and the American riders enjoyed it that year.”

Of course it wasn’t just the 1981 MXoN that saw the circuit enjoy this huge event. Back in 2012 the MXoN returned, and it was the battle between Antonio Cairoli and Jeffrey Herlings, clearly the two best sand riders in the world, that attracted all the attention.

While Cairoli went 1-1 for the individual overall, the performance of Herlings was stunning as he first won his opening moto with ease and then came back from last to nearly win his second moto.

“I was really disappointed not to win both moto’s,” Herlings said at the time. “But to fight back and nearly pass Antonio to win the second moto was a good performance. I felt that was in some ways a victory and showed who is the quickest in the sand. I love Lommel and to race the MXoN there was a high point in my career. Going to that circuit is often a big challenge, but it is one a rider from The Netherlands usually enjoys.”

Now it comes down to this coming weekend, with the MX2 class starting to really fire up the excitement level will be huge. While Jeffrey Herlings won’t be in Lommel due to his most recent injury, the significance of him not being there is important to who wins the 2015 MX2 championship.

With Tim Gajser and Valentin Guillod equal second place behind Herlings in the points race, one of the two will more than likely leave Lommel with the red-plate, and start favorite going to Mantova, Italy in a couple of week’s time.

As for the MXGP class, can Frenchman Romain Febvre continue his great form in the deep sand of Lommel? Or will it be Clement Desalle or Gautier Paulin who come up trumps? Don’t be surprised if recent GP winner Glen Coldenhoff get a victory, as like Herlings he loves the sand of Lommel.