Coenen Dominates MXGP in Spain, Takes Championship Lead
Almería, Spain – Lucas Coenen delivered a commanding performance at the MXGP event in Almería, earning his 38th career victory and seizing the championship lead after a dominant two-race weekend.
In Race 1, Coenen engaged in an early battle for the lead against Tom Vialle and Jeffrey Herlings, but quickly established dominance. After overtaking Vialle, Coenen set the Acerbis Fastest Lap of the day on lap four, extending his lead to over 20 seconds by the race’s end. Vialle ended in second, while Romain Febvre clinched third after overtaking Vialle late in the race. Maxime Renaux showcased a strong performance, finishing fourth, and Ben Watson achieved his best result of the season in eighth.
Race 2 saw an unfortunate mishap for Watson, who collided with Herlings and fell. Oriol Oliver capitalized, taking the Fox Holeshot Award. Coenen and Herlings swiftly moved past Adamo, with Coenen extending his lead despite a minor stall. Febvre initially occupied third but crashed on lap five, sidelining him for the rest of the race. Gajser secured fourth, followed by Adamo and Vlaanderen, who finished fifth after passing Vialle.
Overall, Coenen emerged victorious with a total time gap of 20 seconds in Race 1 and a steady Race 2 performance that solidified his championship lead. With a total of 38 points from the weekend, Coenen now leads the series by eight points over Herlings and 13 points over Vialle, while Febvre and Renaux remain tightly grouped in the standings.
Coenen, celebrating his inaugural red plate, remarked, “It feels great to finally hold the championship lead. I’m looking forward to maintaining this momentum.” The next round promises more excitement as competitors aim to close the gap in the standings.
