De Carli KTM Factory rider Lucas Coenen enters the MXGP class in 2025 and without question his appearance on the 450 is going to be one of the highlights of the upcoming season. The talented Belgian, who finished runner-up in the 2024 MX2 Motocross World Championship and showed blazing speed at the end of season Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations is obviously excited for the upcoming 450 debut and knows that the big bike is a much more difficult story than the MX2 machine.
The 18-year-old is also realistic enough to understand that the MXGP riders, names like Tim Gajser, Jeffrey Herlings, and Romain Febvre will make life difficult for him and making a debut on the 450 will take some time and a lot of hard work to be 100 percent ready.
With a goal of racing in America in the near future and under the lights of Monster Energy AMA Supercross, we figured it would be a good idea to give him a call and ask about the opening two rounds at A1 and San Diego. Already a fan of Australian Jett Lawrence, having met the Honda HRC Progressive man at the Matterley Basin MXoN, Coenen has his favorite, but he just loves the whole spectacle of supercross.
It comes as no surprise that the same man who is the manager of the Lawrence brothers, Lucas Mirtl, also deals with Lucas and his brother, Sacha. An important person to have in your corner, if you are looking for a ride in the U.S. One thing is for sure, when the Coenen's arrive in America, be it 2026 or later, they should be lining up in one of the most powerful teams in the sport.
As always, Lucas was a pleasure to interview, with his friendly nature and it is always nice to talk with riders who are still huge fans and can be positive about our beautiful sport. If you haven't gotten the chance, go check out his Instagram, as he loves to have a good time, buying an old 1970s car, riding in his new FLY gear, or playing with his dog.