The Van Venrooy KTM squad didn’t have far to travel for round fifteen of the MX2 World Championship as the series made its annual stop at the iconic Lommel circuit in Belgium — widely considered the most demanding track on the calendar. With heavy rain in the lead-up to the weekend, the sand circuit became even more treacherous than usual, pushing riders to their physical and mental limits.
Young Dutch talent, Cas Valk, showed good speed and potential across the weekend. In Saturday’s qualifying race, a mid-pack start saw him buried in fourteenth place after the opening lap, but he regrouped well to make a number of passes and secured a solid eleventh by the chequered flag.
The first moto on Sunday saw Valk get away much better, sitting in tenth after the opening lap. As the race developed and the track continued to deteriorate, he kept his composure and impressed with a strong ride to finish sixth in what was a good ride.
Unfortunately, the second moto didn’t go as smoothly. A crash off the start put him at the back of the field, but he showed determination to get back into the points. However, a second crash later in the race forced him to retire early. Despite that disappointment, the weekend still marked a positive step forward for Valk, proving he can compete with the top MX2 riders in the world when conditions are at their most difficult.
The team now enjoys a short break before heading to Uddevalla, Sweden for round sixteen of the MX2 World Championship.
Cas Valk (14th overall): The first moto was finally a good moto again. It’s a shame about the start crash in second moto because I was feeling good and ready to make another good moto. My body now needs some time to heal after the crash in Loket and again hitting it in the start crash. We will be back in Sweden.
Photocredits – Juan Pablo Acevedo
