The Van Venrooy KTM team made the journey to Lugo, Spain, for round eight of the MX2 World Championship. It was nice to have the team at full strength with both Cas and Lynn Valk lining up under the awning, as the second round of the WMX series also took place.
Saturday’s track conditions were dry and fast, which provided a good opportunity for both Valk siblings to showcase their potential. In the MX2 qualifying race, Cas delivered an impressive ride, charging through the field to finish seventh after a start outside the top ten — a strong performance on a circuit that offered limited passing opportunities.
However, heavy overnight rain transformed the circuit heading into Sunday, creating a muddy and treacherous track for race day. Cas didn’t have it easy in the challenging conditions, making a number of mistakes in the first moto and ultimately finishing eighteenth. Unfortunately, his weekend ended on a low note as technical issues forced him to retire from race two.
On the WMX side, Lynn Valk enjoyed a much more positive outing. She grabbed the holeshot in the opening moto and held her own at the front before crossing the line in a strong third place. In the second moto — held in perhaps the worst conditions of the weekend — Lynn showed grit and determination to finish fourth, which earned her fourth overall on the day with consistent 3-4 results.
Despite mixed fortunes, the Van Venrooy KTM squad showed resilience and potential in Lugo, with both Cas and Lynn continuing to build momentum as the season progresses.
Cas Valk (20th overall): It was not the weekend we hoped for. Saturday was a good day with a good qualifying race but Sunday in the first moto I made some mistakes and unfortunately in the second moto it ended early with a technical issue. We keep working and on to the next one.
Lynn Valk (4th overall): The first moto I had a really good start and could lead for a long time. Both girls were pushing on this high speed track so I finished in third. It was a pretty solid feeling especially after my timed practice which wasn’t good. Sunday it was a completely opposite track. I had a good jump out of the gate but then lost a bit in the mud because in the beginning I was too careful and then afterwards just didn’t really have the flow. Overall I was fourth which is okay, but I will get ready for Teutschenthal to show what I worked hard for this winter.
Photocredits – Juan Pablo Acevedo
