Lommel presents difficult challenge for Team HRC

The deep sand of Lommel, Belgium is next up for Team HRC’s Ruben Fernandez and Tim Gajser, as they both look to continue their different trajectories in this 2023 MXGP World Championship.

Fernandez is just a few points behind third place in the standings, and heads to Belgium off the back of a consistent run of top six finishes. However, sand isn’t his preferred terrain and he knows that it will be a big challenge to maintain that form over the course of the weekend. In saying that, the Spaniard has made great strides in a lot of his skillset in 2023 and this track will provide the perfect chance for him to show everyone just how much he has improved on this most difficult aspect of riding.

Teammate Gajser now has one round under his belt, after making his return to racing at the MXGP of Czech Republic last weekend, and after an excellent fifth place in the second moto, he’ll head to Lommel with a bit more confidence that his recovery is on the right track. Having won at the proclaimed ‘toughest race in the world’ in previous years, the #243 knows how difficult it is to have success in Lommel, but with the pressure off, he also knows that he has the ability to mix it up with the best in the world. However, he will be the first to admit that his main goal is to be building towards 2024 now, and with riding sand being an important ability, this is an excellent test for him and the Honda CRF450R to prepare him for the challenges ahead.

Coming from the hard-pack hillside of Loket, to the deep sand of Lommel is never an easy-task, especially in back-to-back weekends, but both riders will use the few days in between to get in some last-minute practice in similar conditions before making their way to infamous industrial estate that is home to the circuit, that has recently undergone a facelift in preparation for this 13^th round of the world motocross championship.