The fourteenth round of the 2017 FIM Motocross World Championship also drew the EMX125 European Championship competitors together for the sixth round of eight in the current campaign. Hofer was the main emphasis for the KINI KTM Junior team after coming through qualification on his KTM 125 SX and then negotiating the impossibly rough and technical Belgian sand in contrasting motos.
The opening sprint was run on Saturday afternoon and after two torrential rain showers that churned the racing surface further, slowed the lap-times and created swampy sections. A fall in the opening corners after a decent start put Hofer almost last in the forty-strong field. He pushed hard to make his way into the top twenty and grabbed three points for eighteenth place by the chequered flag.
Summer arrived belatedly on Sunday and the second dash occurred under welcome blue skies. Focussed and keen not to repeat his costly error from the previous day, Rene launched from the gate inside the top twenty of the EMX125 flock and steadily moved forwarded to claim a well-deserved eleventh position by the end of the 25 and 2 lap distance.
Didi Lacher, Team Manager: “I just spoke to Rene and reminded him of his position two years ago and when he’d never ridden in the sand! We’ve practiced a lot in the sand but it still doesn't come naturally to him. He scored points in both heats; he came back to 18th from dead last and today made a medium start and rode well but just a bit too slow. He didn't have the same speed as the top guys but I feel it was a good weekend for him. He said he’d never ridden a track like this. I’ve raced at Lommel as well and I know what it’s like for a non-sand rider. With a good start you can watch the fast sand guys but Rene had too much work. In my opinion though he rode very well. The results were not perfect but he got some points and in Frauenfeld he will be ‘there’ for sure.”
Hofer is now sixth in the standings and in one of the most open and competitive EMX125 contests in recent years.
Marcel Stauffer was on the sidelines after the heavy crash he suffered in Lange, Estonia last weekend for the 2017 FIM Junior World Championship. The youngster is nursing injuries to his ribs and lower back and is unlikely to return to action this season. Mike Gwerder missed out on qualification on Saturday.
The KINI KTM Junior team have only a few days to recover from the ordeal of the Lommel sand before the penultimate EMX125 meeting of the season. The Grand Prix of Switzerland will take place at the compact site of Frauenfeld Gachnang for the second year in a row next weekend.
Next Round: August 13 2017 – Frauenfeld (SUI)
Results EMX125 Lommel 2017
1. Mikkel Haarup (DEN), Husqvarna (1-1)
2. Brian Strubhart Moreau (FRA), Kawasaki (4-2)
3. Gianluca Facchetti (ITA), Husqvarna (3-3)
4. Kevin Horgmo (NOR), KTM (2-4)
5. Jeremy Sydow (GER), KTM (9-6)
Other KTM
15. Rene Hofer (AUT), KTM (18-11)
Standings EMX125 2017 after 6 of 8 rounds
1. Strubhart Moreau 248 points
2. Haarup 240
3. Facchetti 229
4. Kevin Horgmo 212
5. Sergi Notario 136
Other KTM
6. Hofer 134
28. Stauffer 27
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