On Sunday, the 3rd of March, the starting gate will drop down on Dutch soil for the first time at the Dutch MX Season Opener in Lierop. It promises to be a mini Grand Prix and many strong riders will race the event.
In the 500 class we will have five-time world champion Jeffrey Herlings behind the gate. Herlings is working on a good preparation and wants to gain some more race rhtyhm in Lierop before he travels to Argentina for the first Grand Prix! But in the 500 class we still have a number of strong riders who know how to find their way in the sand, including Jago Geerts and Calvin Vlaanderen from the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory team and Honda riders Brent van Doninck (JM Honda Racing) and Pauls Jonass (Standing Construct Honda) who were both successful on the tough sand circuit last year. In addition, we will also welcome Benoit Paturel, Petar Petrov and Kevin Brumann in Lierop as well as ADAC champion Max Nagl and his compatriot Henry Jacobi.
In the 250 class, the revs are going to be high in Lierop. Dutch MX2 star, Kay de Wolf, is coming to Lierop and will defend his title from last year. De Wolf comes from Eersel and is a real sand specialist, which will certainly be enjoyed on the tough circuit of Lierop. But we have even more Dutch top talents who are going to put the pedal to the metal in Lierop and these are Kay Karssemakers and Cas Valk, last year second and third in the EMX250 Championship. Jens Walvoort, who will ride the full MX2 world championship this year, will also be present in Lierop, as will Bradley Mesters.
These five Dutchmen will face multiple EMX250 winner, Hakon Fredriksen and his teammate at WZ Racing, Oriol Oliver from Spain. Max Werner and Hakon Osterhagen from the Jacky Martens team are also coming to Lierop!
The 125 class is full of talent. Gyan Doensen, who recently became Italian Champion, wants to continue his good form in Lierop. He will be joined by Dean Gregoire, Dani Heitink, Jayson van Drunen and Dex Kooiker. But there are also strong riders from the Belgian side coming to Lierop with Jarne Bervoets and Tyla van de Poel. Riders who should also be reckoned with are Kasimir Hindersson, Max Ernecker, Aron Katona and Freddie Bartlett.
Over forty participants in the 85cc are eager to enter the Lierop circuit. There are many Dutch talents among them, but also fast riders from abroad. In addition, we have a number of fast ladies behind the gate in Lierop, including Lotte van Drunen, Lynn Valk, Shana van der Vlist, Danee Gelissen, Sara Anderson and others.
We are confident that a few more riders will sign up for the race, so it will be another race which you can’t miss.
