Back in 2010, we all witnessed greatness on the horizon when Red Bull KTM factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings, at just 15 years of age, won his very first Grand Prix, at the Valkenswaard circuit in The Netherlands. Everyone knew that we would see something special from Herlings and rightly so, he would go on to win 107 Grand Prix’s and five World motocross championships. A career that will forever live in our memories and those who follow the sport in the future.

Now, some 15 years later, another Red Bull KTM factory rider, and also a teenager, Lucas Coenen has won his first ever MXGP overall, adding that win, to his 10 MX2 victories. The victory by the Belgian in Switzerland last weekend reminded many of us of that day in Valkenswaard, a decade and a half ago. For Lucas Coenen, any comparison with Herlings is a huge compliment and something that makes him very proud.

“Of course,” Coenen said. “It’s a compliment, he is a legend and for me, I always look to Jeffrey as his style and in the sand, for me, he is still the fastest man on the planet in the sand. For me it is nice, but I also take information from other riders, to learn and build my speed. In Switzerland, I was building but keeping some spare speed if I needed it. I was just controlling the race, like I did at the end of 2024 in the MX2 class. I felt really comfortable in that situation, and it was a bit similar to last year on the 250.”

And while Coenen might have admired Herlings as a child and respect him now, as a rival, he also hopes the two get to battling in the deep sand, possibly of Lommel, or maybe Arnhem. It is something he has dreamt about as a small boy, and something that still gives him chills when he thinks about it.

“Oh yes, that would be a dream. Honestly, battling him in the sand, which would be the nicest thing. That would be a dream. For me, when I was watching as a kid, him racing in the sand, I could see myself behind him chasing, or him coming from the back, that already gives me goosebumps, because, when he is in form, he is a man on a mission. I would learn a lot from that also and I would take all the information and download it for experience.”

So, while we watch the young Belgian improve and the veteran Dutchman get back to his best speed, we can all wait for that moment in the sand, wherever that might be and hope that Coenen gets his dream to come true and these two magnificent riders can put on a show for us, the fans.