Image: Supplied.

Previous MXGP points-leader Lucas Coenen has described his Loket race-day withdrawal as ‘tough to take’, with a compressed sciatic nerve ultimately becoming too severe to ride through the pain.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider arrived in the Czech Republic carrying hematomas around his left hip that caused compression of the sciatic nerve. He initially lined up in Saturday’s qualification race, but was forced to exit while running fourth after six laps.

The 19-year-old then sat out Sunday’s races, while title rival Jeffrey Herlings (Honda HRC Petronas) swept the weekend with a 1-1 performance after also winning Saturday’s qualification race, transforming an 11-point deficit into a 49-point championship lead with six rounds remaining.

“Not much to say,” reflected Coenen. “I did what I could to be ready for Loket – physio, massage… But I was in pain all day. It’s tough to take. I can only hope I will feel a bit better with each day, and we can think about Lommel.”

Lucas’ brother Sacha also raced through injury at Loket, recording 7-7 moto finishes for seventh overall despite a broken collarbone sustained at Southwick. He remains in the MX2 title hunt, 33 points behind Guillem Farres (Triumph Factory Racing).

The 2026 MXGP World Championship season now heads to Belgium’s famed Lommel circuit this weekend – the home round of the Coenen twins – before a two-week break ahead of the MXGP of Sweden in mid-August.