Kay de Wolf delivered a commanding second-place finish at the MXGP of Flanders, securing his third MXGP podium of the season with a pair of runner-up results at Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing‘s home Grand Prix. The result marked an emotional return to form at the legendary Lommel circuit, known as #LommelWood.
The Belgian venue provided one of the toughest tests of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship, with deep sand, shifting lines and relentless bumps placing huge demands on both riders and machinery. With the team’s workshop located just beyond the circuit, the event carried added significance for the entire Nestaan Husqvarna organisation.
Fresh from announcing a new multi-year agreement with Husqvarna Factory Racing and Nestaan, de Wolf opened the weekend with second place in Saturday’s MXGP qualifying race. The Dutchman emerged fifth from the opening corners of race one before quickly finding his rhythm, charging into third on the opening lap and passing Tim Gajser for second on lap four.
In race two, de Wolf made another strong recovery after running fifth during the early stages. He moved into third and began closing on Romain Febvre before a late crash for the Frenchman promoted the Husqvarna rider to second, completing a superb 2-2 scorecard.
“I struggled a little bit in the first moto, but I’m actually happy we experienced that because we made a change for the second moto and I learned a lot from it,” said de Wolf. “I was also really lucky with Romain in that second moto. He had a big one, handstanded and landed right in front of me, so I clipped him and couldn’t avoid him. I heard he was okay, which is the most important thing.”
In MX2, Liam Everts showed clear front-running speed at his home Grand Prix. Racing in special yellow kit inspired by the Belgian flag, Everts claimed his first FOX Holeshot of the season and led during the opening lap of race one. He remained firmly inside the leading group before a technical failure forced him to retire on lap eleven.
Everts responded with another excellent start in race two, running inside the top four for much of the moto before crossing the line fifth. Although the final result did not reflect his full potential, he leaves Lommel with strong starts and proven race-leading pace ahead of the next round in Sweden on August 16.
“The start of the first moto was really good. I took my first holeshot of the year, which was really nice and definitely a positive,” said Everts. “Unfortunately, we then had a bike failure, which put us out of the race and ended our chances of fighting for the podium. That was a tough pill to swallow, but these things happen in racing.”
Jeffrey Herlings dominated the MXGP class with a perfect 1-1 scorecard, extending his championship lead to 675 points. De Wolf sits ninth in the standings with 345 points as the series heads to Sweden for round fifteen.
Photo: Husqvarna Media
