The Eurocircuit at Valkenswaard lies just thirty minutes away from the venue that has finally been confirmed as the host of the 2014 Grand Prix of Belgium with Lommel set to stage their first FIM Motocross World Championship event since 2011. The sandy mecca for motocross in the Flemish region of the country will entertain the fifteenth round of the series on the first weekend of August after an agreement was reached between Youthstream and the principal backers of the GP, represented by former world champion Eric Geboers.

The Belgian stop on the schedule has been ‘tba’ since the start of the year and since the provisional calendar was amended towards the end of 2013. After two seasons in Bastogne, Geboers has been patient and diligent in securing the support of the Limburg local government and other council departments in spite of massive regional and national elections towards the end of May.

Geboers recently oversaw the emergence of Lommel as a Grand Prix site and elevation of the deep sand circuit from a regular training and practice haunt for the many world championship regulars who are based in the area. The Belgian organised GPs at Namur and Lommel up until the 2012 FIM Motocross of Nations won on that occasion by Germany.

“We found a way but it had to be on my terms,” said Geboers. “There are some big elections coming up for European, national and local so it has been hard to get the right level of commitment but the support is in place to make it happen.”

“I still want to be involved,” Geboers commented. “There are Pros and Cons to Lommel but it is an important centre for motocross and it has a town and government that have faith in it and the event.”

It is believed that Youthstream initially were looking at staging the Belgian fixture with the FIM Junior World Championship taking place at Lierneux-Bastogne the following weekend on August 9/10. The finalisation with Geboers and Lommel – that should be announced Saturday evening at Valkenswaard – clears the way in terms of logistics for a second visit to Losail in Qatar as a late replacement for the cancelled Grand Prix of Ukraine (round sixteen). Rumours were rife in the Dutch paddock that a return to Qatar will fill the August 16/17 slot and will start a run of the final three overseas Grands Prix with Brazil and Mexico drawing the 2014 campaign to a close.

Photo by Ray Archer