Source: MXGP.

From one extreme, the heavily elevated hard pack clay of the Czech Republic, to the other, the bottomless whooped out sand of Belgium, the 15th stop from 17 on the FIM Motocross World Championship calendar will be this weekend, 3 August, in Lommel.

While the circuit itself hardly needs introducing, as it is definitely one of the most widely recognised tracks in the world, known to be the ultimate test of both physical and mental strength, riders can expect to dig deep on a track layout similar to that of 2012’s edition of the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations.

It’s home away from home for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Antonio Cairoli, who will head into this weekend as the hot favorite. While it’s hard to call TC222 a ‘sand specialist’ since he basically specialises at every surface, the Italian seven-time world champion openly admits sand is more his forte than clay.

But, if anyone is going to rise to the occasion this weekend it will probably be one of the local heroes Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jeremy Van Horebeek or Rockstar Energy Suzuki World’s Kevin Strijbos.

Van Horebeek experienced his first taste of victory last weekend in Czech and while he is said to favor hard and slick surfaces, he doesn’t mind the sand either and is sure to have put in his fair share of laps around Lommel over the years.

Meanwhile, Strijbos has been banking results that haven’t necessarily reflected his speed. The 28-year-old is looking hungry for a win, could this weekend be a breakthrough for ‘The Kid’?

It may be a bit far fetched to predict Monster Energy Kawasaki Racing Team’s Gautier Paulin for a win given he’s a little rusty on the racing front and a track of Lommel’s caliber is no walk in the park. At the end of the day, a racer is a racer and there is no doubt GP21, if he’s ‘feeling it’ could be a contender for the overall.

While the list goes on for riders that base themselves around Lommel during the season, another ‘local’ is Team HRC’s Max Nagl. Like Cairoli and Strijbos, Nagl lives no more than 20 minutes from the track and can never be counted out for a podium performance. If the German can get off the line and around turn one at the sharp end of the field, he’s sure to be a threat for that top step.

As for Australia’s own Dean Ferris, the Red Bull IceOne Racing Husqvarna rider will make his final scheduled MXGP appearance for 2014 at least before heading back to the US and finishing the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross series in the 250 Class. He too has plenty of experience in the sands of Belgium.

Adrenalin levels have just spiked thinking about the racing that’s going to occur in MX2. Who’s going to win remains anybody’s guess and what makes it even harder to predict is the fact that the last grand prix to be run in the treacherous sand of Lommel was back in 2011 when most of these guys were still racing the European championships.

Starting with last weekend’s winner, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Jordi Tixier. Tixier fired back at all his critics last weekend with his impressive performance in race one for his first ever MX2 race victory which eventually left him topping the box for the first time in his career as the overall winner.

With Lommel being at the opposite end of the spectrum to Loket, and the sand being so shifty and unpredictable ‘the Tix’ is going to have to bring his ‘A’ game this weekend if he wants to relish that view from the top once again.

Standing Construct KTM’s Valentin Guillod can’t be overlooked. It’s his first full season in MX2 and the kid has shown he’s got some serious skill on a motorcycle. As one of the five caught up in the epic duel for third at the last round he proved he’s a genuine force to be reckoned with claiming second overall for his first Grand Prix podium of his career in Loket.

Funnily enough, the most neglected of the Frenchmen pegged to rise above in MX2 at the moment was the one of the ones who pulled through last weekend. Yamaha Factory Racing’s Christophe Charlier flew in under the radar to claim a convincing race win in the second moto which was enough to land him on the third step of the podium for his best result of the season.

Meanwhile, the other two French toppers, Wilvo Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Romain Febvre and CLS Kawasaki Monster Energy’s Dylan Ferrandis will be out for redemption this weekend after last weekend not exactly panning out the way they had hoped.