Douwe van Mechgelen of Team Seven Motorsport suffered a difficult end to his weekend during the EMX250 race in Uddevalla. The young Belgian crashed heavily in the second moto and lost consciousness for some time. Fortunately, medical examinations showed that he had no broken bones, but Van Mechgelen did suffer a severe concussion and a bruised lung.

Van Mechgelen started the weekend with the 11th-fastest time in his qualifying group. In Saturday afternoon’s opening moto, the KTM rider came through the first lap around 22nd place. He gradually worked his way forward during the race and eventually crossed the finish line in 17th.

In the second moto, Van Mechgelen had to start a comeback from 26th place. He moved up to 25th before suffering a heavy crash and being forced to retire from the race.

“It started better than it ended,” Van Mechgelen said afterwards. “I was unconscious for quite a long time after this crash. Fortunately, nothing is broken, but I do have a severe concussion and a bruised lung. I actually don’t remember anything about the crash and will remain here under observation for the time being.”

Van Mechgelen also thanked everyone who sent him a message following his crash. “Thank you to everyone who sent me a message. I’ll try to respond to all of them throughout the week.”

For the young Belgian, the coming period will be fully focused on recovery.