Victory followed by a crash: Loris Veneman (Kawasaki) takes stock

In the Supersport 300 World Championship, Loris Veneman was among the best riders despite his height, but his move up to the Supersport category in 2025 with EAB Ducati simply didn’t go to plan. After three rounds without scoring any points, but with numerous crashes, the Dutchman called time on the venture – only to make a spectacular return to the junior class shortly afterwards with a win and four podium finishes!

Veneman remained with the Kawasaki team Moto Tuning Mol (MTM) and is competing in the new Sportbike World Championship this year. With a fifth place and a victory, the season got off to a promising start in Portimão, but after securing pole position at his home race in Assen, it was a mixed bag of highs and lows.

“The first half of the season was a mixed bag,” Veneman noted matter-of-factly in his column on Racesport.nl. “I’m happy with my riding. The pace is there, and we’ve shown that too. But as for luck? Admittedly, that was pretty rubbish. And yet the season had actually started brilliantly. Right on the first weekend, I set the fastest lap, secured pole position for Race 2 and went on to win that race. Then we went to Assen, and there I was on pole again. So the start to the season could hardly have gone better.”

With two races to go before the end of the season, the 19-year-old is now down to tenth in the World Championship standings. “Since Assen, I’ve retired from about half the races. The crash in the second race at Most, in particular, had consequences. Since then, I’ve never really been able to ride the bike completely pain-free. That obviously doesn’t make racing any easier,” groaned the son of former racer Barry Veneman. “As if that weren’t enough, the next two circuits were precisely the ones where I hadn’t been able to practise on this bike beforehand. Normally, you try to make up for that deficit in free practice by completing as many laps as possible. But when you have to do that whilst in pain, it’s a completely different matter. That’s why I couldn’t reach my full potential at those weekends.”

For the teenager from Dalfsen, one thing is clear: in the remaining races at Magny-Cours, Estoril and Jerez, he needs to get back on track. “After the first half of the season, I’m in tenth place in the championship with one win. That’s not the position I’d like to be in,” emphasised the Dutchman. “At the same time, I know I have the necessary pace. That gives me confidence for the second half of the season. After a first half of the season like that, the most important thing now is to get back to full fitness and regain that good feeling. Now we have to make sure that in the second half, we’re not only blessed with speed but also a bit of luck.”

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