Belgian sand specialist Douwe Van Mechgelen emerged through the Dutch Masters of Motocross and France’s beach series, showed early promise in EMX85 and the Junior Worlds.

In his 2023 EMX125 rookie season he finished just outside the top 20 overall. Despite a knee injury, he rebounded on the Fantic XX 125—opening 2024 with 5th overall (tied on points) at the Internazionali d’Italia—and capped his rise with the highly regarded 2025 Dutch Masters 125cc title.