Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team claimed victory at the Grand Prix of Germany on Sunday. After finishing second in the first moto, Herlings came out on top in a thrilling battle with Lucas Coenen in moto two, securing his 108th career Grand Prix win.
Talkessel, Teutschenthal – one of the oldest and most established venues on the MXGP calendar – has hosted races since the mid-1970s and has been a near-permanent fixture in the world championship since the start of the century.
On Saturday, Herlings already showed he was comfortable on the German circuit. He set the fastest time in time practice and battled for the win in the qualifying heat. Herlings put race leader Lucas Coenen under serious pressure but ultimately had to settle for second place.
In Sunday’s first moto, Herlings once again fought Coenen for the lead. He looked for opportunities to pass but Coenen kept his cool, forcing Herlings to take another second-place finish.
Conditions were completely different in moto two. Heavy rain had turned the circuit muddy and deep ruts had formed. A strong start brought Herlings up to third place early on. He saved his goggles during the opening laps and gradually closed the gap to Romain Febvre and Lucas Coenen. After passing Febvre, Herlings set his sights on Coenen. With just a few laps to go, he made his move using a clever line that no one else had spotted and took the lead. He didn’t look back and rode to victory.
Jeffrey Herlings’ post-race comments:
“There have been a lot of ups and downs, but to win today was amazing. Obviously, the competition is strong and the track was really tricky. In the first moto I battled with Lucas and I have so much respect for him – just 18 years old and handling that kind of pressure every week without making mistakes. In the second moto, we had the mud, so I saved my goggles early on and waited for the lapped riders. I managed to pass Romain and then Lucas using a line nobody else had seen. It’s fantastic to come back and win again. Hats off to the competition. I feel like I’m getting closer to their level again and I just want to be up there every weekend. I want to get as many podiums and wins as I can.”
This win marks Herlings’ 108th Grand Prix victory, and he now climbs to tenth in the world championship standings. The MXGP series continues next weekend in Kegums, Latvia!
Photo credit: Juan Pablo Acevedo
