Author name: Luc Wright

Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory team achieved his best result of the season during the Grand Prix of Galicia. Herlings finished seventh and sixth in the motos, securing sixth place overall in the day’s standings. Saturday remained dry for a long time, resulting in a fast circuit. The time gaps between the riders were minimal. During time practice, Herlings went out several times in an attempt to set a fast lap and eventually clocked the tenth-fastest time. Later in the day, he qualified eighth in the qualifying heat. Heavy rain during the night from Saturday to Sunday turned the track into a muddy mess. In both the first and second motos, Herlings had poor starts. Despite the difficult conditions for overtaking, he managed to gain several positions and crossed the finish line in seventh and sixth place, respectively. These results earned him sixth place overall for the Grand Prix. Jeffrey Herlings commented: “It’s getting better and better. P6 — the next step is P5 and then the podium. The weather didn’t help today. We’ve had a lot of bad luck with mud over the last two rounds. I’m already looking forward to the next Grand Prix. I’m excited. This wasn’t a great Grand Prix, but it wasn’t a bad one either, considering we’re racing against the best riders in the world. Looking at where I’m coming from, this is okay. We need to improve our starts to gain more confidence, and then things will get better right away.” This upcoming Sunday, Herlings will compete in the final round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Markelo. One week later, the next Grand Prix will take place in Ernee, France.

Jeffrey Herlings of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing pushed through during the seventh round of the MXGP World Championship in Agueda, Portugal. Herlings crashed during the qualifying heat on Saturday and was subsequently run over. As a result, he suffered bruised ribs and a painful elbow. Despite this, he still raced in the motos, finishing 10th and 7th in the heats, ultimately securing 9th place in the overall results. At the beginning of Saturday, the Agueda track was in good condition, but after heavy rain arrived in the early afternoon, the track turned into a huge mud pit. Herlings set the third-fastest time in the timed practice and started strong in the qualifying heat. He rode in second place for several laps, but just as he was about to make a move, he crashed. Herlings quickly got up but was then hit by another rider. This caused bruised ribs and a painful elbow. Despite this, he managed to finish the heat in 7th place. The conditions on Sunday were even worse than Saturday. The rain continued intermittently, making survival in the motos the primary goal. In the first moto, Herlings didn’t get a good start and was also struggling with pain from his ribs. Despite this, he fought hard and finished 10th. In the second moto, he fought his way to 6th place in the final stages, but a mistake cost him the position, and he ultimately finished 7th. Commentary from Jeffrey Herlings:“Yesterday, we were feeling hopeful until the crash in the heat. I was hit by another rider and bruised my ribs and got a painful elbow. Today, I had a lot of pain in my ribs, and I could feel every bump on the track. It was frustrating! We finished 10th and 7th, which isn’t what we were hoping for at this GP. But considering what happened on Saturday, I’m okay with it. I’ll definitely be 100% fit for the next race and hope to be closer to the top five.” Next weekend, the World Championship continues in Lugo, Spain.

Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team came close to a top-three finish during the sixth round of the MXGP World Championship, held in Frauenfeld, Switzerland. After a poor start in the first moto, Herlings struggled to move forward and had to settle for 14th place. In the second moto, he held third position until the final lap, when he collided with a lapped rider and ultimately finished fourth. For Herlings, this was only his third major race since returning to competition. He is steadily building form and his rhythm is improving week by week. This progress was already visible on Saturday, as he posted an impressive fourth-fastest time in the time practice. He also performed well in the qualifying heat, starting inside the top three and holding fourth place for much of the race. However, due to severe arm pump, he couldn’t push at full speed and lost a few positions in the closing stages, finishing seventh. The races in Switzerland were held on Monday. In the first moto, Herlings got off to a poor start. The Frauenfeld track made overtaking difficult, and despite fighting all the way to the checkered flag, he could do no better than 14th. The second moto told a different story. This time, Herlings had a good start and was part of the front-running group from the beginning. He held third place for a long time, but contact with a lapped rider in the final lap cost him third place and dropped him to fourth. Jeffrey Herlings commented:“Overall, it was a pretty good weekend. I had a terrible start in the first moto and it was tough to pass on this track, so I couldn’t really make up ground. The second start was much better, and I was able to hold third place for a long time. It’s a shame I came into contact with a lapped rider, otherwise I could’ve finished third. It’s only my fourth week back on the bike, and things are going well. Of course, we want more than a seventh place, but the other riders have more races under their belts already. Portugal has always been a tricky track for me, but we’re working hard every week to keep improving. The goal is to find more race rhythm and hopefully break into the top five there.” With a 14-4 moto score, Herlings secured seventh place overall in the day’s classification. His next race will be this Saturday during the second round of the Dutch Masters of Motocross in Oldebroek. MXGP Switzerland – Overall Results: Lucas Coenen – 50 pts Romain Febvre – 37 pts Jeremy Seewer – 34 pts Andrea Bonacorsi – 34 pts Glenn Coldenhoff – 26 pts Jeffrey Herlings – 25 pts Photo credit: Juan Pablo Acevedo

Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory team is back in the top ten. During the fifth round of the MXGP World Championship in Arco di Trento, Italy, Herlings finished tenth and eleventh in the motos, earning him ninth overall in the day’s standings. The goal was once again to gain as much rhythm and speed as possible. On Saturday, he steadily built up his pace. He posted the 17th fastest time in time practice and finished 22nd in the qualifying race. Naturally, Herlings was determined to improve in Sunday’s motos. Rain had fallen on Sunday morning, which resulted in more lines forming on the track. Herlings rode a consistent first moto and crossed the finish line in tenth place. In the second moto, he spent a long time inside the top ten, but due to a lack of race rhythm, he struggled in the final phase and had to give up a few positions, finishing eleventh. Jeffrey Herlings commented: “Not bad for an old guy who’s only been back on the bike a few times. We’ll keep working and build from here. We’ll see what we can do in Switzerland. I want to give my best every weekend.” Next weekend, the next Grand Prix will take place in Frauenfeld, Switzerland.