MXGP World Championship
Insight: Jeffrey Herlings
Jeffrey Herlings on his Swedish comeback.
For the first time this term, there is a post-race chat with Jeffrey Herlings. Herlings returned at the Grand Prix of Sweden over the weekend, much to the delight of his legion of fans, and immediately made quite a splash in the premier class, as he won the qualifying heat and led countless laps over the weekend. There were a lot of positives to take from the event, which is evident in this exclusive MX Vice interview from Uddevalla.
MX Vice: Finally, a post-race interview! Good day, I think. Speed was good.Â
Jeffrey Herlings: Survived the sighting lap…
You survived the sighting lap! Two of them as well.Â
Three all weekend. Saturday also.
Look at you, surviving weekends…
A win and a fourth too, and arm pump.
Is that it? Interview done? We have summed it up. I think it was good. Speed was good and, look, you decided you were racing here on Wednesday. Really, you should not have been here. To come away with a qualifying heat win, holeshots and having shown good speed… It’s good.
Yeah. We actually decided… Even Thursday morning, I was still riding. I spoke to my mechanic. I was kind of mentioning Glenn [Coldenhoff]’s speed in practice and I was like, “I think he is the fastest guy around now in the latest races.” I was like, “It’s just practice.” Today you see in the race rhythm… I don’t have race rhythm yet, but to come out with a qualifying win was totally unexpected. That again put some pressure for today. I did not have any pressure, but especially in the first moto… We just have a small warm-up in the morning, like fifteen minutes.
It’s just a few laps and then I wasn’t really warmed up, especially because I didn’t do any races. I just had terrible arm pump and after ten minutes couldn’t hold onto the bike. Still survived for another ten, but then I so blew up and then I didn’t ride well anymore. Even my front wheel washed away, then they rode over my bike. They broke my rear brake. My rear brake didn’t go anymore. I was just like, “Whatever.” It didn’t make any sense to take any risks. I didn’t want to take risks, so then for moto two I was like, “I don’t want to pull a holeshot.”
Even though I did want one, I’m just not fast enough and things like that. In the second moto I started around tenth and then worked my way up to fourth. [Romain] Febvre crashed out though, but I still think it was good training and a good weekend. It went better than expected besides the first moto. Even though I led for twenty minutes… Don’t talk about the second part. Totally, I think it’s been a good weekend. I didn’t make any big crashes. I didn’t hurt myself and get to go home healthy.
When you got to that twenty-minute mark in the first moto, was there a little part of you that was thinking, “Okay, there are six more laps. Maybe I can do this?” Was it more like, “Can someone pass me, because I’m sick of leading and I cannot do it anymore?”
No. I led for ten out of… I don’t know how many laps they did. Fifteen, eighteen or whatever. I led more than half of the race, but at one point when you cannot hold onto the bike it’s just getting dangerous. If I crash myself then I’m fine with it, because I decided to [push that much], but I don’t want to take any other people out. Then even though I just tipped over in a turn, [Arnaud] Tonus went over so I felt sorry for him.
He should not have crashed, but that’s racing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. It was a good practice for me and I’m doing another race on the upcoming weekend, then going to Turkey and hopefully put it in at least the top five and maybe put it on the box. For sure, I still want to win a GP this year. Seeing what I can do now with less than two weeks of practice… Hopefully in three more weeks I can still fight for a GP win.Â
Second moto was easier, huh? Starting in seventh or whatever you could just settle in and get in your rhythm. Did you still get arm pump quite early on?
No, the arm pump was way better. I still had a bit, but always the second moto is a bit better. If you are a racer, you know. It just takes some time. I will get better every single weekend, but I did four or five weeks of riding in May and half of June. Now I have doing two weeks. Those guys have been racing since February and I’ve just done seven weeks on the bike.
You are on round three!
I’m still on preparation races, basically. My GP [season] still needs to start…
I’m going to take a guess here. You have been riding for what, two weeks? Zero hard-pack or a little bit more than that?
One day.
That’s enough [laughs]…
No, actually I did twice. I shouldn’t lie. Two days on the hard and I think five days in the sand or so. This wasn’t really a hard track, but not sand either. This was sketchy. It was really slippery with all the stones and stuff, but it was a good practice. I just wanted to take it as a practice.
I feel like I could have gone to France this weekend to practice, but nothing is better than this. I have to fight these guys anyway soon, so then I would have had the problem of the arm pump. That’s why I decided to come here at the last minute. I think it was good.
I feel like you crossing the finish line in the qualifying race and shrugging your shoulders pretty much summed it up. I guess the whole time you were just like, “Okay, where is everyone? This is my off-season race. Do you want to pass me?”
I was like, “When are you guys going to pass me?” My arms were seriously… I could fill up the complete tyre. So much air was in my arms! Like, “Just pass me!” I couldn’t hold onto the bike anymore, but then I was like, “Alright, three minutes.” Then I was like, “One minute” or something. I was like, “Alright, two more laps. Last lap. Alright, I’ve done it.” Then I was like, “No points!”
Today, already after a few laps I felt it [the arm pump] coming and then it’s just so tough to ride. On a sand track you can last longer with arm pump but on a hard track, especially this track, it’s so sensitive with all the small stones and very slippery. You just need to ride, ride and ride. I think in a few races from now it will be done. It was a great practice.
After seeing you this weekend, I’m feeling very, very confident that Assen is going to be spot on. Maybe you will not be one hundred percent, like you said before, but if you are already winning qualifying races…
No, I won’t be one hundred percent. If I’m ninety-five percent, then I’m good to win. Even if you check the second moto, I was only fifteen seconds or so behind the leader. For a guy like me who just like kind of came out of retirement almost and hasn’t raced in so long, I didn’t do that bad. I definitely want to thank the Red Bull KTM race team, because I just called them on Thursday morning.
They made it all possible. They still brought one bike with Liam Everts, to at least have bikes here and to put everything together. Without them, I wouldn’t have been here. A great job from the guys who still put it all together to let me ride and race. I really want to thank them for that and still want to bring the guys a win.
Put a number on it then. Fifty percent at the moment? Sixty percent? The arms are at zero, I guess. Â
The arms are at minus one. The riding, like sixty to seventy percent. If I could have been one second quicker now, I would have probably won the first moto. I was just not fast enough to lead, so it was kind of a train behind me. I was just not fast enough. If I find one more second, which I hopefully will do in a short amount of time, then I’m good. Now I could not do my own pace and I had to defend everywhere. They were pushing left, right, up and down. It was not nice, but it was great practice.
Germany next weekend. Do they have sighting laps there? Do we need to be careful?
If [Arminas] Jasikonis is doing that…
He does turn up there sometimes.
Does he? Then I’m not looking forward to that sighting lap. No. It wasn’t his fault. I crashed behind the jump. He tried to not hit me, so he did a great job actually by doing that. I need to watch out on sighting laps. I survived this weekend, so that’s good.
Interview: Lewis Phillips | Lead Image: Ray Archer
MXGP World Championship
2024 Spain Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos – MXGP Results
We will post the 2024 MXGP results of Spain Intu Xanadú – Arroyomolinos GP all weekend. Get the latest updates to your phone through MX Vice.
MXGP Qualification Race
MXGP Timed Practice
MX2 – Race One
MX2 – Qualification Race
MX2 Timed Practice
WMX Race 1
EMX 250 Overall
EMX 250 – Race 2
EMX 250 – Race 1
EMX 250 – Timed Practice
MXGP World Championship
//PEARCY Stats Preview MXGP Intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos
Once again, our resident stats guru, Paul Pearcy, provides a breakdown of the MX2 class going into Intu Xanadu. Famed more for its access to a shopping mall and McDonald’s than actual passing, the MX2 contenders will be looking to make their mark. Last year, Simon Laengenfelder reigned supreme and was unstoppable on Sunday, with no rider able to match his pace. If you were a betting man, who would be your winner?
MXGP Intu Xanadu-Arroyomolinos Preview
MX2
Kay de Wolf
Venue Visits: 21’, 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 3rd
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 3rd
- Qualifying Race Finish: 4th
- Qualifying Points: 7
- Race First Lap Position: 6th
- Race Finishes: 5th in Race 1, 11th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 8th
- Race Points: 54
Total Points: 61
Simon Laengenfelder
Venue Visits: 21’-23’
- Race Podiums: 4; 22’, 23’
- Race Wins: 2; 1-1 in 23’
- Overall Podiums: 2; 22’, 23’
- Overall win: 1; 23’
- Race Laps Led: 34; all in 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 4.667
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 4th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 3rd
- Qualifying Points: 8
- Race First Lap Position: 5.167
- Race Finishes: 4.333 in Race 1, 5th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 4.333
- Race Points: 113
Total Points: 121
Thibault Benistant
Venue Visits: 21’-23’
- Race Podium: 1; 23’
- Race Laps Led: 1, 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 6.667
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 4th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 5.5
- Qualifying Points: 5
- Race First Lap Position: 12.667
- Race Finishes: 5.667 in Race 1, 6.333 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 6.333
- Race Points: 92
Total Points: 97
Mikkel Haarup
Venue Visits: 21’-23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 9th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 12th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 12th
- Race First Lap Position: 12.5
- Race Finishes: 12.333 in Race 1, 9.667 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 10.667
- Race Points: 60
Total Points: 60
Andrea Adamo
Venue Visits: 21’-23’
- Race Podium: 1; 23’
- Overall Podium: 1; 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 11th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 9.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 6.5
- Qualifying Race Points: 6
- Race First Lap Position: 11.667
- Race Finishes: 9.333 in Race 1, 12.667 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 10.333
- Race Points: 70
Total Points: 76
Lucas Coenen
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 6th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 2nd
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 2nd
- Qualifying Points: 9
- Race First Lap Position: 17.5
- Race Finishes: 6th in Race 1, 26th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 14th
- Race Points: 15
Total Points: 24
Sacha Coenen
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 19th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 24th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 17th
- Race First Lap Position: 8.5
- Race Finishes: 9th in Race 1, 11th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 9th
- Race Points: 22
Total Points: 22
Rick Elzinga
Venue Visits: 22’, 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 10th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 14th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 21.5
- Race First Lap Position: 4.25
- Race Finishes:13th in Race 1, 10th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 14.5
- Race Points: 27
Total Points: 27
Jack Chambers
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 22nd
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 15th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 15th
- Race First Lap Position: 24.5
- Race Finishes:17th in Race 1, 16th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 17th
- Race Points: 9
Total Points: 9
Oriol Oliver
Venue Visits: 21’, 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 17.5
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 16th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 13th
- Race First Lap Position: 12.75
- Race Finishes:17th in Race 1, 17th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 17.5
- Race Points: 19
Total Points: 19
David Braceras
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 16th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 14.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 15.5
- Race First Lap Position: 12.75
- Race Finishes:14.5 in Race 1, 16th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 16.5
- Race Points: 23
Total Points: 23
Emil Weckman
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 17th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 10th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 11th
- Race First Lap Position: 12.5
- Race Finishes: 15th in Race 1, 19th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 18th
- Race Points: 8
Total Points: 8
Bobby Bruce
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 20th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 12th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 26th
- Race First Lap Position: 23rd
- Race Finishes: 27th in Race 1, 21st in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 17th
MXGP
Jorge Prado
Venue Visits: 20’-23’
- 1st in Timed Practice: 1; 22’
- Qualifying Race Podiums: 2; 22’, 23’
- Qualifying Race Win: 1; 23’
- Qualifying Race Laps Led: 12
- Race Podiums: 6
- Race Wins: 2
- Overall Podiums: 2; 20’, 21’
- Overall Win: 1; 20’ (1-1 in 20’)
- Race Laps Led: 56
Averages
- Timed Practice: 3rd
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 2.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 1.5
- Qualifying Race Points: 10
- Race First Lap Position: 2.125
- Race Finishes: 2nd in Race 1, 5th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 3rd
- Race Points: 160
Total Points: 170
Romain Febvre
Venue Visits: 20’, 21’, 23’
- Race Podiums: 3
- Race Win: 1; 21’
- Overall Podium: 1; 20’
- Race Laps Led: 11
Averages
- Timed Practice: 5.667
- Race First Lap Position: 8.5
- Race Finishes: 1.5 in Race 1, 5th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 3.5
- Race Points: 81
Total Points: 81
Tim Gajser
Venue Visits: 20’-22’
- 1st in Timed Practice: 1; 20’
- Race Podiums: 4
- Overall Podiums: 2; 20’, 21’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 1.667
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 5th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 11th
- Race First Lap Position: 3.5
- Race Finishes: 3rd in Race 1, 3.333 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 3rd
- Race Points: 119
Total Points: 119
Pauls Jonass
Venue Visits: 21’, 22’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 8.5
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 3rd
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 9th
- Race First Lap Position: 7.25
- Race Finishes: 7.5 in Race 1, 7th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 7.5
- Race Points: 55
Total Points: 55
Maxime Renaux
Venue Visit: 22’, 23’
- Race Wins: 2; 22’ (1-1 in 22’)
- Overall Win: 1; 22’
- Race Laps Led: 31
Averages
- Timed Practice: 4th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 5th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 13th
- Race First Lap Position: 2nd
- Race Finishes: 1st in Race 1, 1st in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 1st
- Race Points: 50
Total Points: 50
Jeremy Seewer
Venue Visits: 20’-23’
- Qualifying Race Podium: 1; 23’
- Qualifying Race Laps Led: 1; 22’
- Race Laps Led: 5
Averages
- Timed Practice: 6.5
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 2nd
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 4th
- Qualifying Race Points: 8
- Race First Lap Position: 5.375
- Race Finishes: 8.5 in Race 1, 5.25 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 7th
- Race Points: 115
Total Points: 123
Jeffery Herlings
Venue Visits: 21’, 23’
- 1st in Timed Practice: 2; 21’, 23’
- Qualifying Race Podiums: 1; 23’
- Race Podiums: 4;(Jeffrey has podiumed 100% of the races he has competed in)
- Race Wins: 3; (Herlings has won 75% of the victories he has vied for)
- Overall Wins: 2; (100% win rate)
- Race Laps Led: 27
Averages
- Timed Practice: 1st
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 2nd
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 2nd
- Qualifying Race Points: 9
- Race First Lap Position: 4.75
- Race Finishes: 2nd in Race 1, 1st in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 1st
- Race Points: 95
Total Points: 104
Glenn Coldenhoff
Venue Visits: 20’-23’
- Qualifying Race Win: 1; 22’
- Qualifying Race Laps Led: 12
- Race Podium: 1; 22’
- Overall Podium: 1; 22’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 7.25
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 4th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 3.5
- Qualifying Race Points: 5
- Race First Lap Position: 5.125
- Race Finishes: 6th in Race 1, 6.5 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 5th
- Race Points: 123
Total Points: 128
Calvin Vlaanderen
Venue Visits: 20’-23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 12th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 14.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 11th
- Qualifying Race Points: 2
- Race First Lap Position: 15.625
- Race Finishes: 11.5 in Race 1, 12.75 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 12.25
- Race Points: 71
Total Points: 73
Valentin Guillod
Venue Visits: 20’-23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 18th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 19.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 12.5
- Qualifying Race Points: 1
- Race First Lap Position: 14.75
- Race Finishes: 12th in Race 1, 15.25 in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 14.25
- Race Points: 62
Total Points: 63
Ben Watson
Venue Visits: 21’-23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 14.667
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 20.5
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 24.5
- Race First Lap Position: 16.5
- Race Finishes: 19th in Race 1
- Overall Finishes: 22nd
- Race Points: 2
Total Points: 2
Ivo Monticelli
Venue Visits: 20’, 22’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 12th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 9th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 24th
- Race First Lap Position: 16.75
- Race Finishes: 15th in Race 1, 13th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 13th
- Race Points: 28
Total Points: 28
Kevin Brumann
Venue Visit: 23’
Averages
- Timed Practice: 17th
- Qualifying Race First Lap Position: 20th
- Qualifying Race Finishes: 20th
- Race First Lap Position: 20th
- Race Finishes: 14th in Race 1, 17th in Race 2
- Overall Finishes: 15th
- Race Points: 11
Total Points: 11
Photo: KTM Group
MX Vice Podcasts
Between The Races Podcast: Adam Sterry – MXGP of Patagonia-Argentina Recap and Spain Preview
Listen now.
The Between The Races podcast returns with Adam Sterry, Ed Stratmann and Brad Wheeler, as they review the 2024 MXGP season opener and look ahead to Spain.
The Between The Races podcast is always available to listen to on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher and Google Play. Thanks to Fly Racing, Monster Energy, Fox Racing, Parts Europe, Scott, Bell Helmets, Acerbis, AS3 Performance, Kawasaki UK, KTM UK, O’Neal and Even Strokes for supporting the show. If you would like to become a part of the show, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Lead Image: Triumph Racing/Ray Archer
Love what we do? Please read this article as we try to raise £30,000.
-
Monster Energy Supercross2 months ago
Jett Lawrence apologises to Jason Anderson following their incident in San Diego
-
Monster Energy Supercross6 months ago
Injury Update: Chase Sexton
-
Monster Energy Supercross6 months ago
Results: SMX LA Coliseum
-
Monster Energy Supercross6 months ago
Results: SMX Chicagoland
-
Product News4 years ago
News: 2021Â Beta 300 RX
-
Monster Energy Supercross2 months ago
AMA Penalty Report from A2 – Cooper Webb’s fine and Anderson’s penalty headline the list
-
Monster Energy MXoN7 months ago
Announcement – Team GB Motocross of Nations Selection
-
Monster Energy MXoN7 months ago
Australia announces MXoN squad