Jeffrey Herlings of the Red Bull KTM Factory team came close to securing a podium finish during the ninth round of the MXGP World Championship in Ernee, France.
After a poor start in Saturday’s qualifying, Herlings managed to secure tenth position for the main races. In the first moto, he got off to a great start and immediately moved into second place. In the first half of the race, he applied pressure on the race leader but later eased off slightly due to arm pump. As a result, Herlings lost second place and crossed the finish line in a solid third.
His start in the second moto was less favorable, coming out of the first lap in eighth place. Early on, he worked his way up to seventh before a small crash dropped him back to tenth. Herlings mounted a strong comeback, particularly in the latter half of the race, climbing up to fifth and launching an attack on the rider in fourth. He just missed making the pass and had to settle for fifth place.
Jeffrey Herlings’ Comments: “It’s quite disappointing to have the same number of points as the third-placed rider and still not make the podium. In the first moto, I battled for the lead for a long time and finished third. I backed off a bit because of arm pump. In the second moto, my start wasn’t great, and I had a small crash. I just missed passing the rider in fourth—if I had made it, I would’ve been third overall. I was really close. P4 overall today, and still a good step forward.”
With moto results of 3-5, Herlings ended the day in fourth place overall. He now sits eleventh in the World Championship standings. The championship continues next weekend in Teutschenthal, Germany.
Fotocredits – Juan Pablo Acevedo
