Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) will go to the start line first for tomorrow’s MXGP of France at St Jean d’Angely after a dominant 18-second win in the qualification race this afternoon.
The 23-year-old Dutchman holeshot the 20-minute plus two lap moto from home favourites Gautier Paulin (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Yamaha) and, in 30 degree heat, simply checked out.
Herlings is primarily known as a sand rider but he’s super-quick on any surface and he took the stony, hard-pack of St Jean d’Angely in his stride with a series of fastest laps pulling him clear of his pursuers to make it six qualifying wins from the last seven races.
“I pulled the holeshot and I think on this track it’s really needed,” he said. “It’s a beautiful track but it’s tough to pass with big rocks but we did good and it was a dream Saturday.
“I was fastest in each practice and, obviously, the qualifying moto but it’s all about tomorrow. I’ll focus on the start and work from there. I feel like I have the speed and also the strength to win but we definitely need the start.”
Clement Desalle (Monster Energy Kawasaki) clipped Tony Cairoli (Red Bull KTM) on the first lap and crashed, collecting Glenn Coldenhoff (Red Bull KTM) and Tommy Searle (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) as he went down.
Tim Gajser (Team HRC) was an initial fourth ahead of Cairoli. The Slovenian passed Febvre – who won here in 2016 – on the opening lap but no-one could live with Herlings’ pace and after five minutes he was already four-and-a-half seconds clear of Paulin.
In the closing stages both Febvre and Cairoli passed Gajser and on the final lap the defending champion pushed the Frenchman back to fourth but he was over two seconds behind Paulin at the flag.
Russia’s Evgeny Bobryshev (BOS GP Suzuki) was sixth from Jeremy Seewer (Wilvo Yamaha) and Jeremy Van Horebeek (Monster Energy Yamaha).
The UK contingent was at full strength for the second consecutive weekend with Max Anstie (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna), Searle, Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Yamaha) and Graeme Irwin (Hitachi ASA KTM UK) all back in action after recent injuries.
After the opening lap Simpson was ninth, one place ahead of Anstie and four in front of Irwin with Searle 14th after a quick recovery from his crash.
At the flag it was Anstie in ninth from Searle and Simpson. Irwin crossed the line in 20th, one place behind Desalle.
MXGP France qualifying race
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 24:35.251 13 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:48.625 12 53.6
2 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 24:53.241 13 0:17.990 0:17.990 1:50.997 4 52.5
3 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 24:55.239 13 0:19.988 0:01.998 1:50.316 11 52.8
4 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 25:03.173 13 0:27.922 0:07.934 1:50.816 4 52.6
5 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 25:10.250 13 0:34.999 0:07.077 1:51.504 4 52.3
6 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 25:21.210 13 0:45.959 0:10.960 1:52.179 7 51.9
7 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 25:21.571 13 0:46.320 0:00.361 1:52.077 11 52
8 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 25:25.759 13 0:50.508 0:04.188 1:52.214 11 51.9
9 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 25:27.034 13 0:51.783 0:01.275 1:52.447 11 51.8
10 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 25:27.171 13 0:51.920 0:00.137 1:52.110 7 52
11 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 25:36.441 13 1:01.190 0:09.270 1:53.432 8 51.4
12 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 25:44.454 13 1:09.203 0:08.013 1:53.349 6 51.4
13 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 25:47.511 13 1:12.260 0:03.057 1:53.549 7 51.3
14 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 25:48.741 13 1:13.490 0:01.230 1:53.242 6 51.5
15 6 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM KTM 25:49.574 13 1:14.323 0:00.833 1:52.912 6 51.6
16 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 25:49.891 13 1:14.640 0:00.317 1:52.765 7 51.7
17 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 25:50.302 13 1:15.051 0:00.411 1:52.874 9 51.6
18 92 Guillod, Valentin SUI FMS KTM 25:58.204 13 1:22.953 0:07.902 1:55.003 6 50.7
19 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 26:08.161 13 1:32.910 0:09.957 1:52.922 8 51.6
20 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 26:12.244 13 1:36.993 0:04.083 1:56.262 6 50.1
21 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 26:13.371 13 1:38.120 0:01.127 1:55.404 12 50.5
22 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 26:24.935 13 1:49.684 0:11.564 1:54.704 11 50.8
23 711 Dercourt, Nicolas FRA FFM Yamaha 26:29.115 13 1:53.864 0:04.180 1:56.796 8 49.9
24 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 26:33.423 13 1:58.172 0:04.308 1:55.913 6 50.3
25 141 Desprey, Maxime FRA FFM Kawasaki 24:42.547 12 1 lap 1 lap 1:55.809 8 50.3
26 85 Ekerold, Stefan GER DMSB KTM 25:07.109 12 1 lap 0:24.562 1:56.451 7 50
27 93 Bengtsson, Jonathan SWE SVEMO KTM 25:17.359 12 1 lap 0:10.250 1:59.116 7 48.9
28 30 Hjortmarker, Eddie SWE SVEMO Suzuki 25:19.130 12 1 lap 0:01.771 1:58.966 8 49
29 83 Renkens, Nathan BEL FMB Honda 24:38.701 10 3 laps 2 laps 1:56.923 7 49.8
30 920 Valentin, Ander ESP RFME Husqvarna 16:36.852 8 5 laps 2 laps 1:55.909 5 50.3
31 120 Zecchina, Simone ITA FMI Yamaha 13:07.594 6 7 laps 2 laps 2:02.897 4 47.4
32 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 8:30.134 4 9 laps 2 laps 1:54.506 4 50.9
33 403 Jorry, Adrian FRA FFM Kawasaki 2:52.875 1 12 laps 3 laps 2:09.538 1 45
34 62 Gercar, Klemen SLO AMZS Husqvarna 0:50.015 0 13 laps 1 lap 0:00.000 0
35 220 Aranda, Gregory FRA FFM Kawasaki 1:47.538 0 13 laps 0:57.523 0:00.000 0