Building on his double win last weekend in Italy, Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) took the qualification win today at Agueda and will go to the start line first tomorrow for the MXGP of Portugal.
The Dutchman, who leads defending champion and team-mate Tony Cairoli by 10 points after four rounds, started just behind the nine-time champion and stalked him until half-distance before taking the lead.
Once in front the outcome was never in doubt and Herlings was in full control on the hard-pack circuit, controlling the race from the front to beat the Sicilian across the line by a comfortable one-and-a-half seconds.
“I really enjoyed it,” said Herlings. “I followed Tony for a bit because he was riding really good lines. The track was really bumpy so it was hard to not make mistakes but we did what we had to do. It’s looking good for tomorrow and I hope to put on two good starts and work from there.”
France’s Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Yamaha), world champion back in 2015, sat in a race-long third ahead of Slovenian Tim Gajser (Team HRC) who came home fourth from Belgium’s Clement Desalle (Monster Energy Kawasaki).
A depleted British contingent – Tommy Searle (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) and Max Anstie (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) are both injured – was led home by swift Scot Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Yamaha) who finished 11th, over a minute behind Herlings.
Northern Ireland’s Graeme Irwin (Hitachi ASA KTM UK) – brother of road racers Glenn and Andrew – was the last rider on the same lap as Herlings, crossing the line in 21st as he continues to build in his debut MXGP season.
MXGP Portugal qualifying race
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 24:36.707 12 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:53.343 2 51.7
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 24:38.248 12 0:01.541 0:01.541 1:53.165 3 51.8
3 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 24:41.468 12 0:04.761 0:03.220 1:53.638 1 51.6
4 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 24:44.882 12 0:08.175 0:03.414 1:53.566 3 51.6
5 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 25:01.529 12 0:24.822 0:16.647 1:54.045 2 51.4
6 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 25:04.368 12 0:27.661 0:02.839 1:54.569 3 51.2
7 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 25:18.762 12 0:42.055 0:14.394 1:55.664 2 50.7
8 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 25:28.730 12 0:52.023 0:09.968 1:54.924 4 51
9 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 25:30.753 12 0:54.046 0:02.023 1:55.935 3 50.6
10 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 25:36.442 12 0:59.735 0:05.689 1:57.090 3 50.1
11 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 25:46.121 12 1:09.414 0:09.679 1:57.401 5 49.9
12 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 25:47.410 12 1:10.703 0:01.289 1:58.043 6 49.7
13 141 Desprey, Maxime FRA FFM Kawasaki 25:48.422 12 1:11.715 0:01.012 1:58.149 3 49.6
14 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 25:49.791 12 1:13.084 0:01.369 1:55.577 3 50.7
15 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 25:54.913 12 1:18.206 0:05.122 1:57.893 4 49.7
16 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 25:58.811 12 1:22.104 0:03.898 1:58.036 4 49.7
17 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 25:59.907 12 1:23.200 0:01.096 1:59.022 1 49.3
18 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 26:13.232 12 1:36.525 0:13.325 2:00.341 5 48.7
19 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 26:26.510 12 1:49.803 0:13.278 2:00.843 7 48.5
20 999 Goncalves, Rui POR FMP Yamaha 26:34.032 12 1:57.325 0:07.522 2:01.566 6 48.2
21 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 26:42.912 12 2:06.205 0:08.880 2:00.464 7 48.7
22 210 Alberto, Paulo POR FMP Yamaha 24:41.489 11 1 lap 1 lap 2:01.258 6 48.3
23 85 Ekerold, Stefan GER DMSB KTM 24:52.689 11 1 lap 0:11.200 2:03.074 4 47.6
24 920 Valentin, Ander ESP RFME Husqvarna 24:52.747 11 1 lap 0:00.058 2:02.583 11 47.8
25 831 Wysocki, Tomasz POL PZM KTM 25:07.970 11 1 lap 0:15.223 2:03.463 6 47.5
26 62 Gercar, Klemen SLO AMZS Husqvarna 25:13.143 11 1 lap 0:05.173 2:02.746 1 47.8
27 83 Renkens, Nathan BEL FMB Honda 25:15.509 11 1 lap 0:02.366 2:03.125 2 47.6
28 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 25:32.107 11 1 lap 0:16.598 2:00.677 2 48.6
29 179 Poli, Joaquin ARG CAMOD Honda 25:52.990 11 1 lap 0:20.883 2:03.638 2 47.4
30 6 Paturel, Benoit FRA FFM KTM 21:43.179 10 2 laps 1 lap 1:57.543 4 49.9
31 550 Mallet, Simon FRA FMI Husqvarna 18:21.874 7 5 laps 3 laps 2:07.944 1 45.8
32 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 0:00.000 -1 13 laps 8 laps 0:00.000 0