Young gun Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) went head-to-head with old master and team-mate Tony Cairoli on his home turf at Valkenswaard today and emerged on top both times with a pair of come-from-behind wins in the premier MXGP class.
After his mechanical problems in yesterday’s qualifying race, the 23-year-old Dutchman was forced to line up in an unfavourable position near the centre of the startgate and was helpless to stop the nine-time champion from nailing two commanding holeshots.
But he was quickly carving his way through the sand in the opening moto, moving past pole-setter Jeremy Van Horebeek (Monster Energy Yamaha) into second on lap six before turning up the heat on the 32-year-old.
Closing down the reigning champ’s lead, Herlings was then ideally placed to take the lead when the Italian went down on a deeply rutted downhill section. Cairoli was quickly up again but Herlings – who took his debut GP win at the circuit as a 15-year-old in 2010 – was never going to be caught and at the flag was over 17-and-a-half seconds ahead.
Van Horebeek was a distant third followed by Britain’s Max Anstie (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) and Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff (Red Bull KTM).
Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Yamaha) had been battling hard for a top-10 finish until going out with a handful of laps to go and Graeme Irwin (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) picked up a couple of points in 19th but Tommy Searle (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) broke a collarbone in a first-turn crash.
Cairoli ripped a monster holeshot in the second 30-minute plus two lap race ahead of Tim Gajser (Team Honda HRC) who quickly lost a place to Van Horebeek as Herlings started around seventh.
After seven minutes Herlings had moved into third but was already 13 seconds down on Cairoli but a quick pass on Coldenhoff gave him a clear track and he set off after the leader.
Lap after lap he reduced the deficit and with three laps to go was able to make a pass. Cairoli hadn’t given up however but with both riders making mistakes as the high speeds and fatigue started to take a toll it was the veteran who lost his usual smoothness and ended up almost four seconds adrift.
Gautier Paulin (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) put a pass on Coldenhoff to secure third overall on a tie-break with Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Yamaha) fifth.
Simpson had a much better race for a solid sixth but Anstie dropped from fifth to ninth with a late mechanical problem and Irwin finished out of the points in 21st.
The series now heads to Redsand in Spain next week with Herlings holding a six-point lead.
MXGP Valkenswaard race two
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 34:46.875 17 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:53.846 6 49
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 34:50.757 17 0:03.882 0:03.882 1:54.809 2 48.6
3 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 35:53.574 17 1:06.699 1:02.817 1:58.515 6 47
4 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 35:56.178 17 1:09.303 0:02.604 1:58.344 2 47.1
5 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 36:02.417 17 1:15.542 0:06.239 1:58.363 9 47.1
6 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 36:04.718 17 1:17.843 0:02.301 1:59.139 2 46.8
7 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 36:33.822 17 1:46.947 0:29.104 1:58.783 2 46.9
8 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 36:41.212 17 1:54.337 0:07.390 1:59.287 2 46.7
9 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:43.182 17 1:56.307 0:01.970 1:58.152 2 47.2
10 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 36:43.947 17 1:57.072 0:00.765 2:00.066 6 46.4
11 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 34:52.572 16 1 lap 1 lap 1:58.784 2 46.9
12 141 Desprey, Maxime FRA FFM Kawasaki 35:12.858 16 1 lap 0:20.286 2:01.302 6 46
13 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 35:19.393 16 1 lap 0:06.535 2:00.309 4 46.3
14 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 35:21.575 16 1 lap 0:02.182 2:01.639 3 45.8
15 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 35:34.409 16 1 lap 0:12.834 2:03.564 3 45.1
16 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 35:39.179 16 1 lap 0:04.770 2:03.160 2 45.3
17 151 Kullas, Harri EST EMF Husqvarna 35:10.477 16 1 lap -1:31.298 2:01.320 8 45.9
18 20 Bengtsson, Filip SWE SVEMO Yamaha 35:41.637 16 1 lap 0:31.160 2:03.633 6 45.1
19 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 35:43.152 16 1 lap 0:01.515 2:03.624 8 45.1
20 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 35:48.617 16 1 lap 0:05.465 2:03.014 7 45.3
21 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 36:00.074 16 1 lap 0:11.457 2:02.866 5 45.4
22 9 de Dycker, Ken BEL FMB KTM 36:09.294 16 1 lap 0:09.220 2:04.450 6 44.8
23 920 Valentin, Ander ESP RFME Husqvarna 36:09.595 16 1 lap 0:00.301 2:04.916 5 44.6
24 831 Wysocki, Tomasz POL PZM KTM 36:26.335 16 1 lap 0:16.740 2:06.098 6 44.2
25 120 Zecchina, Simone ITA FMI Yamaha 37:00.697 16 1 lap 0:34.362 2:06.320 6 44.1
26 107 van Berkel, Lars NED KNMV Husqvarna 34:58.817 15 2 laps 1 lap 2:04.285 9 44.8
27 85 Ekerold, Stefan GER DMSB KTM 35:17.311 15 2 laps 0:18.494 2:08.159 2 43.5
28 62 Gercar, Klemen SLO AMZS Husqvarna 35:29.242 15 2 laps 0:11.931 2:07.439 9 43.7
29 94 Van der Mierden, Sven NED KNMV Yamaha 36:12.710 15 2 laps 0:43.468 2:05.947 1 44.3
30 31 Crnkovic, Luka CRO HMS Honda 35:07.291 14 3 laps 1 lap 2:13.563 2 41.7
31 83 Renkens, Nathan BEL FMB Honda 34:55.275 15 2 laps -1 laps 2:08.244 9 43.5
32 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 28:38.259 13 4 laps 2 laps 2:00.125 6 46.4
33 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 25:28.440 11 6 laps 2 laps 2:05.713 3 44.3
34 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 12:06.176 5 12 laps 6 laps 2:00.739 2 46.2
35 32 Potisek, Milko FRA FFM Yamaha 8:20.766 3 14 laps 2 laps 2:05.050 1 44.6
36 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 5:55.421 2 15 laps 1 lap 1:59.588 2 46.6
MXGP Valkenswaard race one
1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 35:25.408 17 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:56.059 5 48
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 35:42.944 17 0:17.536 0:17.536 1:55.466 2 48.3
3 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 35:55.120 17 0:29.712 0:12.176 1:55.685 3 48.2
4 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:01.250 17 0:35.842 0:06.130 1:57.012 5 47.6
5 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 36:05.185 17 0:39.777 0:03.935 1:57.794 3 47.3
6 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 36:06.990 17 0:41.582 0:01.805 1:57.542 5 47.4
7 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 36:07.186 17 0:41.778 0:00.196 1:57.557 2 47.4
8 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 36:25.453 17 1:00.045 0:18.267 1:58.871 4 46.9
9 243 Gajser, Tim SLO AMZS Honda 36:32.749 17 1:07.341 0:07.296 1:58.156 2 47.2
10 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 36:40.650 17 1:15.242 0:07.901 1:58.489 4 47
11 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 36:52.108 17 1:26.700 0:11.458 2:00.640 4 46.2
12 141 Desprey, Maxime FRA FFM Kawasaki 36:53.675 17 1:28.267 0:01.567 2:00.281 5 46.3
13 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 36:55.282 17 1:29.874 0:01.607 1:58.699 4 47
14 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 36:56.989 17 1:31.581 0:01.707 1:59.113 3 46.8
15 151 Kullas, Harri EST EMF Husqvarna 36:59.826 17 1:34.418 0:02.837 2:01.128 5 46
16 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 37:17.070 17 1:51.662 0:17.244 2:01.702 3 45.8
17 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 34:27.259 16 1 lap 1 lap 1:58.805 4 46.9
18 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 35:27.706 16 1 lap 1:00.447 1:59.685 4 46.6
19 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 35:40.526 16 1 lap 0:12.820 2:03.696 7 45.1
20 94 Van der Mierden, Sven NED KNMV Yamaha 35:45.966 16 1 lap 0:05.440 2:03.879 3 45
21 32 Potisek, Milko FRA FFM Yamaha 35:48.086 16 1 lap 0:02.120 2:03.681 3 45.1
22 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 35:50.631 16 1 lap 0:02.545 2:02.875 5 45.4
23 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 36:06.744 16 1 lap 0:16.113 1:59.969 3 46.5
24 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 35:32.177 16 1 lap -1:25.433 2:01.464 2 45.9
25 107 van Berkel, Lars NED KNMV Husqvarna 36:15.813 16 1 lap 0:43.636 2:02.663 1 45.4
26 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 36:36.415 16 1 lap 0:20.602 2:04.744 3 44.7
27 831 Wysocki, Tomasz POL PZM KTM 36:42.526 16 1 lap 0:06.111 2:03.374 3 45.2
28 120 Zecchina, Simone ITA FMI Yamaha 37:01.991 16 1 lap 0:19.465 2:05.881 7 44.3
29 85 Ekerold, Stefan GER DMSB KTM 37:28.291 16 1 lap 0:26.300 2:06.858 2 43.9
30 20 Bengtsson, Filip SWE SVEMO Yamaha 32:25.717 15 2 laps 1 lap 1:58.459 4 47.1
31 62 Gercar, Klemen SLO AMZS Husqvarna 36:03.922 15 2 laps 3:38.205 2:08.060 4 43.5
32 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 36:27.962 15 2 laps 0:24.040 1:58.628 3 47
33 83 Renkens, Nathan BEL FMB Honda 28:20.583 12 5 laps 3 laps 2:05.718 2 44.3
34 920 Valentin, Ander ESP RFME Husqvarna 29:23.225 12 5 laps 1:02.642 2:02.725 4 45.4
35 93 Bengtsson, Jonathan SWE SVEMO KTM 25:07.349 11 6 laps 1 lap 2:04.154 3 44.9
36 9 de Dycker, Ken BEL FMB KTM 4:03.368 1 16 laps 10 laps 2:04.021 1 44.9
37 31 Crnkovic, Luka CRO HMS Honda 3:31.701 0 17 laps 1 lap 0:00.000 0
38 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 3:31.861 0 17 laps 0:00.160 0:00.000