Herlings and Prado win MXGP in China!
Jeffrey Herlings won the final GP of the year, but only just, at an impressive Grand Prix in China on a really nice track.
It was another battle of the Dutchmen with Glenn Coldenhoff holding off Herlings and Gajser in race one to take another very impressive moto win.
It looked to be more of the same in race two with Coldenhoff leading from Seewer and Gajser. But Gajser lost his chance of the win when he jumped off the track allowing Herlings, recovering from a mediocre start, to get up into third.
Herlings worked his way into second and then for the last ten minutes the race was on to reel in Coldenhoff who had a 3-4 second lead.
Herlings made the charge but Coldenhoff responded meaning Herlings had to dig deep again – but he did! And with two laps to go Herlings purposely over-jumped a jump, landing in the middle of the braking bumps in order to get the pass done!
Herlings, still not quite back to his best, took the win and the overall with Coldenhoff second giving the Standing Construct KTM rider third in the championship in the last race of the year!
“Glenn is riding the best he has ever rode,” acknowledged Herlings, “this is a different Glenn Coldenhoff, he rode great. First moto I wanted to save a bit of energy, I’m not as fit as I was last year! The second moto I missed the start a bit and managed to pass him with two laps to go to win this thing.”
Now the duo will get ready to go for the win on home turf at the MXoN in Assen!
Jorge Prado went 1-1 to end his MX2 career in winning fashion in China – but it was one of his toughest races of the year!
Prado couldn’t get away from Vlaanderen in race one, the advantage fluctuating between two and four seconds, but he did enough to take the win.
In race two Prado barely held off a very fast and determined Tom Vialle, who almost got Prado on the line for the win but a second place wasn’t quite enough to get Vialle to that coveted third position in the championship.
Vialle had been leading race one but that crash resulted in him taking third in the moto, a 3-2 giving him second overall on the day and fourth in the championship.
That meant third in the series went to Jago Geerts, who rode consistently in China and took a crucial third place in race two to hold off Vialle in the championship.
Up front, Prado, despite the win, wasn’t best pleased with his riding, showing the standards he set for himself.
“It wasn’t the best day, just couldn’t find a flow today, said the frustrated Spaniard despite going 1-1 in his final MX2 Grand Prix.”
Calvin Vlaanderen rode great all day with a 2-4 getting him on the podium in his last MX2 Grand Prix as he moves to the premier class next year and awaits news from the Dutch team manager on whether he made the MX2 spot his own for Assen!
