Jeffrey Herlings passed his main competition, Tim Gajser and Jorge Prado, to win race one but race two was a different kettle of fish! Herlings got a terrible start but snuck around the inside and was verging on top ten going into turn two when he hit the back of another rider and went down!
The Dutch ace then evoked prime time FMOTP (fastest man on the planet) memories as he charged to 12th in two laps, with the overall win not out of the question, when he went down again! This time, clipping the back wheel of Bonacorsi, the speed differential was too much to give him time to read the other rider’s moves!
Herlings was back to 16th but a lap later was back in 11th and he charged all the way back to fourth catching Vlaanderen for third with Prado not far away in second but try as he might on the last lap Herlings couldn’t find a way by Vlaanderen and with two turns to go settled for fourth and third overall.
Point lost on a day he was the fastest – but he showed the speed he really had and said:
“The first one and a half laps was maximum chaos! Guadagnini crashed on the first turn and I just went over him, I was tenth I think going into the second turned and someone brake checked and I hit his rear wheel, crashed, was dead last. Made up 15 places in 1 and half laps and I think it was Bonacorsi he got a highsider out of a turn and he hit my front wheel and I crashed again! I bent my handlebars and almost made it to third, it was really closed. Third overall today and next up is Lommel so looking forward to it.”
And why did he slow down with a couple of turns to go?
“I had an idea where I could pass him (Vlaanderen) but I just couldn’t make it happen, the last three turn were just following (one-line) I couldn’t pass him there, I had to give up. Also I was tired, third overall is okay for this track.”
