Jeffrey Herlings career changed early in 2019 just as he was at an all-time high and maybe one of if not the fastest racers the world had ever seen after a blistering 2018 season that saw him win his first MXGP title in dominating fashion.
Then, early in 2019, Herlings smashed his foot badly testing in Spain, leading to an injury that haunted him for the next few years, even affecting how he rode the bike and where he could place his foot on the peg- the momentum he built was gone. Since then injuries, including to the other foot, have continued to thwart him, despite winning that nail-biting 2021 MXGP title! So how is the foot that simply changed the trajectory of his career, feeling now?
Herlings told us: “I had a really good surgeon actually in Holland in 2022. I got both feet fixed, I still have a little problem with my heel but I don’t have any pain with riding and I don’t have any pain in daily life, just has a little bump and that’s like always causing me kind of a blister so for just normal walking.
“Furthermore the other foot which was really damaged really bad, got a fix pretty good. I don’t have any issues so for riding I’m not intimidated whatsoever because of it. But I missed a lot in 2019, then I missed a lot again in 2020, I missed entire season 23 I miss a lot so that’s why people say our Herlings isn’t the same, no, but also sometime you have to be honest and be aware that okay, in 22/23 I raced like 10 races out of 40 GPs, you know so it’s normal that it takes a bit of time I would say, (to get back to his level).”
Full interview below:
