The Arnhem Grand Prix delivered one of the most thrilling weekends of racing we’ve seen all season, with both the MXGP and MX2 classes producing incredible battles in the deep Dutch sand. For Jeffrey Herlings, it was a hard-fought home victory against a fearless Lucas Coenen, while Andrea Adamo also turned heads with his continued progress in the rough conditions. To get his take on the event, we caught up with five-time World Champion and factory KTM team manager, Joel Smets, who shared his thoughts on Herlings’ determination, Coenen’s raw talent, Adamo’s steady improvement, and even the challenges that lie ahead with the season’s demanding flyaway schedule.
GateDrop: Joel, what a race, what a GP that was. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Jeffrey Herlings have to fight like that in the sand to win. Just talk me through those last few laps…
Smets: It wasn’t only the last few laps. I’ve been already impressed by Lucas Coenen more than once. Okay, in the past also often by Jeffrey Herlings and his sand riding skills. We all know how good he is in the sand. But what Lucas Coenen has been showing us lately already in Lommel and especially today. From yesterday until today, building up during the day already the first moto. I’ve been watching with an open mouth every lap. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing from an 18 year old kid. Showing that speed, that physical strength, that maturity. Insane, what can I say? It’s unreal. That’s the only words I can think of.
In the second moto, I was thinking okay… That kid after half the moto… He soon is going to collapse or something. Because after the effort from yesterday and already from the first moto. The kid just kept going. Just unbelievable. He was at some stage 15 seconds behind Jeffrey and I already said on the headset to the mechanics in the pit lane…. I said show him the difference with Lucas because the kid is going to come and it turned out to be like that. So, luckily Jeffrey was a little bit riding energy consuming in the middle of the moto. So he had still a little sprint for the last 2-3 laps. Which was absolutely necessary because that kid was today unreal. If you can put up a fight with the one and only real Jeffrey Herlings on a sand track like tha and you’re only 18 years old. Unbelievable.
GateDrop: The last lap I was very impressed with Jeffrey because Lucas was pretty much quicker, quicker, quicker… I don’t know if you looked at the lap times from the last lap. Herlings was actually quicker than Lucas on the last lap… Okay Lucas maybe gave up in the last corner or whatever. But that was an impressive last lap for me. He probably needed that to get the win to be honest.
Smets: No, no, no. Jeffrey had to go all in. Believe me. I haven’t checked lap times yet but I don’t need to see lap times because I know what I saw. I also saw it coming. Even with 5 laps to go. I knew this was coming. But I also know that from having been at trainings a lot with Jeffrey and stuff like that. I know how strong he can be at the end of the race. So somehow I was pretty confident that he was not going to give it away. But on the other hand, I had been so impressed until that lap already and all weekend by Lucas Coenen that I also wasn’t that confident anymore that Jeffrey really was going to keep that number 1 place. Then at the end he did it, I think also here with the support of his home crowd and stuff like that helped. But of course we’re talking about Jeffrey Herlings here. He’s also not a nobody (smiles).
GateDrop: Emotionally what’s that like to deal with? Obviously it’s two KTM riders but Jeffrey is your rider. Lucas isn’t. What’s that like to deal with?
Smets: Of course. I’m dealing with Jeffrey on a daily basis. So somehow I’m of course more happy if our rider wins. But, we are here, let’s say we are paid by KTM so even if Lucas wins, it’s a good day for the group and for KTM. There is also the extra aspect that Lucas is Belgian. We were already waiting for quite a while for the next big thing for Motocross in Belgium.
So, actually this weekend… I’ve also been watching the races really from a point of view as a fan of motocross. The races we’ve seen this weekend, I think all those people that have been here today, they come back next year. The races and the excitement they have witnessed, you don’t get to see every day. So as a fan, I was for instance really enjoying the fights as well in MX2 and MXGP. At the end of the day, if my rider can walk away with a win, then that is an extra pleasure.
GateDrop: We have to talk about Andrea Adamo. Very very impressed with him this weekend to be honest. I didn’t know he was that much of a sand man. You must be really happy with the progress he’s shown in the sand. This weekend, Kay de Wolf was by far probably the quickest but Andrea was very good…
Smets: I’m absolutely very pleased with the progress that Andrea has made, actually over the last three years. This is not a process which you can turn around or you can build in a few months. That’s a work of years but here you can see. It’s a saying, hard work pays off but in the case of Andrea and his sand riding… This is definitely the case. This is the result of hours of work, building, believing, desire and commitment. Already in Lommel he was fighting top three all the time, he was unlucky with a crash in the start of the second moto but apart from that he could have made the podium in Lommel as well. This honestly to me did not come as a surprise. Actually if I’m right. I think Andrea was on the podium also here in the past. It’s not that he really is an novice in the sand. He could already ride sand a little bit but he has definitely improved and showing some good speed.
GateDrop: We have three GP’s to go – logistically. I’m sure for the teams it’s a bit of a nightmare. Turkey, China, Australia. That’s a lot of money. What are your thoughts on that? And also for the last GP. I personally think it should be in Europe. If there are championships to be won… Even for the guys just to have all their family there.
Smets: It’s not something we are looking forward to having those three flyaway races in a row and especially at the end of the year. like you say, for sure it’s more nice to win a championship in front of your not home crowd and in Europe. Then you can enjoy it with your friends and your family. That makes it for sure extra special. It’s the way it is now so we’re not going to stress too much about it. We’re organised for it and we’re going to go for it.
GateDrop: Just on next year. It seems like Andrea is going to stay but besides him… Do you know how many riders you’re going to have underneath the awning yet? Or is it just a case of wait and see?
Smets: Our full set up is not completely decided yet. So it’s difficult. I don’t want to really send some rumours into the world. So it is better not to talk about it at a later stage.
GateDrop: Just on Marc-Antoine Rossi, it is a shame he obviously had to miss the season – is there a decision made on him yet?
Smets: Marc-Antoine by the way had another surgery on the knee last Friday. So, apparently now his issues with the knee should be back on the road. Hopefully for him he can get back to his full fitness but if that’s going to be with us or not is still an open question.
