Jeffrey Herlings added another victory to his tally, which now stands at 110 Grand Prix wins. For the 16th time in his career, the Red Bull KTM factory rider claimed a home victory. Going 1-1 Arnhem, the Dutchman secured his third overall win of the year, though he has long been out of contention for the championship, focusing solely on race wins. That was precisely his goal when lining up for the Dutch GP, just three weeks after returning to the track in Lommel.
“Winning here was the objective,” Jeffrey admitted after his 110th Grand Prix win. “When I came back in Lommel, I had only ridden twice for twenty minutes in training since my collarbone fracture. I saw that I had the speed, I had a great start in the second moto, but I fell too much during the races. This time I felt much better, mainly because I had been able to train over the past three weeks. But the last ten minutes of the races are always tough for me.”
Eighth in Belgium, second in Sweden, winner in the Netherlands, Jeffrey quickly regained his form—it’s a matter of habit. “In Sweden, it was fine because the track wasn’t too rough, it wasn’t too hot, and physically the track wasn’t too demanding,” the Red Bull KTM rider continued. “Here, I got lucky in the first moto with Lucas’s crash. After my good start, I could manage my pace, ride like in training while leading, and save energy for the second moto—fortunately, I needed it. I knew Lucas would be very strong in the second moto and that Tim wouldn’t hold the pace for the whole race. I thought Lucas was far back and it would be fine, but then he came back like a rocket. Five laps from the end, he was only three or four seconds behind me. I kept pushing, put my head down, and gave everything. I had nothing left at the end, technically or physically… It was pure determination. Winning the overall was a great way to assert myself and bounce back at home after a rollercoaster year. It will be interesting until the very end, whether in MXGP or MX2—the championships are tight this year after 51 rounds. Nine races remain, and both titles are still up for grabs. It’s great to be part of it this year, even if I’m not racing for the title.”
Starting well in Arnhem, Jeffrey Herlings led every lap in both motos. Only Glenn Coldenhoff was able—briefly—to challenge the Red Bull KTM rider during the races this weekend.
“Starting on the inside this weekend was key for me. I had Glenn Coldenhoff next to me, and he got a good start, blocking what was coming from the outside, and I could follow the inside line into the first corner every time. In my opinion, it should always be like that, like in MotoGP or Formula 1—you should get an advantage for being on the inside after practice and qualifying. Saturday really helped me for the Sunday races, and I knew the starts would be important. I also knew the last five or ten minutes would be very tough because the track really deteriorates. I didn’t expect Lucas to be that strong until the end. He surprised me. He’s a very good rider, respect to him.”
Although he had a poor start in the second moto, Lucas Coenen managed to climb back to second place, cutting the gap to Jeffrey Herlings by eight seconds in just nine laps. A lightning-fast comeback that forced the Dutchman to push hard in the final two laps to narrowly hold off the Belgian at the checkered flag.
“Not to sound arrogant, but I knew Lucas was the only rider capable of matching my speed this weekend,” the Dutchman explained. “In the first moto, I managed more. He came from last to second, and from there I knew I had to keep an eye on him. In the second moto, I was watching him on my right from the start. The gap stayed stable at first, then gradually he came back. At one point, there were only a few riders between him and me, and I thought, ‘ouch, he’s coming strong.’ A few laps later, I couldn’t even see him anymore, and I knew he was catching up. Lucas got to five seconds, I attacked until the end, head down. I hung on until the finish, and I didn’t crash.”
The season is now heading into its final three decisive rounds in Turkey, China, and Australia, where the 2025 world champions will be crowned. A far-flung tour, far from the European fans who form the heart of the MXGP.
“I’d prefer the last rounds of the season to be in Europe, rather than finishing in Australia,” Jeffrey Herlings admitted. “Take Romain for example, his child probably has school, and I don’t know if his wife can make it to Australia for the finale. I understand we need to go outside Europe because it’s a world championship, but when there are overseas races, it would be better to have them at the start or middle of the season, so we can finish in Europe. It would be great for Lucas or Romain to win a championship in Europe, in front of their fans and families, not just a few team members. It’s Infront who decides this—it’s business, that’s how it is.”
