Bikesportnz

Flying Dutchman Jeffery Herlings maintained his podium presence in the 2021 FIM Motocross World Championship as he celebrated his sixth MXGP victory at round 13 of 18 in the current series.

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider two dominated the premier MXGP racing on the Spanish hard-pack of Intu Xanadú Arroyomolinos, near Madrid.

The curving and rutty soil of Intu Xanadú Arroyomolinos entertained MXGP for the second time after the new circuit opened its gates for the first time in 2020.

For the 2021 Grand Prix of Spain, the facility was able to welcome some of the large catchment of spectators, thanks to the close proximity to the centre of Madrid and the track-side fences were full to capacity to see the likes of home hero Jorge Prado in action.

The sun shone for the one-day event and the terrain was technical and demanding.

For the fifth Grand Prix in a row (and for the ninth time this season) Herlings secured pole position in MXGP timed practice. The Dutchman was just seven-hundredths of a second ahead of Slovenia’s defending world champion Tim Gajser (Honda).

Herlings was buried deep in the top 10 at the start of the first moto. He had to charge hard to reach 4th and then profited from a mistake by Gajser to take 3rd.

Prado was 2nd. The 20-year-old was pushed all race by the noisy crowd and jostled for the lead briefly before being passed by Frenchman Romain Febvre (Kawasaki).

Prado – who could only make 16th and 12th last Sunday in France in the wake of surgery to fix a cut under his left arm – resisted Herlings’ threat on the last lap to bank 22 points. Cairoli struggled with an errant stone in his boot but the Italian classified 7th.

In the second moto Herlings started brighter to immediately put pressure on the holeshotting Prado. Italy’s Antonio Cairoli (KTM) was also inside the top five and set the fastest lap in the opening stages.

By mid-race distance Herlings was able to find a spot to relegate his team-mate and pulled clear.

It was his tenth moto win of the year and ensured he has taken the flag once in seven of the last eight GPs.

Prado kept Cairoli at bay for 3rd position as the team-mates crossed the line 3-4. For Prado the result permitted his first podium visit for three rounds. Cairoli’s 5th overall was his best finish since the GP of Turkey prior to the Motocross of Nations.

Herlings has stretched his world championship lead to 12 points over  Febvre, 15 ahead of Gajser, 65 in front of Prado and 86 adrift of Cairoli.

Five rounds and a maximum of 250 points remain to wrap up the series.

“We started off strong in timed practice and I had a good jump off the gate in the first moto but rode into the first two turns too careful; like an old grandma!” said Herlings afterwards.

“I got up to 10th but a good start is crucial now because the guys in 7th-8th are riding so fast and when they have good lines it is hard to pass. It took me some time to get going.

“The first 15 minutes were awful but the last 15 were really good. I came from far back and closed-up to the leaders. The second moto start was better.

“Tim [Gajser] made a mistake and I was into 2nd. Jorge was tough to pass but he was riding the right lines. Once I managed it, I was able to check-out and control the race. It was good. I’m looking forward to Arco and the shorter start straight there!”

Photo courtesy KTM Europe

Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here

RESULTS & STANDINGS:

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), 35:26.873; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:01.741; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:02.805; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:12.719; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:18.366; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:19.087; 7. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:37.901; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Honda), +0:40.735; 9. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, Yamaha), +0:41.431; 10. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:44.620.

MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:16.305; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:04.281; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), +0:11.717; 4. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), +0:17.614; 5. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GASGAS), +0:21.626; 6. Brian Bogers (NED, GASGAS), +0:24.537; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:28.027; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:39.716; 9. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Honda), +0:52.759; 10. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), +0:53.402.

MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 45 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 42 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 40 p.; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 39 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 32 p.; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 31 p.; 7. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Benoit Paturel (FRA, HON), 25 p.; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, GAS), 23 p.; 10. Arnaud Tonus (SUI, YAM), 22 p.

MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 505 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 493 p.; 3. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 490 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, KTM), 440 p.; 5. Antonio Cairoli (ITA, KTM), 419 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 373 p.; 7. Pauls Jonass (LAT, GAS), 352 p.; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 302 p.; 9. Alessandro Lupino (ITA, KTM), 233 p.; 10. Thomas Kjer Olsen (DEN, HUS), 220 p.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 35:43.418; 2. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:06.972; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:13.906; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:17.505; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:17.753; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:20.681; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:23.166; 8. Isak Gifting (SWE, GASGAS), +0:28.580; 9. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:33.394; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:41.420.

MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), 33:49.892; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), +0:00.346; 3. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), +0:20.110; 4. Jed Beaton (AUS, Husqvarna), +0:22.599; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:26.707; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), +0:31.863; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:48.185; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), +0:51.784; 9. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Kawasaki), +0:53.333; 10. Wilson Todd (AUS, Kawasaki), +0:54.953.

MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 47 points; 2. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 45 p.; 3. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 36 p.; 4. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 33 p.; 5. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 31 p.; 6. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 30 p.; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 30 p.; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 26 p.; 9. Wilson Todd (AUS, KAW), 21 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 21 p.

MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:

1. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 535 points; 2. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 427 p.; 3. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 426 p.; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, KTM), 417 p.; 5. Jed Beaton (AUS, HUS), 395 p.; 6. Rene Hofer (AUT, KTM), 364 p.; 7. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 362 p.; 8. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 331 p.; 9. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 292 p.; 10. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 230 p.