The heat and humidity of the Selaparang circuit on the Indonesian island of Lombok was perhaps more intense than last week, so the weekend’s MXGP round 12 certainly tested the best motocross riders in the world.
This event was part of the fourth Indonesian double-header in the past seven years, and the MXGP class had always seen riders sweep both rounds, until this year when that trend was halted by Jeffrey Herlings, completing a perfect weekend when he won every race and topped every practice session for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.
Herlings claimed his 105th Grand Prix win, although he faced stiff opposition from championship leader Tim Gajser (HRC Honda), whose second overall increased his points lead as he holds onto the series leader’s red plate.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP rider Calvin Vlaanderen earned his second trip to the podium in as many weekends with two strong third places.
The MX2 class was dominated by Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen, enjoying his own perfect weekend for his fifth career Grand Prix win, and eating into his team-mate Kay De Wolf’s points lead in the process. Mikkel Haarup equalled his best career result with second overall for Monster Energy Triumph Racing, ahead of Simon Laengenfelder who took third for Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing.
Herlings had topped the MXGP class timing sheets in every session of the weekend, as well as winning the qualifying race, as he lined up for the first race of the year, even taking the fastest lap in the morning warm-up by over a second from Gajser.
It was the Slovenian, however, who took his fourth holeshot of the year, and defended moves from Herlings who was right there in second place from the first corner.
Vlaanderen, Kawasaki Racing Team’s Jeremy Seewer and Mattia Guadignini for Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing were all ahead of reigning champion Jorge Prado.
However, through an inspired series of waves and one corner the Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing superstar leap-frogged them all into third and was snapping at Herlings’ rear wheel,
The Dutchman held off the reigning champion, however, as he kept the leader just in sight, but not close enough to be eating his roost or to push too hard early on.
A few seconds behind Vlaanderen and Seewer, the battle raged for sixth place between multiple riders, with the older heads of Fantic Factory Racing’s Glenn Coldenhoff and Valentin Guillod for Team Ship to Cycle Honda Motoblouz SR prevailing for sixth and seventh ahead of their younger rivals.
Guadagnini, Guillod’s team-mate Kevin Horgmo, and Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP’s rookie Andrea Bonacorsi played their part in a great battle, but finished in that order from eighth to tenth. They were all reaching for the cold drinks and the ice bath at the end of the race.
The leading pair started to stretch away from Prado, who could not rest with Vlaanderen, a week after his first overall podium of the year, pushing him all the way.
Just after the 25-minute mark, Herlings bit down on his mouthpiece and closed the gap, initially running off the track as he got one corner a little wrong, but on lap 13 of 17 he pounced with a superb inside pass on his rival! Any attempt to strike back was immediately halted for Gajser, who span to the floor in the following corner.
Just after getting the two-lap board, Vlaanderen attacked the #1 plate holder, and burst into third with a great run through the waves at the top of the circuit. The Spaniard immediately backed it off, finishing nearly 14 seconds behind the Yamaha at the close.
The race victory, the 198th of his incredible career, went the way of Herlings, although Gajser increased his series lead further due to the late drop-back of Prado.
The start of race two was like an action replay, with Gajser again claiming the holeshot ahead of Herlings, but the Dutchman launched out of the third corner in a wild-looking but decisive pass to take the lead immediately.
Guadagnini had started strongly in third ahead of Vlaanderen and Seewer, while Prado languished in ninth and took his time to get moving.
Vlaanderen and Seewer both got past Guadagnini within two corners after half a lap, although Seewer suffered an off-track excursion and had to fight back from eighth position.
Guadagnini then also dropped his machine on the second full lap, ultimately finishing in 12th.
Meanwhile, Guillod had moved up to 4th position, and held on for that place for the duration of the race! Prado worked past Bonacorsi on lap five but had to put up with constant harassment from Seewer as the Kawasaki man would not let him relax, and as such he was unable to catch up to Guillod.
The 31-year-old Swiss rider celebrated his best result for eight years with a trademark massive whip, testament to his physical fitness in such tough conditions.
Vlaanderen secured his second consecutive overall podium with another lonely but solid ride into third place, but Gajser was not settling for second as he closed to within half a second of Herlings at one point.
The Dutchman confessed after the race that he was struggling with a clutch issue but brought it home to win by just over six seconds, extending his all-time records to 199 GP race wins and 105 overall Grand Prix victories.
Gajser restored his Championship lead over Prado to what he had before they came to Indonesia, back out to 34 points, but he will have one eye on Herlings as he closed his deficit to the leader by a mighty 20 points over the two weekends on the island of Lombok.
The fight will truly be on over the remaining eight rounds between the three multiple world champions at the top.
Jeffrey Herlings: “I was very happy to get the win the second race because I had a little clutch issue in this second race but this is testament to how KTMs are built as kept going until the end, and a big thanks also to KTM Factory Racing Team as I could not have won this race without them, so thank you to all the team and the guys at home working on it.
“All my sponsors, thank you and I’m very pleased with a 1-1-1 for the first time this year.”
Photo courtesy KTM
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RESULTS & STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 12:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:21.365; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:07.436; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:14.873; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:28.814; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:39.037; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:48.801; 7. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:52.802; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +0:56.184; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:57.985; 10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:09.584.
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 34:56.731; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:06.087; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:11.716; 4. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:13.768; 5. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:16.160; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +0:17.898; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +0:36.780; 8. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +0:52.587; 9. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +1:00.313; 10. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:07.632.
MXGP Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 44 p.; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 40 p.; 4. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 34 p.; 5. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 32 p.; 6. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 31 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 28 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 26 p.; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 22 p.; 10. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 22 p.
MXGP – World Championship – Top 10 Classification:
1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 608 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 574 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 557 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 429 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 411 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 360 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 327 p.; 8. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 264 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 259 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 33:56.609; 2. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:04.273; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:05.096; 4. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:12.029; 5. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:20.389; 6. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:53.457; 7. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), +0:56.826; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +1:08.826; 9. Ferruccio Zanchi (ITA, Honda), +1:11.541; 10. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +1:14.062.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), 34:51.702; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:04.910; 3. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, Triumph), +0:05.658; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), +0:19.113; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:26.015; 6. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:58.445; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +1:03.411; 8. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, Triumph), +1:08.121; 9. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), +1:10.631; 10. David Braceras (ESP, Fantic), +1:24.547.
MX2 Overall – Top 10 Classification:
1. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 50 points; 2. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 38 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 38 p.; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 37 p.; 5. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 35 p.; 6. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 34 p.; 7. Camden Mc Lellan (RSA, TRI), 26 p.; 8. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 23 p.; 9. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 22 p.; 10. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 20 p.
MX2 – World Championship Classification:
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 576 points; 2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 527 p.; 3. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 509 p.; 4. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 471 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 455 p.; 6. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, TRI), 399 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 346 p.; 8. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 341 p.; 9. Quentin Marc Prugnieres (FRA, KAW), 228 p.; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 226 p.