The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team watched their rider Jeffrey Herlings win his 101st career Grand Prix, and his second of the 2023 MXGP series, at a sunny Agueda, venue for the Grand Prix of Portugal.
Herlings’ overall win at this fifth round of the series was also enough to see him equal Belgian legend Stefan Everts’ hefty 101 GP win total.
Behind him in second overall for the weekend was the Kawasaki Racing Team’s French rider Romain Febvre who got his second podium of the season and, on the third step of the podium was Red Bull GasGas Factory Racing’s Jorge Prado, who keep his 100% podium record this season.
In MX2, Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Jago Geerts signed a hat-trick with a perfect 1-1-1 as he won the MX2 qualifying race on Saturday and the two races on Sunday.
This was in front of Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Kay de Wolf, who kept his consistency and de Wolf’s team-mate Roan Van de Moosdijk in third for his first podium of the season.
Two rounds after Herlings crested the three-figure barrier in the Grand Prix record books, the five-times world champion was back to his attack on the sport’s statistics.
A third place in the first moto, where Herlings finished two seconds behind race winner Prado and runner-up man Febvre, was soon forgotten with a rampaging performance and victorious run in the second outing.
Herlings is now just one GP triumph away from the outright #1 status in the world championship record books.
In the framework of 2023 championship title chase, Herlings is second on the MXGP points table, staring at a slender 17-point deficit to Spain’s Prado, who retains the championship leader’s red plate.
“It’s really great to come and get another win,” said Herlings afterwards.
“It’s been a long road and I feel I am getting back to my old self in some ways. A good performance today. The first moto wasn’t that positive and I had some arm-pump again – I really don’t know why – but in the second one I felt like a different rider and could really push.
“I’m looking forward to Spain. 101 GP wins is pretty special and now just one more for the record.”
MXGP decamps a short distance and across the border for round six. The Grand Prix of Spain will take place at Intu Xanadu Arroyomolinos next weekend.
Photo courtesy Ray Archer
Find BikesportNZ.com on FACEBOOK here
RESULTS & STANDINGS AFTER ROUND FIVE:
MXGP – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), 34:26.447; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:01.738; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), +0:02.026; 4. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:27.079; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:28.693; 6. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:30.083; 7. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:35.527; 8. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:37.909; 9. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), +0:40.778; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:43.643.
MXGP- Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 33:53.358; 2. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:09.221; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:14.358; 4. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Yamaha), +0:15.144; 5. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:15.937; 6. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:19.269; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Yamaha), +0:31.594; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GASGAS), +0:33.579; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), +0:36.402; 10. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +0:44.611.
MXGP – GP Top 10 Classification:
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 45 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 42 p.; 3. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 40 p.; 4. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 36 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 34 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 32 p.; 7. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 29 p.; 8. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 28 p.; 9. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 23 p.; 10. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 18 p.
MXGP – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 246 points; 2. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 229 p.; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 214 p.; 4. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 202 p.; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 182 p.; 6. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 162 p.; 7. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, YAM), 152 p.; 8. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, YAM), 148 p.; 9. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, GAS), 139 p.; 10. Alberto Forato (ITA, KTM), 116 p.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 1 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 34:01.984; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:05.446; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:13.477; 4. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:18.749; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:23.846; 6. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:46.109; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:50.633; 8. Mikkel Haarup (DEN, KTM), +0:52.851; 9. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:53.849; 10. Emil Weckman (FIN, Honda), +0:59.498.
MX2 – Grand Prix Race 2 – Top 10 Classification:
1. Jago Geerts (BEL, Yamaha), 34:21.031; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:07.084; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, Husqvarna), +0:13.090; 4. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GASGAS), +0:18.737; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:30.801; 6. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Kawasaki), +0:32.506; 7. Lucas Coenen (BEL, Husqvarna), +0:34.405; 8. Thibault Benistant (FRA, Yamaha), +0:49.007; 9. Rick Elzinga (NED, Yamaha), +0:50.291; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:50.747.
MX2 – GP Top 10 Classification:
1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 50 points; 2. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 42 p.; 3. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 38 p.; 4. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 38 p.; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 34 p.; 6. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 26 p.; 7. Rick Elzinga (NED, YAM), 26 p.; 8. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 26 p.; 9. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 24 p.; 10. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 21 p.
MX2 – World Championship Top 10 Classification:
1. Jago Geerts (BEL, YAM), 265 points; 2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 229 p.; 3. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 220 p.; 4. Thibault Benistant (FRA, YAM), 206 p.; 5. Simon Laengenfelder (GER, GAS), 201 p.; 6. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, HUS), 191 p.; 7. Liam Everts (BEL, KTM), 157 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, KAW), 143 p.; 9. Lucas Coenen (BEL, HUS), 130 p.; 10. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 115 p.