More trophies, more celebrations and continued success in 2024 MXGP for Red Bull KTM Factory Racing as Jeffrey Herlings demonstrated his superlative skill in sandy conditions once again to win a hot and sunny Grand Prix of Flanders at Lommel. The Dutchman went 1-1 at round 14 of 20 to snare his third victory of the year and tenth podium appearance (nine in a row) with the KTM 450 SX-F. Words: Red Bull KTM
- Career moto wins 201 and 202 for Jeffrey Herlings and 106 overall victories (including four now at Lommel) as the former world champion closes to within 38 points of the red plate in Belgium
- Liam Everts rides the KTM 250 SX-F to 4th at his home Grand Prix with countryman Sacha Coenen placing 9th overall in the sand
- Cas Valk earns 2nd position in the seventh round of 11 in the 2024 EMX250 European Championship with the KTM 250 SX-F and wins the second moto. MX2 World Champ Andrea Adamo is sidelined with a torso injury
- The 2024 series travels next to Scandinavia and the compact climes of Uddevalla for the Grand Prix of Sweden in a fortnight
For the eleventh year in a row Lommel staged the Belgian stop on the MXGP calendar and the versatile but brutally rough and sapping sand close to the Dutch border was another dauting terrain for the world’s fastest Grand Prix riders. Red Bull KTM Factory Racing were down to a three-man effort for the hot and sunny fourteenth date of the year after MX2 World Champion Andrea Adamo was counted out of action on Friday: the cut to the left side of his torso sustained the previous weekend at the Czech Grand Prix had not healed sufficiently for the Italian to tackle for the sand.
Jeffrey Herlings rode to a strong 2nd position on an overcast Saturday and for an exciting RAM Qualification Heat where he almost seized P1. In the MX2 class Liam Everts was the squad’s top runner with 5th place and after fighting back from an early mistake.
Many eyes and a lot of support from a large crowd at Lommel centered on Herlings for a sunny Sunday. His charge from 2nd to the front was briefly interrupted by a collision with a backmarker in the first moto but #84 was able to drop his lap-times and grasp the checkered flag. In the second chase Herlings started well and again pursued the leader – this time without issues – and swept into P1 on lap eight of 16. The result marked his second ‘1-1’ of the term and enlarges his haul of moto wins to 10. Jeffrey has classified in the top three 14 times from the last 15 starts.
The MXGP standings are narrowing. After banking 59 points in Belgium, Herlings is now less than 40 from the peak of the table.
Liam Everts scored 4th overall at Lommel. The Belgian dropped away from the running for the top three in the first moto due to two mistakes and took 6th while Sacha Coenen crossed the line in 10th after making the holeshot. Liam was more consistent in the second race and as part of a frantic chase for P2. He jumped past the flag in a decent 3rd and only just missed the podium steps by two points. Sacha was again the fastest from the gate but counted the cost of another slip to finish 6th and confirm 9th.
Cas Valk buried his nerves on Sunday to take a commanding second moto win in the latest installment of the EMX250 European Championship. The ride complimented 4th on Saturday for P2 overall. The Dutch youngster, riding the KTM 250 SX-F for the SS24 Gabriel KTM team, is also 2nd in the standings but only 13 points from the top.
MXGP will cross water towards the west coast of Sweden and to Uddevalla for round 15 in two weeks’ time.
Jeffrey Herlings, 1st and 1st for 1st overall in MXGP: “It’s been a really good weekend. First moto I was trying to overtake the same guy a couple of times and ended-up hitting him and banging my knee. That meant I had to warm-it-up and take it a big easy at the start of the second moto. Jorge [Prado] has been really strong at the start of races so I had to make a rhythm and try not to blow up. I passed him and made a little gap and then managed it. Every point counts, and I fought for every one today. It’s a fun track and obviously I’m strong in the sand. I was beaten in Sardinia but I’ve been getting better and better and riding more like my old self. I’m looking forward to the next one and then soon my home GP.”
Liam Everts, 6th and 3rd for 4th overall in MX2: “I was feeling very good in the Quali race and came back to P5. Two crashes in the first moto – not ideal – but my riding was good. I started around 4th in the second moto and took the race in a different way; a lot easier. I wanted to see what would happen and I knew there would be some crashes. I tried to do my thing and stay upright. I was maybe a bit too conservative and led for half a lap before finishing P3 which wasn’t good enough for the podium. I’m very disappointed to have messed-up that first race. We’ll move on.”
Sacha Coenen, 10th and 6th for 9th overall in MX2: “We tried to work on the setting this weekend but couldn’t get the feeling we wanted. I crashed out of the lead in the first moto and that was a bummer. 10th was not good at all. I stayed quite safe in the second moto and rode clean and did my laps. With four to go I crashed in the same place as the first moto! Difficult to end the weekend like this and especially my home GP. We need to look forward and to Sweden.”
Image: Red Bull KTM / Ray Archer
