Photos by: Ray Archer
For Red Bull KTM factory rider Jeffrey Herlings it has been a tough time the last 24 months. While he has added to his GP victories and ridden some amazing GP’s, he has gone zero in championships, and we all know it’s all about championships for the young Dutchman.
With his injury healing and his confidence slowing coming back Herlings should return to riding his trusty KTM within the next month. Once back on the bike he will decide which class he will race in 2016, the MXGP class or the MX2 class.
The Flying Dutchman was kind enough to give Geoff Meyer a call at his office yesterday to talk about this plans for the winter and how he is feeling.
Jeffrey, how are you feeling?
I don’t feel too bad actually. We have had a great career up until now, and every career has its ups and downs. I had loads of wins the last two years, but obviously no championships through injury. Life goes on. Hopefully we will put ourselves in a better position and we need to stay out of the injury zone. Everything is going well and we hope to be back on the bike in four weeks and I am super, super motivated and I hope we can get a good winter preparation in and come into 2016 really firing.
With Romain Febvre attracting so much attention this year and Tim Gajser winning the MX2 championship, how tough it is to sit on the couch and watch them winning titles and getting so much attention?
It really hurts, being two times world champion and it being said I would be the next big thing, I would be the guy who would break all records of Stefan Everts with his 10 world championships and try and break his 101 GP wins. I was 19 years old and had over 40 GP wins, two world championship and working on my third and then everything went wrong. It all broke into pieces. Knowing what I am capable of and knowing what I have already done, and then seeing guys like Gajser winning a world title. When I missed Germany I had a 140 lead or something and to lose two world titles with such big leads was really tough. It is crazy how you can lose two championships with such big points leads. It hurts seeing Febvre winning and Gajser winning and I am just sitting on the couch at home.
So how is the body now, all pins and plates out?
As you know I had my pin from last season out in December last year, and the collarbone they will remove the plate tomorrow. I still have something in my hip, but nothing too serious and it will be in my body for the rest of my life. It´s a small clip to keep something together, but I don´t feel it or anything. I don´t have pain and just working hard. I just can´t wait to be a racer again. I want to get into my own routine. When you come from a point in your career where you are just winning everything and on top of the world, and now Febvre is the man of the moment. But that is sport and you are only as good as your last race. I just want to show what I am capable of and what our team are capable of.
I can’t even imagine what it is like to go through what you have been through.
That’s sport, you are as good as your last race and when you are winning everything is good, but when you are not racing it´s tough, but that is the way it is. To come from winning 27 GPs in a row in 2013 and 20014 and winning championships and now being where I am, it is nearly depressing, but it would be a lot worse and of course it could also be a lot better. I learnt a lot mentally and I just want to be back on the bike, it makes me happy and at the moment I am not a happy person.
I think 100% of motocross fans would love to see you move up to the MXGP class. For a racer it must be mouth-watering to look at that class. Febvre is the man in that class now isn’t he, but I am sure you want a piece of that success in the big bike class.
I think I am also able to do what Febvre did, I mean a lot of guys got injured this year, but it doesn´t matter he was the best guy of the season and even with the top guys out that happens. He is world champion, but I can´t see why I can´t be better than Febvre, because I was better in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Obviously he made huge steps forward and he won like 9 GPs or something the MXoN going 1/1 and he is the man to beat at the moment, he´s the man.
When will you make a decision on which class you race in 2016?
About the class I am waiting to see what the doctor says when I can start riding again, and I will see when I get the green light. I will start on my 250 because I haven´t ridden for like five months, but then we will do some testing with the other bike, and what we are going to do and see what falls into place. I give it a 50% chance of one or the other at the moment. I have a lot to prove in MXGP, but I also have something to prove in MX2. I didn´t finish a season in the MX2 class the last two years and I want to show what I can do on that bike. I want to show I am capable of winning that third MX2 championship, but I am also wanting to show I can beat those guy in MXGP also. It will be a hard decision, but whatever decision I make it will be a good decision.
MXGP is the class that all the best riders, I guess the biggest challenge and everything will have to fall into place to win there.
Definitely, that is the class, it´s F1 or motoGP and all the best are in that class, Tixier is moving up, maybe Gajser, also Febvre, Van Horebeek, Cairoli, Coldenhoff all the top guys are in that class, but I also have to prove something to myself and I have years to race MXGP, I hope my career is until I am 30 or something. I just want to be pain free when I get on the bike, but the decision which class I race might be done within a minute, and whatever decision I make I will go 100% to win.
Did you watch the MXoN and what did you think?
Yes, I did watch it and I am still a motocross fan, and what an amazing event, it was huge. Youthstream and all the partners around they did a great job. I don´t know how many people it was at that race, but it was just amazing to see and the racing was also really good. Hopefully next year I will be there. With Holland finishing sixth in Ernee maybe we can do better in Maggiora in 2016.
With yourself, Glenn (Coldenhoff) and Davey (Pootjes) you guys would have a shot to win the thing.
Well, I think with me Glenn and Davey with a track like Lommel, Lierop or Assen, we could be a podium team, I mean Team France and Team America are really strong, and I wouldn´t say we could beat them, but in Assen or Lommel, we would have a chance to be out front and give the French and the Americans a hard time, a serious battle. If it comes to Assen I will be so pumped.
Last question. What are your plans for the press season, any races decided on yet?2
I don´t know what we will do, that is also a team decision to decide when and where, or if we race before Qatar. We will see from my side I have nothing planned, but I would think we do something before Qatar.
