While it wasn’t a victory for Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings last weekend, he did come very close. Terrible starts cost him the chance to stand on top of the GP podium. While he clocked the quickest time in the opening moto and made the most passes in the second MXGP moto, he came up short.
We caught up with him and asked him about his return to the podium, and what he needs to work on to get back to the very top step.
I know it’s not a win, but having been where you have been, this has to feel pretty damn good?
Actually, it’s pretty disappointing. We did finish second, but the disappointing thing was we had the speed to win.
You seemed like the fastest guy, but your starts were terrible.
Yes, I think I was the fastest guy, but we didn’t win and that sucks. We are working so hard with the team, putting the bike upside down to try whatever I ask for. I really want to thank the team, they did a great job and they delivered me one of the best bikes, or maybe the best bike out there. The only thing we need to improve is the starts. We have the confidence, but we need to get starts. We need good starts every time.
How difficult is that to be sitting behind somebody and knowing you are faster, but the difference in speed isn’t enough to get a pass? It’s like MotoGP with so little difference in the rider’s speed.
I don’t know if it’s a personal thing but whenever I watch the races, I can’t remember it being this competitive in a long time. It’s crazy how close everything is. In MX2 there are some gaps, but in the MXGP class, you talk about [Jeremy] Van Horebeek, or [Gautier] Paulin, or [Tim] Gajser, or [Romain] Febvre, or [Antonio] Cairoli, all these guys can win a GP. I can’t remember when so many riders can win, and its impressive.
But during a race, how can you mentally get around that, because you pass a guy and he just passes you back.
After Italy—or actually since Mexico—it was like, this class is all out war from the start of the race until the end. And it’s pretty impressive. I like racing this way. I always had it easy in the MX2 class. I dominated, but I like this close racing. That domination I had in the MX2 class, that will never happen in this class. Its good and we are learning a lot and keep improving.
I get the feeling this period of your career is going to make you a much better rider. In MX2 you always went to the line knowing you would win, and this class you seem to have sometimes taken the safe route, and it seems like a good learning process, considering all the injuries you had in MX2. It was like you would ride around in MX2 with one finger in your nose and still win. Now your mind has to work so hard. Or not?
I don’t know, after Mexico I was thinking I sucked. If you look at the first four GP, I was a terrible rider. Seriously though, we have improved for sure and definitely we are learning different things. I have never been in this situation where I need to fight for every second of the race. In MX2 I would get a top five start, pass everyone and check out for the win, but it isn’t like that anymore.
Coming out of the start in one of the moto’s it looks like you nearly had a good start, but then you backed off, and riders went past you quickly. Was that the case?
Yes. I was between some good guys, I think Paulin and Tony and they had start and they just beat me, but I had to close the gas because they were coming from the inside and nobody cut me off, but they just had better reaction.
I am not a racer, so I have no idea, but your starting technique is completely different now from in the MX2 class. You used to sit right back on the bike and now you sit more upright. Is it because the bike has so much power you don’t have to move around on the bike like you used to?
I better do it like I used to, because my starts are not good. We have been trying so many different things, like body position. Maybe because I lean too much to the front, we get too much wheel spin, then when I lean to the back the bike is wheelying. It is something we are still working out to get it better. I mean half a bike length is the difference from being first or 10th. It is something we still need to get better at, but we will get there. KTM and I are working hard, we will get there.
You rode the 250. I saw on social media. Was that to get your confidence back a little?
I wanted to feel how I was riding. I rode the 250 and I was really fast, so I knew I would be ok once we sorted the small problems out with starts and a few other minor issues.
It doesn’t look like this is Valkenswaard anymore. Its nearly not like sand anymore.
We should go back to Lierop man, that’s real sand. I think maybe they haven’t ripped it much, and it’s been dry in Holland and not much rain, maybe that is why. If it rained more, maybe it would be surface would be sandier. It is like it is and we need to be good at all the tracks.
The confidence. You did well in Valkenswaard, and you won a race in the Dutch championship in Oss. How is the confidence now?
It was 110% in MX2, after Mexico it was minus 10% and now I think it’s about 60% or 70%, but once we get the starts, I know the confidence will come back. The gap we need to overcome is really small. I mean my confidence is better, and next race in Latvia I will feel better. We get a weekend off, so that is nice and I can go to Latvia feeling good.
Ray Archer images
