Jeffrey working on his gate pick at Uddevalla. Photo by: Ray Archer

Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings suffered terrible luck at the Grand Prix of Sweden when his chain derailed in the second moto. Having finished second in the opening moto he was holding down second place (and leading the GP) when he had his DNF.

He still remains second in the MXGP championship, but any chance of closing the gap to Antonio Cairoli seems gone with just three rounds remaining. David Bulmer spoke to the Dutchman about his weekend.

Saturday a qualification win, you didn’t need to win. Was it just as important to stop others winning than winning yourself?

Obviously I haven’t won much this year. Last few races have gone good, and I mean I deserved it. I work really hard as do the other riders, but I give it all I got every single day. It’s nice to get some wins under the belt. Even though I won’t win the championship with the start I had, and now we are second in the points. Hopefully we can keep that and the season is still good. If we didn’t have the hand injury maybe we were still battling for the championship, but it isn’t like that. We just make the best of it.

 

How did Sunday feel, obviously some bad luck?

It’s a shame and things like that can happen in this sport. I didn’t have any luck today. I came from mid-pack to second in the first moto and was then about to attack the leader in the second race and I’m sure I would have won both the race and the overall. These things happen. I was trying to win three races in a row. I’m very motivated.

 

I think the points after the fifth round, you and Antonio have similar points. Has it been a goal to win this part of the championship?

I mean, when I look back, I was like 99 points behind after Arco, after five rounds, and after 15 rounds it was less (before Sunday’s DNF). I gained some points, not many but I gained some. Unfortunately for me, the championship is about all the rounds and not the last 10. We did good the last couple of rounds. Consistent and we only won three rounds, but we have been on the podium like seven or eight times. I am looking forward to 2018. I mean we start getting starts and that is the key, I have the speed to win when I start up front I can win and that is the most important in this class also being there for all the rounds.

Jeffrey is still 2nd in the MXGP points, but 101 massive points behind Cairoli. Photo by: Ray Archer

Do you feel like the 6-1 victory in Switzerland, you were owed that after just missing out on some wins?

I was like, when I was riding I didn’t see Tonus and I didn’t see Anstie, and the last couple of laps I was counting, and thinking about it in the last couple of laps. I have many good results and didn’t win the overall, so this time the luck was on my side.

 

This week team Holland was announced. How much are you looking forward to that race?

We don’t have a strong team, but a good team. If everything falls into place like last year, we can win, but normally, if we ride like we can, then we can finish on the podium, maybe third or something. I don’t want to be cocky, but if I DNF one moto, then it’s going to be hard to get on the podium. Glenn and Brian are good, but they are not top guys like Tony, and there aren’t many teams with three top riders. We have three average or good riders, put it that way.

 

Matterley you have had some fun times, are you looking forward to going there?

I actually only had good time there that I remember. The year with Tommy, that was fun, they threw some tomatoes over me, but it was fun. I missed a year, but 2014 and 2016 I won there, and in 2014 I went 1-2 and finished second overall. The last couple of times I was there it was good. I really like that track. It’s better if they rip it, because the last few years it’s gotten a little hard, but I heard they are making some changes and Steve Dixon is in charge and he knows how to prefer a track. England is always a great place to go and it would be nice to put KTM on a good spot on the podium.

Author

Dan Lamb is a 12+ year journalist and the owner of MotoXAddicts.