After a crash in Italy a little over a week ago, Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings got back on track with victory in the Hawkstone Park International last weekend. Getting three moto wins and looking as sharp as he was at the tail end of 2017, it could be bad news for his rivals.
Geoff Meyer sat down and talked to Herlings about his weekend and what to expect in the coming weeks before the opening round of the MXGP championship, set for Argentina in two weeks’ time.
First, congratulations on yesterday, can you tell me how it went from the start of the day?
Obviously it wasn’t great like a summer day, but also it wasn’t too bad, like five or six degrees or something. Sometimes throughout the day we had some snow and rain, and you could see the track had a lot of rain, so I have to thank the organizers for getting the track in the condition it was, but it did make it one lined. I think we did good, fastest in practice, three decent starts and won all three motos. I did what we had to do to win.
You didn’t have the same sort of luck in Italy the week before?
I think after a rough start in Italy, where I crashed in the first corner and I couldn’t ride the superfinal because I didn’t finish the first race. It was a tough start, but I was lucky not to have any injuries from the crash, a good week of training and for me the season started in England.
I had the feeling from following it that you were pretty much in control, even though Glenn (Coldenhoff) rode really well. How was it for you?
Glenn rode really well. It was one of his best races in a long time. Normally guys like Gautier Paulin and Max Anstie, they could beat him, if you look at results from the last few years, but Glenn beat them all three motos in row and one of his best performances. But like I said, the track was really one lined and I just took my time and I knew it was a 25 minute and if I was leading in the last lap, that was enough. It wasn’t a GP situation; the competition wasn’t that strong with maybe five quick guys. I just did what I had to do and take no risks and the track was a bit dodgy because it was rough and just one line. So, I just took my time and got the win. When I felt like when I found a good place to pass I did and just cruised for the win.
That crash in Italy, I mean first that looks like a really dangerous corner, and the last place you want to crash is in the first corner. It happens quickly, but did you think at all, oh, no, not again?
It happens in the blink of an eye, but when you are going down its like oh, shit, and then you think, am I alright, ok, I am alright, no pain, but then I got hit in the back. I stood up and felt ok, but I felt a little pain in my back and had the wind knocked out of me, but after a minute or so, I felt ok, but I was like half a lap behind and just pulled in. If it was a GP it would have been a different story, but then I thought damn, if I don’t finish the race, I then realized I would miss the superfinal. Then I was like, ok, it is what it is. Nothing to win with those races, just things to lose.
Not sure if you watched it yet, but the track for the Italian race looked really rough and pretty dangerous and Antonio, Romain and Jeremy were really pushing hard sometimes and taking some risks. These pre-season races seem pretty dangerous, as you know, a big risk.
I just saw a little of what the track was like, just Instagram videos, and it seems pretty rough, a lot of lines, but in Hawkstone, it was just because of the weather, if you were in England in July, the track would be completely different, so its just a bit normal (for the pre-season tracks).
You had the photo shoot, saw the photos today. Some really nice images. Do you like doing those, riding in your new gear and getting a bunch of nice images from it?
I always like to see the results. I mean its two intense days of shooting, but then the next weekend you see all the beautiful shots, and you are like, oh, yes, that is why we do it. Its great for selling the brand, and thousands of people are getting the KTM posters throughout the year and its important to have a good image. We also look after our sponsors.
Ok, you have two weeks now before Argentina. What do you do until you leave for Argentina?
We will race France next weekend and then maybe stay a while there. We will practice in France this week and maybe after the race. The weather is better down there than in Holland, where its been snowing and raining. So, it is a little safer and then we leave for Argentina, so it will be there soon.
Ray Archer images
