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What a way to kick off a new partnership!
Newly sponsored Muc-Off rider Jeffrey Herlings claimed his 117th MXGP overall victory at the MXGP of Portugal this weekend, putting together an impressive 2-1 scorecard to edge championship leader Lucas Coenen on countback after both riders finished level on 47 points.
The Crossódromo Internacional de Águeda provided the perfect stage for another chapter in what is becoming one of the biggest rivalries in modern motocross. Herlings and Coenen were once again in a class of their own, trading race wins in front of a packed Portuguese crowd.
Race One
Despite setting the fastest time in morning warm-up, Herlings' opening moto didn't go entirely to plan.
A lack of traction in the second corner left "The Bullet" buried around eighth place as Lucas Coenen quickly took control at the front. Herlings fought his way through the pack with trademark determination, making passes on Romain Febvre and eventually teammate Ruben Fernandez to move into second.
By the time he cleared Fernandez, however, Coenen had already built a sizeable advantage. Herlings pushed hard over the closing laps but had to settle for second, finishing just under four seconds behind the KTM rider.
Race Two
The second moto was vintage Jeffrey Herlings.
Starting outside the top five once again, the Dutchman wasted no time carving through the field. Within a lap he had already moved into second and immediately set about hunting down Coenen.
The pair produced one of the battles of the season, racing side-by-side in a thrilling duel that had fans on their feet. After several attempts, Herlings finally found an opening with a perfectly judged inside move in a tight right-hander, forcing Coenen to back out and handing the Honda rider the lead.
Once in front, Herlings immediately stretched a gap and never looked back, taking a commanding race win and securing the overall Grand Prix victory.
Another Record Added
The victory extends Herlings' remarkable career statistics to:
- 117 MXGP Grand Prix victories
- 221 individual race wins
Not bad for a rider who continues to rewrite the record books.
Speaking after the race, Herlings said:
"I felt like me and Lucas were roughly the same speed all weekend. In race one I lost a lot of time with my teammate Ruben, I spent a long time trying to pass him and Lucas went ahead. In race two I was straight into second after one lap, and I felt I was a bit faster at some points, but it was very difficult to find a line to pass. I found one spot where I could do it, and I made sure to stop him from going around me. I pushed a few laps, made a nice little gap and managed to win. GP number 117, race win 221, the stats keep getting impressive, but it's been a nice weekend and I look forward to South Africa."
Championship Battle Continues
Although Coenen still leads the MXGP World Championship, Herlings once again proved he's not going to let the young Belgian have things all his own way.
The gap now stands at 57 points, but with Herlings continuing to show exceptional speed—especially on hard-pack circuits—the title fight is far from over.
Attention now turns to the next round in South Africa, where both riders will face an unfamiliar challenge. If Portugal was anything to go by, motocross fans are in for another spectacular showdown.
MXGP Portugal Overall Results
- Jeffrey Herlings (Honda) – 2-1
- Lucas Coenen (KTM) – 1-2
- Romain Febvre (Kawasaki) – 3-3
- Tim Gajser (Yamaha)
- Ruben Fernandez (Honda)
Congratulations to Jeffrey on an incredible first MXGP overall victory as a Muc-Off sponsored rider. If this weekend is anything to go by, it's the start of an exciting new chapter both on and off the track.
