Loket on Fire: Coenen KO’d, Herlings pulls off a stunner and snatches the MXGP lead

Jeffrey Herlings the undisputed dominator and new MXGP leader, Guillem Farres wins and extends his lead in MX2. Report and standings from the GP in Loket.

Total triumph with an overtake for the overall MXGP lead: Jeffrey Herlings makes the most of Lucas Coenen’s difficulties—today absent from both races due to sciatic nerve compression in his left leg, the injury he suffered last week at the Latvia GP. Honda celebrates twice, with Tom Vialle 2nd and the reigning champion Romain Febvre in 3rd. In MX2, Guillem Farres extends his lead after taking over the top spot 7 days ago, winning the GP with a win and a 2nd place. Golden moment for Triumph, a GP 1-2 with Camden McLellan 2nd and first place among manufacturers. In a few days it’s already time to think about Lommel, but for now here’s how the Czech Republic GP in Loket went.

A few laps behind his garage mate, then a solo escape to victory. Jeffrey Herlings, who won yesterday’s qualifying race, secures Race 1 with a margin, already taking over the overall lead given Lucas Coenen’s withdrawal. The podium essentially mirrors the top 3 in qualifying: Romain Febvre isn’t perfect off the line but steadily climbs to finally grab 2nd in the moto with a pass on Tom Vialle, who brings home a solid 3rd. Andrea Adamo brushes the podium but, as the laps go by, has to give way and finishes the moto in 4th. Unlucky race for Jeremy Seewer, forced to retire almost immediately.

The new KTM signing, however, makes a splash at the start of Race 2, behind leader Tom Vialle and alongside Gajser, Herlings, Pancar, and the rest. A messy start instead for Febvre, among the riders down in the first corner: an uphill race right away for the reigning MXGP champion, who launches into a furious comeback. Up front, Jeffrey Herlings quickly repeats the Race 1 script: recover, overtake, and there he is leading this one too. Game over: the HRC ace wins it all and now takes the MXGP world championship lead as well! Honda 1-2 with Tom Vialle 2nd overall; the super comeback up to 5th pays off as Romain Febvre claws his way to 3rd overall.

In Race 1 the rocket start comes from the still banged-up Sacha Coenen, but the lead doesn’t last long. Janis Reisulis in particular is on fire and takes over at the front before the attack from the new points leader: maximum result for Guillem Farres, who triumphs and extends his overall lead, and it’s a double celebration for the Triumph brand, which also locks down second with a great charge from Camden McLellan, initially outside the top 10. Yamaha bags an excellent moto with both Reisulis brothers: Janis 3rd ahead of Karlis. Simon Laengenfelder finishes 5th, Sacha Coenen loses more points in the standings but limits the damage with 7th.

At the start of Race 2 there’s a pile-up in the first corner, and we soon get a twist: Simon Laengenfelder, initially in the lead, is passed by Everts and Farres, then crashes and retires, with pain in his right arm (seems nothing serious) but above all bike issues... A major blow for KTM’s German while his rivals fly. Liam Everts takes his first moto win by a wide margin, but with Guillem Farres 2nd, he wins the GP and extends his overall lead. We also get an intense fraternal duel between the Reisulis brothers, with Karlis this time getting the better of Janis for 3rd. Between the Yamaha siblings later inserts Camden McLellan, whose charge this time stops just off the podium and very close to the Latvian, while Sacha Coenen is again 7th.

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