MXGP Andalusia qualifying: Jeffrey Herlings' spectacular crash, the "terrible twins" go 1-2

A tremendous crash at the start, then a frenzied comeback that catapulted him to the brink of the points: Jeffrey Herlings, for better or worse, put on a show in qualifying for the GP Andalucia, the second round of the MXGP Motocross World Championship.

The plot twist that defined the race came just moments after the start: on the start straight, while trying to dive into the inside line of the first corner, Jeffrey Herlings lost control of the Honda and spectacularly flipped. It could have been a serious incident, but the Dutch ace got back in the saddle and launched a stunning charge, climbing to eleventh place, just shy of the points. The victory in the GP Argentina, on his Honda debut, sent a warning shot to his rivals, who will have quite the handful to deal with in the two Iberian motos as well.

The first European round of the ’26 World Championship is held on the fast Almonte track, 70 kilometers south of Seville, the capital of Andalusia. Seizing control immediately, Lucas Coenen pushed the KTM to the limit, riding and winning alone. A solid performance behind him from Tom Vialle, Jeffrey Herlings’ Honda teammate. The Frenchman finished ahead of compatriot Maxime Renaux. An excellent collective showing for the Italians. Mattia Guadagnini, on the KTM, crossed the line in a very promising sixth place, tucked in behind Calvin Vlaanderen’s Ducati. Ahead of them, the reigning world champion Romain Febvre, representing Kawasaki. Andrea Adamo finished behind Guadagnini, with Alberto Forato (Fantic) tenth after his customary lightning start.

The other Coenen won the second qualifying session of the year in MX2, clawing back valuable points on the German Simon Längenfelder, who was pushed down to fourth. The most interesting technical takeaway from this appetizer showdown, however, is Triumph’s performance, with the two TF 250 X machines slotting in right behind the winning KTM. Team leader Camden McLellan finished ahead of Guillem Farres, buoyed by the “home-field factor.” Noted as well: the much-anticipated Liam Everts in seventh, now well on his way to full fitness; among the Italians, the best was Valerio Lata in eleventh.