Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jeffrey Herlings handed his rivals a lesson in racing in the sand as he has won yet again and in very tough conditions. After crashing into a lapped rider mid race and dropping back to like 20 seconds behind the leader, Jorge Prado, the Dutchman clocked some stunning laps, caught and passed Prado to take the moto win.

Jeffrey Herlings: They should get disqualified, the lapped riders. I took my time in the start and that crash made it difficult. The track is really rough and I want to get to moto two.

In the championship chase, Tim Gajser finished in fifth place and suddenly the points gap closed down somewhat. Both Prado and Herlings made up serious points on the HRC man.

Championship points are now Tim Gajser 687 points, Jorge Prado 659pts, Jeffrey Herlings 642pts. Gajser holds 28 points over Prado and Herlings is 17 points off Prados tally. The battle for the title is warming up.

MXGP Moto One

Prado led from Seewer, Vlaanderen, Herlings, Gajser, Horgmo, Bogers, Paturel, Febvre, Mewse and Koch. Prado looking to get a quick break as he looks very aggressive. Gajser a mistake and dropped to sixth place and Herlings into third as he passed Seewer.

Seems as thought Gajser might already be thinking points and keeping out of trouble, but getting pushed around a bit. Lap one and the lead by Prado over Vlaanderen was 3.5 seconds with Herlings 4.6 behind and Febvre passed Gajser, to drop the red plate man to seventh.

Herlings into second as he passed Vlaanderen and the gap is four seconds between Prado and the Dutchman. Two laps and the gap is 4.1 second with Vlaanderen already two seconds off Herlings, then came Seewer, Bogers, Febvre, Gajser, Horgmo, Mewse and Paturel.

Prado the quickest lap of the moto and then Herlings the quickest lap of the race, but the gap was still five seconds, then it was 6.3 seconds. Prado really pushing hard, but will it be too much, too soon?

Prado a lap that was three seconds quicker than Herlings and the gap was 6.6 seconds, with Vlaanderen now 10 seconds off the leader. Gajser 19 seconds off the leaders and seemingly taking the safe route today. Febvre into fifth place with a pass on Bogers, but Bogers regained that position.

Lap three and the gap between Prado and Herlings was now 10 seconds and the Spaniard really showing his speed in deep sand. Prado did a 2.08.726 and Herlings a 2.12.523. Gajser also passed Boger and on lap four it was Prado, Herlings, Vlaanderen, Seewer, Febvre, Gajser, Bogers, Horgmo, Coldenhoff and Paturel.

Lap five and the gap was still 11 seconds as Vlaanderen was 20 seconds back in third, then Febvre, Gajser, Seewer, Bogers, Horgmo, Coldenhoff and Bonacorsi. Herlings a better lap than Prado as the Dutchman tries to close the gap. Prado though making sure that the gap remains at 10 seconds, which maybe isn’t big enough a gap, as Herlings is always big on a second half charge.

Herlings a lap two seconds quicker than Prado and the second lap in a row he was quicker than the Spanish rider. The gap was down to eight seconds. Watch Herlings with 10 minutes remaining. On lap seven, there was 14 seconds remaining. The gap was suddenly 7.5 seconds, then 5.8. Herlings on a charge.

Herlings a mistake and the gap was suddenly 14 seconds as the Dutchman slipped over as he ran into a lapped rider. Still in second and a chance of the GP win, but hard to see him catch Prado now with 13 minutes remaining. Lap eight and the gap was 17 seconds. Herlings looks angry and really pushing hard. 10 minutes remaining and the gap was 16.7 seconds.

On lap nine it was Prado, Herlings, Vlaanderen, Febvre, Gajser, Seewer, Bogers, Coldenhoff, Horgmo and Bonacorsi. Lap nine and the gap was 15.4 seconds, then it was 14.5, but Prado might give Herlings a sniff to allow the Dutchman to burn himself out? Herlings a lap two seconds quicker than Prado and the gap dropped to 14 seconds, then 13.3 seconds.

Lap 10 and seven minutes and two laps remaining and the gap was 11.6 seconds. It might not be over just yet. Top ten on lap 11 was Prado, Herlings, Vlaanderen, Febvre, Gajser, Coldenhoff, Bogers, Seewer, Horgmo and Bonacorsi. Prado doing much slower lap times and maybe just playing with the mind of the other riders. The gap was 8.7 seconds.

Herlings the quickest lap of the moto and the gap is now 3.3 seconds. Herlings might still be the king of the sand. 1.8 second lead and Herlings all over Prado. Herlings onto Prado and into the lead, the crowd are going nuts here in Lomme. Herlings is just magnificent in these conditions, pure legend of the sand.

Prado back onto the back wheel of Herlings, but the Dutchman made a small mistake and it was close again. Both Herlings and Prado are pushing hard with three laps remaining. The gap was suddenly three seconds and Herlings is owning this moto and the crowd are loving it. The gap was then 4.5 seconds. Two laps remaining the gap was now eight seconds. Herlings wins from Prado and Vlaanderen. Gajser fifth, nearly a minute down on Herlings.

MXGP - Grand Prix Race 1 - Classification

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 35:19.995; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GASGAS), +0:10.374; 3. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Yamaha), +0:34.563; 4. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:47.677; 5. Tim Gajser (SLO, Honda), +0:53.164; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, Fantic), +1:05.943; 7. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:12.435; 8. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Yamaha), +1:17.903; 9. Brian Bogers (NED, Fantic), +1:21.842; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, Kawasaki), +1:23.448; 11. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), +1:40.007; 12. Alberto Forato (ITA, Honda), +1:41.898; 13. Benoit Paturel (FRA, Yamaha), +1:47.580; 14. Conrad Mewse (GBR, Honda), +1:56.409; 15. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), +1:59.570; 16. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, Husqvarna), +2:01.688; 17. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Honda), +2:05.618; 18. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 19. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 20. Boris Blanken (NED, Fantic), -1 lap(s); 21. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), -1 lap(s); 22. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, Beta), -1 lap(s); 23. Cato Nickel (GER, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 24. Josh Gilbert (GBR, KTM), -1 lap(s); 25. Valentin Guillod (SUI, Honda), -1 lap(s); 26. Michel Hoenson (NED, KTM), -2 lap(s); 27. Nick Leerkes (NED, TM), -2 lap(s); 28. Thomas Vermijl (BEL, GASGAS), -2 lap(s); 29. Mark Scheu (GER, Husqvarna), -2 lap(s); 30. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Honda), -8 lap(s); 31. Bobby Bruce (GBR, Kawasaki), -9 lap(s); 32. Nikolaj Skovgaard (DEN, KTM), -10 lap(s); 33. Petar Petrov (BUL, Yamaha), -11 lap(s);

MXGP - World Championship Classification

1. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 687 points; 2. Jorge Prado (ESP, GAS), 659 p.; 3. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 642 p.; 4. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, YAM), 498 p.; 5. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KAW), 463 p.; 6. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 404 p.; 7. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 385 p.; 8. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 303 p.; 9. Pauls Jonass (LAT, HON), 274 p.; 10. Valentin Guillod (SUI, HON), 273 p.; 11. Brian Bogers (NED, FAN), 250 p.; 12. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, HUS), 199 p.; 13. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, YAM), 196 p.; 14. Benoit Paturel (FRA, YAM), 176 p.; 15. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 174 p.; 16. Cornelius Toendel (NOR, KTM), 171 p.; 17. Isak Gifting (SWE, YAM), 130 p.; 18. Ben Watson (GBR, BET), 110 p.; 19. Alvin Östlund (SWE, HON), 95 p.; 20. Ivo Monticelli (ITA, BET), 78 p.

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