The Czech Grand Prix, at the Loket circuit has long been a disaster zone for the big three, Tim Gajser, Jorge Prado and Jeffrey Herlings, although Prado has a clear advantage at this circuit and I believe, he will be hard to beat next weekend due to his previous results there.

The defending World champion has won at Loket in MX2 in 2018 and 2019, and also in MXGP in 2021. Jeffrey Herlings hasn’t attended Loket since 2018, when he won the MXGP class and the Dutchman had also won at Loket in 2012 and 2013 in the MX2 class.

Herlings has probably missed half a dozen GP’s at this circuit over time (due to injury) and also picked up an injury on his first visit to the circuit. So, not a happy hunting ground, despite his three wins there.

“I have actually had really good days there,” Herlings told us. “I have won championships in Loket, I won plenty of Grand Prix’s there, obviously had some gnarly crashes there, so I go there with mixed feelings, and I know it is a track where the other guys will be strong as well. So, we will go out, do our best, but it is just a sketchy, dodgy track, very tight, so we just have to make the best of it.

The Tim Gajser story from Loket, is even worse, with not one win at the circuit and a bunch of mediocre results since his first trip there in 2013. He has podiumed and been top three in motos, but overall, not his favourite circuit.

“I have never won there,” Gajser told us last weekend. “I always struggle with the track with no grip, it was similar here in Lombok, a lack of traction and grip. We did make some changes here, which should also help in Loket. I think it will give me more trust with the front end. The changes will be good for the upcoming races.”

It is rather amazing to think that back in 2010, when Jeffrey Herling was in his Grand Prix rookie season, that he still finished with a third place in a moto at the Czech GP at Loket, maybe less of a surprise, as we sit here 14 years later, that he crashed out of the second moto with a dislocated shoulder.

Going through the results of the top three guys from Loket, to give us an idea how they might do next weekend, when the Loket circuit runs what will be a very important round of the 2024 MXGP championship.

A year later in 2011, Herlings finished with 2-2 scores to finish second overall in the MX2 class to Ken Roczen and a year later in 2012, Herlings went 1-1 for his first victory at the rock-hard circuit. That same year, a young kid from Slovenian, Tim Gajser, finished second overall in the EMX250 championship, going 3-2 and being beaten by Mel Pocock.

Herlings added GP win number two in Loket in 2013, finishing with 1-1 again, and Gajser, in his MX2 rookie season finished with 20th overall, with 14-DNS. In 2014, Herlings missed the Czech GP, while Gajser went 4-9 for sixth overall in MX2. Again, Herlings missed Loket in 2015 and Gajser finished with DNF-2 for 10th overall.

Gajser moved to MXGP in 2016 and finished second overall with 2-2 scores as Max Nagl won the GP and in MX2 no Herlings again. 2017 Gajser finished third in MXGP in Loket with 1-4 scores, and Herlings was one place back in fourth overall with 5-3. In MX2, Prado finished fifth overall with 3-6 scores.

Herlings won yet another GP at Loket, his third, with a 1-1 performance in 2018, while Gajser finished in third with 3-3 finishes. Prado won MX2 with 3-1 that year, just beating Calvin Vlaanderen, who scored 1-3 results. Still no luck for Gajser in 2019, as he finished second overall and 2-2 his results. No Herlings in 2019 as again injury ruled him out. Prado ruled MX2 with 1-1 results.

No Czech GP in 2020 due to Covid and in 2021, Prado dominated again on the hard pack, winning the MXGP class with 1-3 results, while Gajser claimed sixth overall with 2-15. No Herlings due to injury from the previous round in Oss, Holland.

A strange one in 2022, as Jeremy Seewer won MXGP, with 1-2 and Gajser was third with 2-3 and Prado 5-5 for fifth overall. No Herlings again, surprise, surprise, due to injury.

2023 and Romain Febvre wins with 1-4, Prado second with 2-3 and Gajser seventh overall with 9-5. No Herlings, due to injury.

So, if you are a betting man, despite the current run by Herlings, I would be betting on a Prado victory, because until now, these type of circuits with throttle control fall right into the line of the Spaniards best performances. The long start in Loket should not favour Prado too much, but we all know, his confidence going into Loket will be high, despite his Lombok II result.

If Prado doesn’t win Loket and either Gajser or Herlings do, then the next month might see some serious changes in the MXGP championship points. Whatever happens, expect drama and some battles, as the three best motocross riders in the World once again go head to head.