Loket: Jeff Herlings (HRC) wins with a perfect score and is the MXGP World Championship leader

Second MXGP race at the Grand Prix of the Czech Republic in Loket: Swiss van Venrooy-KTM rider Jeremy Seewer took the holeshot. Romain Febvre (Kawasaki), Kay de Wolf (Husqvarna) and Isak Gifting (Yamaha) crashed in the first corner. De Wolf retired from the race after two laps. Gifting and Febvre began a comeback from the back of the field, and the defending champion even managed to make it onto the podium in the end.

Perfect score for Herlings

Tom Vialle, Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings overtook Jeremy Seewer on the very first lap. Herlings then pulled off a clever overtaking manoeuvre on Tim Gajser and repeated this strategy two laps later against his HRC team-mate Tom Vialle. Herlings took the lead on lap 4, made no mistakes whatsoever and ultimately won with a solid 10-second lead over Tom Vialle. With victories in the qualifying race and both main races, Jeffrey Herlings secured the maximum 60 points in the Czech Republic. Lucas Coenen (KTM), who had arrived as the World Championship leader, was unable to start at Loket due to a foot injury sustained at Foxhills and consequently lost the red plate of the World Championship leader.

Tom Vialle a comfortable second

Tom Vialle had finished the first race in third place behind Herlings and Febvre. At the end of the second race, the Frenchman had to fend off attacks from Tim Gajser. However, Gajser was held up by Maximilian Spies, who had been lapped, and lost his momentum. With a 3-2 result, Tom Vialle ultimately finished second on the podium at Loket.

Comeback and podium for Romain Febvre

Following his crash at Turn 1, the defending champion staged a remarkable comeback. By the end of the first timed lap, he had already moved up to 19th place, and after five laps he was within the top ten. By the 12th lap, he had reached fifth place. Finishing second in the first race, he ended up on the third step of the podium with a 2-5 result.

A good start for Jeremy Seewer, but problems towards the end

In the second race, Jeremy Seewer held fourth place for four laps, fifth place for seven laps, and was eventually overtaken to finish 12th in the final laps. Following his retirement in the first race, his 9 points do not reflect his true performance. With 6th place in the qualifying race and 12th in the second race, the rider from Bülach scored 14 points, moving up one place to 19th in the World Championship standings.

Tom Koch best German rider

The German Sarholz KTM rider Tom Koch got off to a good start in the second race and spent six laps in the top eight. It was only when Febvre closed in from behind that the rider from Thuringia lost his rhythm somewhat and subsequently had to let Roan van de Moosdijk, Ben Watson and Andrea Adamo pass him. Isak Gifting also overtook him on lap 9, but Tom fought his way back up to 13th place and, with these 8 points, he ultimately finished as the best German MXGP rider at Loket. Maximilian Spies finished the day with a 15–19 result, placing 18th overall, whilst KMP Honda rider Cato Nickel secured 5 World Championship points with a 17–20 result. Maximilian Spies is 28th in the World Championship standings with 33 points, whilst Tom Koch is 28th with 29 points.

Dramatic change at the top of the World Championship standings

After 13 of 19 World Championship rounds, Jeffrey Herlings took the red plate as World Championship leader at Loket. Lucas Coenen, who had dominated the World Championship up to the 12th round, dropped from first to second place due to his injury-enforced absence and now trails by 49 points. The crucial question now is whether he will be able to compete again this coming weekend in Lommel, and even if he does, it will be difficult to make up a 49-point deficit against an opponent like Jeffrey Herlings in the remaining World Championship rounds. For Lucas Coenen and the Red Bull KTM factory team, it is now also a race against time.

Next stop: Lommel

The 14th round of the championship continues this coming weekend in the deep sand of Lommel. In Belgium, Jeffrey Herlings will be at the starting gate with the World Championship leader’s red plate. For Lucas Coenen, this Grand Prix is, of all things, his home race. For Lucas Coenen – and for the sport as a whole – the hope remains that he will be fit again by then.

MXGP Loket:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NL), Honda, 1-1, 50 points

2. Tom Vialle (F), Honda, 3-2, 42, (-8)

3. Romain Febvre (F), Kawasaki, 2-5, 38, (-12)

4. Ruben Fernandez (E), Honda, 5-4, 34, (-16)

5. Tim Gajser (SLO), Yamaha, 10-3, 31, (-19)

6. Andrea Adamo (I), KTM, 4-10, 29, (-21)

7. Jago Geerts (B), Beta, 8-9, 25, (-25)

8. Jan Pancar (SLO), KTM, 12-7, 23, (-27)

9. Roan van de Moosdijk (NL), KTM, 11-8, 23, (-27)

10. Isak Gifting (S), Yamaha, 9–14, 19, (-31)

11. Brent van Doninck (B), Fantic, 7–16, 19, (-31)

World Championship standings after round 13 of 19:

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NL), Honda, 615 points

2. Lucas Coenen (B), KTM, 566, (-49)

3. Romain Febvre (F), Kawasaki, 541, (-74)

4. Tim Gajser (SLO), Yamaha, 489, (-126)

5. Ruben Fernandez (E), Honda, 414, (-201)

6. Andrea Adamo (I), KTM, 411, (-204)

7. Maxime Renaux (F), Yamaha, 408, (-207)

8. Tom Vialle (F), Honda, 367, (-248)

9. Kay de Wolf (NL), Husqvarna, 292, (-323)

10. Pauls Jonass (LV), Kawasaki, 273, (-342)