Since his ACL injury at the end of last season, it’s been a tough road back for Jeffrey Herlings, but the five-time world champion is beginning to show signs of progress after a lengthy injury layoff. Since returning to MXGP action at Riola Sardo, Herlings has been playing catch-up on both bike time and race fitness — all while navigating tricky conditions and fierce competition in MXGP. We caught up with the Red Bull KTM star to get his honest thoughts on his current level, the fight to improve his starts, working with teammate Andrea Adamo, and his outlook on the future.
GateDrop: Jeffrey, you’ve been back a few GPs now, I feel like progress every week. How would you sum it all up?
Herlings: Well, the last two races were mudders, so it’s hard to say if we’ve made improvement, yes or no. Obviously, I think I was 6th overall, it’s the position I really don’t want to be in. I’m on the bike since the end of March, so 6 weeks by now, so getting better and better. You normally start riding in December, so I’m actually where normal riders would be in the middle of January. But it’s getting better, I feel like I have the speed already to come close to the podium, just the starts have been letting me down, especially this weekend. So, yeah, hopefully next time the starts will be a bit better.
GateDrop: I feel like the starts you touched on, maybe the first 10 minutes, but I actually felt like the last 10 minutes of both motos you were riding quite good, you were catching the guys in front of you, so that must give you a bit of confidence that you’re strong at the end of the motos at least…
Herlings: Yeah, I mean my physical condition has never really been an issue, you know, it’s always been my starts for my entire career. I think, especially since we go from the dirt starts to the grid starts, let’s say. So, yeah, I mean this week actually is going to be my first test. So, obviously since the new noise regulation, I just jumped on the bike, kept riding, I feel like now I’m at a speed where I’m quite close to where I used to be. Obviously, in time practices, like last week in Portugal, I was just 0.1 off, yesterday I was just over a second off, so I’m pretty close again to my speeds now, I feel like we can start testing and try to get the bike better. I just need better starts, like you see yesterday with Jago, when he took a holeshot, he managed to win. Today when he didn’t have two good starts, he’s outside top 10, I believe. So, it’s really depending a lot on the start right now, you know, it doesn’t matter who you are. I haven’t seen many guys that make you come from 20 to P1.
GateDrop: How hard would you say you are pushing out there? I mean, sometimes it kind of looks like you’re riding within yourself, like you’re not on the edge or anything like that. How close would you be to 100%, would you say to pushing?
Herlings: Nah, I’m not 100% at all, like I said, I’m around 6 weeks on the bike right now, so there’s still a lot of things that need to get better. We all have to start working on the starts, because that’s where it all starts. You know, it’s been a while since I won a moto, it’s been a while since I stood on the podium. So, I think I did 5 GP’s now, and I think 6th right now was the best overall I got so far. I mean, it’s disappointing to still be 6th, but I mean, it’s the best we’ve done so far this year, but just try to get better. Like I said, I hope to be back on the podium sooner or later.
GateDrop: Like you say, you’ve been winning your whole career pretty much. What’s it like when you come back in Riola and you’re battling for 15th? You’re not really used to that, but at the same time, it’s quite stressful I imagine. It’s maybe not even as safe as when you’re out leading and you can just ride your own race….
Herlings: No, especially like now, I’ve always been in the back, like starting 10th, 12th and just be in between the other guys and in the mud. It’s way more dangerous than when, for example, in Portugal in the qualifying I started I think 2nd and straight I was able to ride with the top guys, you know. So, where I am right now is way more unsafe than just being in the top three guys. So, yeah, definitely coming into Riola, I knew I wasn’t going to be good.
It was my 4th or 5th day on the bike in over 6 months’ time. So, I did a ride from I think 13th October that happened with my ACL. I think it just started a couple of days before Riola. I just wanted to get race fit by doing races and I almost got lapped. Now I’m already like about 30 seconds down in the moto so I already almost came like one and a half minutes. Also in timed practice, I was 3 seconds off. By now I’m like around a second or less. So, for the last second, that’s the most difficult one to get that one off.
GateDrop: What’s your thoughts on Lucas Coenen? The youngest ever winner of an MXGP overall. Obviously, he’s in the class so young at 18. Most guys are in MX2 at that age. But at the minute, he’s looking silky smooth out there. Are you impressed? I am!
Herlings: Well, I’m actually not impressed at all because I know he’s very good. So, why would anyone be impressed? Everyone knows he’s very talented and he’s a very good rider. You saw guys like Prado, I don’t know how old he was, 19 or 20. He was as talented, same with Jett Lawrence. He was like, what, 19? He did the same thing. So, guys as talented as Lucas and Ken Roczen, Prado and Jett. They just are very gifted. So, for me, I’m not surprised. I’m more surprised for him not crashing because when I saw him last year or a year before, he crashed quite a lot. Now he’s way more patient so, he’s doing a great job. And right now, he’s keeping the orange flag high. So, hopefully at some point soon, I’m able to fight with these guys again. But right now, like I said, I’ve just been trying to ride safe. I just look at every GP kind of as a practice. Try to get better, get better, get better. I’m almost into the top fives already, even with the terrible starts. So, the next thing is the podiums. I think once we get into that zone then it’s just uphill from there.
GateDrop: During the week, do you mostly ride on your own or would you put many laps in with Andrea, your teammate? He’s got pretty good intensity in MX2. So, maybe doing some motos and sprints with him could help?
Herlings: Yeah, me and Andrea, we’re good friends, obviously, we’re teammates. But we did some session last week, but he’s been, I think, in Italy for quite a bit. Especially from Riola and Arco and those races. I’ve only ridden with him once. I have been just riding with my own friends at home at the local track and that’s all I’ve been doing. But now I guess it’s time to start riding with Andrea. Also, maybe do some starts with Andrea because he’s been riding a bit on the 450 as well.
So, I mean, he really helps me on a lot of things. Even though, like, I’ve won so many races, I was training so much with arm pump and he said, Hey, let’s try different grips. And then I tried, the grips way smaller and my arm pump was kind of gone. So, I’m like, hey man, I’m so dumb. I won 107 GP’s, 5 championships, I was too dumb to understand. Maybe I had to use, like, very tiny grips instead of the massive ones. So, he’s trying to help me out also on the starts because he’s a quite good starter. Not a Jorge Prado, but he’s a very top starter and I’m actually one of the worst. If you look, compared to my riding and my speed and throughout my career. So, he’s going to help me out… We’re going to do some starts on the 450 together. Now we’ve got a test planned, my first test of the season because now, like I said before, I’m finally back a bit in shape. So, yeah, hopefully we’ll be see in France. I mean, it cannot be much worse than it was this weekend. So, hopefully a bit better.
GateDrop: Between now and France, you’ll probably race the Dutch Masters, I’d imagine. But are you planning on putting some hard pack prep in?
Herlings: Yeah, definitely. We’re testing already on the hard pack this week. I think after the Dutch one, we’re also going to ride on the hard pack tracks. So, I just want to try to keep on racing every single weekend. I feel like, you know, I get better. Like, many people forget, I’ve been doing this thing since 2010. So, when I was 16 and 17 I started but I’m not staying that age, I just need a bit of time. I’m like a diesel and I always have been. Like, I need some time to start things but it will get better and better. I think there are still 12 races remaining so, the next thing is to hopefully slide into the top 5 and then to a podium.
GateDrop: Obviously, you raced the British Championship last year. I believe you’re going to maybe do two this year. Do you know what round you’re going to be doing yet?
Herlings: Most likely, I’m going to do Preston Docks. And I think a track called Duns in Scotland. It’s like two day’s of racing, Saturday and Sunday or something. That’s what I heard. My man, goggle Bob (Buchanan), he sorts me out with the British Championship. So, yeah, furthermore, you know, Red Bull KTM did a great job. I think we have a really good bike. We definitely have a better bike as we did last year. Even though the noise has came down. So, the team has been, throughout the winter, even though a lot was going on with KTM, I think the team has worked their butt off because the bike definitely is better as we had last year. So, now it’s just up to me to make it work.
GateDrop: Just on the future, obviously, the industry isn’t the best at the minute. Have you got a contract on the table? You’re not going to be worried that you might not get a ride or anything like that, are you?
Herlings: I hope to still have a ride next year. Right now, I don’t even want to negotiate with anyone because I feel like I’m not at my maximum and where I should be right now, I’m a fifth, between a fifth and an eighth place guy, you know. I feel like, you know, I first need to go back to the podium and then maybe start negotiating. Because if I go for the whole year at P10, I’m not saying I will retire, but at least I won’t enjoy it. So, my goal is to keep racing next year for sure. And, you know, a lot of things are going on with KTM right now. So, yeah, there’s a lot happening as people know in the industry.
And also, the industry is not as good as it used to be, I think, financially. Also, with the spectators like you’ve seen in Portugal, you’ve seen here, you’ve seen in Sardinia, in Cozar. Like, for some reason, there’s not much public. The industry is at quite a low position right now. So, yeah, financially, that’s not good for the riders.
GateDrop: Let’s say next year goes well, you get podiums, some wins, maybe even battle for a championship. Would that definitely be the last year or would you consider coming back? You know, Eli Tomac, he said he was going to retire a couple of years ago and he’s still racing.
Herlings: Yeah, I mean, like, I don’t want to be like, that’s what Tomac kind of said. I believe he said, but I could be wrong, but I think he said in the end of 22 that he was going to retire at the end of the year. Then that he’s going to retire at the end of 23, end of 24, and he’s not racing in 25. But even he had discussions, he’s maybe racing in 26. So, me, when I said I’m going to retire, I also want to retire. Like, right now, I do have not any intention of retiring next year. But I’m also going to be open, like, I need a good contract and I need a good bike, you know.
I don’t want to go on a B team and almost spend money to do so, you know. So, that’s, I came too far and I want too much to do that. So, but there’s a lot of teams, a lot of rides. As far as I know, there’s just two heavy hitters, let’s say, on the contract for next year, which is Maxime and Romain. And all the other ones are basically from the top guys are almost all out of contract. I think Jeremy’s on Ducati. But furthermore, like, there’s a lot of thing still open, you know, spots for next year. So, yeah, soon it will all start, I think, you know, we are still in May right now. So, but from my side, I just want to focus on my riding and, yeah, get better and let the riding do the talking right now. Just focus on the job with KTM.
