It was all going to plan for Jeffrey Herlings in the MXGP qualifying race at Agueda — until disaster struck on the final lap. The Red Bull KTM rider had been sitting comfortably in second place behind Lucas Coenen, setting up what looked like a strong KTM 1-2 finish.
However, with just one lap remaining, Herlings cross-rutted and went down in what initially appeared to be a relatively minor crash. As he attempted to remount, he was struck by Romain Febvre, who had no chance to avoid the stricken Dutchman.
Herlings later posted an update on social media, confirming he was okay but nursing some injuries including a broken rib:
“Crashed with a lap to go while I was in 2nd. Very small crash, but unfortunately Romain Febvre hit me. There was nothing he could do to avoid me, and totally not his mistake. And after the moto he even came and say sorry, for something he couldn’t do anything about. Big respect for his sportsmanship. Right now I might have a broken rib, and a big swollen elbow but it is what it is. Ended up P7. Let’s try and ride tomorrow.”
Despite the incident, Herlings salvaged a seventh-place finish and will try to race tomorrow, albeit potentially carrying some discomfort.
You can see the incident below:
