After a third-place finish in race one, Jeffrey Herlings was poised to go for victory in race two, applying maximum pressure to the leader at the sandy Kegums circuit. Unfortunately a technical issue meant he instead had to withdraw from the race, leaving him to finish just 10th overall.
For the second consecutive weekend, Jeffrey Herlings was seen making the long walk back to the paddock after being forced out of a race by mechanical issues. An unusual sight for one of the sport’s greatest riders, but one that has now occurred twice in a row and third this season after the DNF in Race 1 in Switzerland, for his title hopes, one he will hope.
The first setback came a week earlier in Teutschenthal, where a mechanical problem forced the Dutchman to retire from the opening moto. Fortunately, he was able to return for Race 2 and salvage valuable points with a second-place finish.
Looking to bounce back in Latvia, the eighth round of the 2026 MXGP World Championship and a venue where he has enjoyed tremendous success with nine career Grand Prix victories, Herlings once again found himself facing adversity. He tried to challenge an unstoppable Lucas Coenen throughout the weekend, but the young Belgian proved difficult to match. Herlings finished third in Sunday’s opening moto after also falling short in the qualifying race.
His final opportunity came in Race 2. Running close behind Coenen and still in contention for a strong result, disaster struck once again. His bike suddenly came to a halt, forcing him into a second mechanical retirement in two weekends.
The costly DNF leaves Herlings 62 points adrift of Lucas Coenen in the championship standings, dealing a significant blow to his title ambitions.
«Not much to say really. Hard to take when this happens but at least my riding was good and I was challenging for the win. Just got to try and do the best we can from here on in.»
The MXGP World Championship will resume in two weeks’ time, with the next round taking place on June 20-21 in Italy.
