The 2026 MXGP World Championship heads to Kegums this weekend, June 6-7, one of Jeffrey Herlings’ most successful venues. The timing is particularly important for the Honda HRC Petronas rider, who is looking to recover from the setback he suffered at the German Grand Prix after retiring from Race 1.
That incident saw Herlings go from trailing Lucas Coenen by just two points to facing a 31-point deficit in the championship standings.
«Germany hasn’t treated me too well in recent years,» Herlings said after finishing ninth overall at Teutschenthal, salvaging valuable points with a second-place finish in the final race of the weekend.
While the Dutchman has enjoyed success at the German circuit, it is also the site of some of the most painful moments of his MXGP career. In 2021, he was involved in the dramatic finish-line collision with Jorge Prado, an incident that has since become one of the iconic images of modern motocross. At the time, however, it threatened to derail his title challenge, although he ultimately went on to secure his first MXGP crown later that season.
Two years later, in 2023, misfortune struck again. A crash in the opening race left Herlings with a C5 vertebra injury. In a remarkable display of determination, he rejoined the race and completed the final laps to score a single championship point. However, the injury effectively ended his hopes of fighting for the title that year.
«The positive thing is that we’re going to Latvia next week and we’ll keep pushing. There’s still a long way to go in the championship and, on top of that, Kegums is a track I like much more than this one,» Herlings added after the German GP.
And history suggests he has every reason to be optimistic.
Kegums has long been one of Herlings’ strongest tracks. He claimed his second-ever Grand Prix victory there in MX2 back in 2010, before securing his first premier-class victory at the venue in 2017. He also arrives in Latvia having won each of the last three editions held at the circuit.
The only significant setback Herlings has experienced at Kegums came in 2019. During the sighting lap before Race 1, he suffered an ankle injury in a bizarre incident when Arminas Jasikonis was unable to avoid him after a minor fall. Despite the pain, Herlings lined up on the gate and went on to win the opening race. However, the injury worsened throughout the day and ultimately prevented him from taking part in Race 2.
As for Lucas Coenen, the Belgian has raced at Kegums three times. His first two appearances came in MX2, where he finished 10th overall in 2023 and runner-up in 2024. In his only MXGP appearance at the Latvian circuit, last season, he once again finished second overall thanks to a consistent 2-2 score, with only Herlings standing in his way.
