The 2026 International of Lierop delivered a high-level pre-season benchmark just one week before the MXGP World Championship opener in Argentina.
In MX1, Jeffrey Herlings emerged as the overall winner after a hard-fought duel with reigning world champion Romain Febvre. In MX2, Liam Everts dominated proceedings with a flawless 1-1 performance, establishing himself as the clear reference in the class ahead of the world championship kickoff.
MX1: Herlings beats Febvre for the overall
In Race 1, Romain Febvre delivered a commanding performance, but the closing stages turned into a high-intensity duel with Jeffrey Herlings. After a poor start, the Dutch rider carved his way through the field and moved into second around mid-race, quickly closing the gap to the leader.
Herlings applied relentless pressure in the final laps, drawing within striking distance, but ultimately fell just short at the line, finishing roughly one second behind.Third place went to early race leader Calvin Vlaanderen with Ducati.
Top 10 Race 1: Febvre, Herlings, Vlaanderen, Coldenhoff, Van Doninck, Nagl, Brumann, Geerts, Oliver & Jonass.
The second MX1 moto initially saw Jeffrey Herlings take control, leading at the completion of the opening lap ahead of Romain Febvre. The two front-runners quickly distanced themselves from the field.
By lap four, Febvre made his move into the lead and opened a 1.8-second advantage over Herlings, while Calvin Vlaanderen advanced into third position. From that point onward, the top three remained unchanged through to the checkered flag, as Febvre managed the gap and controlled the closing stages.
Top 10 Race 2: Herlings, Febvre, Vlaanderen, Van Doninck, Coldenhoff, Watson, Brumann, Nagl, Jonass & Van de Moosdijk.
Herlings’ victory in the second moto secured him the overall win with a 1-2 scorecard. Febvre claimed second overall (1-2), while Vlaanderen placed his Ducati on the third step of the podium with a consistent 3-3 result.
MX2: Liam Everts goes 1-1
Liam Everts claimed victory in the opening MX2 moto after making an early move on holeshot winner Kay Karssemakers within the first laps. Once in front, Everts steadily increased his gap and controlled the race to the checkered flag.
A standout performance came from Scott Smulders, who secured second place after holding off pressure from Mathis Valin. The French rider suffered a crash on lap six, which cost him valuable time and momentum. Karssemakers regrouped after losing the lead and managed to recover to third position by the finish.
Top 10 Race 1: Everts, Smulders, Karssemakers, Heitink, Fredsoe, Valin, Skobvjerg, Gregoire, Tolsma & Colmer.
The second and decisive MX2 moto was controlled from lights to flag by Liam Everts aboard his Nestaan Husqvarna. The Belgian secured the holeshot and immediately set the pace, building a steady advantage to complete a dominant 1-1 sweep on the day.
Behind him, Dani Heitink delivered a strong ride to claim second place, while Gyan Doensen impressed with a composed performance to finish third. Mathis Valin (Kawasaki KRT) endured a quieter race, crossing the line in fifth.
Top 10 Race 2: Everts, Heitink, Doensen, Fredsoe, Valin, Karssemakers, Owens, Skovbjerg, Tolsma & Gundersen.
PODIUM:
- Liam Everts (1-1)
- Dani Heitink (4-2)
- Kay Karssemakers (3-6)
MX1 TIME PRACTICE RESULTS
