Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings has ended the 2019 Motocross Season with a spectacular victory for Team Netherlands at the 73rd Motocross of Nations. Herlings, the defending MXGP World Champion, managed to be the first to pass the chequered flag at the TT Circuit Assen. Standing Construct KTM’s Glenn Coldenhoff also performed well in the winning Dutch team.
The weather conditions at Assen were not the best as rain dampened the tracks on race day for the first time since 2004. The track was rather soggy and challenging.
Red Bull KTM Enduro star Nathan Watson rode for Team Great Britain. He bagged a DNF in his first race due to issues with the clutch. He then came in 10th in the second race. The team won their third consecutive podium.
Jorge Prado, on the other hand, led Team Spain to 9th place in Assen on his first race on the KTM 450 SX-F.
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“The weather was not in the plan! I messed up my starts twice today so from an individual point of view I’m not satisfied. I almost won the first moto and then when down three times in the second but still managed to finish fourth. We wanted a 1-1 and that didn’t happen but what we really came here for today was to win as a Nation and we did that. My teammates did a great job and for such a small country to win this is amazing,” says Jeffrey Herlings as quoted from KTM Factory Racing.
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“It was an amazing weekend and we had the crowd behind us: that gave us something ‘extra’. Tim rode well in the second moto and kept some pressure on me but I could keep him behind me. 1-1 again, and it definitely feels nicer than last year because of where we are.”
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“It was so tough out there today but I am almost speechless with the result. I managed to get two good starts from the outside – I’m not sure how! In the first race I had to apologise; I’ve never ‘done’ a clutch in my life but I must have got a bit excited. I was riding quite good but fell and my shoulder came out a little bit. I didn’t want to tell anyone and so just taped it up and got stuck into the last race. So, I felt a lot of pressure and I didn’t want to let the team down. I was happy to get a solid result and it’s so nice to be on the podium: it’s amazing.”
Photo credits: KTM Factory Racing
“I’m satisfied. It was an ‘OK’ weekend with some positive things and areas for improvement. Already now my speed looks quite good. In the first moto I made a small rookie mistake with the goggles and got back to sixth and fought to third. I was feeling very good so the mistake was pity. I had a really bad start in the second and was almost last in the first corner and track conditions were tough. Hence I will take it like it is. We can improve a lot for next year so for that I’m very excited.”