Round 11 of the FIM Motocross World Championship took place on the sandy circuit of Zelta Zirgs Motocenter for the MXGP of Latvia on June 8. The damp weather and midweek rain created deep conditions that only the strongest riders could withstand. In the end it was another war of attrition, and those with the least number of mistakes came out on top. Two Red Bull KTM riders, and two sand specialists in their own right, Jeffrey Herlings and Sacha Coenen, took the weekend’s overall wins.
MXGP
It’s hard to bet against Jeffrey Herlings on a sand track like this. The former champion continues to improve after his late start to the season, but after a win at round 10, the only improvement was a 1-1 sweep.
After winning the qualifying race, the Dutchman carried the momentum into Sunday, putting himself into the lead on the opening lap in both races. He went untouched in each moto, leading every lap en route to a dominant overall victory. His perfect weekend saw him claim his 109th GP win, his ninth at the Zelta Zirgs Motocenter.
“Let’s repeat it nine more times, eh,” Herlings said. “If only it were that simple! I’m thankful for the win. Lucas [Coenen] pushed hard in both races, so credit to him as well. Those guys are riding really strong. I’m happy to come out on top and looking forward to the next race. We’ll try to keep the momentum going, but it won’t be easy because everyone’s improving.”
Herlings’ KTM teammate Lucas Coenen kept him honest all day. The young Belgian rider grabbed both holeshots but quickly surrendered the lead to Herlings and followed him closely throughout the race. Coenen set the fastest lap in race one but was still no match for Herlings, who’s known as the “King of Kegums.” In Latvia, Coenen finished second overall for the fourth GP in a row, putting him 26 points behind Febvre in the overall championship.
“It was a good weekend,” Coenen said. “Two solid races, 2-2 for second overall, and good championship points. In the second race, I had a decent start, but Jeffrey got by me and I struggled to find my flow. The track was tricky, and I made a few mistakes.”
Points leader Romain Febvre finished third overall. The Kawasaki rider struggled in race one and fell in the deep sand which dropped him back to sixth in the running order. Race two was a much better improvement for the Frenchman as he challenged Coenen for second during the first half of the moto. Febvre crossed the line third, going 6-3 for third overall. He still leads the championship by 26 over Coenen.
“In the first race I was running fourth and fighting for third, but the track was tough,” Febvre said. “I got too close, clipped a rear wheel and went down. That cost me a lot. Second race was better, I was up front, battling with the lead group. I gave it everything but just couldn’t make the pass.”
MX2
The MX2 division still feels up for grabs as the series is now past the halfway mark. Former MX2 champion Andrea Adamo led the series coming into the weekend, but his teammate Simon Laengenfelder reclaimed the red plate after Saturday’s qualifying race.
The other KTM of Sacha Coenen kicked things off in race one with his eighth holeshot of the year. Coenen’s sand skills shone in the thick conditions as the young Belgian rider led the entire first moto. Points leader Laengenfelder slotted in behind his KTM teammate Coenen, and the two front-runners broke away with a 20-second gap over third-place finisher Liam Everts. Further back in the pack, championship favorites Adamo and Kay de Wolf faced their share of hardships and fell multiple times. Both riders finished outside the top five.
Race two saw a much better rebound for the defending number one, de Wolf. With a fresh prep on the track, the Husqvarna rider suffered a poor start but continually made passes throughout the 17-lap moto. Late in the race he passed into podium territory before overtaking Coenen for second. Still, Laengenfelder controlled the lead and the overall victory with a seven-second gap over de Wolf and Coenen.
On the final lap, Laengenfelder tumbled out of first place and fell back to third. This mistake handed the race win over to de Wolf and allowed Coenen to claim the overall victory with 1-2 finishes. Laengenfelder remounted to finish second on the day and still leads the championship by 27 over Adamo.
“It feels really good to be back on the top step of the podium,” Coene said. “It was a solid weekend. Just in qualifying, I had a little collision with my teammate, but that’s racing. We got through the races with good starts and strong riding, and we’re happy to leave here with the overall win.”
The series has a weekend off from here before reconvening in the United Kingdom for the MXGP of Great Britain at the famous Matterley Basin venue in England. CN
VIDEO | 2025 MX2 & MXGP of Latvia Highlights
2025 FIM MXGP Round 11 Results
MXGP (Top 5)
- Jeffrey Herlings (KTM) 1-1
- Lucas Coenen (KTM) 2-2
- Romain Febvre (Kaw) 6-3
- Glenn Coldenhoff (Fan) 3-7
- Ruben Fernandez (Hon) 4-6
MX2 (Top 5)
- Sacha Coenen (KTM) 1-2
- Simon Laengenfelder (KTM) 2-3
- Kay de Wolf (Hus) 8-1
- Liam Everts (Hus) 3-5
- Thibault Benistant (Yam) 7-5
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