Herlings says sorry
By TMX Archives on 15th Jun 12
It was kiss and make up time on Saturday in Portugal as Jeffrey Herlings with Arnaud Tonus sitting next to him asspecial guest at the evening press conference offered his public apologies.
"What I did (in France) was not acceptable, and I want to apologise again to Arnaud and his family,” he said.
"They are a nice family and I hope they can forgive me some time.”
When he had chance to reply Tonus accepted the apology, though still insisting: "What Jeffrey did was not fair, but I am glad that he has apologised and we can once again have respect for each other.”
Herlings then offered the hand of friendship which Tonus accepted and the pair talked out their differences in private.
Minutes earlier Herlings had spoken of a conversation with Tommy Searle at the start gate immediately before the qualification heat.
"Tommy came to me before the start and said ‘Let's make a deal. I won't come across you off the start and you won't come across me. Let's fight fair and let the best man win!
"I like that and accepted,” admitted Herlings.
Later in the evening Searle put that conversation into perspective: "I only had fourth choice of gate, but no-one will start next to ‘the kid' anymore.
"Even Van Horebeek chose gate four because he reckoned Herlings had said he was going to ride across me and he didn't want to get caught in the middle.
"There's no skill in cutting somebody up out of the gate and it is just plain dangerous when someone does it when you're all racing flat out for the first turn.”
