Herlings strikes in Trentino as Coenen dominates MX2
By Team TMX on 20th Apr 26
Jeffrey Herlings charged to victory at the MXGP of Trentino with a pair of hard-fought rides through the pack, while Sacha Coenen delivered a flawless performance in MX2 to complete a perfect weekend.
Round five of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship returned to the iconic Pietramurata circuit, where mixed weather conditions added another layer of difficulty to an already technical layout.
Herlings proved untouchable when it mattered, overcoming poor starts in both races to secure his 114th career Grand Prix victory and sixth at Trentino.
Race one initially belonged to Romain Febvre, who grabbed the holeshot and controlled the early stages as Lucas Coenen and Tim Gajser slotted in behind. But the race turned when Coenen crashed heavily while running second, dropping well down the order.
That opened the door for Herlings.
The Dutchman carved his way through the field with a series of decisive passes, picking off Gajser and Tom Vialle before hunting down Febvre. A late move for the lead sealed an impressive comeback victory, with Febvre second and Vialle third.
Race two saw Gajser respond.
After early leader Kay de Wolf was shuffled back, Gajser moved into control following a crash from Coenen, who had briefly led. Herlings again came through the pack to challenge, but the Slovenian held firm to take his first win of the season.
Herlings’ 1-2 scorecard was enough for the overall, with Gajser’s race win securing second on the day. Vialle claimed third despite a crash in race two.
Championship leader Lucas Coenen endured another difficult outing at the circuit, with crashes limiting him to seventh overall, though he retains the red plate.
In MX2, Sacha Coenen was in a class of his own.
The Red Bull KTM rider swept all three races across the weekend to secure his fifth career GP win, mastering the changing conditions with two strong starts and consistent pace at the front.
Race one saw Coenen control proceedings from the holeshot, pulling clear as Mathis Valin and Guillem Farres battled behind. Championship leader Simon Laengenfelder struggled for rhythm in the conditions and could only manage 10th.
Coenen repeated the feat in race two, again taking the holeshot and managing the race from the front despite a late mistake that briefly reduced his advantage.
Behind him, the fight for the podium remained tight. Farres produced two solid rides to secure second overall, while Valin recovered from a difficult second race to complete the podium.
Laengenfelder salvaged points with a third in race two but missed the podium for the first time this season, finishing sixth overall.
Coenen’s dominant performance sees him close to within just three points of the championship lead heading into the break.
