Herlings questions Prado's manoeuvre - reaction from contentious German Grand Prix
By Team TMX on 4th Oct 21
MXGP Jeffrey Herlings Tony Cairoli Jorge Prado Teutschenthal
A lap-time almost 1.5 seconds faster than anybody else gave Jeffrey Herlings his seventh Pole Position from 11 rounds this season as the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team resumed MXGP duties in Germany. Despite the circuit not being one of The Bullet's favourites, he looked set to continue his excellent winning form.
The Dutchman found a rhythm quickly on the rough Teutschenthal course but it was teammate Jorge Prado who launched away from the line with his 11th holeshot of the year and fronted the pack until the last three laps of the first moto.
Jeffrey Herlings
The Spaniard was caught by Herlings, who was also under pressure from Tim Gajser and Romain Febvre on his rear wheel. The duel between the teammates was decided by less than two-tenths of a second at the finish line but the two sensationally collided mid-air and Prado was taken to the medical centre to cure a cut in his upper torso and did not start the second race.
Jeffrey Herlings
Herlings, nursing a blow to his knee, rode to a distant third later in the afternoon as both Gajser and Febvre broke away. The result was sufficient for the second step of the overall podium.
Jeffrey Herlings: "What can I say? As good as it starts as bad as it ends. Im lucky to still be racing today.
"I made some mistakes in the first 15 mins of the first moto but was then able to catch Jorge. We know he is not the easiest rider to pass he defends his line and there is nothing wrong with that but jumping? My knee had a big impact and its 100 per cent okay, but the trauma of the bang meant it was really sore in that second moto.
"This is not my favourite track so when I got up to third place I did not even try to close the gap and accepted second overall. Well work on the knee now and Ill look forward to France and hope to fight with the boys again."
Herlings is only two points behind Gajser in world championship standings. Prado loses some ground but is fourth and 31 away from the red plate while Cairoli is fifth.
Tony Cairoli
Tony Cairoli classified seventh while still struggling with his ribs and the aftermath of his crash at the GP of Sardinia and the exertions of last weeks Motocross of Nations. The 36-year-old was fifth in the first moto but a poor start in the second meant he had to push from outside the top fifteen to reach 10th. Despite his non-score, Prado was ninth in the final Grand Prix list.
Tony Cairoli: "I knew it would be tough here because I couldnt ride in the week due to my painful ribs. I took some medication and rode at the Nations although the first moto crash and someone hitting my ribs again didnt help and I survived the weekend and we won. It was something I was missing in my career and I wanted to do it but I didnt think too much about the reaction and the consequences and I was feeling really bad here.
Tony Cairoli
"I was struggling with my health and I knew it would be a tough day from Timed Practice. After 15 minutes I couldnt really hold onto the bike that much anymore. A fifth in the first moto was okay and I was very happy with that result but the second moto was so tough and I knew it would be before I went to the gate. I just tried to make my way to the end 10th is not what we want but I couldnt do any more. Lets try to recover this week and try to do what we can in France."
The Grand Prix of France will be hosted by the LaCapelle Marival circuit this weekend as MXGP continues a hectic second half of the 2021 campaign.
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