Lommel

Herlings and Cairoli in Lommel

Surprisingly the rider many say is the best sand rider ever, Jeffrey Herlings has only won in Lommel on two occasions, those in 2011 in the MX2 class, beating home Ken Roczen, and again in the MXGP class in 2017, beating Antonio Cairoli.

Herlings did get a moto win at the 2012 Motocross of Nations but lost the overall to Antonio Cairoli who went 1-1 on that day. It might be added, Herlings has crashed in the first corner of the final moto of the day and came back from last to nearly pass the Italian in the dying stages of the moto, but he couldn’t get it done.

Antonio Cairoli got his first taste of victory at the Lommel circuit, winning in the MX1 class in 2010, and Cairoli again won in the MX1 class in 2011. Lommel disappeared for a couple of years from the GP calendar, first in 2012 when the MXoN was held at the circuit, and again in 2013, when Bastogne held a GP, but when Lommel returned in 2014 Cairoli won again, making it three from three (or four from four if you count the MXoN).

Since 2014 though, Cairoli hasn’t been able to get a GP victory in the deep sand of Lommel, with surprise winners in Shaun Simpson (2015), and Kevin Strijbos (2016), before Herlings won in 2017. 

So as it stands, while Cairoli has four victories at the circuit, he hasn’t won in four years, and Herlings has just the two wins, but is coming off that victory last year. Herlings has also missed the Lommel GP on a number of occasions due to mid-season injuries, and in fact also missed the GP of Bastogne in 2013, due to injury.

So on current form, you would have to go with Herlings to take victory, and make it three wins at the circuit, but history has been kind to Cairoli at this circuit. If the Italian can get a start, and Herlings doesn’t get the start, you can be sure Cairoli will be working hard in the early laps to make a break, and like that 2012 MXoN third moto, will be looking over his shoulder for the Dutchman to come, and you can be sure, if he doesn’t get the start, he will be coming, and fast.

If I was a betting man, of course I will pick Herlings to win this weekend, his 10 GP wins in 2018, and his nearly unbeatable form at the moment makes his a heavy favourite, but we all know that Antonio Cairoli won’t be giving up soon, and legends do things that can surprise us. With his hand now healed, we can see Cairoli trying to make it tough on the Dutchman, and don’t be surprised to see paint swapped as they both fight for not only a Lommel victory, but also the upper-hand in the MXGP championship.

Ray Archer image