"The Bullet" On Target

Three wins, one pattern – are we witnessing Herlings' best performance in years?

Three starts, three wins. Sounds like a clean week for Jeffrey Herlings. But a closer look reveals there's much more to it than just a few race wins – especially at a time when the MXGP circuit is currently at a standstill.

The real question is not, dass He wins. But Who.

Herlings is currently more complete than before

What's striking right now is that it has little to do with going full throttle at any cost. Sure, the speed is there, but it feels differently controlled.

France was the beginning – a solid victory in the elite series, without much drama. Then Sainte Austreberthe. A narrow course, thousands of spectators right along the fence, two Frenchmen in the spotlight – Maxime Renaux and Tom Vialle. Exactly the kind of race that can quickly turn around. But it doesn't. Herlings stays calm, sees it through, and takes the win.

This comes across less as "I need to show that I'm back" – and more as "I know exactly what I'm doing here".

Harfsen: The test no one talks about

Then Harfsen. Sand, home race, expectations. On paper, a must-do. In reality, often the most unpleasant races. You can't shine here – you can only lose.

And that's precisely why this victory is perhaps the most interesting of the three. Against a field of MXGP-level riders, including Romain Febvre, "The Bullet" doesn't put on a dazzling display. He rides a controlled race. He builds up his lead, makes no mistakes, and leaves nothing to chance.

The second run is a washout – literally. The result remains: victory. Not spectacular. But that's precisely the point.

Is this the best version in years?

To be honest: Herlings was never not Fast. Even after injuries, even during difficult periods – the basic speed was always there. What was consistently lacking was consistency. That feeling that he could simply "tune down" a weekend without things escalating anywhere.

That's exactly what we're seeing right now.

Three different races, three different conditions, not a single outlier. No crashes, no chaos, no overdoing it. Instead: rhythm, control, decision-making. That's new – at least in this consistency. And it's happening right now, during this five-week MXGP break, when many other riders are more likely hitting the reset button.

More than just results

Of course, it's important to put things in perspective: These aren't MXGP GPs. It's not a two-race format against the entire field. No World Championship points are awarded. But that's precisely why they're so interesting. Because they show... Who Herlings is currently working on this. Not in the spotlight of the World Championship, but in the details. Starts, duels, race rhythm – things you don't learn in training.

And most importantly: He deliberately seeks out these situations.

The subtle difference

Perhaps this isn't the most spectacular Herlings we've ever seen. But it could be the most complete. Less "all or nothing," more control. Fewer deviations, more consistency. And that's precisely the combination he's lacked in recent years.

Is that enough to speak of his best form in a long time? Perhaps we should wait for another MXGP weekend or two.

But one thing is clear: "The Bullet" hasn't looked this stable in a long time.