Jeffrey Herlings - Moving up

The recent injury by Jeffrey Herlings at the Stefan Everts Charity race has probably put a close to his 2014 season. A huge pity for Herlings himself, but also for many of his fans and sponsors. If he fails to win this year’s MX2 World Championship then there might be question marks about his decision to stay in MX2 in 2015.

On the other hand, it might also mean he races two extra years in the MX2 class, as one of his goals was to become the greatest MX2/125cc rider of all time, and he would need four MX2 titles to achieve that, passing Harry Everts, Gaston Rahier and Alessio Chiodi who all have three.

If he was to decide to move up in 2015 he would be 20 years old and he would be the youngest rider in the MXGP class, and the least experienced. His disadvantages would be a lot less if he waited a year or two and gained more experience in the MX2 class.

Despite having already beaten riders like Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey, Jeremy Van Horebeek, Tommy Searle, Ken Roczen and Marvin Musquin in MXoN or Grand Prix motos, the Flying Dutchman has less experience than all of these men, and has a lot less experience than MXGP world champion Antonio Cairoli.

Let us look at this a little more seriously. Antonio Cairoli had his first ever GP back in 2002 in the 125/MX2 class. Cairoli left the 125/MX2 class in 2008, so he spent seven years in the MX2 class, Herlings has spent five years and will spend his sixth season in the class in 2015.

Cairoli left the MX2 class at the age of 23 years old, Herlings is of course just 20 and will be 21 when he probably ends his MX2 career.

On another note, Stefan Everts, our greatest Grand Prix rider of all time spend three years in the 125/MX2 class 1989, 1990 and 1991 until his move to the 250 class in 1992 at the age of 19. Everts won the opening  250 round in Holland with 3-1-1 results, but crashed out of round five (sustaining the very same injury Herlings picked up on Monday) and missed the next five GP’s.

It took Cairoli two years after his first GP appearance to win his first ever Grand Prix, that coming in 2004 at the GP of Wallonia, Namur. It took Herlings three weeks after his first GP appearance, winning the Grand Prix of Netherlands at the Valkenswaard circuit in 2010.

Of course Cairoli has seven FIM Motocross World Championships (he should pick up his 8th in a month’s time) and Herlings too (should have picked up his third in a week’s time), from memory Herlings is yet the beat the Italian legend, but came very close at the 2012 MXoN in Lommel.

Cairoli has 71 GP wins to Herlings’ 43 wins, although in his first five years racing in the MX2 class Cairoli only managed 24 wins. Cairoli did beat present or future motocross world champions Christophe Pourcel, Tyla Rattray, Alessio Chiodi and David Philippaerts, while Herlings is yet to beat a fellow world champion for an MX2 World Championship. The competition was a lot tougher then than that of Herlings, although Herlings did have Ken Roczen, Marvin Musquin, and Tommy Searle to deal with, not to mention current MXGP number two Jeremy Van Horebeek.

Whatever years Herlings decides to move up the MXGP class I am sure he will do it when he feels comfortable enough and with enough experience to not only be competitive, but win the MXGP title on his first try. Now that would be something wouldn’t it.

For now, that MX2 title isn’t out of question for this year, but the flying Dutchman will need a little more luck than he has had so far in 2014.