Jeffrey Herlings and Sacha Coenen Dominate Latvian Sands at MXGP of Latvia

Round eleven of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship delivered a demanding weekend in the deep sand of Kegums, Latvia, where Jeffrey Herlings claimed a dominant MXGP victory and Sacha Coenen took his second career MX2 overall in a dramatic day of racing.

Heavy rain early Sunday left the Zelta Zirgs Motocenter saturated and rutted, making conditions physically punishing and technically complex. With unpredictable grip and massive braking bumps, the Latvian circuit tested every rider’s sand skills and stamina across both classes.

MXGP

Jeffrey Herlings’ mastery of the Latvian circuit continued with a flawless performance — qualifying first, then leading every lap across both motos to take a dominant 1-1 victory. It marked his ninth career overall win at Kegums, equalling his record at Valkenswaard, and his 109th career GP win overall.

After being caught out by Lucas Coenen for both Holeshots, Herlings wasted little time getting to the front. In race one, he passed the Belgian by the end of lap one, stretched out a gap, and controlled the pace from the front. Race two followed a similar pattern — Coenen led briefly, but Herlings methodically moved by and managed a 4.1-second winning margin.

“Let’s repeat it nine more times, eh? If only it were that simple!” Herlings smiled after the podium. “Lucas pushed hard in both races, so credit to him. I had good lines, good flow, and just really enjoyed the track today.”

Coenen continued his exceptional mid-season form with second overall for the fourth consecutive GP (2-2). The 18-year-old grabbed both Holeshots and looked composed at the front, only losing out to Herlings each time. “The starts were good, and the pace is there,” he said. “In the second race, I got a decent start but Jeffrey got by me quickly, and I struggled a little to find my flow. Still, another podium — we keep building.”

Behind the top two, Romain Febvre fought hard to salvage third overall (7-3) and hang onto the championship red plate. The Kawasaki Racing Team MXGP rider got stuck behind Brian Bogers in moto one and made a rare mistake, crashing while attempting a pass and dropping from fourth to seventh. In the second moto, a gritty ride from fifth up to third helped limit the damage.

“First race, I gave everything,” Febvre explained. “I was faster than Bogers, but couldn’t pass and made a mistake. Second race, I fought back and salvaged what we could. It’s not what we wanted, but it’s still a podium and we keep the red plate heading to Matterley.”

Glenn Coldenhoff (4-5) edged out teammate Brian Bogers (5-6) to finish fourth overall for Fantic Factory Racing MXGP, with a strong late-race move in moto one and a consistent ride in the second.

Ruben Fernandez (6-4) showed flashes of the pace that won him in Portugal, charging through in both races to claim fifth overall. He was particularly aggressive in race one, making multiple passes after a poor start and defending strongly against Bogers and Andrea Bonacorsi.

“A little disappointed to miss out on the podium by such fine margins but at the same time, I’m happy to even be here and to score such good points is a big bonus,” Fernandez said alluding to his nasty crash the previous round in Germany, “Now we have a weekend off, which I definitely appreciate so we can regroup and get ready for Matterley Basin, and that is a track I enjoy riding so hopefully I’ll be back to 100% by then.

There were tough days for some of the other front-runners: Jeremy Seewer (16-9) struggled with starts and bike setup, and Maxime Renaux had a big crash while charging in race two after clipping the rear wheel of Coldenhoff. He remounted to finish but lost ground in the championship.

Febvre retains the red plate but now leads Coenen by 26 points.

MX2

After showing blistering speed all season, Sacha Coenen finally put together two consistent motos to take his second MX2 career GP win (1-2) — and first overall of 2025. The Belgian was the fastest rider in warm-up, nailed both Holeshots, and showed maturity under pressure to close out a crucial victory.

Race one saw Coenen lead from start to finish, holding off intense early pressure from Simon Längenfelder and later Liam Everts, who recovered from sixth on lap one to finish second after a late pass. Mathis Valin continued his solid rookie season with fourth, while Karlis Reisulis, riding at home, was in fifth until a last-lap bobble allowed Camden McLellan to sneak by.

Kay de Wolf, the championship leader, suffered a rough opening moto, dropping from third to eighth after two mistakes cost him valuable points.

Race two was filled with twists. Längenfelder snatched the holeshot and led nearly the entire race, looking in control until a brutal final-lap crash. The German cross-rutted through the waves, was ejected over the bars, and landed hard off-track. Though he remounted and salvaged 12th, it handed the win to De Wolf, who had clawed his way through from eighth at the end of lap one.

“I felt the shoulder all day, especially in that first moto where I really struggled,” said De Wolf, who’s still recovering from a crash in Germany. “But in race two, I dug deep. I just didn’t give up. To come through and win that one — I’m really happy with that.”

Coenen held second in moto two, securing the overall win, while Everts battled to fourth in both motos for fourth overall, just off the podium. “I’m happy with the riding,” said Coenen. “I finally got through two motos with good starts, solid laps, and no mistakes. The bike was great — huge thanks to the team.”

Thibault Benistant (8-3) landed fifth overall with a strong second race, ahead of McLellan (6-6) who celebrated his 21st birthday with a career-best sixth overall for the JM Honda Racing team. Valin was seventh, Farres eighth, and Reisulis ninth after a hard fall in race two knocked the wind out of him but didn’t prevent him finishing.

It was a brutal day for reigning world champ Andrea Adamo, who had a nightmare in both motos — a poor start in the first, and a crash in the second — leaving him tenth overall and dropping to third in the standings.

“The crash on Saturday compromised everything,” the Italian said. “I was in a bit of pain because Sacha’s wheel hit my back. It was the base of my problems today: I had bad starts and could not find my way up to the front group. I also had two crashes! It’s the way it is. The only positive thing was my speed when I could get going. A tough weekend but in 20 GPs we cannot always win or be on the podium. I tried the maximum, and we still have nine races to go.”

Despite his crash, Längenfelder’s 3-12 score was just enough for second overall, and he now extends his championship lead over Adamo.

“We came here without the red plate, and we leave quite a few points in front so we have to say it was a good weekend,” Längenfelder’s reflected. “It’s a pity about the mistake on the last lap when I cross-rutted. I couldn’t get the bike started fast enough to stay up front. Those mistakes happen sometimes. I was perhaps cruising a bit because of the last lap and wasn’t fully focused. I’ll have to try and make sure that doesn’t happen again. There are a lot of fast guys in this class and going for the championship…But I feel quite confident about what we are doing right now.”

De Wolf’s race two win keeps him firmly in the title hunt, while Coenen moves into fifth in the standings.

“These are the moments where you have to keep fighting, and the team’s been amazing – always behind me and doing everything they can to help. I’m proud of how we’re working together, and I’m already looking forward to bouncing back at Matterley Basin,” De Wolf said.

The championship now heads to the iconic Matterley Basin in the UK, where a fast, flowing hardpack layout will provide a stark contrast to Kegums’ soft sand.

MXGP – Moto 1 – Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Gap
1st	84	Jeffrey Herlings	NED	KTM	+0:00.000
2nd	96	Lucas Coenen	BEL	KTM	+0:01.347
3rd	259	Glenn Coldenhoff	NED	Fantic	+0:58.497
4th	70	Ruben Fernandez	ESP	Honda	+1:01.759
5th	189	Brian Bogers	NED	Fantic	+1:05.021
6th	3	Romain Febvre	FRA	Kawasaki	+1:10.698
7th	132	Andrea Bonacorsi	ITA	Fantic	+1:13.979
8th	919	Ben Watson	GBR	Beta	+1:15.743
9th	93	Jago Geerts	BEL	Yamaha	+1:18.049
10th	39	Roan Van De Moosdijk	NED	KTM	+1:23.439
11th	10	Calvin Vlaanderen	NED	Yamaha	+1:30.403
12th	32	Brent Van Doninck	BEL	Honda	+1:34.085
13th	959	Maxime Renaux	FRA	Yamaha	+1:44.984
14th	101	Mattia Guadagnini	ITA	Ducati	+1:51.666
15th	71	Maximilian Spies	GER	KTM	+1:58.880
16th	91	Jeremy Seewer	SUI	Ducati	+2:01.179
17th	261	Jorgen-Matthias Talviku	EST	Yamaha	+1 lap
18th	303	Alberto Forato	ITA	Honda	+1 lap
19th	517	Isak Gifting	SWE	Yamaha	+1 lap
20th	142	Jere Haavisto	FIN	KTM	+1 lap
21st	300	Noah Ludwig	GER	KTM	+1 lap
22nd	57	Edvards Bidzans	LAT	Honda	+1 lap
23rd	610	Mairis Pumpurs	LAT	Husqvarna	+1 lap
24th	17	Cornelius Toendel	NOR	Honda	+1 lap
25th	684	Uldis Freibergs	LAT	GASGAS	+1 lap
26th	253	Jan Pancar	SLO	KTM	+6 laps
27th	811	Adam Sterry	GBR	KTM	+10 laps
28th	226	Tom Koch	GER	Beta	+17 laps

MXGP – Moto 1 – Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Gap
1st	84	Jeffrey Herlings	NED	KTM	+0:00.000
2nd	96	Lucas Coenen	BEL	KTM	+0:02.542
3rd	3	Romain Febvre	FRA	Kawasaki	+0:13.464
4th	93	Jago Geerts	BEL	Yamaha	+0:49.887
5th	132	Andrea Bonacorsi	ITA	Fantic	+0:58.684
6th	70	Ruben Fernandez	ESP	Honda	+1:01.361
7th	259	Glenn Coldenhoff	NED	Fantic	+1:03.627
8th	959	Maxime Renaux	FRA	Yamaha	+1:13.864
9th	10	Calvin Vlaanderen	NED	Yamaha	+1:21.903
10th	32	Brent Van doninck	BEL	Honda	+1:33.927
11th	919	Ben Watson	GBR	Beta	+1:35.561
12th	517	Isak Gifting	SWE	Yamaha	+1:37.263
13th	101	Mattia Guadagnini	ITA	Ducati	+1:39.277
14th	189	Brian Bogers	NED	Fantic	+1:41.428
15th	71	Maximilian Spies	GER	KTM	+1:42.739
16th	39	Roan Van De Moosdijk	NED	KTM	+1:51.687
17th	303	Alberto Forato	ITA	Honda	+1:57.997
18th	91	Jeremy Seewer	SUI	Ducati	+1:58.049
19th	811	Adam Sterry	GBR	KTM	+1 lap
20th	253	Jan Pancar	SLO	KTM	+1 lap
21st	261	Jorgen-Matthias Talviku	EST	Yamaha	+1 lap
22nd	300	Noah Ludwig	GER	KTM	+1 lap
23rd	610	Mairis Pumpurs	LAT	Husqvarna	+1 lap
24th	57	Edvards Bidzans	LAT	Honda	+1 lap
25th	142	Jere Haavisto	FIN	KTM	+1 lap
26th	226	Tom Koch	GER	Beta	+1 lap
27th	684	Uldis Freibergs	LAT	GASGAS	+1 lap
28th	17	Cornelius Toendel	NOR	Honda	+16 laps

MXGP – Overall Round Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Race 1	Race 2	Total
1st	84	Jeffrey Herlings	NED	KTM	25	25	50 Points
2nd	96	Lucas Coenen	BEL	KTM	22	22	44 Points
3rd	3	Romain Febvre	FRA	KAW	15	20	35 Points
4th	259	Glenn Coldenhoff	NED	FAN	20	14	34 Points
5th	70	Ruben Fernandez	ESP	HON	18	15	33 Points
6th	93	Jago Geerts	BEL	YAM	12	18	30 Points
7th	132	Andrea Bonacorsi	ITA	FAN	14	16	30 Points
8th	919	Ben Watson	GBR	BET	13	11	24 Points
9th	189	Brian Bogers	NED	FAN	16	8	24 Points
10th	10	Calvin Vlaanderen	NED	YAM	10	12	22 Points
11th	959	Maxime Renaux	FRA	YAM	8	13	21 Points
12th	101	Mattia Guadagnini	ITA	DUC	7	9	16 Points
13th	39	Roan Van De Moosdijk	NED	KTM	11	5	16 Points
14th	32	Brent Van doninck	BEL	HON	9	6	15 Points
15th	71	Maximilian Spies	GER	KTM	6	7	13 Points
16th	517	Isak Gifting	SWE	YAM	2	10	12 Points
17th	91	Jeremy Seewer	SUI	DUC	5	3	8 Points
18th	303	Alberto Forato	ITA	HON	3	4	7 Points
19th	261	Jorgen-Matthias Talviku	EST	YAM	4	0	4 Points
20th	811	Adam Sterry	GBR	KTM	0	2	2 Points
21st	253	Jan Pancar	SLO	KTM	0	1	1 Point
22nd	142	Jere Haavisto	FIN	KTM	1	0	1 Point

MXGP – Championship Standings After Round 11
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Total
1st	3	Romain Febvre	FRA	KAW	530 Points
2nd	96	Lucas Coenen	BEL	KTM	504 Points
3rd	259	Glenn Coldenhoff	NED	FAN	362 Points
4th	959	Maxime Renaux	FRA	YAM	347 Points
5th	70	Ruben Fernandez	ESP	HON	338 Points
6th	243	Tim Gajser	SLO	HON	305 Points
7th	132	Andrea Bonacorsi	ITA	FAN	300 Points
8th	10	Calvin Vlaanderen	NED	YAM	284 Points
9th	84	Jeffrey Herlings	NED	KTM	279 Points
10th	91	Jeremy Seewer	SUI	DUC	253 Points
11th	24	Kevin Horgmo	NOR	HON	204 Points
12th	919	Ben Watson	GBR	BET	187 Points
13th	93	Jago Geerts	BEL	YAM	184 Points
14th	253	Jan Pancar	SLO	KTM	169 Points
15th	41	Pauls Jonass	LAT	KAW	162 Points
16th	189	Brian Bogers	NED	FAN	154 Points
17th	517	Isak Gifting	SWE	YAM	149 Points
18th	101	Mattia Guadagnini	ITA	DUC	142 Points
19th	39	Roan Van De Moosdijk	NED	KTM	99 Points
20th	92	Valentin Guillod	SUI	YAM	72 Points
21st	32	Brent Van doninck	BEL	HON	58 Points
22nd	811	Adam Sterry	GBR	KTM	57 Points
23rd	87	Kevin Brumann	SUI	HUS	50 Points
24th	226	Tom Koch	GER	BET	43 Points
25th	411	Marcel Stauffer	AUT	KTM	38 Points
26th	71	Max Spies	GER	KTM	36 Points
27th	326	Josh Gilbert	GBR	HON	27 Points
28th	303	Alberto Forato	ITA	HON	21 Points
29th	17	Cornelius Toendel	NOR	HON	20 Points
30th	300	Noah Ludwig	GER	KTM	19 Points

MX2 – Moto 1 – Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Gap
1st	19	Sacha Coenen	BEL	KTM	+0:00.000
2nd	27	Simon Längenfelder	GER	KTM	+0:03.203
3rd	26	Liam Everts	BEL	Husqvarna	+0:20.244
4th	317	Mathis Valin	FRA	Kawasaki	+0:50.899
5th	8	Camden Mc Lellan	RSA	Triumph	+0:58.856
6th	47	Karlis Alberts Reisulis	LAT	Yamaha	+1:02.159
7th	9	Thibault Benistant	FRA	Yamaha	+1:13.213
8th	1	Kay de Wolf	NED	Husqvarna	+1:23.510
9th	99	Guillem Farres	ESP	Triumph	+1:26.641
10th	319	Quentin Marc Prugnieres	FRA	KTM	+1:33.019
11th	80	Andrea Adamo	ITA	KTM	+1:42.902
12th	22	David Braceras	ESP	Honda	+1:47.875
13th	20	Julius Mikula	CZE	TM	+1:49.807
14th	51	Oriol Oliver	ESP	KTM	+1:50.606
15th	172	Cas Valk	NED	KTM	+1:52.517
16th	338	Filip Olsson	SWE	KTM	+1 lap
17th	408	Scott Smulders	NED	Triumph	+1 lap
18th	256	Magnus Smith	DEN	KTM	+1 lap
19th	400	Roan Tolsma	NED	GASGAS	+1 lap
20th	83	Maxime Grau	FRA	KTM	+1 lap
21st	524	Emile De Baere	BEL	TM	+9 laps
22nd	18	Valerio Lata	ITA	Honda	+9 laps

MX2 – Moto 2 – Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Gap
1st	1	Kay de Wolf	NED	Husqvarna	+0:00.000
2nd	19	Sacha Coenen	BEL	KTM	+0:03.320
3rd	27	Simon Längenfelder	GER	KTM	+0:07.953
4th	9	Thibault Benistant	FRA	Yamaha	+0:15.161
5th	26	Liam Everts	BEL	Husqvarna	+0:18.191
6th	99	Guillem Farres	ESP	Triumph	+0:19.284
7th	8	Camden Mc Lellan	RSA	Triumph	+0:20.252
8th	51	Oriol Oliver	ESP	KTM	+0:24.837
9th	80	Andrea Adamo	ITA	KTM	+0:51.733
10th	317	Mathis Valin	FRA	Kawasaki	+0:55.352
11th	47	Karlis Alberts Reisulis	LAT	Yamaha	+0:58.877
12th	172	Cas Valk	NED	KTM	+1:09.804
13th	22	David Braceras	ESP	Honda	+1:17.162
14th	408	Scott Smulders	NED	Triumph	+1:58.702
15th	256	Magnus Smith	DEN	KTM	+1 lap
16th	400	Roan Tolsma	NED	GASGAS	+1 lap
17th	20	Julius Mikula	CZE	TM	+5 laps
18th	319	Quentin Marc Prugnieres	FRA	KTM	+9 laps
19th	83	Maxime Grau	FRA	KTM	+1:21.325
20th	338	Filip Olsson	SWE	KTM	+15 laps
21st	18	Valerio Lata	ITA	Honda	+17 laps
22nd	524	Emile De Baere	BEL	TM	+17 laps

MX2 Overal Round Results – MXGP of Latvia
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Race 1	Race 2	Total
1st	19	Sacha Coenen	BEL	KTM	25	22	47 Points
2nd	27	Simon Längenfelder	GER	KTM	22	20	42 Points
3rd	1	Kay de Wolf	NED	HUS	13	25	38 Points
4th	26	Liam Everts	BEL	HUS	20	16	36 Points
5th	9	Thibault Benistant	FRA	YAM	14	18	32 Points
6th	8	Camden Mc Lellan	RSA	TRI	16	14	30 Points
7th	317	Mathis Valin	FRA	KAW	18	11	29 Points
8th	99	Guillem Farres	ESP	TRI	12	15	27 Points
9th	47	Karlis Alberts Reisulis	LAT	YAM	15	10	25 Points
10th	80	Andrea Adamo	ITA	KTM	10	12	22 Points
11th	51	Oriol Oliver	ESP	KTM	7	13	20 Points
12th	22	David Braceras	ESP	HON	9	8	17 Points
13th	172	Cas Valk	NED	KTM	6	9	15 Points
14th	319	Quentin Marc Prugnieres	FRA	KTM	11	3	14 Points
15th	20	Julius Mikula	CZE	TM	8	4	12 Points
16th	408	Scott Smulders	NED	TRI	4	7	11 Points
17th	256	Magnus Smith	DEN	KTM	3	6	9 Points
18th	400	Roan Tolsma	NED	GAS	2	5	7 Points
19th	338	Filip Olsson	SWE	KTM	5	1	6 Points
20th	83	Maxime Grau	FRA	KTM	1	2	3 Points
21st	18	Valerio Lata	ITA	HON	0	0	0 Points
22nd	524	Emile De Baere	BEL	TM	0	0	0 Points

MX2 Championship Standings After Round 11
Pos	No	Rider	Nat	Bike	Total
1st	27	Simon Längenfelder	GER	KTM	515 Points
2nd	80	Andrea Adamo	ITA	KTM	488 Points
3rd	1	Kay de Wolf	NED	HUS	478 Points
4th	26	Liam Everts	BEL	HUS	419 Points
5th	19	Sacha Coenen	BEL	KTM	389 Points
6th	9	Thibault Benistant	FRA	YAM	378 Points
7th	8	Camden Mc Lellan	RSA	TRI	324 Points
8th	18	Valerio Lata	ITA	HON	265 Points
9th	172	Cas Valk	NED	KTM	253 Points
10th	73	Ferruccio Zanchi	ITA	HON	220 Points
11th	51	Oriol Oliver	ESP	KTM	210 Points
12th	99	Guillem Farres	ESP	TRI	209 Points
13th	47	Karlis Reisulis	LAT	YAM	203 Points
14th	319	Quentin Prugnieres	FRA	KTM	188 Points
15th	4	Rick Elzinga	NED	YAM	164 Points
16th	317	Mathis Valin	FRA	KAW	160 Points
17th	22	David Braceras	ESP	HON	142 Points
18th	20	Julius Mikula	CZE	TM	139 Points
19th	83	Maxime Grau	FRA	KTM	75 Points
20th	256	Magnus Smith	DEN	KTM	53 Points
21st	696	Mike Gwerder	SUI	KTM	32 Points
22nd	114	Nick Vennekens	BEL	KTM	24 Points
23rd	408	Scott Smulders	NED	TRI	23 Points
24th	744	S. Soulimani	MAR	TM	19
25th	276	N. Skovbjerg	DEN	YAM	14
26th	515	Mads Fredsoe	DEN	HUS	11
27th	368	S. Nilsson	ESP	TRI	10
28th	338	Filip Olsson	SWE	KTM	9
29th	489	Jens Walvoort	NED	KTM	7
30th	400	Roan Tolsma	NED	GAS	7