Coenen, Farres Top MXGP of South Africa
B
lue skies and sunshine
made it hard to believe that
the MXGP of South Africa was
being held in the height of the
Southern Hemisphere winter
as the 11th round of the 2026
FIM World Motocross Cham
-
pionships set the Terra Topia
MX track alight on the northern
edge of Johannesburg, July 3-5.
With superb track preparation
to combat the bright sunshine
and mild breeze that were drying
the circuit, the venue, located
at nearly 5000 feet elevation,
was in perfect condition for the
first MXGP in South Africa in 18
years.
MXGP
After finishing second overall
in each of the last two GPs, Lu
-
cas Coenen completed a perfect
weekend for himself and Red
Bull KTM Factory Racing, sweep-
ing both races after strong starts
and hitting the front early each
time.
Jeffrey Herlings did all he
could to chase down the tal-
ented teenager and wasn't far
behind in either race, taking
second overall for Honda HRC
Petronas, while Romain Febvre
claimed two third places to take
that spot overall. They are also
the top three in the Champion
-
ship as we head into a week's
break.
"On [this] type of track, it's
really nice to ride, but the start
is the key," said Coenen. "If you
get the holeshot, you're almost
safe. Still had to fight to keep the
gaps a little bit, but overall, I won
all three races, so I'm happy with
that."
Herlings had a fall in the first
moto and a scare in the second
moto. He said, "I landed, and
the rear just slid and I kind of
highsided, then it just slid. That
was my luck, to not have the
highside." Regarding the second
moto, he said, "I had a gnarly
WIND
IN THE
P40
Lucas Coenen (pictured)
outdueled Jeffrey Herlings
for the overall win at the
MXGP of South Africa. It
was the first MXGP in South
Africa in 18 years.
