Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/870143
MOTOCROSS FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 17 / SEPTEMBER 2-3, 2017 WW MOTOCROSS PARK / JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA P52 and crashed. Jeffrey passed me, and he was riding strong all the last part of the season, that's for sure, but that's normal when you start out not so good; you're stronger in the end." Herlings ended up winning the moto with ease. "It's awesome, you know?" Herlings said. "I got a start around fifth and worked my way to the front, so, I'm very pleased. I'm happy to have it done. It was so brutal, so hot. It was like 95 degrees and 95 percent humidity or something, so it was a hell of a ride." Herlings ended up taking the U.S. GP with a 2-1 score and postponing Cairoli's coronation for at least another week. "I was still feeling good at that point, I think with five or six minutes to go or something, but I was just waiting for the end of the moto to attack," Herlings said. "I didn't want to attack early so he could fight back, so I was figur- ing out where to pass in the last couple of laps, but then he went down, and boom, nice gap, and I went 2-1 for the overall. The first moto, I had a bad start and still made it to second, but I'm happy, man. Super happy." The racers now head back to Europe for round 18 in As- sen, Holland, for the MXGP of the Netherlands this weekend, where Cairoli only needs to fin- ish one moto 16th or better to get it done. clinch the title two rounds early. Cairoli, like the champ he is, got the holeshot to start the race, and Herlings joined soon thereafter. They dropped Tomac in third with a blistering pace, and Herlings seemed as if he was having a lot of trouble trying to reel in Cairoli. However, with just about a handful of laps left, Cairoli handed it over, going down in a turn. He'd get up to finish second. "I tried to get the title," Cairoli said. "I mean, I have all these points, so I can wait, but you always want to win as soon as possible. I did the moto quite good until my feet dropped from one moment to another one and I was struggling in these ruts. I lost the front there, and I put my knee down a little bit strange, so I had to lift my leg, so I lost balance away from me. I got out of touch, and the track beat me up a little bit, too. So, overall, it was a good day. It was a tough fight." Tomac's 1-3 score gave him second overall, and it was the first moto loss he has suffered in the last six GP motos he's raced. Between the two KTM riders, it was pretty simple: Cairoli just had to tie Herlings on points on the day, or beat him, and he'd clinch his ninth FIM World Moto- cross Championship. In the first moto, Herlings got around Cairoli while the pair were still working their way forward through the top five, and then Cairoli didn't have much for Herlings after that—although he kept the Dutchman honest for the rest of the moto. That meant, in moto two, that Cairoli had to beat Herlings to Herlings and Tomac congratulate each other after the race.