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Fastest Motocrosser on the Planet Story Geoff Meyer images Ray Archer
World MXGP champion Jeffrey Herlings might have won this year’s title with his dominant performance, but don’t think for a second the Dutchman is going to take it any easier for 2019. Already working hard in Spain, the Red Bull KTM Factory rider knows that Antonio Cairoli will be coming into the new season a better rider than ever, and fighting just as hard as he did in 2018. We caught up with Herlings as he trained in Spain, and talked about many things, from the Dutch Sportsman of the Year awards, his relationship with his mother, and also about his domination of World motocross in 2018. MXlarge: I sat up watching the Dutch Sportsman of the Year awards, with my fingers crossed and hoping you would win it, but unfortunately you didn’t get the win, and they gave it to a two time gold medal winner at the winter Olympics. Herlings: Yes, I mean motorsports is growing and I think I help that it grows in my country, but it isn’t as popular as Ice Skating, Football and Formula One and those type of sports. It was a big honour to be at the last three picked. It was a pity I didn’t win, but I did win the big prize, the World Championship, and I prefer to win that than the sports award. MXlarge: Watching it, and obviously what he did was very impressive, two gold medals at the winter Olympics and I can imagine in Holland a lot of the country would have been watching, but when I think what you went through, with the injury, and winning so many events, your fourth World Championship and 84th GP, then I can imagine you feel you deserved to win? Herlings: It is devastating, but our sport isn’t as big as that sport, and the jury who voted for the winner, they are more familiar with the Olympics games than motocross. I think that was a big reason they didn’t’ vote for me and he did a great job winning two gold medals at the Olympics, that isn’t easy, and I think being in the final three, it will have made our sport a little bigger in Holland. MXlarge: Tell me, the garbage man photo you had on your social media. What was that all about? Herlings: It was a photo shoot for a commercial for one of my sponsors and part of that was making photos as me as a garbage man, and it was funny, so posted it on my social media. MXlarge: I haven’t spoken with you since Nations, and I noticed very soon after the event you posted on your Instagram about being the fastest man on the planet. Did you do that because there were a lot of excuses after the race? Herlings: I feel like the European riders have really developed throughout the years and I need to be realistic, for them, the American based
riders, they focus a lot on supercross and they do motocross, but they do supercross like eight or nine months and we do motocross 12 months of the year. They do motocross for maybe five or six months. I have proven I have beaten the reigning World Champion, Antonio Cairoli, I have won 17 of the 19 races I attended, and the Nations was the only chance I had to race their national champion and I beat him three times, Saturday and Sunday. So if you look at the outdoors, I was the fastest. Even if you look at 2017, I raced Tomac in five motos and I beat him four out of the five, and now three out of three, so I beat all the top guys form the US, Barcia and Roczen and I have beaten all the European all year long. So I felt I could post that with the results, but hey, in a few days it starts all over again with 2019, and it will be interesting. MXlarge: Have you had much time to think about what you did this year. I know you took a week or so off, and then got back into it, but have you sat down and through about the season? Herlings: Yes, I have, because throughout the year, you are going from race to race to race and you don’t really think about it too much, just focusing on the job. Now, I had a few weeks off and I thought what I did was pretty damn amazing and winning all these races against such strong competitors. I am really happy about it for myself, but also for the team, and it’s going to be hard to better this season. MXlarge: Obviously you beat Antonio, and around Matterley Basin you seemed to have broken him, but he also got the hand injury and that didn’t help him. He has mentioned he needs to improve his endurance, and no doubt he will be working harder than ever to get better. At his age, you would think it’s nearly impossible to be better than he was this year, but we all know Antonio, he is a great fighter, and he will probably come in better. You are 24 years old, and should be able to improve, as hard to imagine as that is. That must be exciting, because you are probably going to get a better Cairoli in 2019? Herlings: I think, throughout the years he just got better and better and the bike is developed in many ways. Seeing him race this year, I think it has been one of the best years he has ever raced. MXlarge: Definitely. Herlings: If you look at his results five or six years ago, and look at the results this year, and if I wasn’t there, he beat everyone else more often than ever. He would have won nearly all the races, and he was on a high level and I know he will be focused and determined to win his 10th World title, and it’s going to be a very difficult year, but it was the same in 2018, so I will be prepared for that. MXlarge: It is very difficult to know how much you can improve, because obviously you only know when it happens. Being 24 years old, it is very possible you reach you peak in three or four years. Do
you feel there is a lot you can improve on? Herlings: I feel like in 2018, I did almost everything right, apart from breaking my collarbone, but it is hard to say. I try to keep improving, but it isn’t always easy, and the season I had in 2018, it’s going to be hard to beat that. So to get better is another chapter, and you never know, some people say you are at your best between 25 and 30. I will just take it from year to year. MXLarge: Tell me, those Red Bull videos, did you realize when they were making them that they would come out so well? Herlings: That was amazing, how they did the project, and the way it was so serious and the people around it. They really put a big effort into that, but when you see the results, it’s amazing and they did a very good job. As an insider, it is amazing, so I can’t imagine how good it looks for the outsider. MXlarge: I loved the bit when Jill mentioned about the crowd, following the riders around the track, and the noise of air-horns. When she said that I got goose pumps and straight away had to think about Lierop, where they came out of the forest. What did you think of that comment? Herlings: That is true, Lierop was the same as Namur, when they go into the woods and you just wait for them to come out and I remember in Lierop in 2012, you can hear the fans all around the track and that is what Jill said and Lierop was a special race for me on the calendar. MXlarge: Just a couple more questions. Obviously you mentioned your mum and the sports awards, which was really nice. Also a nice video made with your mum for when you won the championship. I loved the bit when they mentioned about girlfriends and your mum said no gold diggers. What does your mum mean to you? Herlings: She means the World to me, and she has been there since day one, actually both my parents, but obviously I am closer to my mum, even though I love my father a lot too. I have a special relationship with my mum, she has been heavily involved in my life and my sports career. I am very thankful and happy with what she has done for me and what we have accomplished. It isn’t just me getting the results, I have a great group of people behind me, who have been there a very long time. All my sponsors and partners, they have all been great to me. It started with my family, but I really want to thank Red Bull and KTM, and all my sponsors, for helping me get this far. MXlarge: Obviously you live in Holland and you can see the weather isn’t that great. I am at redsands now. Just testing and preparing for the season. We will stay in Spain, and depending on the weather maybe a bit in Holland. I will do the same training as I did in the 2018 season and last winter I prepared a lot in redsands, they have a great facility and the owner of redsand really takes care of me. KTM also like me being in Spain, where I can train how I like, in good weather. We will just prepare as well as possible. I will do Mantova in Italy, Hawkstone Park in England, and Lacapelle in France.
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The Prince in Waiting Story Geoff Meyer images Ray Archer
Red Bull KTM Factory rider Jorge Prado is without question the NEXT BEST THING. His first World motocross championship at just 17 years of age, a dominant performance at the Monster Energy Motocross of Nations where he dominated the AMA 250 champion Aaron Plessinger, and moving into 2019, he is the heavy favourite to get World title number two. The attitude of this teenager is impressive, and I had to smile when doing this interview, as having four children of my own, it dawned on me, how mature the Spaniard is and how determined his goals are.
Not looking at breaking records, but just having fun sounds like a good direction to take and while MXGP champion Jeffrey Herlings is going for records and titles, the young Prado is watching, learning and making sure when he arrives in the MXGP class, possibly in 2020, that he will be ready to put his school work into practice. MXILL: It is a little over a month that you have become World MX2 champion. Does it feel like you expected? Prado: Well, in the beginning of the season my goal was to be consistent and I didn’t think about being World champion. Now a month after getting the title, the hard work we put in, yes for sure, paid off. I feel great, after giving so much and putting the hard work into the training we could become World champion. MXILL: A lot of riders win a World championship and maybe that is enough for them, while Jeffrey Herlings wants to beat Stefan Everts 101 GP wins, and of course Antonio is just one title away from beating Everts 10 World championships. Do you have goals for breaking records or anything like that? Prado: No, I don’t look at records. I just want to ride and that is what I like, if I get some titles, that is great, because I work for that. MXILL: Obviously if you are winning you are enjoying it, but I guess just wanting to enjoy racing takes a lot of the pressure of, if you don’t have goals? Prado: I try to enjoy it every time I get on the bike, doesn’t matter if its racing or training and if you enjoy it you ride better and its easier and you ride more comfortable. If you are just thinking about having fun there is no pressure. That is true for sure. MXILL: You mentioned to me in the season that you have watched and learnt a lot from Antonio in training or probably also watching him race. Jeffrey showed this year amazing speed and was the man. What did you learn from watching him race? Prado: Well, every time I watch every single rider, I try and get the best out of it. Jeffrey was the best guy this year and that is why he won. He has some things that are very good and I try and learn from those things, because one day I will be racing him. MXILL: In your opinion, what do you see
from him that makes him better than the others? Prado: I don’t know, it is hard to say. I mean, he is strong, very fit guy and his speed is very good. He has the perfect package at the moment and at the moment he is the best guy, so everything he does is good. MXILL: When do you start your preparation for 2019? Prado: I will start slowly soon and get some good preparations so I can be even fitter than I was this year. I want to get stronger physically, but also on the bike. MXILL: Do you feel like that was your biggest improvement in 2018, your physical fitness? Prado: Yes, it was my first year being a professional racer and I could train better and also, I could get some rest. The previous years I was not professional, and that has been a big change. This last season and being 100% professional meant I could train more. MXILL: You are nearly 18-years-old, and for most young men it is a big moment. A lot of our friends probably start going out and having fun, meeting girls and maybe drinking. How are your friends, because you have a different life? Prado: I am an athlete, so I don’t need to go to parties to have fun. I take my sport really serious and that is why I am probably World champion at 17, because I take it seriously. Of course I am nearly 18, so I will get my driving license and that will make it easier. But I will still train and give the best I have. MXILL: When you turn 18, I know I have four children, and they start to make distance from their parents, and make their own rules, instead of listening maybe as much to their parent. How will that be for you, because you are very close to your parents. Will anything change there, maybe you become more independent from them? Prado: No, for sure not, they are a huge support for me and I will keep them by my side. MXILL: Something I wanted to ask you was about the talk after the MXoN. Social media and forums, a lot of people making excuses for Team USA. Did you see it? Prado: Yes, I did see it. For sure the Americans before the race they said they are going to beat all of us, and after the race
they said a lot of excuses. If they had won everyone would have been happy, but because they lost there were a lot of excuses. The reality is, we beat all of them, the 250 guys and the 450 guys and that is reality. MXILL: I Know you have told us in the past that you didn’t really have a plan to go to America for a while, and again early this year you said that wasn’t on your current plans. After the MXoN you said why should you go when the best riders are in Europe, but in saying that, have KTM shown an interest in you doing supercross in the near future? Prado: No, they want to give me the opportunity to go where I want to go, so I don’t have to stay here, or I don’t have to go there, no orders, but for sure, at the moment I want to stay here, but in the future, I also want to race in the US. So we see how it goes. MXILL: Would you consider doing what Jeffrey Herlings did and going to a round or two of the Nationals in 2019? Prado: No, if I go, I go for supercross, I would not go for motocross. MXILL: Oh, ok and I totally get you not going to a supercross in your MX2 pre-season. Prado: No, no way. MXILL: There is a rumour that KTM will have another MX2 guy, although I heard earlier in the year that they would have just you. Can you give any details on a possibly team-mate for you in MX2? Prado: I haven’t had any information about a team-mate for me in MX2. I was in Spain, and doing a lot of things, so I haven’t spoken to KTM about that. MXILL: Last two questions. What was the best and worst moments of 2018? Prado: The best was probably when I got crowned World champion in Imola, but also when I got the red plate in Loket, because I had been chasing the red plate and it was so hard to get it, and I was so happy when I had it. The worst moment would be Argentina, the first race of the year. Only two weeks on the bike after my elbow injury, then getting in a crash when rider took me out. It easy really a tough weekend and probably the worst moment.
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