MXGP 2023
Round Five – MXGP of Portugal
Round Five of the Motocross World Championship rolled into Agueda over the weekend to run the new inverted circuit, and it was Jeffrey Herlings who walked away with the win – his 101th – joining Stefan Everts’ record. Romain Febvre was runner-up, and Jorge Prado held onto his podium record for the season, in third.
Aussie Mitchell Evans returned to racing and collected three-points in the opening race, didn’t collect any in 21st for Race 2, but will be taking away the positives.
Mitch Evans
“The last time I raced was in October and I knew the first race back would be tough. I’m a racer and expect more from myself so of course I’m a little disappointed but at least I’m back at the races and there were a lot of positives to take away from the weekend; my one-lap speed is good and it’s easier to make a fast rider fit than to make a fit rider faster. I just need to get used to the intensity and race-craft again and we’ll get there soon. There’s no pressure from the team and I’m grateful for that.”
MX2 was a more clear-cut affair, Jago Geerts topping qualifying and then taking both race wins in dominant fashion. Kay de Wolf and Roan Van de Moosdijk rounded out the MX2 overall, Andrea Adamo just missing out on the podium despite tying for third place on points.
Highlights of the 2023 MXGP of
MXGP Race 1
Jorge Prado clinched another FOX Holeshot and led the race from start to finish, with closest competitor Romain Febvre settling for second.
Jeffrey Herlings got off to a good start and made his way into third on the opening lap, from where he’d control his race for solid points, and despite pushing Febvre in the last laps, was unable to make a pass.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MXGP teammates, Jeremy Seewer and Glenn Coldenhoff had a similar race, pushing to gain positions.
Coldenhoff was seventh on the opening lap but gradually moved up to fifth behind Seewer, only to pass the Swede for fourth on lap nine.
Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Mattia Guadagnini moved into seventh on lap two after being passed by Coldenhoff, then capitalised on Ruben Fernandez’s mistake on lap eight to get back up to sixth.
Fernandez looked quick and confident in third behind Herlings before making a mistake that saw him fall to seventh position, where he stayed until the checkered flag.
Calvin Vlaanderen impressed, riding within the top ten the whole race and overtook Alberto Forato on lap 14 for eighth, relegating Forato into ninth. Valentin Guillod completed the top ten.
Maxime Renaux’s bad luck continued into the weekend as he went down early, managing to recover to 13th place.
MXGP Race 2
In Race 2, Seewer clinched the FOX Holeshot before Fernandez quickly moved into the lead, in front of Herlings.
Fernandez found good lines throughout the weekend but Herlings was ready to go on the chase and his famous speed did the talking as he moved past Fernandez on lap five.
Herlings had his eye set on his 101th victory and went on to the win without looking over his shoulder. Fernandez second.
Febvre was a mission to get another podium, chasing Seewer for third for much of the race. He found the right time to make an excellent move with a jump up the inside of Seewer into third, and never gave up the position.
Seewer showed fighting spirit to bounce back from 11th place in Trentino for a 5-4 for a good fifth overall place.
Vlaanderen was consistent in race two to finish fifth, overtaking the Championship leader on lap five, when Prado nearly fell completely off his bike in front of the pitlane, but miraculously stayed on two wheels.
Prado showed his skill in salvaging the mistake and retained sixth.
Coldenhoff didn’t get overtaken once, but slipped by Guadagnini for seventh on lap 16. Guadagnini settling for eighth.
Guillod battled within the top ten, and continued his great form into ninth. Rounding out the top-ten was Brent van doninck who had to retire in race 1 due to mechanical issues.
For Renaux, it was a Grand Prix to forget as he never found his rhythm, and as a result dropped to third in the Championship Standings
The overall saw Jeffrey Herlings take the round win, and become the first rider this season to get to two GP wins.
Second was Romain Febvre, ahead of Jorge Prado who continues the season with the Red Plate and a fifth podium in a row.
Jeffrey Herlings – P1
”It was so great to come here and have another win after the long road came from. I feel it’s coming step by step. I am so pleased with the performance today, riding felt great and if I didn’t feel at my best on the first race, the second was really good. I am looking forward for next week in Spain and see what we’ll get there.”
Romain Febvre – P2
“I was feeling good all weekend. I had to push quite hard yesterday but I managed fifth from seventeenth in Qualifying so I knew I just needed to take decent starts today. Many of us had similar speed and I knew I had to pass quickly so I was happy with second in the first race. The second moto was tougher. I had a good clean fight with Seewer but then the two guys in front were gone. It’s good to be back on the podium and take points back in the championship; I look forward to pulling back more next weekend in Spain.”
Jorge Prado – P3
“Overall, I am quite happy with my day. I am in a good position in the championship and riding well. I feel like I can replicate what I did in moto one, so that is good. I got pushed wide at the start of the second moto, so I lost some positions early on. I charged hard at the end of the race and almost made progress. I am confident. It is my home Grand Prix next, so I am excited.”
Ruben Fernandez – P4
“Fourth again, but I’m happier this time around than I was in Trentino. My riding was good all weekend and although a small mistake in race one cost me the podium, I rebounded well in race two to lead for a bit and then finish second. Combine that with the qualification race victory and I have to positive about the event, which saw me gain good points on fourth and increase my lead over the sixth-placed rider in the championship. Thanks to everyone who cheered me on around the track, it was really great experience and I hope I can do that next weekend in Spain!”
Jeremy Seewer – P5
“Today’s result is not amazing. It’s not a podium or a win, but through all the struggles this season, I feel like we have made a big step. I have to focus on the positives. I’m back in the game on the start, and I’m physically strong and ready. I just need to work to pick up the pace in the first laps because I’ve lost a lot of confidence after all the crashes I have had during the first few laps at the previous GP’s. Overall, this is a step in the right direction. We want more, but I understand this will take time, and I think soon I will make another step, and we will be back in the fight.”
Glenn Coldenhoff – P6
“It was a tough weekend. I rode so bad yesterday, but luckily, I managed to turn it around today, but it did mean I had a bad place on the gate, making a good start almost impossible. Still, I managed to make the most of it in both races. I pushed hard in Race One and got fourth, which was a good ride after starting from quite far back. In the second race, I started around 10th and found it quite hard to fight back with the track being quite dry and dusty with gnarly bumps, but I got back to seventh, which was enough for sixth overall. Not the results we are working for. So, back to the drawing board, and we hope to bounce back in Spain.”
Mattia Guadagnini – P8
“It was a good weekend and I am pretty happy. The result could be better though. I just did not have the rhythm early in the races, but the riding was good. I was close to the top five in moto one – that was good. The second race was even better, because I pushed the whole moto. It was a positive day.”
Maxime Renaux – P10
“I don’t have a lot to say about this weekend. It was a very tough weekend for me, starting Saturday with the technical issue I had in qualifying. Because of this, I had to start from dead last this weekend, which, as everyone knows, the start position is very important. I had to work hard in both motos, which was not easy as I struggled with a physical issue, which made everything much tougher. I gave my best to salvage as many points as possible for the championship, but we know it’s not enough. From here, we will work to be as close to 100% healthy in Spain, and then we will go for it again.”
2023 MXGP of Portugal Round Overall
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Herlings, Jeffrey | NED | KTM | 20 | 25 | 45 |
| 2 | Febvre, Romain | FRA | KAW | 22 | 20 | 42 |
| 3 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 25 | 15 | 40 |
| 4 | Fernandez, Ruben | ESP | HON | 14 | 22 | 36 |
| 5 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 16 | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | Coldenhoff, Glenn | NED | YAM | 18 | 14 | 32 |
| 7 | Vlaanderen, Calvin | NED | YAM | 13 | 16 | 29 |
| 8 | Guadagnini, Mattia | ITA | GAS | 15 | 13 | 28 |
| 9 | Guillod, Valentin | SUI | HON | 11 | 12 | 23 |
| 10 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 8 | 10 | 18 |
| 11 | Watson, Ben | GBR | BET | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| 12 | Forato, Alberto | ITA | KTM | 12 | 6 | 18 |
| 13 | Paturel, Benoit | FRA | YAM | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| 14 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HON | 5 | 8 | 13 |
| 15 | Van doninck, Brent | BEL | HON | 0 | 11 | 11 |
| 16 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | HON | 6 | 5 | 11 |
| 17 | Spies, Maximilian | GER | KTM | 4 | 4 | 8 |
| 18 | Lupino, Alessandro | ITA | BET | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 19 | Alberto, Paulo | POR | YAM | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 20 | Koch, Tom | GER | KTM | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 21 | Evans, Mitchell | AUS | KAW | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 22 | Ivanov, Michael | BUL | HUS | 1 | 1 | 2 |
MXGP Standings after Portugal (Top 20)
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Prado, Jorge | ESP | GAS | 246 |
| 2 | Herlings, J. | NED | KTM | 229 |
| 3 | Febvre, Romain | FRA | KAW | 214 |
| 4 | Renaux, Maxime | FRA | YAM | 202 |
| 5 | Fernandez, R. | ESP | HON | 182 |
| 6 | Vlaanderen, C. | NED | YAM | 162 |
| 7 | Coldenhoff, G. | NED | YAM | 152 |
| 8 | Seewer, Jeremy | SUI | YAM | 148 |
| 9 | Guadagnini, M. | ITA | GAS | 139 |
| 10 | Forato, A. | ITA | KTM | 116 |
| 11 | Guillod, V. | SUI | HON | 108 |
| 12 | Watson, Ben | GBR | BET | 87 |
| 13 | Van doninck, B. | BEL | HON | 83 |
| 14 | Paturel, B. | FRA | YAM | 79 |
| 15 | Bogers, Brian | NED | HON | 66 |
| 16 | Jonass, Pauls | LAT | HON | 56 |
| 17 | Östlund, Alvin | SWE | HON | 49 |
| 18 | Lupino, A. | ITA | BET | 48 |
| 19 | Spies, M. | GER | KTM | 19 |
| 20 | Koch, Tom | GER | KTM | 18 |
MX2 Race 1
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Andrea Adamo took the FOX Holeshot in MX2 Race 1, leading Jago Geerts. Adamo held a two-seconds lead until lap 15, when Geerts pounced for the lead up the inside and powered through. Geerts comfortably held that lead for the remainder of the race, Adamo settling for second.
Kay de Wolf started well and slotted into fourth on lap 1, until teammate, Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Lucas Coenen fell on lap 3, elevating de Wolf to third.
L.Coenen managed to get back up to ninth after picking his bike up from 12th showing his quick pace, while teammate Roan Van de Moosdijk had a solid run to fourth.
After an uncharacteristically average start Red Bull GASGAS Factory Racing’s Simon Laengenfelder made a comeback to eighth, then outpaced F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s David Braceras early on for 7th.
Laengenfelder capitalised on the crash from L.Coenen as well as Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Thibault Benistant to move up to fifth, where he finished.
Benistant had a disappointing race, lingering around 12th place, only to finish 13th. TEM JP253 KTM Racing Team’s Jan Pancar remained a top-ten contender, clinching sixth.
Monster Energy Yamaha Factory MX2 Team’s Rick Elzinga showed his speed, moving from 11th on lap one up to seventh, overtaking Team Ship To Cycle Honda SR Motoblouz’s Emil Weckman and F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s David Braceras. Weckman and Braceras would end up 10th and 11th.
Mikkel Haarup ran a solid race moving from 13th to eighth and was never overtaken.
MX2 Race 2
In race 2, Laengenfelder was the quickest off the starting gates, clinching the FOX Holeshot but Geerts took the lead after few turns, before powering on to the win.
Laengenfelder was second by lap 14 when de Wolf and Van De Moosdijk overtook him, regulating him to fourth, and missing the overall podium by four-points.
De Wolf made a comeback from seventh to second, Van De Moosdijk in third for his first podium of the season.
Adamo finished fifth marking a solid 2-5 for fourth overall. Behind him was F&H Kawasaki Racing Team’s Kevin Horgmo finishing sixth.
L.Coenen had a scare he when spun out after few turns, dropping to 17th, before recovering to seventh.
Benistant built a better rhythm in race 2, racing to eighth, while teammate Elzinga managed ninth, for two top tens.
Jan Pancar is becoming more accustomed to running in the top ten, despite finding himself 15th on lap 1, moving up the leaderboard.
Despite a recent podium, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Liam Everts had bad luck going totally off track following and retiring in race 1, only to claim 11th place in race 2 after another early crash.
Teammate Sacha Coenen is still building fitness and rhythm after injury and managed a 16-15 for the weekend.
Jago Geerts – P1
“It was a perfect weekend for me. I felt good on the track right from the first lap of practice, so I knew it was going to be a good weekend. And it was! It was a nice weekend; I am really happy with the three moto wins. I can’t say much more. I just really enjoyed it, and I am happy with the 60-points.”
Kay de Wolf – P2
“I am slowly getting back to where I should be and I am happy about that! I knew that I had to pass Simon Langenfelder in the second moto and I did that, so that was good. It has been a tough road to get to this point and I would not have been able to do it without my team.”
Roan Van de Moosdijk – P3
“After a really tough pre-season I am so happy with that performance and podium. In the second race I knew I had to pass Laengenfelder for the podium. It’s been a long road and I’m so happy to be here on the podium with my teammate. Thanks to my team and we got the ball rolling now for the next races.”
Andrea Adamo – P4
“A pretty solid weekend: 3rd in the Quali race, 2nd in the first moto and 5th in the second. That consistency was good but we always want to aim for the podium. The first moto was incredible and I led 13 of 15 laps; I was a bit disappointed to make a few small mistakes near the end that led Jago through but it was still nice to run that speed. In the second moto I didn’t have the best feeling, flow or lines. So, it was a bit up-and-down this weekend but more ‘up’ than down! We will try to make the podium again in Spain. I like the track there and I am feeling confident.”
Simon Langenfelder – P5
“My weekend was a little up and down. I finished in fifth in the first moto, then I took the holeshot in the second race. I was staying with the leader and having fun, but I could not hold onto second place. That was a shame, but we will reset for the next round. Hopefully I have a better feeling there.”
Lucas Coenen – P6
“I had a good start in the first race and was around third. The track was watered a lot and I washed the front, so I was pretty angry about that. I had a pretty good jump in the second moto and was around fifth, but I crashed on lap one. I came from dead last to P7 with good speed! It is a shame, because I think that I was capable of battling with the front guys.”
Rick Elzinga – P7
“I would say this weekend was pretty good. We made some progress, which is good. I have been struggling on the mental side of things recently, but we are working on this, and I am starting to feel better. I was just a bit unlucky in qualifying yesterday, with a big rock blocking my front brake. This put me on the outside of the gate for the races today, which was very hard because it’s too far to the corner. To get back to seventh and ninth from the back was quite good. This means my riding was good; for me, this is the most important, so I would say it was a decent weekend.”
Kevin Horgmo – P9
“I was fastest in Warm-up this morning but they watered a lot before our first race and without a good Qualifying yesterday it was difficult for the start today. I was making a lot of mistakes trying to pass slower riders but I turned it around the last few laps so I was confident for race two. I still didn’t get the best start but I came from eleventh to sixth, not far from Adamo. Now we fly back to The Netherlands to get ready for Spain.”
Thibault Benistant – P10
“This weekend was very difficult. I could not get comfortable on the bike or the track this weekend. I couldn’t ride anywhere close to what I wanted. I had two good starts, and still couldn’t push for a good result because of the feeling I had. I tried absolutely everything. Different lines, styles, settings, everything, but could not get comfortable. From here, I will just look forward, and hope to bounce back in Spain.”
Sacha Coenen – P14
“It’s my first GP but I want more, and to ride better. With the low gate pick I had some difficult starts and was too far back in the pack. I really like the track in Madrid and I think we can do well there.”
Liam Everts – P15
“I finished 4th in the Qualification Heat on Saturday which was pretty good but then a slide and a couple of crashes with other riders, the last one putting me out when I’m worked my way back to 9th, meant there was not much I could do. It was disappointing not to score points. 11th in the second moto with a fall in Turn 2. A tough day for me but the speed is there and I showed that on Saturday. We have to regroup for Spain.”
2023 MXGP of Portugal – MX2 Round Overall
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | R1 | R2 | Total |
| 1 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 25 | 25 | 50 |
| 2 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 20 | 22 | 42 |
| 3 | Van De Moosdijk, Roan | NED | HUS | 18 | 20 | 38 |
| 4 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | KTM | 22 | 16 | 38 |
| 5 | Laengenfelder, Simon | GER | GAS | 16 | 18 | 34 |
| 6 | Coenen, Lucas | BEL | HUS | 12 | 14 | 26 |
| 7 | Elzinga, Rick | NED | YAM | 14 | 12 | 26 |
| 8 | Pancar, Jan | SLO | KTM | 15 | 11 | 26 |
| 9 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 9 | 15 | 24 |
| 10 | Benistant, Thibault | FRA | YAM | 8 | 13 | 21 |
| 11 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KTM | 13 | 8 | 21 |
| 12 | Weckman, Emil | FIN | HON | 11 | 9 | 20 |
| 13 | Braceras, David | ESP | KAW | 10 | 7 | 17 |
| 14 | Coenen, Sacha | BEL | KTM | 5 | 6 | 11 |
| 15 | Everts, Liam | BEL | KTM | 0 | 10 | 10 |
| 16 | Oliver, Oriol | ESP | KTM | 4 | 5 | 9 |
| 17 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | GAS | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| 18 | Bruce, Bobby | GBR | GAS | 2 | 4 | 6 |
| 19 | Toendel, Cornelius | NOR | KTM | 6 | 0 | 6 |
| 20 | Monne Viles, Adria | ESP | KTM | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 21 | Hammal, Taylor | GBR | KTM | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| 22 | Gwerder, Mike | SUI | KTM | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| 23 | Voxen Kleemann, William | DEN | KTM | 0 | 1 | 1 |
MX2 Standings after Portugal
| Pos | Rider | Nat. | Bike | Total |
| 1 | Geerts, Jago | BEL | YAM | 265 |
| 2 | Adamo, Andrea | ITA | KTM | 229 |
| 3 | de Wolf, Kay | NED | HUS | 220 |
| 4 | Benistant, T. | FRA | YAM | 206 |
| 5 | Laengenfelder, S. | GER | GAS | 201 |
| 6 | Van De Moosdijk, R. | NED | HUS | 191 |
| 7 | Everts, Liam | BEL | KTM | 157 |
| 8 | Horgmo, Kevin | NOR | KAW | 143 |
| 9 | Coenen, Lucas | BEL | HUS | 130 |
| 10 | Pancar, Jan | SLO | KTM | 115 |
| 11 | Elzinga, Rick | NED | YAM | 102 |
| 12 | Weckman, Emil | FIN | HON | 89 |
| 13 | Haarup, Mikkel | DEN | KTM | 70 |
| 14 | Braceras, D. | ESP | KAW | 58 |
| 15 | Oliver, Oriol | ESP | KTM | 50 |
| 16 | Martinez, Yago | ESP | KTM | 37 |
| 17 | Toendel, C. | NOR | KTM | 33 |
| 18 | Gifting, Isak | SWE | GAS | 21 |
| 19 | Rizzi, Joel | GBR | HON | 19 |
| 20 | Chambers, Jack | USA | KAW | 17 |
