Herlings wins in Sweden after 12-year wait

Round 15 of the FIM Motocross World Championship landed at Uddevalla in Sweden, and it belonged almost entirely to two riders. Jeffrey Herlings and Sacha Coenen both swept their respective classes with perfect double moto wins, though neither result was enough to shake Herlings or Guillem Farrés loose from the championship lead, with four rounds still left on the calendar.

Jeffrey Herlings MXGP Sweden win ends a long drought

Herlings delivered a flawless weekend at Uddevalla, taking his sixth overall win of the season and, notably, his first Swedish Grand Prix victory since 2014. The Honda HRC Petronas rider topped every session across the weekend and backed that up with a commanding 1-1 scorecard come Sunday.

He led every lap of the opening moto ahead of Pauls Jonass and Tom Vialle. The second moto followed a similar script, with Herlings again taking control from the start and building a comfortable gap over Romain Febvre and Tim Gajser, before the race was red flagged late on following a heavy mid-air collision involving Kevin Brumann and Jago Geerts.

Febvre salvaged second overall with a 4-2 scorecard, while Vialle rounded out the podium on the back of consistent 3-4 finishes. The result stretches Herlings’ championship advantage further still, with the Dutchman now sitting 116 points clear of reigning world champion Romain Febvre at the top of the MXGP standings.

Sacha Coenen MX2 Uddevalla sweep snaps a five race drought

Over in MX2, Sacha Coenen ended a run of five Grands Prix without an overall win by sweeping both motos in Sweden. The Red Bull KTM De Carli rider grabbed both holeshots and led every lap on Sunday, though Liam Everts stayed within reach throughout the day rather than letting the gap balloon.

Everts finished second overall with a pair of runner up results, while Triumph Factory Racing’s Camden McLellan completed the podium with consistent 3-3 finishes.

Guillem Farrés championship lead survives a tough weekend

Championship leader Guillem Farrés had one of his roughest weekends of the season. The Spaniard crashed twice during Saturday’s qualifying race and was forced to retire, leaving him starting both Sunday motos from the outside gate as a result.

Despite that setback, Farrés fought back well on Sunday, charging through to sixth and fourth in the two motos to secure fourth overall for the weekend. His championship lead took a hit in the process, but the Triumph rider still heads into the final four rounds holding onto the red plate, now with a 24 point cushion rather than his previous larger margin.

The championship resumes on 21-22 August at Arnhem in the Netherlands, with both title fights entering a genuinely pivotal stretch of the season.

MXGP of Sweden: top 20 MXGP overall

MXGP of Sweden: top 20 MX2 overall