Victory at the Grand Prix of Latvia and near victory at the Grand Prix of Limburg last weekend has shown that he is once again running for the top spot.

Only a handful of points off third placed Steven Frossard the Dutchman wants to put in a good performance at the Loket circuit this coming weekend and then turn the screw on Frossard in Brazil and again in Lierop at the start of September.

We decided to sit down with Herlings and ask him about his hopes for the coming month and also his possible non-inclusion in the Dutch Motocross of Nations team.

MXlarge: Jeffrey, losing a GP when you were the fastest guy on the track must really hurt?

Herlings: I was the fastest guy on the track, but I wasn’t the best. I made some stupid crashes, I fell down like three or four times, in the first moto I lost like three or four seconds with my crash and finished third, but things like that happen. Second moto I was really strong and had a great start, I had some good lines and had a 25 second lead, then just cruised around and showed everyone I was still the best.

MXlarge: What happened in that crash in the first moto?

Herlings: After the jump there was a berm and I jumped into it, and the berm broke and I fell down. Those things happen and I hope it doesn’t happen again, I was kicking the bike and it wouldn’t start, I kicked like 10 times or something.

MXlarge: What is your aim for the rest of the season?

Herlings: I am still strong and I hope to make a lot of ground in Loket. I have already made a lot of ground on Frossard like I am only eight points behind now. I can’t think about second, Ken will be difficult, he is really strong and has been really strong all season, but third place belongs to me, I had already three DNF’s and Steven hasn’t had any and I am still only eight points behind. Loket will be a difficult race, then Brazil and Lierop. I hope to do good at Lierop and I know it’s a place to make a lot of ground on Steven.

MXlarge: Winning in Valkenswaard was amazing with the atmosphere and huge crowd, but Lierop will be even most exciting if you can win there.

Herlings: Lierop is really close to my home. I mean Valkenswaard is like half an hour from my house, but Lierop is like 10 or 15 minutes, so it’s really my home track. I want to go for two moto wins there. That is pretty much what I also wanted in Lommel, but it just didn’t happen.

MXlarge: Motocross of Nations, are you excited to race against the top AMA riders?

Herlings: I obviously don’t want to go, our team will suck. I told the guy from the team Leon Giesbers, I told him I don’t want to go. I mean if you saw De Reuver today, he was like two laps down in Lommel, and who is going to be our third rider, maybe Klein Kromhof, he was also a lap down in Lommel. I don’t know what our team would do there against guys like James Stewart, Ryan Dungey and the others; it’s going to be difficult. I think I concentrate on doing some Supercross races and not do des Nations. It’s still two months before the race, maybe I change, but as the situation is now I don’t want to go. I know, but what are we going to do there, we will suck.

MXlarge: I know it’s a while ago, but did you enjoy the World Cup Final?

Herlings: Our team was more like kung fu, we kicked everybody down, all those yellow and red card, at least we were in the final; I don’t think that is going to happen in Motocross, second best in the World.