Five time world motocross champion, Jeffrey Herlings of the HRC factory team, has won the Saturday MXGP qualification race and extended his championship lead to 106 points. Second in the moto was Tim Gajser and third Romain Febvre. Bavo Swijgers image

The Dutchman held the top spot in the first corner and never handed it over to anyone. As has been the case recently, he just looked smooth, consistent and very smart.

Jeffrey Herlings: I just did what I had to do and the track wasn't easy and the shadows were difficult, a good start and I battled a little with Tim, and Romain, but I just did what I had to do and look forward to tomorrow.

MXGP Qualification Race

Herlings with the lead in the MXGP qualifier, with Vialle second, then Gajser, Febvre, Jonass, Gifting, Fernandez, de Wolf, Adamo and Bonacorsi. Gajser into second place, but Herlings pushing to get a gap on the others. Febvre into third place with a pass on Vialle. What a deep field this is with de Wolf, Adamo and Renaux fighting for 8th, 9th and 10th places.

The gap between Herlings and Gajser was just one second as the two five-time world champions race for the top the places and where they belong. Febvre 2.5 back in third, then Vialle, Jonass, Fernandez, Gifting, de Wolf, Adamo and Renaux.

Gajser and Febvre caught up to Herlings and the 12-world championship riders showing the class of MXGP. Inside the top ten were 18 world championships, between Herlings, Gajser, Febvre, Vialle, Jonass, de Wolf, Adamo and Renaux.

Lap five and Herlings and Gajser in a good battle with Febvre a little further back, but the Slovenian putting huge pressure on the Dutchman. Vialle seven seconds back in fourth and Jonass 11 seconds off the leader.

Really hard to make up ground on this circuit and the top three remain similar distances apart, but not close enough to really battle. Herlings 1.5 seconds over Gajser and three seconds over Febvre. Herlings got away from Gajser, who had Febvre all over his back wheel. Herlings wins from Gajser and Febvre.

MXGP - Qualifying Race - Classification

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, Honda), 24:13.200; 2. Tim Gajser (SLO, Yamaha), +0:02.801; 3. Romain Febvre (FRA, Kawasaki), +0:03.619; 4. Tom Vialle (FRA, Honda), +0:24.451; 5. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, Honda), +0:28.386; 6. Pauls Jonass (LAT, Kawasaki), +0:30.995; 7. Kay de Wolf (NED, Husqvarna), +0:34.906; 8. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), +0:45.939; 9. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, Ducati), +0:47.343; 10. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KTM), +0:49.771; 11. Maxime Renaux (FRA, Yamaha), +0:53.068; 12. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), +0:54.503; 13. Jago Geerts (BEL, Beta), +0:56.052; 14. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), +0:56.985; 15. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, Ducati), +0:57.624; 16. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, Honda), +1:02.209; 17. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, Fantic), +1:10.262; 18. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), +1:15.301; 19. Alvin Östlund (SWE, Triumph), +1:16.382; 20. Isak Gifting (SWE, Yamaha), +1:17.727; 21. Ben Watson (GBR, Triumph), +1:41.626; 22. William Voxen Kleemann (DEN, KTM), +1:50.783; 23. Kevin Brumann (SUI, Husqvarna), -1 lap(s); 24. Olle Martensson (SWE, Kawasaki), -1 lap(s); 25. Filip Olsson (SWE, Honda), -1 lap(s); 26. Brent Van doninck (BEL, Fantic), -6 lap(s); 27. André Hogberg (SWE, Triumph), -9 lap(s); 28. Albin Gerhardsson (SWE, Yamaha), -11 lap(s);

MXGP - World Championship Classification

1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, HON), 685 points; 2. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 579 p.; 3. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 566 p.; 4. Tim Gajser (SLO, YAM), 543 p.; 5. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 453 p.; 6. Ruben Fernandez (ESP, HON), 452 p.; 7. Maxime Renaux (FRA, YAM), 425 p.; 8. Tom Vialle (FRA, HON), 416 p.; 9. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 349 p.; 10. Pauls Jonass (LAT, KAW), 278 p.; 11. Calvin Vlaanderen (NED, DUC), 245 p.; 12. Kevin Horgmo (NOR, HON), 242 p.; 13. Jan Pancar (SLO, KTM), 213 p.; 14. Alberto Forato (ITA, FAN), 200 p.; 15. Oriol Oliver (ESP, KTM), 187 p.; 16. Jago Geerts (BEL, BET), 153 p.; 17. Brent Van doninck (BEL, FAN), 141 p.; 18. Ben Watson (GBR, TRI), 128 p.; 19. Roan Van De Moosdijk (NED, KTM), 92 p.; 20. Jeremy Seewer (SUI, KTM), 84 p.; 21. Mattia Guadagnini (ITA, KTM), 69 p.; 22. Isak Gifting (SWE, YAM), 63 p.; 23. Rick Elzinga (NED, KTM), 55 p.; 24. Andrea Bonacorsi (ITA, DUC), 51 p.; 25. Kevin Brumann (SUI, HUS), 50 p.; 26. Maximilian Spies (GER, KTM), 42 p.; 27. Thibault Benistant (FRA, HON), 40 p.; 28. Tom Koch (GER, KTM), 29 p.; 29. Jorgen-Matthias Talviku (EST, FAN), 27 p.; 30. Adam Sterry (GBR, KTM), 23 p