Heading into last weekends MXGP of Andalucia, in the south of Spain, you had the feeling, around this very rough sand circuit, that HRC factory rider, 31-year-old, Jeffrey Herlings might be able to add to his victory in Argentina.

Interview Geoff Meyer Bavo Swijgers and Ray Archer images

While the Dutchman went 2-2 for second overall and is close to the red plate, a crash on the Saturday and still working out the Honda in the sand, made sure he wasn’t a match for the sensational teenager, Lucas Coenen.

One thing is for sure, you know “The Bullet” won’t be resting on his second place overall, because there is always one thing in his mind and that is maximum points and total confidence. After being somewhat slayed by Coenen in Spain, you can tell that Herlings will be going through video, checking out his mistakes and the positive points of Coenen and will head to Switzerland this coming weekend with a lot in the memory bank.

A 31-year-old versus an 18-year-old doesn’t seem a fair fight, but if we have learnt anything about Jeffrey Herlings over his rollercoaster career, he likes a challenge and Lucas Coenen presented him that challenge in Almonte, Spain last weekend. Now let’s see what “The Bullet” does with that challenge in Switzerland this coming weekend.

The Dutchman was kind enough to sit down with us and talk about his Spanish experience and what he felt was the main points to concentrate on heading into this coming weekend in Switzerland.

MXLarge: Tell me, you got wins in Lierop, Oss and Argentina, three really tough tracks. Did you come to Spain pretty confident with those results?

Herlings: I didn’t really know what to expect from the track in the first place. I had heard it was a bit sandy, but I didn’t know what to expect, Spain and sand, you know. Holland sand is different from Spanish sand; I will say that. I was looking forward to the race and after seeing the track, I thought this is a race I can potentially win on or at least be a podium guy. I was a podium guy and there was only Lucas who was faster than anyone. Lucas was like 15 seconds in front, but he was just the best. From all the rest, I was the best.

MXLarge: Obviously it is disheartening, because he was so good. You are experienced and you know it isn’t just about one race. But, how do you feel right now, as the race has just been run?

Herlings: I feel good. I knew with the bike, we still have work to do in the sand, but like I said in the press conference, if you gave me a KTM today, I still wouldn’t have won. He was just better than me. Next weekend in Switzerland, that track will really suit the bike. All these tracks like that, or Arco. I do feel I get better starts with this bike. Again today, I was twice top three, also in Argentina my starts were good. In the Dutch races it was similar, so starts are not a problem. That helps.

MXlarge: As far as confidence, where are you with confidence, because even though you have won, it’s still a new bike and you have to build confidence on it, I would guess?

Herlings: It is good. I liked the bike from day one, but I did have to get used to it. It was challenging changing to a different brand and the first couple of weeks, it wasn’t easy, but I got used to it in those two weeks. It is still a prototype bike, so it isn’t in the shops yet, but it has huge potential. What you see with Tom’s starts and my starts, its really good there.

MXLarge: Have you had to change your riding style at all?

Herlings: No, not really, in fact, when I am riding it, I feel more at home than on the KTM and I am not just saying that because I now ride for Honda, it just feels more comfortable. Like I have said, in the sand, the KTM is just a really proven bike, but even in the sand and on hard pack, I feel really comfortable. On hard pack, the bike is really, really nice, like the handling, the balance, it is unbelievable. The potential for this bike and in the team. This team has knowledge from MotoGP, Formula One, they really have a lot of insight and they are very serious.

MXLarge: Tell us, what happened in the first corner on Saturday, you obviously had an off and started in last place?

Herlings: On Saturday, the start was very flat, and my start device was still in, and I was all the way on the inside, and it was quite muddy there and the front just dropped and I got shot like a catapult over the bike. I definitely hurt my back and had pain in my neck. I knew nothing was broken, but I got a kind of whiplash, because I landed on my back and my head flung back even more.

MXLarge: How did you feel after the crash and what is going on with your qualification races?

Herlings: I was pretty sore on Saturday and just came short of the points in the qualifier. Saturday has been killing me for the last two races. Argentina I was out of the points and also yesterday. I am like thinking it’s just the Sunday points, like back in the day (laughing).

MXLarge: Sunday was much better for you as it was in Argentina?

Herlings: Sunday I am taking better starts, I was like in third place in the first race, just behind Lucas and Tom and the second just behind Oliver. It was an okay weekend, 2-2 and I did lose some points to Lucas, but the championship is still a lot of races, like 17 races and 51 more motos so a lot can happen.

MXLarge: It is a very competitive season, with so many top guys, who can finish on top of the podium?

Herlings: The field is stacked, so many guys can win or get podiums. It's going to be an exciting racing season, I think. And the youth is coming up. I mean also Lucas, Kay like those young guns…me, Tim [Gajser], Romain [Febvre] we're like older already. But least I keep charging and, yeah, super motivated, still hungry. And, yeah, don't like to get my ass kicked, so I hope to be a bit closer again next time.

MXLarge: What about the performance of Lucas?

Herlings: He was quick. Even without my crash, I was very stiff and hurt, but even without that, no excuse. Maybe I would have been a touch closer, but fair play to him, man. He was good today, he was fast. I was like 15 seconds a moto slower, at points he was cruising and I was cruising, because I knew I couldn’t get him anymore. He was the best of all of us this weekend. I was in Argentina, and now, maybe another guy again in Switzerland, so we just, see race to race.”

MXlarge: Where do you think the new bike needs work?

Herlings: I think on the sand. Straight from day one, I felt like, yeah, the bike could maybe potentially a little bit improve on the sand a bit more. It's mainly built for a hardpack track, that's how I felt like it. Luckily, about 15 races are on hardback, so that's quite good. So, from day one we had to search for something. I think our setup is good. It's really good. But yeah, also Lucas's setup is good, and I know what kind of stuff they're riding with because I used to ride with it for almost 17 years. So, I know what we have to work on, but things take a bit of time and obviously we didn't have much time. But already we're in a good spot and like I said, even if you would have put me today on a KTM, we'd probably have had the same result [today], so it wouldn't have changed the result.

MXLarge: So, what do you need to change to make the bike better in the sand?

Herlings: The chassis, the balance. The Honda is a bit more to the front and the KTM is more to the back. This is just my personal feedback. With the KTM being more balanced at the rear, it makes it better in the sand, which made it more difficult to turn on hard pack tracks. There is always a give and take I would say and both brands have unbelievable bikes and unbelievable teams. I was 17 years at KTM, and this is my first year at Honda, and both bikes are good.

MXLarge: You have ridden a lot of sand tracks in your career; some people have said this track is like Valkenswaard or maybe Kegums. What is your opinion?

Herlings: Nah, it’s like Eersel in Holland, but it was difficult, because it wasn’t a deep, deep sand track, it wasn’t hard pack, maybe pretty close to Kegums. I liked it, the track crew did a really good job, they left the track rough. It isn’t every time I say the track crew did a good job, but on this one, the track crew did a great job, leaving it rough. We get good tough track, and good passing. Its top boys come out on top.

MXlarge: You don’t need anything to be motivated, because you have been highly motivated forever, but when Lucas does do something like this, where does that take your motivation?

Herlings: I just have to go back, analyse things, see where he was better. I really don’t know. I felt fit, I felt I could go until the end, but I was just missing speed, and it pissed me off. He did start in front of me, but twice I was on his rear wheel, and I just couldn’t stick with him. He got me twice by 15 seconds and sometimes you need to look in the mirror and say to yourself, today I wasn’t the guy.