The Grand Prix series became a little bit better back in 2009, when the beautiful country of Latvia and circuit of Kegums was introduced to the sport for the first time ever. Arriving at this new destination was a breath of fresh air as the series was continuing to see new countries and cities and Riga and Kegums fit in nicely with that tone.

The city of Riga quickly became a favourite of the MXGP paddock, and the circuit a peaceful, and relaxing place to watch. For the racers, the circuit brought a lot of attention as it was sand, under the sand lay some difficult traps.

Jeffrey Herlings has won eight times at Kegums, with Antonio Cairoli having five wins. Amazingly, Herlings and Cairoli won their first in 2010 and 2009 respectively and their last in 2024 and 2020 respectively. That is what your call endurance. Tim Gajser and Jago Geerts have three wins each at the circuit and Thomas Olsen and Glenn Coldenhoff have two each.

The first ever winner at Kegums was Portuguese rider Rui Goncalves as he scored a 2-1 victory over Marvin Musquin and Gautier Paulin. Later in the day, Antonio Cairoli picked up a victory in the MX1 class ahead of Clement Desalle and Josh Coppins.

A year later in 2010, it was the turn of Desalle to win the MX1 class, going 1-2 ahead of Cairoli and Steve Ramon. In MX2, last weeks German GP winner, Jeffrey Herlings put his first stamp on the Kegums circuit with a 3-1 performance ahead of Ken Roczen and Steven Frossard. From memory, it was Herlings second ever GP victory, and now he sits on 108.

Cairoli added win number two in 2011, beating home Frossard and Evgeny Bobryshev and in MX2, it was Ken Roczen who got the win ahead of Herlings and Tommy Searle. Amazingly, the little Italian, won again in 2012 ahead of Ken De Dycker and Kevin Strijbos, and in MX2 it was Joel Roelants who won from fellow Belgian, Jeremy Van Horebeek and Jordi Tixier.

The King of Kegums, Cairoli won again in 2013, and this time he finished ahead of Ken De Dycker and Clement Desalle, while in the MX2 class, you guessed it, Herlings ahead of Jose Butron and Tixier. No GP in Kegums in 2014 as the MXoN was run there, but in 2015, they returned as Glenn Coldenhoff won in MXGP, ahead of Paulin and Romain Febvre. In MX2, it was Max Anstie ahead of Pauls Jonass and Harri Kullas.

Tim Gajser won Kegums in 2016, ahead of Cairoli and Febvre and in MX2, Mr Herlings won again ahead of Anstie and Jeremy Seewer. Moving to the MXGP class in 2017 and the flying Dutchman (Herlings), added yet another victory to his name at Kegums, winning ahead of Cairoli and Bobryshev. Thomas Olsen won MX2 in 2017 ahead of Jonass and Calvin Vlaanderen.

Another win for Herlings in 2018, and this time, ahead of Cairoli and Paulin, with Olsen getting a second win in MX2 ahead of Jago Geerts and Jonass, who was making a habit of being on the podium at home.

No GP at Kegums in 2019, but they did return in the 2020 Covid season, with three GPs and those went to Coldenhoff, Cairoli and Herlings in MXGP and Tom Vialle, and Jago Geerts twice. Gajser won again in 2021, ahead of Prado and Herlings and in MX2 it was Maxime Renaux ahead of Geerts and Mattia Guadagnini.

Gajser won again in 2022 ahead of Mr Jonass and Ruben Fernandez, with Geerts getting win number three ahead of Kevin Horgmo and Vialle. Herlings scored his seventh win at Kegums in 2023 in the MXGP class, ahead of Prado and Febvre and in MX2 Kay De Wolf added his name to the winners list ahead of Roan Van De Moosdijk and Thibault Benistant.

Of course, the end the winners in Latvia, it just had to be Herlings, with a win ahead of Gajser and Prado. In MX2 it was Sasha Coenen ahead of his brother Lucas and third was Simon Langenfelder.

Latvian GP winners

2009 Rui Goncalves

2009 Antonio Cairoli

2010 Clement Desalle

2010 Jeffrey Herlings

2011 Antonio Cairoli

2011 Ken Roczen

2012 Antonio Cairoli

2012 Joel Roelants

2013 Antonio Cairoli

2013 Jeffrey Herlings

2015 Glenn Coldenhoff

2015 Max Anstie

2016 Tim Gajser

2016 Jeffrey Herlings

2017 Jeffrey Herlings

2017 Thomas Olsen

2018 Jeffrey Herlings

2018 Thomas Olsen

2020 Glenn Coldenhoff Antonio Cairoli Jeffrey Herlings

2020 Tom Vialle Jago Geerts Jago Geerts

2021 Tim Gajser

2021 Maxime Renaux

2022 Tim Gajser

2022 Jago Geerts

2023 Jeffrey Herlings

2023 Kay De Wolf

2024 Jeffrey Herlings

2024 Sasha Coenen

Ray Archer images