HRC factory rider, Jeffrey Herlings isn't mucking around when it comes to winning. Even at 31 years of age, the Dutchman will fight hard for victory and last weekend in Portugal was proof of that. Here are the rider comments from Portugal. Bavo Swijgers image

Jeffrey Herlings: It was a good weekend, winning GP number 117. I think myself and Lucas were about the same speed throughout the weekend, just the small margins in timed practice and the qualifying race and then these two motos. I got stuck a bit behind some guys in race one and couldn’t close the gap, but in race two I was able to get into second place after one lap so I could push and challenge for the win. I knew I needed to find the right spot to make the pass and it was as safe as I could make it, making sure Lucas couldn’t get me back. I just want to keep this going and I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in South Africa.

Lucas Coenen: “Consistency was key. I knew I’d won the Quali race and the first moto so the weekend was already good. I have to say that I’m a clean rider but I will also take any opportunities that are there. Overall, not bad. We’ll take the positives today and look on to South Africa next week.”

Romain Febvre: "Finally I could put two good motos together again and when I do that I know I can be on the box. The first moto I got a good start and was up there all race, but I really had to work for it in the second moto. I could see Gajser ahead of me and I knew I needed him for the podium so I pushed hard to catch him and pressured him into making a mistake. And I wasn't that far from the leaders; it's hard not to be racing them but I'm getting there and I was closer than in the first race. It was nice to have a track with good grip and I was really enjoying my riding. It will be interesting to go to South Africa next week; it's the first time we have been there but it's the same altitude as Mexico so we know what we have to do."

Guillem Farres: “It was an amazing weekend here in Portugal. To come away with a perfect 1-1-1 score is exactly what we were aiming for, so I’m really happy with how everything came together. I got two good starts on Sunday, which made a big difference, and from there I was able to manage both races, control my pace, and make smart decisions. The bike was working really well and I felt comfortable all weekend. A huge thank you to the team for all of their hard work. The goal now is to keep this momentum going and fight for results like this at every round.”

Janis Reisulis: “I was feeling very calm this weekend. The last two races were not how I really wanted, so I went in with nothing to lose and just went for it. Two quite good starts helped me and I was feeling really good on the track, nice flow and I was just keeping it in control. In EMX you can sometimes relax at the end of a race, but in MX2 the intensity at the end is sometimes even higher than at the beginning, and that's what I've been losing in the early part of the season. This weekend gave me a lot of experience keeping up at the front in the last laps. I'm slowly getting into this class.”

Camden McLellan: “It was a pretty tough Sunday, to be honest. I never really found a good feeling with the track all weekend and just didn’t quite feel like myself out there. On the positive side, I came away healthy, and a 4-5 score for sixth overall isn’t too bad for the championship. There are still some good points to take from the weekend. Now the focus is on next weekend and my home Grand Prix. Hopefully we can rebound there, get back to where we know we can be, and start the second half of the season on a strong note.”

Andrea Adamo: “I wanted more from this weekend but on Saturday morning I didn’t have the best feeling on the track. Nothing came easy and I was not riding like normal. It took a lot of energy to ride and hard to be smooth. It can happen! We always keep learning and the results were not too bad. We brought some points home. Our goal is to stay in the top five or a close as possible. Now we move on, South Africa next.”

Sacha Coenen: “A mistake in the first moto that messed up my weekend but…I took some good points. I know what happened: I went double-double and came up short. A stupid mistake and we’ll try to avoid another in South Africa.”

Simon Laengenfelder: “We made some changes this week and tried to go back to my old set-up. It gave me some confidence and 3-3 with the Quali race and the first moto was not too bad. I wanted a bit more intensity and I missed some fire in that second race. I tried to push myself but it was really hard to get going and keep fighting. I was struggling to take risks on track. But, yes, we’ll keep on working.”

Tim Gajser: "It was a difficult weekend overall, but there were still some positives to take away. My speed wasn't too bad, and I felt like I was getting more comfortable as the races went on. It's a shame about the second race because I made the mistake of choosing an inside line where it was still a little muddy. Missing out on the podium is disappointing because that was my goal coming into the weekend, but that's racing. We'll take what we've learned, keep working, and come back ready to fight again next weekend."

Maxime Renaux: "I'm dealing with a virus at the moment and it's really not ideal. We're doing everything we can to manage it, and I've tried a few different things over the past week to help me feel a little better, but unfortunately nothing has worked. Right now, it's really just about getting through each race as best as I can. We'll continue the treatment this week and hopefully I'll be feeling much better for the MXGP of South Africa next weekend."

Liam Everts: "Overall it was a solid weekend and I feel like we're continuing to make progress. We were close to the podium and only missed it by one point, which is frustrating, but there are still plenty of positives to take away. The pace was there, especially in the second moto, and I'm happy to come away with another good result for the team. Now the focus is on carrying this momentum into South Africa next weekend."

Rubén Fernández: I think five-five for fifth is a fair reflection on my speed for this weekend, although it is frustrating to not be able to battle for those podium spots at my home GP. Those guys are riding to a very high standard and I tried my best to stick with them as long as possible. Still, I had a great time with all the fans here and it was very cool hearing them cheer me on around the track. I said beforehand that this is my favourite GP and meeting everyone and just enjoying the occasion confirms what I thought. Thanks to everyone who came out!

Tom Vialle: I think it was obvious that my speed and my starts were on point today, including the holeshot in race two. Unfortunately we need to work together a bit and make sure that I am able to maintain that pace throughout the whole race. That aspect is disappointing and it is something we will work hard to fix for the future rounds because I truly believe I can challenge with those top guys.

Valerio Lata: Not a great weekend and now I really have to put my head down and work hard to get myself out of this hole. I didn’t have the best first moto, and then in the second race I tweaked my knee again, which I hurt in Italy, so I pulled off as a precaution. We have South Africa coming right up, so I don’t have much time to turn things around but I will definitely try.

Calvin Vlaanderen: “This weekend I struggled to find a good feeling with the track and the bike, and we made several changes to try and find it. Overall, however, I'm pleased to have finished in the top ten again, maintaining consistency in my results. Now I can't wait to jump on that plane and go to South Africa for my home race, where I'll be reunited with my friends and family.”

Ferruccio Zanchi: “We saw positive things in Portugal, even if the final result wasn't what we were aiming for. Unfortunately, in race 2, two contacts compromised my final position, but next week in South Africa we'll try to put everything together to do better. A big thanks to the team for all their work.”

Simone Mancini: "It was a pretty solid weekend, with a good fifth place yesterday and a ninth today, for a seventh overall finish, which I consider decent. The track was very difficult to ride, and I'm quite satisfied with my riding. Now we'll continue working hard for the next races."

Pauls Jonass: "Another positive weekend with good speed and riding. I was happy with my pace in the first moto and consistent lap times. My start in moto two was really good but I was riding a little tight and made a few bad line-choices on the first lap to let a couple of guys past. But all of the hard work is finally paying off and I'm getting closer step-by-step to the front guys."

Mathis Valin: "I'm just glad I'm OK and happy to be on two feet; it was a big one and I'm lucky it wasn't worse. It was my own mistake, but my neck's a bit stiff so I'm wearing a neck brace as a precaution. I'm going for further medical examinations tomorrow and hope to be in South Africa next weekend."

Kay Karssemakers: "Another consistent weekend, and we are getting ever closer to the factory riders. We changed the suspension settings after Saturday and I didn't have the best feeling in the first race, but we went back to our usual settings for race two and it went really well. I was happy with my riding and now I'm looking forward to South Africa."

Francisco Garcia: "For sure my family and the Spanish fans who have crossed the frontier to be here enjoyed that just as much as I did and their presence gave me even more motivation. I had a great feeling all weekend and could play with the track. We have worked a lot on the starts and they are coming now, and I work every day with my trainer on my fitness too; this is only the beginning. I am already focused on my future, but first we take in a guest appearance in the US National at Southwick next weekend."#

Jake Cannon: "It was a weekend of two very different races. The first moto was difficult because the levers were loose after a knock early in the race so it was difficult to push. I was determined to rebound in race two and did that with P5; I got an awesome start but got pushed wide at the first turn and had to come through the pack. But I'm still second in the points and we keep going. It was a cool track."