It is the big question going into this weekends opening round of the MXGP world championship, and that question is, who wins the opener? With so many names in the list, its obviously impossible and while we have seen names like Lucas Coenen, Tom Vialle, Romain Febvre, Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings all win races and international events, that nearly means nothing when lady luck is around.

Romain Febvre, despite getting beaten on a sand track last weekend in Lierop, by five-time world champion, Jeffrey Herlings is another who could be placed on the favourite list. He is I might add, the defending world champion and like Coenen is on a bike and in a team, he is familiar with. It is hard to bet against the Frenchman, but I just get the feeling he will be thinking, score as many points as possible and get out of Argentina unscathed.

Red Bull KTM factory rider, Lucas Coenen winning the opening International in Sardinia was his first showing of power and if I had to tip somebody winning Argentina, he is pretty close to being my man, but he has also crashed on occasions and made some big errors. Maybe he sorted that out before this coming weekend.

Tim Gajser, of course, a five-time champ and the most successful MXGP rider in the MXGP era. Four titles on the 450 and the most successful Honda rider of all time. Now on Yamaha, he, like Herlings will need time to adjust, winning straight away probably isn’t the goal and just make major points and not have problems. A new team, new bike, but he should be at least close to the podium. I don’t see him on it though.

Kay De Wolf comes in injured and there are even question marks, will he be able to race. With that in mind and the fact he has hardly raced in the pre-season, I don’t see him being top five and he might even struggle. His advantage, the circuit in Bariloche is sand and he could be the best sand rider of the whole group. I hope he is fit and can show us what he has.

Maxine Renaux, the defending MXGP winner in Argentina, although on a different track to this year. In the shadows of Gajser and with a good pre-season behind him, do not be surprised to see him on the podium, or even win it. He has had some big ones in the past, but a little older and wiser and with a good team behind him, he might just be the big surprise this weekend.

Andrea Adamo has been a little quiet in the pre-season, nothing special, some up and down moment, but clearly a class rider. I think he will be around sixth and seventh in the overall standings, but wouldn’t it be great to see this former MX2 world champion surprise everyone and get the win. Cannot see it happening in Argentina, but for sure, down the road.

Tom Vialle has also had a good preseason, with consistent results, but I still see him as a 250-rider racing on a 450. Like Adamo and Renaux, he is a bit of a dark horse and this two-time world MX2 champion should be close to the top five. Similar to Adamo and de Wolf, I don’t see him being a favourite to win it.

Jeffrey Herlings is my man, my favourite rider since 2010, that’s 16 years and what a brilliant moment last weekend in Lierop, getting his first victory for Honda and beating world MXGP champion, Romain Febvre. I had him maybe heading into Argentina with an eye on big points and maybe a podium, but that performance in Lierop will give him huge confidence and a circuit like Lierop, you need your bike working 100%. I think Herlings gets his 113th GP victory and he might even do it easily.