It was a glorious day for Dutch motocross. Under glorious sunshine, thousands of fans witnessed a memorable performance by their local heroes on the Arnhem circuit. Round 17 of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championships was a real test in the sand, but it rewarded the efforts of local riders Jeffrey Herlings and Kay de Wolf, who won in their respective categories, MXGP and MX2.
MXGP: Herlings the master, Coenen the tightrope walker
With two heat wins, Jeffrey Herlings celebrated his 16th success on Dutch soil. But the crowd was also thrilled by Lucas Coenen's incredible performance. Starting from a distance in both races, the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider worked his way up the field with impressive determination, finishing second on two occasions and coming close to victory in the second heat. Dutchman Glenn Coldenhoff (Fantic Factory Racing) also shone, claiming his first home podium since 2016. He picked up two Fox Holeshot Awards and consolidated his third place overall.
The first heat was marked by a breathless chase. After a holeshot by Coldenhoff, Herlings quickly took the lead. Meanwhile, Coenen, who fell at the first corner, began a spectacular comeback. He overtook a host of drivers to find himself behind the leaders in the closing laps. He ended up taking second place, just 3.3 seconds behind Herlings.
In the second heat, Coldenhoff again took the holeshot, but Herlings bypassed him from the start. Lucas Coenen, once again, had a difficult start, finding himself 15th. He then made a dazzling comeback, overtaking his rivals one by one, including championship leader Romain Febvre, to move into second place. He put Herlings under intense pressure, but Herlings held out to the finish line, winning by just 1.9 seconds.
Here's what the drivers had to say after the race:
Jeffrey Herlings: I'm happy. I was able to save energy in the first run, because I really needed it for the second. I had a good lead and thought, this is going well. But Lucas is 18 and full of energy, whereas I'm on the wane. When I was young, I could do 35 minutes plus two laps without getting tired at all, so I'm very happy with this 1-1 here, especially at home. I'm looking forward to Turkey. And well done to Lucas too, he had a great race.
Lucas Coenen: What I know is that the starts were really, really bad, they couldn't have been worse. In the first heat, I crashed and had to start from last place, and in the second heat, it was the same thing. It was really difficult. I attacked from almost last place to get back up. In the first run, Jeffrey had a lead, but in the second, I gave it my all and came very close to overtaking him. I want to beat him in the sand, he's the best sand driver, but I'm young and I want to beat him. I just can't afford any mistakes, I need these points. We need to find a solution for the starts, that's the big problem right now. We've got a week's break, so if we get the starts right, we'll be able to ride at the front and fight for wins.
Glenn Coldenhoff: Yes, it was a tough weekend and the track was very demanding, but I got two holeshots today, and yesterday too, so my starts were really on point and that helped me a lot in the races. Finally, a podium here after two years of coming so close. I'm really happy. A big thank you to the team, to everyone who came, I really enjoyed this one.
MXGP Standings - Top 5 Dutch Grand Prix
-
1. Jeffrey Herlings (NED, KTM), 50 points
-
2. Lucas Coenen (BEL, KTM), 44 points
-
3. Glenn Coldenhoff (NED, FAN), 36 points
-
4. Tim Gajser (SLO, HON), 35 points
-
5. Romain Febvre (FRA, KAW), 33 points
MXGP overall standings - Top 10
MX2: De Wolf triumphs on home turf
In the MX2 class, reigning world champion Kay de Wolf (Nestaan Husqvarna Factory Racing) dominated the field with a perfect 1-1 scoreline. The Dutchman took his first victory on home soil, to the cheers of a cheering crowd. Andrea Adamo (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) took a solid second place overall, ahead of teammate Sacha Coenen.
The first heat saw Sacha Coenen take the holeshot, but Kay de Wolf, who started 9th, reeled in the pack with impressive speed. One by one, he overtook his rivals, including team-mate Liam Everts, to close the gap on Adamo and Coenen. With a few laps to go, de Wolf took advantage of a Coenen error to take the lead and the win.
In the second heat, Andrea Adamo took the holeshot, but was quickly overtaken by Camden McLellan, then by de Wolf. The latter soon took control and extended his lead, buoyed by the energy of the local fans. McLellan put on the pressure, but de Wolf held on to secure a second heat win and first place in the Grand Prix.
The overall standings are tighter than ever. After this weekend, leader Simon Längenfelder's lead, which has been struggling, is down to just 15 points over de Wolf. Adamo is on 23 points, still leaving all possibilities open for the final three races of the season.
Here are the drivers' statements:
Kay de Wolf: It really wasn't easy today. The track was very difficult, but I went 1-1, so I couldn't have hoped for better. Yesterday was a shame with the crash on the first lap, but for the championship we did a great job and I'm very happy. Winning my first ever GP at home is incredible. The crowd was incredible all weekend, and I can't thank my team, my family, my girlfriend and everyone who supports me enough. We'll keep fighting for the last three rounds.
Andrea Adamo: Of course, it was a great weekend, a very solid 1-3-3. I think I could have done a bit better in both races, but I was really close to Kay, which is good and important. It was an important race, and now we've got three rounds to go. We're going to give it our all.
Sacha Coenen: The first race was good, I had a very good pace and finished second, so I was happy. In the second heat, I completely missed my start, but I managed to get back up. Then, with about ten minutes to go, I felt that the bike was losing power and I had a few technical problems. I just tried to save my place and get back in, and I still managed to get on the podium. So yes, I'm happy, there are three rounds left and we're going to have some fun.
MX2 standings - Top 5 of the Dutch Grand Prix
-
1. Kay de Wolf (NED, HUS), 50 points
-
2. Andrea Adamo (ITA, KTM), 40 points
-
3. Sacha Coenen (BEL, KTM), 40 points
-
4. Camden McLellan (RSA, TRI), 38 points
-
5. Liam Everts (BEL, HUS), 33 points
MX2 overall standings - Top 10
The championship takes a weekend break before heading east for the last three rounds: Turkey, China and Australia, where the world titles will be decided. The suspense is total!
1. MXGP Argentina, Córdoba circuit, March 2.
2. MXGP Castilla-La Mancha, Cozar circuit, March 16
3. MXGP of Europe, St Jean d'Angely circuit, March 23
4. MXGP Sardinia (Italy), Riola Sardo circuit, April 6
5. MXGP Trentino (Italy), Pietramurata circuit, April 13
6. MXGP of Switzerland, Frauenfeld circuit, April 21
7. MXGP Portugal, Agueda circuit, May 4
8. MXGP Spain, Lugo circuit, May 11
9. MXGP France, Ernée circuit, May 25
10. MXGP Germany, Teutschenthal circuit, June 1
11. MXGP Latvia, Kegums circuit, June 8
12. MXGP Great Britain, Matterley Basin circuit, June 22
13. MXGP Finland, Litti-KymiRing circuit, July 13
14. MXGP Czech Republic, Loket circuit, July 27
15. MXGP of Flanders (Belgium), Lommel circuit, August 3
16. MXGP Sweden, Uddevalla circuit, August 17.
17. MXGP Netherlands, Arnhem circuit, August 24
18. MXGP Turkey, Afyonkarahisar circuit, September 7
19. MXGP China, Shanghai circuit, September 14
20. MXGP Australia, Darwin circuit, September 21
Motocross des Nations 2025: Monster Energy FIM MXoN, Crawfordsville circuit (USA), October 5.
Info and photo credits: mxgp.com
Share
helmet
Gloves
jacket
braking
Chain kit
Oils
Find an intercom
Parts
Luggage
Tires
Bikers' reviews