Double Dutch Delight for Herlings and De Wolf at the MXGP of the Netherlands

Arnhem, The Netherlands – 24 August 2025

The Dutch fans could not have scripted it any better. Under glorious blue skies and in front of thousands of passionate supporters, their home heroes delivered in style at the Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden in Arnhem. Round 17 of the 2025 FIM Motocross World Championship became a celebration of orange as Jeffrey Herlings and Kay de Wolf each stormed to emphatic victories in MXGP and MX2, sending the crowd into raptures with a perfect “Double Dutch” result.

MXGP: Herlings Fends Off Coenen for Win Number 110

The MXGP class belonged to the “Bullet” – Jeffrey Herlings – who rolled back the years to deliver a flawless 1-1 performance. It was his 110th career Grand Prix victory and his 16th GP win on Dutch soil, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest sand riders in history.

It wasn’t all easy, though. In both motos, Herlings came under intense pressure from his younger Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teammate Lucas Coenen, who carved through the pack after poor starts to finish runner-up in both races. The Belgian teenager was breathtaking in his charges, and in race two he got within a second of Herlings at the line, pushing the veteran harder than anyone else on the day.

Local favourite Glenn Coldenhoff gave the home fans even more to cheer about by securing his first podium on Dutch soil since 2016. With lightning-fast starts that earned him both Fox Holeshot Awards, the Fantic rider held on for a strong third overall.

Herlings on his Arnhem triumph:

“I’m happy. The first race I could save some energy because I really needed it for the second one. But Lucas is 18 now and full of energy – when I was that age I could go all day! I’m very pleased with the 1-1 here, especially at home. Really looking forward to Turkiye now. Credit to Lucas as well, he did an awesome race.”

Coenen on pushing the “Bullet” to the limit:

“The starts were really, really bad, they couldn’t have been worse. First race I crashed, second race I was buried at the back. I pushed from almost last to the front both times, and in race two I was so close to Jeffrey. I want to beat him in the sand – he’s the best, but I’m young and hungry. We need to figure out the starts, because that’s the big problem right now.”

Coldenhoff on finally landing a Dutch podium:

“Yeah, it was a tough weekend and the track was very demanding, but my starts were really on point. Finally, a podium here after trying for two years and just missing it with fourth overall. I’m super happy, big thanks to the team and everyone who came out. I definitely enjoyed this one.”

MX2: De Wolf Delivers First Home GP Win

In MX2, the day belonged to Kay de Wolf. The defending World Champion had long dreamed of winning his home Grand Prix, and he did it in the most convincing fashion – a 1-1 maximum score in front of his ecstatic Dutch fans. Wearing a special PSV Eindhoven tribute kit, De Wolf looked unstoppable, handling the rough Arnhem sand with a perfect mix of aggression and finesse.

Behind him, Andrea Adamo kept his title challenge alive with a consistent second overall, while Sacha Coenen showed flashes of brilliance to take third. South Africa’s Camden Mc Lellan impressed too, fighting hard for fifth in race one and pushing De Wolf all the way in race two, which gave him fourth overall on the day.

De Wolf on his maiden home GP win:

“It definitely wasn’t easy today. The track was really rough, but I went 1-1 so I couldn’t wish for more. Winning my first ever home GP is amazing. The crowd was unreal all weekend long. 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 now.”

Adamo on staying in the title fight:

“Of course it was a super weekend, really solid with a 1-3-3. I think I could have done a little bit better, but I was really close to Kay, which is important. Now we have three rounds to go. Let’s go all in.”

Coenen on salvaging a podium:

“First race was good, I had a nice flow and finished second. In the second race I didn’t get the start and had some technical issues, but I managed to save it and still be on the podium. Three rounds to go – let’s have fun and keep pushing.”

The Championship Picture

With just three rounds left, both championships remain wide open.

• In MXGP, Romain Febvre still holds the red plate, but Lucas Coenen has closed the gap to just 31 points, while Herlings’ return to winning form could yet make things interesting.
• In MX2, Simon Längenfelder’s lead shrank dramatically after a difficult weekend, with De Wolf now only 15 points behind and Adamo just 23 further back.

The stage is set for an explosive finale as the series heads east for the final triple-header in Türkiye, China, and Australia.