Herlings and McLellan Dominate as the Netherlands Delivers a Classic Sand Showdown

The MXGP of the Netherlands delivered everything motocross fans could have hoped for as more than 30,000 spectators packed into Motorsportpark Gelderland Midden near Arnhem for round 16 of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship. Under clear skies and on a deep, demanding sand circuit, Jeffrey Herlings and Camden McLellan emerged as the headline winners in MXGP and MX2 respectively, while the championship battles moved another step closer to their final showdown.

With the track dry but still deeply rutted and physically demanding, the conditions produced some spectacular racing throughout the day. For the home crowd, it was a particularly memorable occasion as Dutch riders dominated the MXGP podium, with Herlings taking another commanding Grand Prix victory after an intense battle with Kay de Wolf.

Herlings arrived at Arnhem in imperious form and continued that momentum with another perfect 1-1 result. The Honda HRC Petronas rider was pushed harder than expected by De Wolf, however, with the Husqvarna rider proving once again that he is one of the strongest sand specialists in the world.

Tom Vialle completed the MXGP podium with a pair of strong rides, securing third overall and another important step forward in his return to European sand racing.

The opening MXGP race immediately produced drama. Tom Vialle grabbed the Fox Holeshot, while De Wolf and Herlings battled aggressively through the opening corners. Herlings briefly lost ground after a huge moment, allowing Vialle and De Wolf through, but he quickly recovered and set about chasing the leaders.

De Wolf eventually moved into first place and began to establish a small advantage, while Herlings followed closely behind. The two Dutchmen then engaged in a fascinating battle that had the home crowd on its feet.

Herlings continued applying pressure lap after lap before finally making his move through the fast wave section on lap 14. Once in front, he appeared to have the race under control, only for an extraordinary problem to threaten his victory.

With just four corners remaining, a rock became lodged in Herlings’ rear brake lever and locked the rear wheel. The defending champion was forced to kick the obstruction clear before continuing, dramatically reducing his advantage. Having previously built a nine-second lead, Herlings eventually crossed the line just 3.7 seconds ahead of De Wolf.

Tim Gajser completed the race podium in third, ahead of Vialle and Andrea Adamo. Ben Watson equalled his career-best MXGP result in sixth, while Glenn Coldenhoff, racing his final MXGP event as a wildcard on home soil, finished seventh.

The second race produced another battle between Herlings and De Wolf, although this time it was Herlings who made the better start. He claimed the Fox Holeshot and immediately established himself at the front, with De Wolf working his way forward from fourth.

The Husqvarna rider soon moved into second and once again began hunting down his compatriot. Vialle and Gajser remained firmly in contention behind them, while Coldenhoff produced another impressive ride to remain among the leading group.

De Wolf appeared to have one final opportunity to challenge Herlings when he closed to within around 1.5 seconds with three laps remaining. The crowd erupted as the gap came down, but De Wolf pushed slightly too hard through a right-hander, hit a large braking bump and was thrown from the bike.

Fortunately, he escaped without injury and was able to retain second place thanks to the substantial gap he had built over Vialle.

Herlings cruised to his 14th consecutive individual race victory and his 122nd career Grand Prix win, adding another extraordinary chapter to his record at home. The victory was also his 17th Grand Prix win from the 19 events he has contested in the Netherlands.

De Wolf’s second-place finish gave him second overall, while Vialle’s 4-3 results secured third. Coldenhoff signed off his MXGP career in style with fifth overall after producing 7-4 finishes, while Adamo was sixth overall.

The result further strengthened Herlings’ grip on the MXGP championship. He now leads Romain Febvre by 143 points, with only 120 points remaining after Türkiye. That means the championship could potentially be decided as early as the opening race at Afyonkarahisar.

Herlings was understandably delighted with the result, particularly after having to fight one of his strongest sand-racing rivals.

“It was a really good GP. It was nice to battle with Kay again,” Herlings said. “He wanted to win, I wanted to win, and I know Kay is very good in the sand, so it was super fun.”

He also highlighted the importance of winning at home while dealing with the added attention that comes with racing in front of his home supporters.

“Racing at home is special, but it is not easy. I had all my fans, friends, family, almost all my sponsors, even my doctors and my surgeons here, so it was difficult to stay focused with everything going on around the race. The team did a great job. We made a big step with the bike and this weekend was really perfect.”

De Wolf was equally encouraged by his performance despite missing out on victory.

“Two weeks ago I could not even put up a fight against Jeffrey, and since then we have worked on my starts, my fitness and several other things, so I am really pleased to be able to fight with him,” he said.

“In the end I could not hold on anymore, the bike kicked out to the right, my front wheel grabbed a handful of dirt and I went down. But I gave everything I had, so I cannot go to bed tonight wondering what if.”

Vialle’s third overall was another important milestone in his return to European sand racing. After struggling in these conditions during previous seasons, the Frenchman has worked extensively on his sand technique and fitness.

“Fighting for a podium in the sand is always nice, and being up here behind two riders as strong as Jeffrey and Kay honestly feels like a win for me,” Vialle explained.

The MX2 class provided another spectacular contest, with South African Camden McLellan claiming his third Grand Prix victory of the season for Triumph Racing Factory Team.

McLellan entered the weekend knowing that the deep Arnhem sand suited his strengths, and he delivered a superb performance to finish 1-2 across the two races and secure the overall victory.

The opening race saw Sacha Coenen grab the Fox Holeshot, while McLellan launched into second. Guillem Farres and the KTM riders were also immediately involved in the battle at the front, but McLellan soon settled into a position from which he could attack.

Coenen initially escaped at the front, while Farres and McLellan exchanged positions behind him. The South African eventually moved back into second and began closing on the leader.

The decisive moment came when Coenen crashed in almost identical fashion to his Qualifying Race incident. His mistake handed McLellan the lead, and the Triumph rider took full advantage to claim victory.

Farres recovered for third, while Liam Everts finished fourth. Valerio Lata completed the top five.

The second race belonged initially to Everts, who made a brilliant move through the opening section to take the lead before the end of the opening lap. McLellan, meanwhile, was forced to work his way through the field after a less impressive start.

Everts controlled the race at the front as McLellan steadily moved forward. Farres and Sacha Coenen also fought intensely for position, with McLellan eventually passing Coenen and setting his sights on the Husqvarna rider.

McLellan reduced the deficit but was unable to close the remaining gap to Everts, who secured his second race victory of the season. McLellan crossed the line second, enough to secure the Grand Prix overall victory with 47 points.

Farres finished third in the race and overall, while Coenen’s fourth-place finish dropped him to fourth overall. The result allowed Farres to extend his championship advantage over Coenen to 25 points.

McLellan’s victory was Triumph’s eighth MX2 Grand Prix win of the season and moved the South African to within 12 points of making it a Triumph one-two in the championship standings.

“It was still a successful weekend and I had a lot of fun,” McLellan said. “The track was difficult for racing and difficult to pass on, but it was enjoyable anyway.”

The South African admitted that his second start made life more difficult, but praised his Triumph machine and his physical preparation.

“The bike is awesome, I am feeling really good and physically really strong. The championship is still on the table but it is a bit of a reach at this point, second place is not, so that is what I am going for.”

Everts was delighted to return to the top step in a race after a difficult period.

“I am happy with the race win, it has obviously been a really long time,” he said. “I think we made a good step in the last few weeks and I want to take that forward.”

Farres, meanwhile, produced a hugely important championship performance after entering the weekend still recovering from the effects of the previous week’s crash.

“It was a solid weekend after last week’s crash. It was a really tough week, I think I only cycled one day and the other days I was doing therapy, so I came into the weekend without riding and my body was pretty sore,” Farres explained.

Despite that, the championship leader remained composed and left Arnhem with his advantage intact.

The MX2 championship now heads into its decisive final phase with Farres leading on 749 points, followed by Sacha Coenen on 724 and McLellan on 712. McLellan’s victory has ensured the title fight remains alive, while his more immediate target is second place in the standings.

In MXGP, Herlings leads the championship with 795 points from Febvre on 652 and Gajser on 611. KTM’s Lucas Coenen remains fourth on 566, while Andrea Adamo occupies fifth with 522.

With the final European round now complete, the championship heads east after a weekend break for the final three flyaway rounds in Türkiye. The titles are rapidly approaching their conclusion, but Arnhem provided a timely reminder that there is still plenty of drama left before the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championships are decided.

For Herlings, another home victory strengthened his march towards another world title. For McLellan, another Grand Prix victory brought him closer to a remarkable championship runner-up position. And for the thousands of fans who packed the Arnhem circuit, the MXGP of the Netherlands delivered an unforgettable day of world-class sand racing.