On Saturday Cairoli joked that he might be drunk for the second moto, but his only moment of tipsiness was ripping away all his tear-offs on the third lap, “a rookie mistake” he said. Herlings slaughtered the field to the distance of 15 seconds and to the clamour of the public while Cairoli wiped his way to the rear wheel of Max Nagl in second spot, but crashed down to sixth with two laps remaining. Herlings blew kisses to the noisy crowd on his way to the line.

“I really enjoyed the track,” he said. “It is not that long but with all the rain we had they made the best of it and I really enjoyed my time racing. I felt it was a good and safe track. Sure, if you went off then you found some concrete, but the organisation did a good job and there was a positive turnout.”

The tight layout left little room for error and the sand held up tremendously well after a deluge of rain in the days preceding the penultimate fixture. The terrain wore down in parts and hid some treacherous holes. Running off course often meant a run-in with some Armco or asphalt. Tim Gajser, Clement Desalle, and Jeremy Van Horebeek all experienced nasty crashes and both the Slovenian and Monster Energy Kawasaki-mounted rider did not race the second moto. Desalle was taken to hospital with a painful lower back and with an early prognosis that his 2017 was over, giving Team Belgium a minor headache for the Nations with Kevin Strijbos set to step-in (as in the USA, the Suzuki man again looked good in Holland).

The second MXGP moto saw a dramatic opening collision between several riders that sent Glenn Coldenhoff’s factory KTM bouncing toward the VIP enclosure and actually strike a spectator who apparently needed minor medical treatment. Tommy Searle was a victim of the on-track melee and hobbled away with a sore ankle. Coldenhoff meanwhile retrieved the #259 machine and rode back to 15th place with a sore left forearm.

At the front and again showing a streak of mastery that has already raised his stock and profile to new international heights, Herlings was unbeatable. At the start of the year the 22-year-old was hungry to be the third MXGP rookie champion and especially after Febvre and Gajser had triumphed; two rivals that he had easily beaten in MX2. His broken hand and need to re-evaluate the demands of the MXGP class meant the 15-17-9-12-8 results in the first five races of the year until the scene of his first podium diminished his chances. The likes of Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna’s Gautier Paulin (seventh at Assen) and Desalle shone briefly, but couldn't match the starts or consistency of the KTMs and this factor cast them adrift of Cairoli and latterly Herlings.

Jeffrey was gracious in praise of his senior teammate, but safe in the knowledge and confidence that it could be a much closer affair in 2018. Through interviews conducted over the last two weeks reactions inside the KTM team on a ’18 duel between the pair led to head-in-hands gestures: it should be tantalising. Especially as Cairoli shoots for Stefan Everts’ total of 10 titles and Herlings searches for his first on the big bike.

A dream 1-2 for KTM in the 2017 MXGP table was another consequence of the Assen affair. “At the beginning of the season I was fighting for 15th place and almost getting lapped,” the GP winner said. “I didn't know whether to go north, south, east or west. I was completely lost. I came from a very deep hole and I feel we are either at the top or very close to it now. The competition is very strong and down to 10th-15th place are potential GP winners and have won before. I got second, which means I am the first loser this season, but from where we came from we did a very good job.”

In third overall was Rockstar Energy IceOne Husqvarna’s Max Anstie, a third podium for the impressive rookie this year. “You have to push the level,” he said afterward and in the wake of a cunning last lap move to overtake eventual runner-up, Monster Energy Yamaha’s Febvre metres before the first moto finish line. “All these guys are going really fast and it is great to race with them. The top 15 are so fast in this class and it is very tough if you don't get a good start. I know I need to pick up the pace a bit in the off-season. I feel good on the bike, but need to have a bit more speed.”

MX2 was also the domain of Red Bull KTM. Jorge Prado again pulled his trick of bouncing back from obscurity one week to headline the next. Assen meant Prado came full circle. It was the scene of his debut 12 months ago and an amazing podium finish. This time he went one better with a 2-1. Teammate Pauls Jonass’ weekend swung from extremes. The Latvian looked nervous and jittery on Saturday: two crashes in the qualification race banishing the championship leader to 21st in the gate. To his credit Jonass roared back to form in the first moto, acing the holeshot, fending off the buzzing presence of Prado and winning his 16th moto of the year. He simply needed to finish ahead of Suzuki’s Jeremy Seewer—his year-long rival and pursuer for the crown—after the break, but the Swiss improved on his fifth position to chase an escaping Prado in the second moto and almost pipped the Spaniard. Jonass was mired in the top 10 and by his own admission rode too cautiously.

Forty-one points with 50 left is now the scenario. “I will try not to look at that in the next moto; as you saw with Tony today he took the holeshot and was pushing until the last laps to pass Jeffrey. I want to have the same approach next weekend,” Jonass said.

Rockstar Energy Husqvarna’s Conrad Mewse and Thomas Kjer Olsen were lively as was HSF Logistics Calvin Vlaanderen but the third Husky rider, Thomas Covington mixed good and bad starts once more to go 3-13. A second moto tumble the cause of his lowly finish.Covington needs just 20 points to make sure of fourth in the championship and surely has a firm and achievable goal for the climax in France.

Elsewhere and Nancy Van de Ven’s home Grand Prix win in the penultimate outing of WMX means that four ladies sit within five points of each other and another last race, last lap finale for the 10 FIM Women’s World Champion lies in store.