MXGP legend Jeffrey Herlings changed everything—bike, team, gear, sponsors—before the start of the 2026 FIM Motocross World Championship. Then he went out and promptly won
WORDS:
DAVEY COOMBS
Two days before the clock struck midnight on the year 2025, Jeffrey Herlings went for one last ride aboard his Red Bull KTM on a wet, empty track somewhere near his home in the Netherlands. The bike, from the stable of team manager Claudio De Carli, wore his trademark #84, while Herlings himself donned his customary orange and blue Alpinestars gear. He would later post a video to Instagram of him riding, without cool music or even speaking any words. He captioned it simply, “Today. Thank you.” He also included an orange heart emoji. The short clip ended with the five-time FIM Motocross World Champion exiting the track, riding away from the camera down a cindered road. It was his social media-savvy way of saying goodbye to all the things that helped him achieve a record 112 Grand Prix wins over the last 16 years, more than half his lifetime.
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Davey Coombs
Editor-in-chief & Founder
Racer X Illustrated
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