Jeffrey Herlings produced a dominant double moto victory in the deep sand of Lommel to close the championship gap to Jorge Prado with four rounds remaining.
Lommel is the deepest sand circuit on the MXGP calendar, a surface that shifts under the bike and rewards a riding style completely unlike the hard pack venues that make up most of the season. Ruts form and collapse within a moto, jump faces break down, and the rider who can keep the front wheel light through the whoops is the one who survives thirty five minutes plus two laps twice in an afternoon.
Herlings has made this circuit his own across a decade of competition, and the 2026 edition was no exception. He led both motos from the holeshot, controlled the gap to the chasing pack through the middle stint, and pulled clear in the final ten minutes as the surface deteriorated. It was a textbook sand masterclass, the kind of ride that defines a rider's reputation.
Jorge Prado finished second in both motos, a result that limits the damage on a circuit that does not suit the GASGAS's stiffer setup. The championship leader arrived with a 58 point margin and leaves with 52, a meaningful but not decisive shift with eight motos still to run across the closing four rounds.
Tim Gajser completed the overall podium for HRC Honda with a pair of thirds, keeping the Slovenian in touch with the top two. Romain Febvre finished fourth overall, his Kawasaki competitive in the sand but unable to match the pace of the leading three across both motos.
The 2026 FIM MXGP World Championship standings after Belgium show Prado leading on 656 points, 27 clear of Gajser on 629, with Herlings third on 604. Four rounds remain at Great Britain, then the closing triple header. The lead is significant but the sand round has shown it is not unassailable, and Herlings now carries the momentum into the final stretch.
The next round is MXGP of Great Britain at Matterley Basin, scheduled for 13, 14 Sep. It is round 14 of the season and a circuit where the championship leader has historically been strong. How Prado responds to the Lommel defeat will indicate whether the margin holds or the title fight tightens further.