Monster Energy Yamaha’s reigning world champion Romain Febvre and Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings captured victory at Valkenswaard’s third round of the MXGP World Championship on Monday.

The defending MXGP world champion Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing’s Febvre proved exactly why he is the holder of the crown when he won the MXGP of Europe with an epic race win in the final race where he caught and passed Antonio Cairoli.

Despite a few errors in the first race, Febvre went 3 – 1 for the grand prix overall and now leads the MXGP championship by thirteen points over Honda Gariboldi’s rookie standout Tim Gajser.

After a slow start to the season Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Max Nagl went back to the drawing board during the two-week break. He did his homework and turned it in this weekend where he passed with flying colours.

The German took his first Qualifying Race win of the season Sunday, which was a good sign he had turned his ship around, and turned it into a second place finish here at the MXGP of Europe, to stand on the podium for the first time since May last year.

Last year’s MX2 title winner Gajser was nothing short of impressive this weekend. In race one, he dominated, while his undoing was in race two where he had the victory in the palm of his hand for more than half of the race until encountering troubles.

Valkenswaard was a difficult weekend for Ben Townley. The former world champion came to Holland and made the short trip across the border from the team’s workshop in Lommel suffering the after-effects of a virus that left him drained and lethargic.

The New Zealander could barely throw a leg over his bike on Sunday and persevered to a creditable 14th in the first moto. After consulting the team during the short break, ‘BT’ attempted the second race but pulled off the track at mid-distance without the strength to continue.

Hometown hero Herlings took his first ever grand prix victory there in 2010 at the tender age of 15 years old. Since then, Herlings has won every grand prix in Valkenswaard, a track he has cut so many laps on it may as well be in his backyard.

At the MXGP of Europe The Bullet hit yet another career milestone as he used his one of a kind sand riding finesse to claim his 50th grand prix victory in front of his nation.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pauls Jonass had a brilliant day in the office as he charged hard and banked two consistent second place finishes for a convincing second overall, as Team Suzuki World MX2’s Jeremy Seewer completed the podium.

Dutch racer Nancy Van de Ven claimed victory in the Women’s championship round at Valkenswaard, edging out moto two winner Altherm JCR Yamaha’s Courtney Duncan and Team One One Four’s Livia Lancelot.

The highly anticipated debut of young Queenslander Hunter Lawrence in the EMX250 ranks saw him claim second on Sunday in race one, before a mistake dropped him to fifth in race two for fourth overall.