Jeffrey Herlings (Red Bull KTM) staged a last-gasp charge that carried him to the MXGP class overall win ahead of team-mate and defending champion Tony Cairoli at today’s opening round of the FIM Motocross World Championship at Neuquen in Argentina.

After coming home just over a second behind the Sicilian in the opening 30-minute plus one lap race following a late surge that almost gave him the win, Herlings found himself in an identical position in race two.

With the overall verdict and, just as importantly, bragging rights depending on a late pass, the 23-year-old Dutchman took over nine seconds out of Cairoli’s lead in the closing stages. His pace allowed him to stick a last-lap pass on the nine-time world champion and take the red series leader’s plate heading into round two in Valkenswaard in Holland in two week’s time.

Cairoli, who amazingly has never won in Argentina, came out for the opening moto clearly meaning business and converted the Fox-sponsored holeshot into a gate-to-flag win. Herlings didn’t look entirely comfortable during a very physical first few turns but within four laps he was up to second after passes on Belgian Julien Lieber (Monster Energy Kawasaki) and 2015 champion Romain Febvre (Monster Energy Yamaha).

Using all his experience, 32-year-old Cairoli managed to keep ahead on the fast and flowing track and repelled a final challenge to take the opening win of the campaign.

Belgium’s Clement Desalle (Monster Energy Kawasaki) passed Febvre for third in the last quarter of the race with Jeremy Van Horebeek (Monster Energy Yamaha) taking fifth.

Britain’s Tommy Searle (Bike It DRT Kawasaki) came home ninth, just ahead of compatriots Shaun Simpson (Wilvo Yamaha) and Max Anstie (Rockstar Energy Husqvarna) who finished 11th and 12th. Northern Ireland’s Graeme Irwin (ASA Hitachi KTM UK) took a solid 16th in his MXGP debut.

Race two looked to be a virtual repeat of the opener with Cairoli taking an early lead – this time from Desalle – and threatening to break away as Herlings ended the opening lap in fifth.

It took him until lap nine before he was able to pass Desalle for second by which point it appeared to be as good as over as Cairoli continued to open up a commanding lead. Herlings, however, never gave in and reeled in the champion seemingly at will to score an important psychological victory.

Desalle took third for third overall ahead of Van Horebeek and Febvre.

Best Brit was Scottish star Simpson whose 11-7 card gave him a solid seventh overall. Searle and Anstie both went down in a first turn crash with Searle recovering to 13th for 11th overall and Anstie finishing 15th for 13th overall. Irwin had a tougher race second time out, picking up the final point in 20th for 18th in the championship.

MXGP Neuquen race two - conditions dry

1 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 34:56.319 19 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:43.383 19 53.9
2 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 34:58.370 19 0:02.051 0:02.051 1:43.710 3 53.8
3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 35:19.346 19 0:23.027 0:20.976 1:44.392 4 53.4
4 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 35:22.399 19 0:26.080 0:03.053 1:44.420 3 53.4
5 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 35:30.858 19 0:34.539 0:08.459 1:44.810 3 53.2
6 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 35:42.157 19 0:45.838 0:11.299 1:45.180 8 53
7 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 35:55.277 19 0:58.958 0:13.120 1:46.527 4 52.3
8 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 35:57.728 19 1:01.409 0:02.451 1:46.016 2 52.6
9 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 36:12.105 19 1:15.786 0:14.377 1:46.866 4 52.2
10 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 36:14.177 19 1:17.858 0:02.072 1:46.614 4 52.3
11 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 36:23.626 19 1:27.307 0:09.449 1:46.553 4 52.3
12 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 36:31.451 19 1:35.132 0:07.825 1:47.838 6 51.7
13 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 36:40.843 19 1:44.524 0:09.392 1:48.068 13 51.6
14 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 36:43.149 19 1:46.830 0:02.306 1:48.272 4 51.5
15 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 36:58.394 19 2:02.075 0:15.245 1:48.407 5 51.4
16 28 Salazar, Jetro PER FPEM Honda 35:04.152 18 1 lap 1 lap 1:48.355 6 51.4
17 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 35:04.172 18 1 lap 0:00.020 1:49.377 1 51
18 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 35:09.431 18 1 lap 0:05.259 1:48.415 7 51.4
19 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 35:09.550 18 1 lap 0:00.119 1:49.857 6 50.7
20 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 35:13.153 18 1 lap 0:03.603 1:48.792 2 51.2
21 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 35:52.928 18 1 lap 0:39.775 1:48.965 5 51.2
22 179 Poli, Joaquin ARG CAMOD Honda 36:10.087 18 1 lap 0:17.159 1:49.671 2 50.8
23 58 Carranza, Nicolas ARG CAMOD Husqvarna 36:01.631 17 2 laps 1 lap 1:56.999 2 47.6
24 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 31:59.912 16 3 laps 1 lap 1:45.552 1 52.8
25 175 Garrido, Victor ARG CAMOD Yamaha 37:02.533 16 3 laps 5:02.621 1:56.139 1 48
26 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 16:55.924 8 11 laps 8 laps 1:49.320 1 51

MXGP Neuquen race one - conditions dry

1 222 Cairoli, Antonio ITA FMI KTM 34:23.907 19 0:00.000 0:00.000 1:42.787 9 54.2
2 84 Herlings, Jeffrey NED KNMV KTM 34:24.982 19 0:01.075 0:01.075 1:42.433 10 54.4
3 25 Desalle, Clement BEL FMB Kawasaki 34:54.008 19 0:30.101 0:29.026 1:43.069 3 54.1
4 461 Febvre, Romain FRA FFM Yamaha 34:55.988 19 0:32.081 0:01.980 1:42.933 7 54.2
5 89 Van Horebeek, Jeremy BEL FMB Yamaha 34:58.398 19 0:34.491 0:02.410 1:43.529 4 53.8
6 21 Paulin, Gautier FRA MCM Husqvarna 35:03.245 19 0:39.338 0:04.847 1:43.866 7 53.7
7 91 Seewer, Jeremy SUI FMS Yamaha 35:08.693 19 0:44.786 0:05.448 1:43.888 3 53.7
8 33 Lieber, Julien BEL FMB Kawasaki 35:15.884 19 0:51.977 0:07.191 1:44.260 1 53.5
9 100 Searle, Tommy GBR ACU Kawasaki 35:19.445 19 0:55.538 0:03.561 1:44.613 4 53.3
10 259 Coldenhoff, Glenn NED KNMV KTM 35:20.155 19 0:56.248 0:00.710 1:44.176 4 53.5
11 24 Simpson, Shaun GBR ACU Yamaha 35:22.343 19 0:58.436 0:02.188 1:44.432 2 53.4
12 99 Anstie, Max GBR ACU Husqvarna 35:28.472 19 1:04.565 0:06.129 1:44.687 4 53.3
13 12 Nagl, Maximilian GER DMSB TM 35:29.734 19 1:05.827 0:01.262 1:45.070 3 53.1
14 777 Bobryshev, Evgeny RUS MFR Suzuki 35:51.668 19 1:27.761 0:21.934 1:44.778 5 53.2
15 27 Jasikonis, Arminas LTU LMSF Honda 35:54.118 19 1:30.211 0:02.450 1:45.778 5 52.7
16 55 Irwin, Graeme GBR MCUI KTM 35:54.871 19 1:30.964 0:00.753 1:45.746 3 52.7
17 22 Strijbos, Kevin BEL FMB KTM 35:56.807 19 1:32.900 0:01.936 1:45.831 3 52.7
18 128 Monticelli, Ivo ITA FMI Yamaha 35:58.291 19 1:34.384 0:01.484 1:45.585 4 52.8
19 77 Lupino, Alessandro ITA FMI Kawasaki 36:16.207 19 1:52.300 0:17.916 1:46.298 5 52.4
20 152 Petrov, Petar BUL BMF Honda 34:30.545 18 1 lap 1 lap 1:47.031 2 52.1
21 7 Leok, Tanel EST EMF Husqvarna 34:31.839 18 1 lap 0:01.294 1:46.880 4 52.2
22 17 Butron, Jose ESP RFME KTM 34:32.583 18 1 lap 0:00.744 1:47.575 4 51.8
23 28 Salazar, Jetro PER FPEM Honda 34:39.085 18 1 lap 0:06.502 1:45.968 5 52.6
24 179 Poli, Joaquin ARG CAMOD Honda 34:46.196 18 1 lap 0:07.111 1:47.670 5 51.8
25 171 Luzzardi, Juan Pablo ARG CAMOD KTM 35:37.376 18 1 lap 0:51.180 1:48.923 2 51.2
26 175 Garrido, Victor ARG CAMOD Yamaha 34:53.321 17 2 laps 1 lap 1:50.000 1 50.7
27 58 Carranza, Nicolas ARG CAMOD Husqvarna 34:57.274 17 2 laps 0:03.953 1:51.887 1 49.8