The Art of Motocross by Yentl Geukens

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

5 JANUARI-FEBRUARI-MAART 2013

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5 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Voorwoord

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Inhoud

Voorwoord Voor de motorcrossfans die ook onze reeks in het veldrijden volgden, hebben we minder goed nieuws. Ons magazine ‘The Art of Cyclocross’ zet ik bewust stop, omdat ik in deze voor mij te onbekende wereld wel veel fijne maar ook minder fijne mensen heb mogen ontmoeten. De sporters zijn op enkele uitzonderingen na

Geniet van ons nummer 5 in de tweede jaargang van het coffee table magazine ‘The Art of Motocross’. Stefan Geukens, uitgever.

Dat een lach en een traan heel dicht bij elkaar liggen, hebben we mogen merken. Jobé gaat van ons heen en bijna op hetzelfde moment wordt er ten huize De Reuver een baby geboren. De vreugde van Malica en Marc is dan ook terecht een blij moment. Ook Marc heeft echter al menig dieptepunt meegemaakt in zijn leven. Voor het eerst praat de Nederlander vrijuit in een interview met journalist Pieter Vanlommel. Een beklijvend verhaal van een immer sympathieke kerel die het klappen van de zweep reeds aan den lijve heeft mogen ondervinden. In onze tweede jaargang mag je ook weer wat nieuwe dingen verwachten. Vanaf dit nummer tot en met nummer 8 volgen we twee teams in hun voorbereiding, de reizen, de mooie en minder mooie momenten van het seizoen. Twee verschillende motormerken en twee verschillende teams geven je een inzicht in de wereld van topmotorcross. Ook kan je in de toekomst terecht in onze ‘The Art of Motocross Boutique’. Hierin zullen mooie items terug te vinden zijn die ofwel nog nergens anders te verkrijgen zijn of zich erg onderscheiden van wat er nu op de markt

zeer toegankelijk en daarom zal ik deze sport ook niet de rug toekeren. Veldrijden blijft een prachtige sport en zal in de toekomst zeker nog een plaats verdienen in combinatie met motorcross. Aan allen die hebben bijgedragen tot de realisatie van vier prachtige nummers zeg ik oprecht dank u.

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Met onze miniredactie hebben we dan ook bergen werk verzet en ook in laatste instantie nog items in het magazine vervangen en verschoven. Door het spijtige verlies van Georges Jobé vonden wij het meer dan gepast om een eresaluut te brengen aan deze grootheid uit de sport. Dit en enkele andere factoren hebben ertoe bijgedragen dat dit magazine later bij u als abonnee is terechtgekomen of in de winkelrekken te vinden is. Als kleine uitgever opteren we ervoor om mooie reportages te brengen en daarom staat er ook geen vaste datum van verschijning in onze edities. We willen de vrijheid behouden om u als lezer kwaliteit te brengen en niet in laatste instantie de resterende witte pagina’s te moeten vullen met wat voorhanden is.

beschikbaar is. Volg ons op onze website www. theartofmotocross.eu of schrijf je in op onze nieuwsbrief zodat je op de hoogte blijft van onze ontwikkelingen. Door in te tekenen op deze nieuwsbrief, waaraan geen kosten zijn verbonden, maak je kans op het winnen van gratis tickets voor verscheidene Grand Prix wedstrijden. Verder in dit magazine vind je meer info over deze wedstrijden.

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Wat een bewogen maanden. Het lumineuze idee om een boek te maken over de Motocross of Nations heeft mijn leven toch wel meer overhoop gegooid dan me lief was. Herfst heb ik het nog zien worden en dan lag er plots sneeuw. De weken ertussen hebben onze medewerkers en ikzelf overgeslagen, volledig gefocust op het bewuste weekend van 29 en 30 september. De Monster Motocross of Nations, gebundeld in een boek van 200 pagina’s dat de sfeer, ambiance en magie van de Nations nog lang zal laten voortleven.

Stefan Geukens Opbouw megaboek The Art of Nations.

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The crazy morning with Ken De Dycker and Kathy

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

By now Ken de Dycker is one of the veterans of the GP scene. Last year, Ken start his preparation for the season with LS Honda Team. Just before the first GP of the season at Valkenswaard, Ken surprised friends and enemies by switching to the KTM factory team. Many were sceptical and had their own ideas about what the man from Lubbeke was capable of. He in turn proved all his doubters wrong by delivering fantastic results in both the world and the Belgian championships. The giant of MX ended the year fifth in the MX1 world championship, became Belgian champion and together with team mates Clément Desalle and Jeremy van Horebeek collected silver at the Motocross of Nations. The first top rider who chose to work with our magazine in a photo shoot when “The Art of Motocross” was first established, was Keeno. In the first issue of our MX lifestyle coffee table magazine Ken became “Demolition Man”. Now, a year later, we lift another veil on how things go in the De Dycker household in the mornings. Hopefully for Kathy, Ken's partner, mornings are less about demolition than twelve months ago during our photo session.

Q&A The Art of Motocross: Kathy and Ken, how late do you get up? Ken De Dycker: Most of the time, I get up around nine o'clock and don't need an alarm for that. Kathy: For me, there is an alarm, but then again I get up earlier, around seven o'clock. Taomx: Does your routine change during the season? Ken: I wake up when I am rested, and during the season it occasionally is an hour later than normal. I try to listen as much as possible to my body then. Kathy: For me, every day follows a fairly fixed routine, except when I go horse racing, when I already at the stables around five o'clock or half past five. When I attend a GP with Ken, I get up around eight o'clock.

Taomx: So you do have an alarm clock? Kathy: Yes, Ken has one with the irritating noise of a fire alarm Ken: And I don't wake up with Kathy's. Taomx: Who of you two is the moody one in the mornings?

Taomx: Does it give Ken peace of mind when his girlfriend is by his side? Ken: During the races, I am mostly busy with my work, but I do think it's quite nice to know Kathy's there even if I don't know. Taomx: How do you prepare yourself during the winter for the new season? Ken: I try to run a lot and I mountain-bike a log and when the time comes, I have a lot of bike time. Taomx: The first GPs of the season take you to Qatar and Thailand. What do you think of the Middle East?

Ken: Kathy definitely not. Rather in the evenings, she is always cheerful.

Ken: I always like new tracks and yes, it's the beginning of a new season, so I really look forward to it!

Kathy: Ken is redelijk normaal, maar je moet hem zeker niet wakker kussen, want dat vindt hij niet leuk.

Taomx: What do you think of the changed format where MX1 and MX2 race together?

Taomx:What do you usually eat, do you vary what's on the table? Ken: Mostly rustic meals and a lot of soup. We often look at what's cooking over at Kathy's mum's and that's usually quite to our taste. (laughs) Taomx: Who clears the table afterwards? Ken: Usually Kathy goes to fetch us dinner, but her mother prepares is and we then clear the table together. Taomx: Ken is very busy training and with races. How do you spend your days, Kathy? Do you accompany Ken to all the races? Kathy: I get up, have a shower, pull on a tracksuit and then have a sandwich with chocolate spread and have a glass of milk. I do the same as Ken, and in an emergency, there is always something in the full fridge of my mother's. After that, I care for my horses and my goat and muck out the stables. Then it's time to freshen and dress up to go to work. I work from eight to five and then there are another three horses. Yes, Ken has to do a lot of things on his own, but when it's important, I try to get time off to go along with him. Ken: When I get up, I first think about how my legs feel and then it's either a run or a cycle, after that I shower and have breakfast. I know exactly where to find my bread: in the bread bin, and if there is none left, I go across the road to the supermarket. The same goes for the hot chocolate and the coffee pods.

Ken: It doesn't bother me because I ride with an MX1 bike, but I think the fans won't like it much because you get to see less for your money! Taomx: What are your ambitions for the new season? Ken: I want to reach the top three in the world championship, and that's what I'm working on. Oh, and defending my Belgian title. Interview: Ken De Dycker en Kathy Text: Nadine Claesen Photography: Gino Maes Production: Photographic Art www.kendedycker.be

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THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Gino Maes Mons, Belgium 2012. JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

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Kemea-Reytec-v/d L THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

A new adventure begins Dusk falls as we go knocking at the workshop of the Kemea Reytec Van De Laar Yamaha Team. Well, figuratively speaking, because the doors to the building stand wide open. It is extremely busy because the team is moving from Koersel to the buildings of Reytec (a well-known

Gino Maes Koersel, Belgium 2012

Yamaha dealer and the co-owners of the team) in Paal-Beringen. As you read this, the bikes already live in their new home, although that'll be more of an adjustment for the team members rather than the throbbing bikes.

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Laar-Yamaha Team 11

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Stefan Geukens Koersel, Belgium 2012.

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On the trail of Kemea Reytec Van De Laar Yamaha Team (Part 1) Gino Maes

Stefan Geukens

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Patrick Vandueren apologises twice because it is simply not neat enough for his usual standards. We understand, because we know that usually the floors here are clean enough to be able to eat from. Team manager Marnicq Bervoets is for once on time for his appointment, although I shouldn't point fingers. I also know all too well about being late. Bervoets is not unknown to me, but I notice that the years have mellowed Marnicq out a lot. His son Jarne's birth has probably done him a world of good, and believe me, it was necessary. Just kidding. The mechanics are hard at work on their new Yamaha bikes. The passion for their work is also clearly visible on their faces. To be a mechanic is a passion, or even a calling in life. If I was able to choose a calling, it would also be to be a mechanic. That life seems to be much more fun and free than that of your local priest who is bound by all kinds of rules because of the vows he made. Don't get me wrong, I didn't say that mechanics don't need to adhere to rules, but theirs are different to those in the Bible. Bervoets gives some instructions before he finds the time to talk to us about what the job of team manager entails at a privateer team with a structure that closely matches that of a semi-factory team. The prospects, the collaboration with Yamaha Europe and the preparations for the new season to fine-tune both the bikes as well as the riders means a very full calendar.

Q&A The Art of Motocross: Every team has a different way of working. Which jobs fall on your shoulders as the team manager?

Marnicq Bervoets: That's a lot of tasks. I was very surprised to discover how much there is to do to keep a privateer team like ours running. From orders, contact with sponsors, the guiding of the mechanics and mentoring of the riders, as the sporting manager at LS Honda I had it easy in comparison. To take on the job of team manager completely was for me a new and I'll probably have a few surprises throughout the year still. Thankfully, Inge from Reytec is there as support behind the scenes. The paperwork, the management of the customs paperwork and the like is taken off my hands so that I can concentrate on the bikes and the riders. For the outside world, it seems that a motocross team is a big adventure, but there are a lot of worries. The spectators see us at work on their free day, but they don't grasp that inside the team awning, the mechanics work at peak performance. For a bike manufacturer and all the suppliers, the European and the world championships are very important to gather information on how to improve their products.

Gino Maes

Stefan Geukens

Taomx: What is the difference between a privateer and a factory team? Marnicq: A factory team works directly with the factory, which provides the teams with the most up to date know-how. The top teams also have access

Stefan Geukens

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to the newest bikes much sooner. As a privateer team we only received our bikes in January. The difference between a privateer and a factory team in terms of engine power is small, but the speed with which a top team can respond to changing needs is primarily related to their financial opportunities. The huge gap in terms of the budgets between the two kinds of teams is especially big. Less money to try new things opens new opportunities, because you have to be a lot more creative in not spending money when it's not necessary. That's the big difference; at a factory team, you try something that you think will improve things, and when that's not the case, the engineers simply start again. We don't have that opportunity, even though we have very loyal sponsors.

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Taomx: Your engines are fitted with a Rinaldi kit. Do you think that your past as a rider for Team Rinaldi made the co-operation easier?

Marnicq: That the co-operation this season between Yamaha Belgium, Yamaha Europe and Michele Rinaldi is so smooth, probably has something to do with the past. When I was still riding, the contracts were also drawn up by Laurens Klein Koerkamp, and back then, things went smoothly too. And today it still happens the right way. Our Yamahas are provided with the famous Rinaldi kits and that gives us a big time advantage. The standard Yamahas have not changed dramatically and because of that, our race bikes are 90% ready. The exchange of information between our team and the Yamaha factory team is based on trust and that of course has to do with the relationship between Michele and myself that we built up. Of course it is up to us to prove in 2013 that we deserve the support we're getting this year in the future too.

Taomx: At first glance, only a factory team seems to be of interest to a brand, or am I mistaken? Marnicq: I definitely have a different view on that. For Yamaha Belgium and Yamaha Europe, privateer teams have incalculable value. You can only have world champions when you create opportunities to let someone with talent flourish in their abilities. Yamaha invests in the future this way to allow the future top riders race on their bikes. Our team is a breeding ground for young talent that we train, support and so move up to the highest level in MX2.

Stefan Geukens Teammanager Marnicq Bervoets, Koersel Belgium 2012

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22/01/13 15:44

Riders in 2013 Cyril Genot - 85 cc Freek van der Vlist - EK125 cc Ludovic Brevers - EK 125 cc Kevin Fors - WK MX2 Petar Petrov - WK MX2 Park Andre - EK 250 cc

Gino Maes

Taomx: And now, the finishing touches before Qatar. Marnicq: I'm starting to get itchy. A healthy dose of nerves never hurts.

Stefan Geukens

To be continued in our next issue

Reportage: Kemea-Reytec-v/d/ Laar-Yamaha

Team

Text: Stefan Geukens Photography: Gino Maes en Stefan Geukens Production: Photographic Art www.kemea.be

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Marnicq: For me it is very important to know what the physical capabilities of my riders are. We just completed an eight-day training camp at Harry Everts's school in Benicassim. As team manager I returned home very satisfied. When the weather allows, I try to have the boys practice three times a week in Belgium, but since Belgium was covered in snow, we decided to try something different. It was not a holiday because I made sure that during those eight days, they got at least five days of riding and thorough training. This training forms the foundation that we build on for the entire season. The bike familiarization is especially important; I want the riders to train with a bike that has the same properties as the race bike. Practicing with their bike is important to build strength and stamina. Now that this training camp is over, we can continue to build on that. In a few weeks, we'll do all the tests again, the riders should be fitter and stronger by then. When the rider becomes stronger, the bikes have to be adjusted. When you as the rider choose comfort at the beginning of the season, chances are that the suspension and power will need to be adjusted, or the power even increased throughout the season.

Gino Maes

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Taomx: You and your riders have just returned from a training camp in Spain. Is watching your riders your top priority?

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18 JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Stefan Geukens Woluwe, Belgium 2012

Man with a mission

Despite his young age (35), he has plenty of experience, both as motocrosser as well as a team manager for the supermotard team of the former world champion Gerald Délépine. As sales manager for the helmet brand Lazer, he closed deals with Stefan Everts, Steve Ramon and other top riders.

All this experience now comes in very handy for Detry as organiser of the Belgian GP and as promoter of the Belgian motocross championship, where he has some revolutionary ideas. “Actually I'm a little Giuseppe Luongo,” says the busy Namur native.

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19 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Edmond Detry

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Guitiérrez & Queralt Bastogne, Belgium 2012.

We meet the likeable Edmond Detry in the modern bookshop and brasserie Cook and Book in Brussels. During our conversation his mobile phone rings several times and his agenda that he carries with him is jumbosized. It's necessary too to write down all those big plans he has in his head. And Edmond Detry's goal? To revolutionise the sport that has enjoyed such a rich history in Belgium. Motocross has to come back to the fore, and Detry wants to make that happen. “We are in a downward spiral, we have not progressed in the last few years. That has to change.” To make this a reality, Edmond Detry is very busy. With his sports marketing business Dynamic Marketing Group, the preparations for a successful 2013 are in full swing. Detry has his hands full to make the Belgian championship and the Belgian Grand Prix in Bastogne a roaring success. That takes a lot of effort, and a lot of time. “I asked ICE Watch whether they could make a watch with 18 hours instead of 12 hours on the face, to have more time to work,” he jokes in a quasi-monologue of almost two hours, in which he describes his visions and his ambitious plans for the sport. Detry once had a lot less worries, when as a young rider he dreamed of becoming the new André Malherbe. “In 1992 I started in motocross on a 125cc Honda. I joined an amateur federation and was a mid-pack rider. When I switched to the 250cc class and even raced a 500cc bike.

When I turned 25, I retired. But I never lost the bug.”

Q&A The Art of Motocross: Who were your childhood idols when you were still racing?

Edmond Detry: There are so many: Dave Thorpe, Roger De Coster, Gaston Rahier, Georges Jobé, Eric Geboers, Jacky Martens,… And André Malherbe naturally, he was my monsieur motocross with a capital M. But the rider who appealed to me most was Joël Smets. He started in motocross when he was seventeen, but thanks to his strong character he quickly reached the top.” Taomx: You're from Namur. A return of the world championship to the Citadel of Namur must be close to your heart? Edmond: Of course. I live in Namur, I've often watched the GPs there and also raced there. The Citadel is the Monaco of motocross. The atmosphere that surrounds the place is something magical, there is no other race that can match it. And the setting is also perfect: In Wallonia's capital, on the confluence of the Sambre and the Meuse, on a historical monument...

Taomx: One wonders how it is possible that no-one's organising Grands Prix on this legendary circuit anymore. Edmond: There is an official and an unofficial reason. The unofficial reason is the reality, but I don't want to go into it. The debate that we need to have and that really matters is how we get motocross back there. Taomx: Have you set yourself a deadline to get this in the bag? Edmond: My goal is not to return to Namur every year, because that's virtually impossible, primarily out of respect for the local residents. To return perhaps every five years to the Citadel would be nice. And why could we not organise the Nations there in 2020? Taomx: With the rich motocross history in this country, that would be a great initiative. Edmond: The Belgian federation BMB celebrated its centenary last year. Did you know that it is the Belgian sport federation with the most world titles? We should cherish that. In this country, we have raised such great talent, but now we're experiencing a downturn. There are plans afoot to create more champions. Our training should be reformed. Youngsters have to have heroes in the sport for whom they can cheer.

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Stefan Geukens Woluwe, Belgium 2012 JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Belgian championship. Which of these two tasks is the more difficult?

We can take advantage of our heritage, but we have to be careful not to rest on our laurels. But that's our problem at the moment; it is up to us to find solutions for that. In this country, motocross has to adapt and innovate.

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Taomx: I believe there are still more problems our favourite sport is facing today. Edmond: I'd rather look for solutions than problems. In Wallonia, we worked out a plan together with all federations. That plan includes, amongst other things, the creation of five permanent tracks. In Flanders, there is unfortunately no such cooperation.

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

There it's just not possible to come to an agreement amongst different federations, and I think it's a shame. Hopefully the positive developments in Wallonia will have a positive influence on the Flemish wing too. That's when the sport in our country will move forward. Frankly, whether we have a Wallonian or Flemish champion is irrelevant to me. What matters to me is what we have a Belgian motocross champion to celebrate.

Identity development Taomx: Aside from being the organiser of the Belgian Grand Prix, you're also the promoter of the

Edmond: Promoting the Belgian championship! There are five rounds, so you have to work together with other people five times and in different areas too. For our organisation I based myself on Youthstream's methods. They have done some fantastic work in the world championship. With their experience they've brought together qualified personnel and put together a proper structure: a pit lane, personnel in the paddock, a big truck for timing, the launch of MX-Life.tv,... All of that gives us one organisation that provides us with really good support during the organisation of a Grand Prix. Of course, you have to try to develop your own identity. By having an eye for detail, you can distinguish yourself from others. Taomx: Not everyone likes the presence of Youthstream. The high ticket prices have been a thorn in the side of a lot of motocross fans. I agree. But you have to see everything in context. If you want to make sure that everything is just so and well-organised, then there is a price to be paid for that. That's something fans need to remember. The tickets are expensive, yes, but look at the Nations event. In the end, there were a lot of people there. We have to pay the promoter a lot of money to be able to organise a GP, but Youthstream is not as greedy as people make them out to be. When you take everything into account, organising a Grand Prix costs a lot of money, between €650,000 and €800,000. The expensive tickets are thus justified. But I try to soften the blow; for example, for the Belgian Grand Prix we've put the tickets on pre-sale with a large discount (which still runs until 31 January, ed).

Knocking at Youthstream's door

Taomx: What is your opinion as a GPorganiser about the overseas GPs? Edmond: That's the reality of today. In the MotoGP and in Formula 1, there are also twenty or so rounds all over the world. But that also means a worldwide return. Just look at the Russian bank who sponsors the Russian GP (Investment Trade Bank, ed). They've also decided to invest in the Honda Martin team that Evgeny Bobryshev races for. You see, it's cheap to simply criticise the overseas GPs. As a team, you can try to open doors

Guitiérrez & Queralt Bastogne, Belgium 2012.

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to sponsors and logistical partners. They in turn can give you access to going overseas, where you can get a lot of exposure. It's a win-win situation. “To return perhaps every five years to the Citadel would be nice. And why could we not organise the Nations there in 2020?””

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Taomx: Still, you cannot deny that such distant races are a financial knock-out for smaller teams, who do not have access to big or rich sponsors.

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Edmond: I do find it sad that people who invested a lot in motocross have to close up shop because they don't have the necessary funds anymore. To participate in the world championship unfortunately now costs a lot. One solution could be to try and sit down with teams and riders to find someone who benefits from getting some publicity. I don't think that a single team in trouble has ever gone knocking at FIM's or Youthstream's door with the question: I've got ambition, can you help me to promote my activities? If you had told me a decade ago that I would now be a GP-organiser and the promoter of the Belgian championship, I would've told you you were crazy. But this hasn't happened on its own. It's because I worked hard and by taking every opportunity that presented itself that I now am where I am. Taomx: How do you see the current generation of riders? Edmond: A lot of riders complain about a lack of support, but who of them actually gets their hands dirty to do something about it? Does a rider sell themselves today? Does anyone look further than just motocross? Stefan Everts was an example, not just on the bike but off it too. He even made advertisements for Braun electric shavers. The current riders don't market themselves and we have to teach riders that same mentality again. Taomx: You signed an agreement with BMB over three years as promoter of the Belgian championship. You've got great plans for it. Explain? How did you set to work on this? Edmond: I sort-of borrowed the image of the world championship to deliver value to the Belgian championship. I am not afraid to copy something that works. At the English Grand Prix, I measured all the arches and structures of the décor, for example the finish. I then had everything tailor-made to suit. It's a large investment, but you can reuse that material for years. Everything is ready for 2013, including the podium. Did you know that in 2012 I'd seen euro-pallets

at a Belgian championship round that stood in as a podium? In 2013 that will all be different. It's all about creating uniformity. If I wanted to do the same as everyone else, I would just put down a podium, provide some banners and panels for sponsorship advertising, invite four magazines and two newspapers, arrange for a summary on TV and that's it. But with that kind of attitude, you destroy motocross. We're in a downward spiral and we have not evolved in the last few years. We have to change that. We have to create a new atmosphere around the Belgian championship.

Away with the carnival bus Taomx: How are you going to try to make that a reality? Edmond: I started with that last year. My first step was to take photos at every round of the Belgian championship. After that, we started looking for candidates for 2013. Then I tried to emphasise the image of the Belgian championship. Someone who arrives at a race has to immediately feel that he has arrived at the Belgian championship, and that's why I am trying to create the same image for each round. One example is the welcome office. Last season, for each round it was somewhere else: one in a petrol station, one in a village hall, a café,... that is just not professional. You have just one chance to make a good impression. The first twenty seconds of your first meeting are the most important. If you as a sponsor or a possible investor arrive at a village hall, it is not positive. So I'll install the same welcome office at every round, with the same interior, so that visitors are immediately excited to get to the race. Another example of how not to do it: The BMB bus. I call it the carnival bus, stickered up with 1,000 stickers. You have to give your sport respectability, and you can't do it like that. So the bus will be replaced with a newer model, with large screens on the outside, an exterior deck and a three-metersquare tower for the commentator. The press room will be identical for each round too, with a good internet connection. These things all present a good image. Taomx: You don't just want to change the staffing and framework. You're also possibly thinking of changing the format? Edmond: That's not confirmed yet, but during my meetings at BMB I've hammered the point home that this is really necessary. Three races is too much, you have to follow each one and then work out the overall. It's too complicated for the fans. A qualifier and

two races is much better.

Taomx: Is it said about the Belgian championship that riders only take part in it to line their pockets with the start money. Edmond: I want to change that mentality too. You can distribute the start money much better as prize money. If I pay a holeshot award and a bonus for the winner of the qualifier, the riders will come to the Belgian championship with a much different attitude. Or at least, I hope.

“I'm not afraid to copy what is good.”

Superexclusive VIP Taomx: Let's talk about the Grand Prix at Bastogne. It strikes me that you have made a huge deal of the VIP package. Edmond: Well yes, that's crucial! You have to attract people who are important and who can invest in motocross. My plan for the Belgian Grand Prix in 2013 is to create three different VIP areas. The first is your standard VIP area, where everyone can enjoy a buffet. The second area provides a grand stand with a terrace, a lounge with table service where the riders can also visit. And then, something new, I want to provide a super-exclusive VIP area for a maximum of one hundred people and to which entry is €2,000. With this platinum VIP I want to create something that motocross has never seen before. The guests will have access to a shuttle service around the track, their food will be prepared by a celebrity chef, they'll be able to make a helicopter flight over the track and also get a signed jersey from a rider. Taomx: Who is prepared to pay that kind of money for a day at motocross? Edmond: ‘Edmond has gone crazy’ people said about me when I launched the idea. Now (halfway through December, ed) I've already sold thirty percent of the available spots. We create value this way. Besides, thanks to things like this, I can improve the whole organisation. This extra income will pay for showers and electricity in the camping area. Taomx: I've also noticed that you want to involve other sports. You've already had a bit of a scoop by inviting some delegates of the football club Standard Liège to the Belgian Grand Prix.

Success in the mission Taomx: I hope that your ambitious plans all succeed. But why would you successfully start a revolution when your predecessors have failed? Edmond: I understand motocross. I carry the passion for it in me. You cannot sell a concept when you don't know how it works. In a way, I am a small Giuseppe Luongo. In terms of concept and vision, we agree. I've ridden on a bike myself, and paid for everything myself. I've worked in the sport, with a helmet brand (Lazer, ed), and in the supermotard world championship. So, I have a certain amount of expertise that will help me succeed where others dropped out or failed. I'm lucky that I'm a professional event organiser and at the same time, am passionate about bikes. All too often people who have the best in mind for the sport either don't have the passion or the professionalism. I'm convinced I've got both. I hope that all the other parties, the media, the teams and the organisers, put their faith in me, because only if we all face in the same direction can we lift motocross to a new level.

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“De motorcross in ons land kampt met een imagoprobleem. Te veel mensen denken nog dat het een volkse sport is voor de laagste sociale klasse.”

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Edmond: Thanks to my job I have a lot of friends at Standard. For the upcoming GP we have a bit of a reciprocal deal. We'll take some top riders on a visit to the club's training centre, the Académie Robert Dreyfus. It's one of the most beautiful training centres in Europe. It can give us in motocross a picture of how we should build a training centre for our sport. A delegation from Standard will then bring their large sponsors along to the GP a day later. That can open eyes and create opportunities, because motocross in this country suffers from an image problem. Too many people still believe that it's a sport for the lower social classes, where tattooed people walk around, smoking cigarettes and drinking beer. That's why I believe that it is really important to give motocross a positive look.

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Stefan Geukens Woluwe, Belgium 2012

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Stefan Geukens Woluwe, Belgium 2012

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Taomx: That'll take time. Edmond: I realise that it won't be done in one day, but I think that we've gotten off to a good start in our first year. But it is of utmost importance that we can work towards the long term. With the BMB we've got a threeyear agreement and we've got a five-year one with Youthstream for the Belgian GP. It's now up to me to make it a reality.

As promoter, Edmond Detry plans to turn the boat around in the Belgian championship. If all his ambitious plans become reality, we will get to see a real facelift of the six races. One of the many novelties that Detry wants to introduce is the Change Wheels Contest at every championship round. “It's where fans have to change a wheel as quickly as possible,” he explains. “Whoever has the best time at the end of the day, can participate in a finale at the final round. And we'll have a nice prize at the end of that too. With these kinds of activities, you liven up the paddock. I want to give everyone the best value for their money. It is too easy to simply raise ticket prices, but give virtually nothing back. Detry also wants to increase the interaction between riders and the public. “For example, by making the press conference after each round open to the public, not just for the press. Fans want to know what their favourite rider has to say after the races. I want to make that even better by putting two people amongst the public with a microphone. That way anyone who wants to ask a question to their favourite rider, can".

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Reportage: Edmond Detry Text: Pieter Vanlommel Photography: Stefan Geukens Production: Photographic Art

Lively paddock

KLEINE & GROTE TENTEN  AANGEKLEDE TENTEN VOOR ALLE EVENEMENTEN

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Marc de

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

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e Reuver Straightforward After our interview, Marc de Reuver's words slowly sink in. I never knew what this man has gone through. I admire his personality: pure, uncomplicated, straightforward, no nonsense. Just moments before, I had a completely frank conversation with the man who was the

yard stick in Dutch motocross for years; about the evolution of world championship motocross, earning a lot of money at a young age, gossip and fame taking its toll. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people read this, they'll finally have my side of the story,â&#x20AC;? De Reuver says.

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Frustrated and angry, Marc wanted revenge. “I did something really really stupid,” he says. “The important Grand Prix of Namur was upon us and Coppins was out with a shoulder injury. So I was the only rider in the team. I didn't qualify on purpose to spite team management. So there they were on Sunday with an empty awning.” Yet the 2007 season ended on a positive note for ‘Calimero’. In the last GP of the season, at his home Lierop, Marc showed why he was once described as an incredible talent. “I won the second race and ended on the podium. It was an incredible result because I hadn't finished anything that whole season. On top of that, I passed Kevin Strijbos, who had won four GPs that year, in the last lap of that second race. That was pure adrenaline. Then there was the gossip that I must've been doping. Well, I was very pleased to hear that I had to report to doping control; that way I could prove everyone wrong.”

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Stefan Geukens Marc, Pieter en Arnauld,Lommel, Belgium 2013

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The autumn sun has not yet awakened and it competes against a dense carpet of fog when I arrive at the De Reuver house. We've decided to meet here for a mountain bike ride through the Lommel forests. With his broad smile, Marc is already waiting for me. Despite his fourteenth visit to the operating table in a decade, the tall Dutchman has not lost his sense of humour. Together with Arnaud Wauters, De Reuver's workout buddy and promising Belgian motocrosser, we set course in direction of the North-Limburgish forests. Marc directs us around his practice trail, along the Lommel Sahara - “here they filmed ‘Frits en Freddy’!” and parts of the Kempen Canal. It is in these forests that De Reuver builds his condition for the new season. “I actually hate mountainbiking,” he surprises us. “I prefer running. It feels better.” After an hour's cycle, Marc has had enough and we change location to a local brasserie, where he is clearly not a stranger. After eleven years in Lommel, he is one of the more famous locals. Our conversation changes to the year 2007. By then, Marc had already made a name for himself in the world championship with a dozen victories in the MX2 and MX1 classes. He was a flag bearer for our northern neighbours, but several serious injuries kept him from that oh so coveted world title. At the end of a successful 2006, Marc de Reuver signed a contract with the Yamaha factory team of Michele Rinaldi, where he would succeed none other than the retired Stefan Everts in the MX1 class. A tough legacy, but it did not put the very ambitious De Reuver off. He was ready for another shot at the highest step of the podium. I signed for three years and became team mate for Joshua Coppins,” he starts his story. “In February we tested in Italy until early in the evenings. The sun was low and blinded

me, and I didn't see a bump, which went straight up my spine. That started the nightmare. After that, I often struggled to breathe after landing after a jump. A scan revealed a hernia. I had the choice of an operation or cortisone treatment. I wanted to finish the season, so I chose the latter. But cortisone is crap, believe me. It gives you the feeling that everything is ok when it is anything but.

Head like a balloon But Marc did well in the season opener, the Grand Prix at Valkenswaard. He finished sixth and third in the first race after being diagnosed with a hernia. “But not much later, I injured my back again during training and I had to go back onto cortisone,” says De Reuver. “Now, you have to realise that cortisone shuts you down in high temperatures. You see everything in a haze, and it was the reason why I destroyed five or so helmets in crashes. At the GP of Spain it was also very hot. My head swelled up like a balloon. There was a lot of vicious gossip, that I spent too much time going clubbing and such. I didn't want to tell the team about the hernia, so I kept my mouth shut over what the reason was for my bad performance.” The back injury kept nagging, and suddenly, De Reuver was called in to the Yamaha head office. “Michele Rinaldi and Yamaha Europe's CEO told me coolly told me that I was off the team. I couldn't believe my ears. I had a contract for three years! But my manager had not read the small print in the contract. What did I know, I was twenty-three and trusted him blindly.”

Safety Net Honda So De Reuver still had it, and luckily, some teams had not forgotten what he could achieve. The Honda Racing Team signed him for two seasons. In his first season on the red bike, Marc de Reuver returned with wins in the Grands Prix of Mantova and Lierop. In the GP of Lommel, he was just shy of the win. “In 2008 I won two and a half Grands Prix,” he laughs. “In Lommel I won the first race, but in the second race I got too excited by the public while I was leading. Bam! And there I went down. Well, typically me, right?” With renewed vigour, De Reuver started the next season. 2009 however would arguably be the worst season of Marc's career, although in the beginning of the season, there was no sign of what was to come. De Reuver was on the newest factory material. Honda had brought a brand-new model with fuel injection to market and it was with this new bike that Marc de Reuver and Kevin Strijbos would be racing the world championship. “We were told that this would be the bike of the future,” De Reuver says. “The truth is that we had more problems with it than anything else. It was small and didn't run for long. (silence) I already had a premonition back then that it wouldn't end well.” And so it would be. There was trouble when De Reuver rode the Belgian championship round in Beervelde. “My gearbox kept hitting neutral. Coppins was behind me and was wondering what on earth I was doing. I told him and my mechanic that the gearbox was broken. My mechanic would have a good look at it. Three days later I was training in Veldhoven and the problem was still not fixed. I wanted him to replace the engine

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Guitiérrez & Queralt Persconferentie Motocross of Nations, Lommel België 2012.

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block, but he didn't even have a spare engine! Except I didn't realise this at the time. Actually I should've known that I shouldn't have ridden that bike again. But I went to practice in Eersel.” That decision would have severe and longreaching consequences. Marc had a crash in the Brabant sand with disastrous consequences. “I had the throttle wide open on a straight to pull the bike over a rock, but at that moment, the bike hit neutral again! I fell clumsily and hard on my back. I remember Marnicq Bervoets being the first one to get to me. I spat blood and thought that I was dying. My back was broken in three places, my pelvis was fractured, my hip dislocated, I had internal bleeding and my abdominals were torn.” This rang in the darkest period of his life. De Reuver was transported to hospital immediately. From there he decided to call team boss Paolo Martin to explain what had happened. “For a week, I didn't hear anything back from him, until I suddenly received an email from the top boss at Honda, a Japanese I'd never met. He informed me that he had heard from the team manager that I barely trained and that there was nothing wrong with the gearbox. They paid €50,000 into my account, which was to be the rest of my salary for the year, and that they wouldn't have anything else to do with me. I was distraught, because who would want a rider who was completely broken? That's when I became depressed.”

My accountant didn't inform me about the retroactive effect of social security, because of which I suddenly was presented with bills worth thousands of Euros three years later. In 2010 I lived off my credit cards to be able to maintain my lifestyle. At one point I was in a complete panic. Instead of having lots of money in the bank I had lots of debts.

For years I wore a mask. Everyone thought I was super-social, but actually I was very lonely.”

Taomx: What happened then? Marc: Twice a week I saw a psychologist. When I left there, I was brimming with selfconfidence, but in the end, you have to make it a reality and I wasn't able to do that. I became addicted to Oxazepam, an antidepressant. It started with just one pill, and by the end of it all, I needed six a day. When I took those, everything was fine. To give you an example: on the way from Valkenswaard to Lommel, you're not allowed to overtake. Now I've always had a bit of a heavy foot and I would do it anyway. But when I took the pills, I was happily trundling along behind a tractor at thirty kilometres an hour, with a big smile on my face. Taomx: You admitted considered suicide.

that

you

also

Q&A

Marc: Yes, that was because of the pills. They make you crazy. I was really planning to kill myself.

The Art of Motocross: Do you want to tell us more about it?

Taomx: But in the end, you beat the addiction yourself?

Marc de Reuver: There was a lot more to it than just the history with Yamaha and Honda. I earned €2.5 million, but there's nothing of that left. I'd spent everything on cars, a big house, expensive clothes and going out. When I went out in the winter, the whole club drank on my dime. It is the proverbial textbook example of a big mistake, but then again I didn't listen to anyone.

Marc: That happened from one day to the next, after the Lommel Grand Prix in 2010. There were a lot of rumours that I was unfit and all that. During the race, I crashed at the worst possible place, right by the pit lane. Everyone just stared at me. That's when I thought to myself what on earth I was doing. So from one day to the next, I stopped taking the pills. A few days later, I raced the Belgian championship at Keiheuvel and I ended second behind Steve Ramon. We had a lap's lead over everyone else. With that, I proved the rumours that I was unfit wrong!

Taomx: How can you spend such a huge amount of money? I bought a villa to the tune of €830,000. Because I had enough money, I signed a ten-year mortgage instead of thirty years. I had to pay €90,000 a year, but I had no more income. And with the company I started, it all went horribly wrong.

Taomx: There are very few riders who have been injured as often as you.

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

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Guitiérrez & Queralt Fermo, Italy 2012

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Taomx: Have you never thought of retiring?

“There has been so much gossip about me, while the people didn't know what was going on with me.”

Taomx: You're now 29, but you're one of the oldest riders on the line in the world championship. How does that feel? Marc: It proves how much motocross has changed. Back in the day you were still able to keep up at thirty-three or thirtyfour.

Rider and mentor at Stabilo With the signing of a top rider like Marc de Reuver, the Stabilo* Pro Grip MX Team is on cloud nine. De Reuver is back on the familiar KTM, the bike on which he enjoyed four seasons as a GP rider. Team manager Hans de Brouwer is delighted with his newest signing, who brings thirteen years of Grand Prix experience with him. De Reuver will primarily concentrate on the Dutch championship. “That is the main goal, but we'll also pick and choose some rounds from the German and Belgian championships,” explains De Brouwer. “In addition, Marc will also act as mentor to our two young riders who are in the European championship. Our mission is to be a training team and provide talent with career opportunities. With Brian Bogers and Axel van de Sande, we have some promising riders under our awning. With Bogers we're aiming for a top five in the European.” According to Hans de Brouwer, it's an advantage to have access to a rider who already has gone through thick and thin. “Marc has had a lot of good times, but has also made a lot of mistakes,” he says. “That experience he can now use to warn our young riders about the pitfalls of the sport and to take them to the next level. Remember that Marc is already 29. If he wants to remain in motocross, then he can best do it as a trainer or a mentor, and we want to give him that chance.”

Massive interest That Stabilo Pro Grip has scored a massive publicity coup with De Reuver is a badly kept secret. It became very clear to Hans de Brouwer during the last round of the ONK in Harfsen. There Marc, who was looking for a new ride at the time, had a ride on a KTM from Stabilo. “The amount of interest by the public was absolutely huge,” De Brouwer recalls. “We even received an email from Austria from the KTM head office. They let us know that they would provide a little bit extra in terms of support if they were to sign Marc. That tells you something about the status that Marc de Reuver has in this world of ours.” (*) Stabilo International is a company specialising in major events, booth construction and store refits. The company with its headquarters in Eindhoven employs forty permanent and around sixty temporary staff. The emphasis is on building art exhibitions; the Dutch company amongst others provides the outfit of TEFAF, the largest art fair in the Benelux countries, held in Maastricht.

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Puppets

Marc: Sure! But I simply have to ride motocross. It's in my blood and it's not going away. It's not as if I can't do something else, but for some reason or another, I will always be attracted to motocross. Nothing ever changes. I knew very few people who finished with motocross and then didn't get back on the bike afterwards. They all come back. Stefan Everts for example still rides a lot.

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Marc: Did you know that until I was nineteen, I didn't have a single injury? Well, one. When I was eight, I broke my collarbone in a fight in school with a girl. She was a year older than I and practiced judo. She put me down! You know, many injuries are my own stupid fault. I always wanted to be first. In 2003, I was leading the 125cc World Championship over Steve Ramon. Back then there was a Dutch championship round in Oss, I won the first race, and in the second I was behind Erik Eggens. I just had to pass him, even though I could've finished behind him in second. The world championship was more important. But I forced my way past and crashed. Result: hip dislocated and the world championship lost.

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38 JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Marc: No, thank you. It doesn't make a difference. I won't have anything to do with it. What other proposals does the world championship have? The top fifteen still race hard, but after that, you have a big gap with just rich kids riding around. Especially in the overseas GPs where they struggle to fill the start gate. That's the only reason why they are now racing the MX1 and MX2 classes together in the GPs. Taomx: You're clearly not a fan of the overseas GPs? Marc: What's the point with them? The entire world is economically in a bad way, everyone's going insolvent, and then we add more overseas GPs. I don't get why the manufacturers just take it. You cannot for one second tell me that they pay those exorbitant transport costs with a smile. Surely smaller teams like TM or Husqvarna go bust because of them?

Upside down world Taomx: I hear a lot of frustration.

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

Marc: It doesn't make any sense, right? I am close to the top ten in the GPs, that is, the highest level in Europe. At the end of last season, I have had to pay €15,000 from my own pocket to race a few Grands Prix. That's just completely wrong? I wanted to race in Valkenswaard, that cost me €1,000 to sign up, and another €375

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Taomx: You could take the initiative as the most experienced GP rider to bring these problems to their attention?

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But now you're finished at age thirty. At the moment it's so tough! The crashes are a lot worse too. Just look at Frossard: he made one mistake and his knee is completely messed up... Desalle makes one mistake at the start and his shoulder is dislocated. You know, such a 500cc two-stroke was the scariest thing for anyone. Now it's nothing. It just gets way too rough. And the high jumps, phew! They're asking for it. (annoyed) What do you get when you have to go full throttle just to be able to do a jump? A spectacle? Look at Lierop, it's a gorgeous track. Big jumps just don't work there. The beautiful track is disappearing. You get bad crashes because of the huge doubles. When you are airborne on your bike for five seconds, you have no space to correct. I think we've all become puppets of the world championship promoter, but everyone's too scared to say it. Not me.

for a day licence. If I'd won both races, I would've gone home with a bunch of flowers and a trophy. Not a Euro in prize money. The top guys don't say anything about that, because they are paid an annual salary of €500,000. Taomx: There are a lot of newcomers on the start gate in the MX1. You also are very outspoken about that?

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Marc: Look, I'm not arrogant, but I've won Grands Prix in the MX1 and the MX2. I've also been the MX2 leader and in 2004 I was on the podium in the Des Nations. So I don't need to thump my chest and say that I can ride GPs but still have to cough up €1,500. I'm not crazy. I don't understand what some of those guys are thinking. As an athlete you want to win, or at least give it your all. You cannot for one second tell me that you think it's great to be passed by the leader after two laps and then to end as twenty-sixth?

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Taomx: Many riders get a team spot because of the sponsors they bring to the team. Was that always this way? Marc: Yes, that's true, but there is a difference. When I was sixteen, I raced the Grand Prix at Mill. I ended ninth or tenth in one of the races. That was very good at the time, because then we were still racing two races of 45 minutes each. As a result of that, I had a choice of teams. Now, if you're not hotshot talent like Herlings or Roczen, you have to dig deep in your wallet to end up at the top. I don't like the scene so much anymore either. Everything's changed so much. Well, that's all fine and good, but you have to look at it logically. The riders earn less, but the ticket prices keep going up: €90 for a Nations ticket plus €30 for the paddock. And that's before you've even eaten or drunk anything. Then you go to a Belgian championship race at Keiheuvel and you have an awesome day out. You have 5,000 or 6,000 spectators along the track, your ticket costs you €20, the top riders are all there and you get to watch three races. Now that's motocross. Taomx: For many years you were the yardstick for motocrossers in the Netherlands and suddenly you were simply written off. How does that feel? Marc: Not many know my story. There has been so much gossip about me while people didn't know what was really going on with me. When I mowed my lawn, everyone in Lommel knew. When I left the lights on in my house by accident, rumour had it that I was having a huge party at home. When things were going well, you didn't care much, but when things were bad, it was just so much more of an irritation.

Luc Poppelaars de Reuver, Gaultier, Herlings, Motocross of Nations, Lommel, België 2012

Taomx: What's your view on the arrival of someone like Jeffrey Herlings? Marc: That's really good for the Netherlands, really super. We've never had a motocrosser nominated for Sportgala, but Jeffrey was chosen as the Talent of the Year. That says something, doesn't it? Everyone in the Netherlands watches that show. Taomx: Do you understand how he does it, racing in the sand as fast as he does it? Marc: There's never been someone like that who races so fast in the sand as he does. For the last Motocross of Nations, I went training with him for a little while. I watched him closely. Even I as a patented sand rider can't understand what I have to do to ride as fast as he does. He's developed a technique that noone else understands.

Taomx: You could say you're very lucky. Marc: Yes, although in the Netherlands, some tracks have had to close. For example: Some rich person moves from the centre of Amsterdam to a house near a forest for a little bit of peace and quiet, but suddenly he hears the noise of motocross bikes. When someone like that exerts some pressure, they look for any excuse to shut the track down. They'll find some rare animal or plant that needs to be rescued, or something.

“Many injuries are due to my own stupid fault.”

“Just do it calmly” Taomx: Do you still have any ambitions to race the GPs? Marc: In Lierop and Valkenswaard I'll still race. For those races I'll have to recharge completely because I'll have to show that I'm still here, right? (grins) For the rest of the season I am racing for the Stabilo

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Marc: Not in the Netherlands. You would be amazed to hear how many tracks we have. It is bizarre because in the Netherlands, when you make a bonfire in your garden, you might as well go straight to jail. If you wash your car in your driveway, you're fined because you could possibly pollute the runoff with oil. But at the same time, we have a lot of motocross tracks.

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Taomx: In Belgium, one track after the other is closing. How is it in the Netherlands?

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Guitiérrez & Queralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012

Marc: That's a bad habit of mine, but that's just the way I am... a bit of ‘just you wait, I'll show you that I'm not done yet’. That attitude has cost me dearly in my career. I all too often wanted to prove something, and then just overdid it. How often has my father told me: ‘Marc, just do it calmly!’ Well, it has all gone unheeded.

Taomx: Haven't you calmed down a bit over the years? Marc: (thinks) No. Or perhaps, yes, a bit. When one evening I did a run to work out a parcours track with a certain Mr Herlings and he mentioned at a double jump that he would jump his bike over it the next day, I thought that I wouldn't want to crash there.

Taomx: What was the pinnacle of your career so far? Marc: (after some thought) Actually not winning a Grand Prix. The nicest weekend was that of the Dutch Grand Prix in Lierop in 2004. I nearly beat Stefan Everts then. I passed him and led by twenty seconds... and crashed. I let myself be distracted by the crowd and hop, there I went again. Everts passed me back and I was so tired that I couldn't catch him back up. But it was such a great weekend. Taomx: You even dared to ride in a completely pink outfit. Is there a story behind it? Marc: My gear sponsor JT had a combination in that colour. I thought it was pretty, so I wore it. But pink is not a very manly colour and it was very pink, eh? (laughs) Of course, everyone had an opinion about that afterwards. Taomx: You've been living in Lommel for eleven years. Do you feel a little bit Belgian yet? Marc: I had to get used to the language. In de sjakos, mijn kabas, wijsheidstanden… I just didn't understand any of it. Even today I still have trouble understanding some words.

When we asked Marc how he acquired the nickname Calimero, he dug out his mobile phone to show us a childhood photo. “You probably won't believe me, but when I was younger, I was always very short,” he says. “Until I was fifteen, I was the shortest in my class. Add to that that I always wore a big white helmet and black gear in my youth. Hence the nickname.” For example, someone asked me the other day if I had a trekstaal (a magnet, ed)!

Taomx: Did you have any trouble getting used to the Belgian mentality? Marc: I have to say that you are not as easily accepted here as a ‘Hollander’ as the Belgians in the Netherlands. When I had just moved here, I had a few experiences. I'm a true Dutchman. I say what I think. And for some, it just goes down the wrong way.

Taomx: But in your period in Belgium, you've made a lot of friends? Marc: Yes, I have. The car of Marc de Reuver was always full. Of those friends though, only three or four are left that I can count on. And all those people who got drunk on my dime... do you think they'd ever treat me? Definitely not. They can't even look me in the eye! Taomx: I've noticed that after all your misery, you still continue to be positive and continue to train. How do you do that? Marc: I've had it really bad, you know. But what's gone is gone. You can continue to sit there and cry, but it won't change anything. You simply turn the page! Complaining won't bring anything back. Besides, when I feel this (squeezes midriff to show a skin fold), I get upset. Training to show a six pack is a bit of an addiction in itself. After the season, you are so exhausted that you don't even feel like riding motocross again. But after a few weeks, the motivation comes back on its own.

“What other proposals does the world championship have? The top fifteen still race hard, but after that, you have a big gap with just rich kids riding around.”

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Nickname Calimero

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Progrip Team in the Dutch, Belgian and German championships. In Germany, motocross is still the real motocross. The party tent is close to the motocross track, at some rounds, there are 10,000 spectators at the track. That's a real festival. But in the party tents at other GPs, there's virtually noone there. Crazy, eh?

Papa Marc At the time of our interview, Marc de Reuver was an expectant first-time father with his Belgian girlfriend. Just a short few weeks later, Jason de Reuver was born. “I'm really excited and now I'm a really proud father,” smiles Marc de Reuver. So succession is assured in the De Reuver family. “Now, no motocross, you hear,” Marc surprises us. “I'll try to keep him away from bikes. I've seen too much and experienced too much in that world.”

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There you are on the defensive against everything and everyone, otherwise they just run right over you. And I've got a bit of that in me. I draw strength from the criticism people dish out about me, for example. I've had some bad times... For weeks, I cried in bed as a child. For years I wore a mask. Everyone thought I was super-social, but actually I was very lonely. I lived in a huge house on my own. I didn't even have a Christmas tree at Christmas. Taomx: What's the story behind the last Grand Prix at Lierop last season? You drank petrol?

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Stefan Geukens Malika, Jason en Marc

In the winter, everyone feels like they'll be world champion that year, but in the end it's always the same guys who win.

Ups and downs Taomx: Are you unhappy when you look back over your career? Marc: A bit. I could've been world champion twice in my life. That was my ultimate goal. I had way too many of these in my career (makes a waving motion with his arm): ups and downs. (sighs) To win a GP from nothing and then lying in the rag basket for half a year.

Taomx: Do you see yourself moving back to the Netherlands to live?

Marc: Just before the start of the second race I wanted to drink some water. My mechanic gave me a bottle and without looking at it I opened the cap and brought it to my mouth. Suddenly he shouted that it was petrol in that bottle and tried to pull it from my hands. The contents of the bottle ended up in my face and I swallowed two mouthfuls of it. I still went to the start, but I was totally drunk! I have never been that out of it ever. After two laps I had to pull off and they took me to the hospital.

Marc: I don't think that I'll manage to persuade my Belgian girlfriend (laughs). I've built up a nice circle of real friends here. And in ninety minutes I'm in Amsterdam, so it's not a disaster. Here everyone knows me, which is special in itself. It's completely different in Amsterdam where I could be running around naked without anyone recognising me. Taomx: But the contrast between quiet Lommel and hectic Amsterdam is huge. Marc: I'm from Amstelveen, a suburb of the greater Amsterdam.

Reportage: Marc de Reuver Text: Pieter Vanlommel Photography: Stefan Geukens, Guiterrez & Quaralt, Luc Poppelaars Production: Photographic Art www.stabiloprogripmxteam.nl

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Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2012. JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

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Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

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JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Bon voyage, papa These words touched me deeply at the farewell for five-time motocross world champion Georges JobĂŠ. The Art of Motocross coffee table magazine would probably have never seen the light of day if the paths of Georges JobĂŠ and

myself hadn't crossed. I'm going way back now, deeply into the recesses of the past to find that moment that links me with this legend of motocross with a big capital M.

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The history books record it thus: It must've been in 1992 when on 15 August, after the race at Keiheuvel, I was invited via a journalist to a celebration of Jobé's fifth world title. For me this was a revelation like the Virgin Mary that is only rarely experienced. Whether I spoke to the motocross icon back then or not, I simply cannot remember, but I've always remembered that evening because that night I first met Joël Smets. The by then five-time world champion and current team manager for the Belgian Nations team probably also saw the light, which spurred him on to become a big name in the annals of the sport of motocross like Georges. I found the drive to make my own way in life as a photographer and journalist and Smets did the same on the bike. The nice thing is that after 21 years, we still cross paths regularly.

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Retinne, Thursday 27 December 2012. The Walloon village is wrapped in silence as the first people make their way to the local church. Like a scream, the sound of two- and fourstroke engines echoes from the houses fronting the narrow streets leading to the church. The call to form an honour guard with bikes has not fallen on deaf ears. Outside, a lineup forms of friends, sympathisers and colleagues who await Georges Jobé and family to accompany the champion to his “park fermé” for the final time; a final time before the start gate hits the ground with a dull thud but never to be set up again for Georges Jobé to race away once more. Those present at the church converse in hushed tones. Amongst those present were the biggest MX riders and champions of old and the present. Eric Geboers, Dave Thorpe, Joël Robert, Stefan Everts, Jean Claude Laque, Johan Boonen, Danny Theybers, André Malherbe, Marnicq Bervoets, Thierry Klutz, Michele Rinaldi, Clément Desalle, David Philippaerts and Thierry Goidfroid, all stand at the entrance to the church to await their deceased colleague. As the majestic light-grey cortège pulls up, the conversations cease. It is so quiet that the crunch of the wheels on the asphalt is clearly audible. The first few vehicles, adorned with huge amounts of flowers and wreaths, roll past the church at walking pace. The fourth, different in colour and different from the others, stops only feet away from the large doors to the church. The family that walks behind the car is greeted by the priest, and it is clear that in Retinne, people still know each other. The greeting is also very cordial, warm in a way that I've never experienced at a funeral. As the priest leads the oaken casket to the altar, and everyone has taken their place in the small and intimate church, it is clear that I was not mistaken

Stefan Geukens Retinne, België 2012

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JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Nick Haskell 12 Jobé - 2 Andre Malherbe, Hawkstone Park, Great-Britain 1984

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Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

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Only days before Georges' passing, I saw the newest Flemish hit movie “The Broken Circle Breakdown”, in which Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh held the lead roles. This intense melodrama was set in the world of bluegrass country with the main storyline being the daughter Maybelle, who falls ill young, and dies of cancer. The sound track is very touching and one song was particularly appropriate, as it reflected the emotions I felt writing about Jobé's farewell. Intense lyrics and banjo chords that touch the soul; a moment of reflection perhaps, because a goodbye need not mean long faces. Just like the music on the CD changed from quiet banjo strums to soaring notes, the mood changed from the sombre laying to rest of the mortal remains to lively conversation and reminiscing amongst the hundreds who came to see Georges off. With a good pint in the hand and the championship bikes in the background, the curtain comes down on the life of a worthy champion.

Adieu Georges, bon voyage.

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That the children and family allowed “The Art of Motocross” to follow Georges Jobé's final journey with a camera is an honour bestowed on very few. To say farewell to a loved one is one of the most intimate moments in a person's life. We treated the occasion with the necessary respect and selected the resulting pictures together with the family. Georges was there with invitations to his events in Qatar when I was still trying to build my career as photographer, now I want to be there to give him tribute with these photographs and words. The circle is complete, but it has been broken by the passing of this MX celebrity.

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when I realised outside that people still knew each other. Quite in contrast to what I've experienced in our Flemish churches, where at a funeral the topic is mostly the apostles, the suffering, and more of the... how shall I say... biblical stories, in Retinne the deceased was the focus of attention. For over ninety minutes, people spoke about Georges Jobé, what he achieved as an athlete but mostly about what he was like as a human being. It all happened in a casual manner that commanded respect, respect for Georges, respect for his friends and respect for the priest who knows how to honour a deceased member of his congregation and treat his remembrance with dignity. People spoke, laughed and applauded after a video about his life, compiled by his son Vic, and played back on several large flatscreen TVs. Goosebumps worthy of a world champion.

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The Broken Circle Breakdown

If I Needed You

If I needed you, would you come to me Would you come to me for to ease my pain? And if you needed me, I would come to you I would swim the seas for to ease your pain Well the nigh forlorn and the morning’s born And the morning shine with the lights of love And you’ll miss sunrise if you close your eyes And that would break my heart in two If I needed you, would you come to me Would come to me for to ease my pain? And if you needed me, I would come to you I would swim the seas for to ease your pain Lady’s with me now since I showed her how To lay her lilly hands in mine And who would not agree she’s a sight to see And a treasure for the poor to find If I needed you, would you come to me Would come to me for to ease my pain? And if you needed me, I would come to you I would swim the seas for to ease your pain

Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

Singer/songwriter Townes van Zandt

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1980. A year before, BMX had made its way over from the United States. I was one of the first die-hards of this cheaper surrogate for motocross and on one beautiful day in 1980 we were at a race in Retinne near Liège. At that time, a trip to Liège was an adventure in itself for a budding teenager from the Kempen, but it soon became very exciting when it became clear that the BMX track was located in the backyard of the Jobé family... In school we learned about Julius Caesar, the president of America, King Baudouin and so on, but my kings and emperors at the time were called De Coster, Rahier, Malherbe, Everts... and the young prince Jobé who came to the fore that year. And now we would be riding bicycles in the prince's garden?!? As cherry on the cake, we were invited to take a look in the workshop of the 250cc Suzuki factory team after our race, and much to my surprise, it was based in the garage of the Jobé parental home. What I saw there, defied my wildest imagination and is forever etched in my mind! No less than six (six!) identical, sparkling 250cc factory Suzukis stood like mirror images next to each other! If you've dreamed for as long as you can remember of becoming a motocrosser, you stand speechless at the sight of so much beauty... that we didn't get to see ‘prince’ Georges himself, didn't bother us in the slightest. But the whole experience made sure that since that day I followed Georges Jobé closer than most of my contemporaries. Dearest Georges, that same year you became world champion for the first time, and I could brag to my friends about my visit to your workshop. In the following years, even if I was young, I quickly realised through the media and through gossip from amongst others my parents that you were 'not normal', read a stubborn, headstrong, ambitious winner who liked doing his own thing. But you continued to believe in yourself and persevered. I recognised a part of myself in these qualities and knew to respect you. In 1983, your second 250cc world title followed. Then, after several years in the 500cc class with ups and downs, you decided at the end of 1986 to plot your own course for 1987 with a mainly private team. And I remember that against better knowledge you didn't go to Showa for your suspension and

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Adieu Georges...

Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

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Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

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In the following years, we stayed in regular and close contact. So too after your accident in 2007, when you exhibited a streak of willpower again. With the same perseverance you fought skin cancer in 2010. To me you seemed to be immortal, but then when at the beginning of the year you were diagnosed with

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And since you were now an organiser, you realised that you hadn't always played fair in your best years by sometimes just riding to be paid... Which is why you appreciated it so much more when during your races in Qatar, just like I did everywhere else, I gave my best and gave the sheikhs a good show.

leukaemia, I thought: this just goes too far, this is unfair, no-one deserves this much bad luck! Our contact changed to a more one-way nature, because all the treatments left you often too tired or not in the mood to call or send a text. Sometimes you didn't answer, or took days to reply to an SMS. Then I'd know that you had had a tough spell again. But then, when I managed to reach you at the next attempt, I would recognise the fighter of days gone in your weak voice. We often spoke about your fight as if it was a world championship campaign. You would occasionally lose a GP or have an off day, but you would win the world championship... After six weeks of chemo and radiation treatment in a Brussels clinic, you sent me the following SMS: ‘Hoi, I'm finally back at home from the pits of hell. My recovery can begin... Thank you for your support!’ Giving up was not an option for you...

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your forks, but rather to the little-known White Power from the Netherlands. When few believed in you, you were at your strongest, and that all resulted in your first 500cc world title. Your stubborn strategy wasn't always successful... after Eric Geboers became world champion in the 125cc and 250cc classes, he moved up into the 500cc class in 1988 for the title of Mister 875. Ambitious as you were, you soon took a similar challenge, but in the 125cc class after your titles in the 250cc and 500cc classes. That year was a disappointment and I felt sorry for you, but to be honest, I have to admit that I was not entirely sad because this way, Eric Geboers became the first Mister 875. I'm sure you'll forgive me that I was a bit more of a fan of my fellow countryman ‘The Kid’... In subsequent years it seemed as if you couldn't overcome this sporting setback. But that was not counting on the persistent Jobé! When in the early nineties you had exHRC factory material at your disposal, you

turned back into the old Jobé. I still had respect for you, but by then, we'd become rivals. Especially in 1992, when I fought many a private duel with you on my blue privateer Honda. You became world champion for the fifth time, I would finish fourth that year. By then, my respect for you had turned into a mutual one. You retired and for the rest of the nineties we had very little contact, but that all changed when you started organising races in Qatar in the early new millennium. Some riders, amongst them Stefan Everts, didn't get permission from their employers to go on such adventures, but luckily my then motorcycle manufacturer KTM had no problem with me travelling to the Gulf state.

Luc Poppelaars Retinne, Belgium 2012

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Luc Poppelaars Ex-World Champion David Philippaerts takes a final farewell to his mentor. Retinne, Belgium 2012

Luc Poppelaars Retinne, Belgium 2012

was no longer weak and hoarse, but rather strong and enthusiastic. I was convinced that you would win your ‘world championship’... Much to our dismay, we were unable to gift you a win in the Nations, and afterwards, it also became clear that you would not win your last championship either... Georges, just like our real kings, your name is also printed in bold in the history books of our country... You’ll never walk alone!!

Special conditions for early birds Whoever orders the book “The Art of Motocross, special edition Georges Jobé” before 30 July and pays it into our account at: IBAN BE 74 731021333507 BICC: KREDBEBB

Joël Smets Georges Jobé Text: Stefan Geukens en Joël Smets Photography: Blink of an Eye: Luc Poppelaars en Stefan Geukens www.wingsforlife.com

Can collect his or her book at the race weekend at Bastogne and will receive five exclusive collector' edition photographs of Georges Jobé in a 23 x 30 cm format

Deviations in images, text and format reserved.

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Fast-forward a few weeks. We were close to the Motocross of Nations and with Team Belgium, we'd trained hard. During our debrief, I had the idea to call you with the riders still around. I knew that this would cheer you up. After the first ring, you picked up the telephone and what followed, left us speechless. I started off by saying that I was in the company of the team's riders. That was your signal to launch into a motivational monologue aimed at Team Belgium about why and how we would win... never mind the fact that you were literally embroiled in your own battle of life and death! The world turned on its head, you who was cheering us on, instead of us you!? But in a way I could hear how your voice got new life by being able to talk to us about the most important race of the year. Clearly the call did you a world of good, you still belonged, you were not forgotten or even abandoned. Your voice

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Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

In consultation with the family of Georges Jobé, it has been decided that “The Art of Motocross” is to publish a book about the life of the five-time world champion. The style of the coffee table magazine will be reflected in the beautiful this beautiful reference. Because Georges Jobé always held the organisation “Wings For Life” in very high regard, we want to ensure that his name will continue to live on after his unfortunate passing. The book will cast new light on the person Jobé was with many photos and interviews. Per book sold, we will donate €5 to the Wings For Life foundation. Every book will be uniquely numbered and signed by the publisher/children and/or family of Georges Jobé to make this worth it. The mega book “The Art of Motocross, special edition Georges Jobé” will have 200 pages and will be presented to the public during the weekend of the Grand Prix of Bastogne.

Georges Jobé

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“Un sportif rêve son rêve, le Champion le vit...”

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Stefan Geukens Retinne, Belgium 2012

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The Art of Motocross 2013 The Art of Nations Georges JobĂŠ edition Nieuwsbrief Verstuur

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After a professional career spanning eighteen years, Joshua Coppins (35) has definitely called it a day. Eighteen years during which the New Zealander turned from a shy teenager into an absolute world leader, one with a lot of great achievements, but where there is only one thing missing: a world title. "I really deserved that one, in 2007, but bad luck ruined it for me," Coppins reminisces. "For two years I was very bitter about that, but I've gotten over it since. I'm content with my family, with everything I've achieved. I gave it everything. I don't blame myself and I don't regret anything either," says the likeable Kiwi in his last big interview.

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Joshua Coppins

the big goodbye interview

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Gino Maes Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012

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1. The very beginning The Art of Motocross: Let's go all the way back to the beginning, Joshua. Do you still remember your first bike? Joshua Coppins: Yes, you know. I can still remember the day crystal clear. It was on my fourth birthday. 'Go have a look in the barn,' said my father. I hurried outside and saw a small bike standing in the barn. I ran back inside. 'Dad, there's a motocross bike! Whose is it?' I asked. 'Ah, it's for you,' he replied. I was thrilled. A 50cc Suzuki. I still have it today.

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Taomx: Was your father a motocrosser? Joshua: No, not at all. Perhaps a bit of Speedway, so he knew a bit about bikes. But motocross? No, he didn't know much about it. No-one in my family does. I still don't know why my father gave me a motocross bike as a present, but it was a damn good choice! It was my most favourite birthday present ever. We lived on a 250-acre farm, so we had enough space. I rode my bike all the time, before I went to school and afterwards, until it got dark, every single day.

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64 "On my fourth birthday I got a 50cc bike. It was the most awesome birthday present. I still have it."

Taomx: Did you start racing immediately? Joshua: No, because my parents were into horses. My father had to work all the time and so I didn't have a choice: I had to go with the women. So I rode horses too, and actually I was pretty good at it. I won quite a few competitions. But my real passion was motocross. On the day of my first motocross race, I put horse riding aside. I have four horses on my farm, two for my sisters and two for my children. I don't ride anymore, even though I still could if I wanted to. It's like riding a bicycle, you never forget how to. The last time I rode a horse was with Marnicq Bervoets, and that's been a while ago now. Taomx: When motocross?

did

you

start

racing

Joshua: When I was eleven. It was fantastic. That was it. There was no turning back.

I started racing local races, and then two years later I was already racing in Australia. But there I needed a few years before I started to dominate. I struggled with the big tracks and the big jumps. In New Zealand I was used to natural tracks, a bit like enduro really. So I needed a bit of time to adjust, but eventually I started to win.

2. Destination Europe Taomx: And then came Europe's siren call? Joshua: Wow, yeah, that's a very strange story. In 1995, the Kiwi Daniel Marshall got a chance to race for Sylvain Geboers' Suzuki team on loan. But he never got to ride a single race for Sylvain. He injured his knee during training, was homesick and returned to New Zealand. Suzuki New Zealand, who sent him to Europe in the first place, was fed up with the whole thing, so they looked for a solution and got in touch with me. Would I like to race in Europe? Of course! I borrowed some money from my parents and then moved to Europe at age seventeen. I still remember the day when I arrived in Brussels with all my stuff. It was February, summer in New Zealand. I arrived at Zaventem in shorts, little did I know that it was the middle of winter. It was freezing! 'In these temperatures I can't ride,' I immediately thought. Taomx: Were you all by yourself? Joshua: No, a friend came along with me. He stayed with me for three weeks. He helped me settle in Balen. I also had a Kiwi mechanic, so I was never really alone. Nonetheless it was very difficult for the first three years. As a rider I didn't progress at all. I was worthless. I was constantly worried, I struggled financially to survive there. Everything was difficult. Wherever I wanted to go, I got lost. Whatever I wanted to buy was difficult to get. I just didn't know what to do or where to go. I was very shy too, I never dared ask for help. The first three years were a waste. I was a much better rider than I could show, but I was too busy worrying about the daily small stuff. I struggled with that for three years. Only when I was twenty did I start to cope with it better. Slowly I got used to living in Belgium: the culture, the language... I made new friends. From that moment on, I started growing as a rider again.

Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

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Taomx: Did you struggle with homesickness? Joshua: Occasionally. But it was never really a problem. I always looked forward to the next race. I just hung on because failure was just not an option. There was no way that I would return to New Zealand to look my parents in the eye without having made it in Europe.

Taomx: Your first three seasons were a disaster. Yet you stayed with Suzuki Geboers throughout that time. Is that surprising?

Joshua: Of course. A friend of mine from New Zealand was staying over in Hulsen. That weekend I had to travel to the British championship in Northern Ireland and Ben had a Belgian championship race. On my way home on the Monday after, my friend called me. 'I can't come and pick you up at the airport, I'm in jail,' he said. So I had to go and fetch him from the police station. He'd been to a party in Balen. He got a bit drunk and started dancing with a girl, against the wishes of her jealous boyfriend. Bam, cue the bust up. So the police showed up and wanted to take him home. On the way, my friend told the officers 'you can stop here, I live here.' The cops laughed at him: 'Josh Coppins lives here, not you. We'll check that out first.' But both Ben and I weren't home, so they didn't believe

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Joshua: No, because the first three years I paid for my ride. So for Sylvain that was extra income. I'm sure he sometimes thought 'this rider won't ever make it, there's no point in spending any time or energy on him', but I quietly started moving up into the top 10. I think that showed that I did have what it takes.

Taomx: You must've experienced your share of knocks too?

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Gino Maes Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

Taomx: You've always lived in Balen, but never alone. Joshua: That's true. I don't like living on my own. I like having people around. Friends, mechanics... they've all lived at my place. First I lived in the centre of Balen, then later in Hulsen. Ben Townley and I also were house mates for a while. It was always busy here, people coming and going. The neighbours must've thought sometimes that we were gypsies. (laughs) Taomx: Only guys in a house. That must have been a big mess? Joshua: Absolutely not. Everyone respected each other. Everyone was happy to be in Europe, and happy to be able to race here. We didn't want to live in a mess. We had to train well, eat well, and live well to be successful. That was our goal. There never were any problems, no fights or disagreements.

him and he had to spend the night in the cell! (laughs) Taomx: Do you miss Balen? Joshua: Yes. I really loved it there. It was very nice, even if I've been through a lot. I often think back to that time of my life.

3. Just not a worldchampion Taomx: Back to your racing career. When did you have your breakthrough? Joshua: In 1999. I finished seventh in the

Gino Maes Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

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world championship. I occasionally made it into the top five; in Poland I also had my first podium in one of the races. That's when I knew that I could make it. I kept on improving: in 2000 I had my first overall GP podium, and two years later the guy who occasionally made it to the podium became a title candidate. Taomx: What was your best time as a rider? Joshua: From 2005 to 2007. Two years on a Honda and one year on a Yamaha. In 2005 I was second behind Everts. That year was a really strong championship with Townley, Pichon and Smets. 2006 was also special. For half a season I was sidelined by injury, but I came back and was the only one who was able to deny Everts a GP win â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in Northern Ireland. Ken de Dycker was third in that GP, but I lapped him in the second race. It's a bit like what Herlings did this year at Lierop. In the second race the only people I didn't lap were Everts and Barragan. I could've beaten Barragan, but I didn't want to make a mistake. For me it was more important to beat Stefan than to lap Barragan. I don't think I've ever raced a GP better than on that day. My best season was arguably 2007. I did what I wanted then. I was always on the podium and won a lot. Bellpuig that year was

a super Grand Prix. That weekend I dominated all weekend long. Stefan Everts knows these days all too well, but for me such days were very special. It was a fantastic feeling.

missed the last five GPs and the world title." (sighs)

Taomx: But your lowest point was just ahead, right?

Joshua: I really took it out on people I loved. I was a complete ass. I was miserable, I didn't know what to do with myself. I was frustrated. I knew I was the best, but I couldn't show it anymore. At home I didn't say much, but when I did, I was mostly resentful. No, I was not pleasant company at all. From one moment to the next, I had been changed from a super-fit athlete into someone who couldn't do anything. I swear it was depressing.

Joshua: Yes, that crash at Loket, in 2007. The world title was mine, I was 107 points ahead! But then it all went wrong. I was jumping uphill in direction of the finish, braked, turned right to take the step-down. I jumped, landed, braked... and nothing happened. I had no brake, hit a deep rut and was thrown over the bars into the fence. I was dizzy, my hip hurt, but I wanted to get back onto the bike. When I got up, something felt wrong in my shoulder. It felt as if it was dislocated, but it was actually broken. I was still convinced that I would still win the championship. In England I still tried. The Thursday before the British GP I went practicing for the first time. After my training, Dr Claes sent me a text: 'How's the shoulder holding up' â&#x20AC;&#x201C; He clearly didn't have much hope either. That's when I realised that I was in deep shit. And it didn't work in the end... I had one awesome season, but I

Taomx: Did you cope with that setback or did you take out your frustrations on people around you?

Taomx: How long did the feeling of the loss of the world title last? Joshua: At first I still thought 'no problem, I'll get the title next season'. But in the winter I started struggling. In 2008 and 2009 it became obvious that it would become very difficult to reach the goal of winning that championship. I never could bring the old Coppins back; I knew that my best years were behind me. The realisation that I would never become a world champion... it was difficult to accept. I didn't enjoy my racing much anymore either. I was bitter. Taomx: You're almost like the Marnicq Bervoets of New Zealand. How painful is it to end your career without a world title?

Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

Joshua: I can live with it now. I am content with my family and with what I've achieved. But yeah... you remain a world champion forever. When you are introduced, they always say: Joshua Coppins, world champion. So that sentence won't ever be used. In 2008

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and 2009 it really bothered me, but I've gotten over it now. I gave it my everything, I don't blame myself, and I don't regret anything either. I had a great, long career. Don't forget where I'm from. When I came to Europe as a seventeenyear-old, I never dreamed that I'd achieve this.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;My first three years in Europe were a waste. But I hung on, because failure was not an option.â&#x20AC;?

4. The farewell

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Taomx: In 2010 you said farewell the first time, from the world championship. Was that the right time?

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Joshua: Yes, in retrospect, I think I should've done it a year sooner. Not so much because of Aprilia (in 2010, he struggled a lot with mechanical issues, ed). Financially it was very attractive. But when I returned to New Zealand in 2011, I got my groove back; living at home, training, riding. The last two years were really a lot of fun.

Taomx: You still finished two seasons in Australia and New Zealand. Two pleasant years, but were they successful?

Joshua: Gosh, in 2011 I was... second. That season was a bit like my 2007 world championship season. For most of the season I was in the lead and went to the last round at Coolum with an 18-point advantage. A fifteenth place would be enough for the title. But in the first corner Dean Ferris crashed, and I couldn't avoid him. I crashed into him. Shoulder dislocated. And again no title. 'Not again,' I thought. All the old frustrations surfaced again. I had my shoulder op in Belgium, and I spent a month in the hospital in Herentals because there were complications. It was a very long recovery, but then again I am already 34. But I went back and got that title the next year. Man was I nervous before that last race. It was again in Coolum and I was 12 points ahead. Everything could've gone wrong. Besides, I knew that there wouldn't be a 2013 season. I really didn't want to return home without that Australian title. But I did it. It was a big relief. With my new job as a team manager, that title gets me more respect. Taomx: As a bit of an extra, you came back to Europe for the last two GPs for the Rinaldi Yamaha team. Was that a nice farewell present?

Joshua: Absolutely. All their riders were injured; they needed my help. And it was the least I could do for them. It was nice to ride for one of the best teams in the world again. It also went better than I expected. My speed wasn't too bad, but conditioning wise, I wasn't strong enough anymore. It was two years since I'd last raced races that were 40 minutes long. But it was pleasant and the results were respectable. It was a nice end to my career, definitely with the Des Nations as my last official race. Taomx: Mid-2012 you made it clear that it was your last season. Did your body start to struggle? Joshua: No, physically speaking I think I'd have been good for another season. But my motivation was no longer really there. I wanted a new challenge, and the timing was perfect. It was just the right moment to finish.

Taomx: If you had to write up a report card for your career, what would it say?

Joshua: Passed. More than passed. I built myself an incredible career. For more than a decade I was a solid top ten finisher, four times I was on the world championship podium, was runner-up twice and won 12 Grands Prix. Not too bad for a kid from Motueka, eh? (laughs)

Taomx: Stefan Everts says he struggled to let go of motocross. Did you struggle the same?

Joshua: No, I have no problem with that. I knew 100 percent that it was the right decision, the right time. Now I'm very busy with my new job as team manager.

Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

5. Team manager & farmer Taomx: Is this your own team? Joshua: Yes, Josh Coppins Racing. I run it almost the same way the Rinaldis do it. I am the team owner, I run it for Yamaha. But it is my workshop, my truck, and my sponsors and riders. The parts come into our workshop and I try to build the best bike for my riders. I enjoy that. I don't need to race anymore to be happy, I get satisfaction a different way.

Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

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Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

Taomx: As a rider you were very ambitious. What are your goals as a team manager? Joshua: With Billy MacKenzie and Alex Snow in the MX1 and Scott Columb in the MX2 I have three top riders. In the MX2 we're aiming for the title in both New Zealand and Australia. In the MX1, a top three is our goal, because with Ben Townley and Cody Cooper, we have strong competition. I now have a lot more work compared to my time as a rider, because I am also a test rider for Yamaha, assistant manager at Yamaha Australia and also the team coach for Team New Zealand in the Nations.

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Taomx: And you also have a farm, yes?

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Joshua: Yes, together with my father. When I'm away for motocross, he takes over. Not that there is a lot of work, but you have to be there for your cattle. I have 50 cattle, four horses, five goats, two pigs and a dog. I don't have any sheep anymore. I used to have a hundred or so, but I sold them. They were just too much work. They wander off too much, you have to shear them... Cattle are easier. They are less work and generate more profit.

Taomx: Do you milk your cows?

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There always were a lot of people at my house in Balen. I think the neighbours must've thought sometimes that we were gypsies."

Joshua: No, we don't have dairy cows, we grow cattle for beef. Where I live, it's too dry for good dairy cattle. I do enjoy walking among my cattle. They are not my main source of income. It's more like a hobby that grew into something else. I wouldn't mind expanding, but my land is not big enough. Well, and I've also got a motocross and supercross track there. (laughs)

Taomx: Has motocross built a lot of friendships?

Taomx: You've raced as professional motocross rider for fifteen years, could you retire today?

Joshua: A lot. I have one or two real friends from my school days, but the rest are all from motocross.

Joshua: Almost. If I don't buy two Ferraris and a helicopter, then I probably could. I was wellpaid during my career and I also invested well in commercial property. If I want to take six months out to do something else, I can do that without worrying. If I still work for another five or ten years, I can comfortably live out my years. At the moment I still want to be busy, otherwise I'll go crazy. I am too young to not do anything. Besides, motocross is my passion. I want to give something back to the sport that's given me so much.

Taomx: Do you have friends amongst your rivals?

6. Friendship

Joshua: During my racing career I couldn't. I shared a house with Townley for a while. We were close. But it was more a business arrangement. Each of us had their own programme. Ben was friends with Everts, and I couldn't be. Not that I didn't like Stefan, but I saw him as the best in the world, as the one I had to beat. To call him up to invite him out for a meal... no, I couldn't do it. Townley was

Joshua: Nahhhh. I didn't always race against Everts. I also used to battle with Pichon for a few years, and he gave me a hard time. But you're right, it was not always pleasant to race against Everts, to get beaten time and again. On the other hand, I am proud of the fact that I've managed to beat him a few times. I am one of the few to have beaten the best rider ever.

Taomx: When you compare your generation with the current riders, do you see a big difference?

Joshua: No! Lisa knew from day one that it was my plan to go back to New Zealand after my racing career. Every investment I made was in New Zealand. But I did remember that I had to come back to Europe regularly, for business, to visit people... But New Zealand is my home. I just love the lifestyle. Don't get me wrong: I loved Europe. I still love Belgium and England. There are things in Europe that I could do there and not here. Like watching a Manchester City match. Or to go to a MotoGP or a Formula 1 race. But the quality of life in New Zealand is just so good. It is the best lifestyle for me and my family.

7. Children

Taomx: Your family recently gained a new member.

Taomx: You moved back to Motueka. Did you think that, when back then you moved to Europe as a seventeen-year-old, you would ever return home?

Joshua: Yes, Myla (4) and Elsie (2) now have a little brother: Nixon. He was a bit of a surprise, he was not planned at all. But we're very happy with him.

Joshua: Yes. I never once thought that I wouldn't come back home.

Taomx: So in around 17 years, we'll perhaps have another Coppins coming to Europe on his quest for motocross success?

Taomx: You have a British girlfriend. Was the United Kingdom not an option?

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Taomx: You were unlucky to be part of the Everts era.

Joshua: Yes. The riders of today still have a fighting mentality, but only on race weekends, not during the week's training. We used to eat, sleep and drink motocross. It was a passion. The new generation looks at it differently. When I was coming up through the ranks, you had to earn your respect. Nowadays the riders are already so confident and bold at sixteen... Oh well, they don't have much of a choice. They barely get time to grow, they have to be successful in their second year. They have so much more pressure to succeed quickly. One big disadvantage: their careers are a lot shorter than ours were.

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different. He wanted to get to know Stefan better to understand how to beat him. Ben simply had a different mindset. I just couldn't be friends with a rival; I was too focused on myself, I wanted to beat the others. Now, after my racing career, I can. For example, I'm good friends with Bervoets, and even with Everts I've got a good relationship. It would be really cool to go out to dinner with my old rivals, to reminisce and have a good laugh.

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Stefan Geukens Pamparange, Houthalen Helchteren Belgium 2008.

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"I regret nothing"

Joshua: Who knows, eh? Perhaps he'll want to ride motocross. Perhaps he'll rather ride horses or become a farmer. But I'm pretty sure that Nixon will sit on a motorcycle someday. Taomx: Motocross is dangerous. You've suffered a lot of injuries in your day. Would you dissuade him from riding? Joshua: No way! Ok, so it's a bit dangerous, but so is crossing the road. But when I see what lifestyle I enjoy because of motocross, the friends I made through the sport, and what life experiences I've gained... It has enriched me as a person. I was never good in school. It was a battle for me. I left school at fifteen, but thanks to motocross I've learned a lot.

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Taomx: And your daughters, do they ride horses yet?

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Joshua: Elsie is still too young, but Myla rides a pony. She enjoys that a lot. But she also likes motocross. She rides a quad now.

Taomx: Imagine if she wanted to start racing motocross? Joshua: Then I'll let her. Although I have to admit that I don't like motocross for women much. Taomx: Something entirely else. Throughout the entirety of your career you had the nickname 'Lizard'. Where does that nickname come from? Joshua: As a teenager I worked at a fish factory after school. I didn't like the job but my father insisted. In New Zealand a 'lizard' is someone who tries to avoid work as much as possible. And that was me in that fish factory. Since then my friends called me 'lizard'. But as a rider that nickname was a bit of a bad choice, because I always was a hard worker. Oh well, once a 'lizard', always a 'lizard'. (laughs)

8. The future of motocross Taomx: The motocross world championship has undergone big changes for 2013. For example, the MX1 and MX2 classes will race together in the fly-away rounds of the Grand Prix. What do you think of that? Joshua: It's a compromise, a result of the financial and economic crisis.

Teams don't have enough financial support to send all their riders and equipment overseas, especially the smaller ones. Hence this solution. I can now see it from the other side; as team manager, as the one who has to find the budget. And from that viewpoint I understand this decision. Taomx: How would you feel about it as a rider?

Taomx: Do you dream of becoming the manager of a factory team in the world championship? Joshua: Absolutely. It's one of the few reasons why I would ever return to Europe for a longer period of time. But first I have to learn to be a team manager Down Under. I hope I get the opportunity in the world championship someday. Taomx: Motocross in New Zealand has had a few good decades. First there were the King brothers. Then you and Ben Townley put New Zealand on the motocross world map. Now you've retired, Townley struggles with one injury after the other. Are you concerned that motocross in New Zealand will disappear into the background? Joshua: Yes, because we don't have any young talent that is ready to take over our role. The younger ones are not hungry enough, not motivated enough. We have a lot of beautiful tracks. Ben and I opened a lot of doors, but noone has profited from this. I hope that my new role at Yamaha still means something for the younger riders. We have a pretty good girl, Courtney Duncan. She's only fifteen, but she is capable enough to race in the world championship. But we really do need young riders! We worked so hard to bring motocross into the spotlight in New Zealand. In 2007, motocross was hot over here. I was winning GPs and was the world championship leader, Townley was brilliant in the supercross in the US and Hurley was the best in the Australian championship. We were winning all over the world. We were immensely popular, not only

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;For two years I was bitter about the fact that I would never be world champion."

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Joshua: As a rider I would consider that to be a very strange decision. Ditto for the fans. I can understand that they don't understand it. I look at it positively. I don't think that this is a long-term solution. For me this is just a compromise for these difficult times. When the economy recovers in a few years and the factories sell more bikes, then we can return to the old system. But until then we all have to be flexible and make compromises. All of us.

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Guiterrez & Quaralt Motocross of Nations, Lommel Belgium 2012.

with MX fans, but also with the general public, from children to grandmothers. We were constantly on TV, in the news, on prime time. But now it's all gone in one fell swoop. That does hurt.

"I can still say that I've beaten Everts, the best rider ever, occasionally. I'm very proud of that."

Taomx: How are things with Townley?

Joshua: Easy: Cairoli and Herlings. Only injuries can stop these two. I'm afraid there won't be much competition for them, they are just too strong for everyone else. Taomx: Cairoli now has six world titles. Did you expect to see someone collect world titles that quickly so soon after Everts? Joshua: No, that was a bit of a surprise. Cairoli snuck up on us. Ok, he was good, but now he's just incredible. And every year he just gets better. I don't think that that will change anytime soon, definitely not next season or the season after. The first who will beat Tony will be Herlings, speed-wise anyway. But Antonio is mentally and tactically strong. You know what I ask myself? What KTM is going to do when Cairoli and Herlings go head-to-head in the MX1. That could get really interesting...

Reportage: Joshua Coppins Text: Photographic Art Photography: Gino Maes, GutiĂŠrrez & Quaralt Production: Photographic Art www.joshuacoppins.com

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Taomx: Now to the 2013 world championship. Who are your favourites in the MX1 and MX2?

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Joshua: Reasonably well. He's now busy preparing for the New Zealand championship. After that he races in Australia. I don't see him that often anymore, he lives over eight hours' drive away. But we do still speak often via Skype and that. Whether he'll ever return to world championship level? No idea. It'll be difficult, I'm afraid. Whenever he comes back, something else happens to him.

Newsletter

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Schrijf je in op onze nieuwsbrief en maak op mooie prijzen: We hebben 4 filmaffiches van The broken circle breakdown op onze redactie liggen. Ook een cd met de prachtige filmmuziek van The broken circle blue grass groep ligt te popelen van ongeduld op een gelukkige winnaar. Ook de Grand Prix wedstrijden komen naderbij. Voor de GP te Valkenswaard, Nederland hebben we 2 inkomtickets ter beschikking van de WK promotor Youthstream. Blijf op de hoogte en aarzel niet, schrijf je in voor onze nieuwsbrief zodat je steeds goed geinformeerd blijft over de magische wereld van motorcross.

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Voor abonnees Voor de abonnees van 2013 hebben we buiten deze bovenstaande prijzen nog extra weten te bekomen. (je kan eender wanneer op het jaar intekenen voor een abonnement) Onder de abonnees die zich inschrijven voor de newsletter geven we nog eens 3 inkomtickets weg voor de Grand Prix van Valkenswaard. Daarbovenop stellen we ook een zilveren VIP pas ter beschikking voor 2 personen om naar deze wedstrijd te komen, gratis inkom, vrije toegang tot de paddock en eten voor 2 personen in het restaurant van Youtstream in het hart van de paddock. Surf naar onze website www.theartofmotocross.eu en schrijf je in. In ons volgende nummer gaan er nog meer prijzen zoals inkomtickets en zilveren passen weggegeven worden aan ingeschrevenen van de nieuwsbrief.

The Broken Cirkle Breakdown Bluegrass band

Boek te koop :

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Het nieuwe fotoboek met 200 pagina’s 300 x 225 mm bevat tal van prachtige exclusieve foto’s in de stijl van het magazine The Art of Motocross. Nu te bestellen via www.theartofmotocross.eu Prijs: 49,95 euro excl.9,5 euro verzendingskosten aangetekend (enkel voor België en Nederland) Ook te koop bij krantenwinkel “DE PERSHOEK” Veldstraat 9, 2491 Olmen, België. Afwijkingen van afbeeldingen en formaat zijn mogelijk. Leverbaar vanaf 7 februari 2013.

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FOR MORE INFO PLEASE CONTACT D.RIZZI@YOUTHSTREAM.ORG

COMING SOON

R E S T A U R A N T

The music section Jens Getteman is one of the rising stars in Belgian motocross. The just nineteen-yearold from East Flanders is making the change to the MX1 class in the next season. With Joël Smets as his trainer, he is in good hands. But what about his choice of music? We asked him and we received a response that thrummed with beats.

making music. Under the name BMayzee, he chose white rap in which motocross is the central theme. Is it quality? Hmm, he doesn't convince us. But his music does speak to many younger riders in the motocross world because BMayzee often sings about very familiar situations. ‘Born 2 Win’ thus is about, um, Jens Getteman, we suspect. They all believe that they were born to win, but they recognise in that number the effort it takes to get to the top. Whoever wants to see some good action shots, amongst them the artist on his bike in the nude, we highly recommend the video of this song.

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Lupe Fiasco – Words I Never Said

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Wasalu Muhammad Jaco saw the light of day in Chicago thirty years ago, in a city that was not the most child-friendly. As the son of a drummer and a gourmet chef, he was spoonfed the love for art and music in particular from his early years. We'll spare you the details of how he earned the stage name of Lupe Fiasco. But Lupe quickly made himself a name in the American hip-hop culture. First underground, he soon surfaced as guest rapper with Kanye West. Although his name may not be the most fabulous, Lupe Fiasco is seen as a leading rapper and an example for many. If you're looking for meaningless lyrics, Lupe Fiasco is not the man for you. In his lyrics, he tries to give society a conscience. So also in ‘Words I Never Said’. 9/11, taxes, Muslims, Israel, Gaza… No political agenda is left untouched, and even president Obama is not spared. In the song he calls for citizens to speak out about their beliefs and values; whoever ‘forgets’ to protest, will regret it later. Released in 2011 as part of the album ‘Lasers’, the song pairs Lupe Fiasco up with Skylar Grey, a stranger to the genre, but ‘Words I Never Said’ never became a huge hit.

Rise Against – Behind Closed Doors Eighteen karat punk rock, there is no other way to describe Rise Against. Just like Lupe Fiasco, this band has its roots in Chicago, but

Christophe Desmet

that's where the comparison ends. Heavy guitars, pumping drums and razor-sharp lyrics reveal a somewhat countercultural origin. Rise Against rebels primarily against the grey and the mediocre, and this speaks to a limited but pretty hard core following in the US. If you do want to compare the band to someone more famous, then Sick Of It All is close. In ‘Behind Closed Doors’, rejection and hope are the central theme. Whoever feels forgotten by society, must not give up the fight. Whoever lets themselves be locked up, is condemned to death. In short, Rise Against is a politicallyinspired band, one which dares to question the American gun legislation on their website, and which also takes up the plight of young people bullied about their sexual orientation. Whether they will ever improve the world, we don't know. But no-one can claim that Rise Against hasn't tried.

BMayzee – Born 2 Win Brandon Mays was once a very talented motocrosser. A broken neck gave his career a big setback. Continue with riding and end in a wheel chair, or undergo an operation and hope that the neck would cope in the future – He chose wisely, the latter. Luckily, Brandon Mays already had a decent hobby when he was still riding,

Christophe Desmet

Look, here again we have a world hit. Even those who break out in hives from black rap music, can enjoy this song, if only for the artistic intro and great chorus. In the United States alone, the song, released in 1995, has sold over a million copies. Here in Belgium it also enjoyed massive success, just like in Germany and England. The subject? Weed, psychedelic smoking products. Those in the US didn't appreciate that much, but whoever can dig up the original lyrics of the first version will know immediately what it is about. So, let's introduce the artists! Luniz was a rapper duet from

Oakland, California. The members were Yukmouth and Numskull. In 2002, Luniz split up, but their solo projects were not much more well-known either. Yukmouth scored with ‘Pac-Man’, Numskull even used the talents of Snoop Dogg in ‘Survive’, just to prove that they were not just two little boys. Or that they were straightforward little boys. With Yukmouth and Numskull, nothing's a joke. Just like life is not a joke. Sink or swim! The Luniz boys clearly opted for swimming.

De muziek-rubriek

Composition: Guy Van Den Langenbergh Photography: Christophe Desmet CDS

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Same artist, same subject. The title of the song leaves nothing to the imagination. In ‘Me and My Dirt Bike’ the ex-motocrosser sings about the love for his motorcycle and the whole culture around it, which makes this the perfect song for motocrossers like Jens Getteman. White rap with greasy overtones and powerful bikes as subject, more need there not be for Getteman and Co. BMayzee therefore has become a style icon for a whole generation of young riders in no time at all.

Luniz – I Got 5 on It

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BMayzee – Me and My Dirt Bike

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Evocative

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New Zealand is a dream destination for many, the breathtaking beauty of untouched nature a huge draw. The New Zealanders are known world-wide as very hospitable and friendly, which makes it easy for visitors to fall in love with the country and its peoples. After his long career as a GP rider, Joshua Coppins decided to return to his homeland with his family. His roots are in Motueka, a town across the bay from the larger Nelson on the north coast of the South Island. For “The Art of Motocross”, this was an opportunity to explore the district more in depth. Lisa and Josh were happy to share with you readers places that are well worth a visit in the region.

NelsonNZ’s photostream

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ueka-Golden Bay landscapes

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Motueka is a bustling town, known for its mild climate. It lies in a rich agricultural belt and is home of many orchards for apples, apricots, kiwis and other fruit. The health aspect aside, the climate is also perfect for growing hops and tobacco; tobacco making way for the now dominant vineyards over the years. In the nineteenth century, Europeans settled in this cosmopolitan city on the western edge of the Tasman Bay, especially because of the long summers and mild winter. The area around Nelson has the highest number of hours of sunshine, and the climate is some of the best in New Zealand. February is the warmest, and July the coldest month of the year. It's probably strange for us, but then again, they're on the other side of the planet. This region is an ideal base to explore the national parks and Golden Bay, a trip you can do in all kinds of ways. There are a number of boating and kayak trips to the Abel Tasman National Park. The adventurers amongst you will be able to get your kick with a flight in a Pitts Special, a biplane with an open cockpit, with which you are flown along the breathtaking coastline of the park. It's highly recommended. We got enough of a thrill to overfly the half-moon beach in a helicopter. You can be assured that you will remember the natural beauty forever. Tandem skydiving is another possibility. I've tried it, I enrolled in it, was picked up in a minibus, and before I knew it, I was asked nicely to open the door and jump into the blue beyond at the height of 9,000 feet (2,740 m). The instructor asks you to sit in the door opening with your legs dangling over the edge before going over your practised instructions again before jumping off. The minute of free fall is difficult to describe. Let's just say that the feeling is best likened to a long orgasm. So you're jumping out of a plane for less. And then, finally, the parachute opens and you enjoy the amazing view over the dramatic mountains, golden beaches and the turquoise ocean in complete peace. Crikey Josh, you lucky git. Whoever enjoys something less spectacular, can take on various challenges on land; signposted hikes on winding trails, ride a bike or a quad along the narrow forest paths to a magnificent view at the top. For water rats, swimming amongst the dolphins is definitely a unique experience, or get into a kayak for a trip into paradise. North of Motueka lies one of the most beautiful beaches in New Zealand, Kaiteriteri Beach. Its golden sands and its light-green water are a haven for diverse sorts of water sports and from there you can catch the water taxi to the Abel Tasman National Park. With a size of 22,500 hectares, it is the smallest park in New Zealand, famous for its golden beaches and its granite rock formations. According to Josh, one specific walk in the park is a real gem. The ‘Coastal

NelsonNZ’s photostream

Track’, a hiking trail along the beaches and forests, is extremely popular. Camp sites and huts are available in the park where you can stay overnight. The area around Nelson and Golden Bay is also a popular destination for the Kiwis themselves. For fans of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy, this area is the perfect location, because it is in this pretty area that director Peter Jackson filmed the famous movies. A helicopter

NelsonNZ’s photostream

ride, almost as easy to book here as ordering a portion of ‘friet’ in Belgium, is ideal to get an overview of the area. Take off and in no time at all, you can explore some of New Zealand's oldest rock formations. Nelson, the second-oldest city in New Zealand, is fifty kilometres from Motueka. This for me very special city bustles with activity, has a population of 57,000 and is called the ‘Sunshine City’ of New Zealand, for the weather, naturally. The city is very hospitable, on weekends Montgomery Square is turned into a true market place where the smells of freshly-roasted coffee and exotic spices mingle. Nelson is also known as the city of art. Many artists have made it their home, and you will find a lot of galleries with art in wood as

well as jewellery in silver and gold with beautiful stones. And if for some reason or another you feel you are on the wrong island, then it is worth it to make one of the most spectacular cruises from the South to the North. Over a distance of 92 kilometres and three hours, one breathtaking scene follows another like in a Hollywood movie.

NelsonNZ’s photostream

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The Rutherford Hotel in Nelson is a top class hotel, a paradise for cycling fanatics, art lovers and fans of a beer or a nice wine. It is the perfect based for your adventures, it provides accommodation for all kinds of traveller. It is centrally located in Nelson, near the cathedral and a stone's throw away from the shopping centre where Jens Hansen, the goldsmith who designed the ring from ‘Lord of the Rings’, has his shop. A room at the hotel costs between NZ$ 150-200 (€93-126). When Josh and Lisa have dinner in Nelson, they choose Hopgood’s Restaurant in Trafalgar Street. The restaurant has won several awards and is very good value for money. The menu is expansive, with large seafood and meat dish selections. For a more fun, cozy experience, Josh chooses The Mussel Inn, a cozy pub with a typical New Zealand atmosphere. As the name indicates, mussels are the speciality of the house, but the Mussel Inn also has a brewery on site, where they brew beautiful beer. The building has a distinct style with one big space and three verandahs. The wooden tables are sturdy enough to be danced on. Every weekend the space hosts live music and the party goes on into the early hours of the morning. The Mussel Inn is located in Onekaka, Golden Bay. Josh also recommends The Apple Shed in Mapua. This bar/restaurant has a certain magical atmosphere. You can have breakfast, lunch or dinner here. The menu changes according to the seasonal products from the area. And from the terrace, you can enjoy the beautiful surroundings. To stay overnight in Motueka, Josh's tip is the Bed and Breakfast Kahurangi Escape.

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Joshua Coppins's favourite spots

NelsonNZ’s photostream

Reporting: Nelson-Motueka-Golden Bay Text: Nadine Claesen en Stefan Geukens Photography: NelsonNZ’s photostream Production: Photographic Art www.nelsonnz.com

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We don't want to have a movie review, because we're not reviewers. But what we want to do is tell our readers about movies and other interesting things that make life nicer than it is already. Indeed, who can decide for someone else whether a movie is good or not? I certainly can't. What I can do though is tell people whether a movie has influenced me, touched me, or made me laugh. What you do with that information is up to you.

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The reason I want to highlight this movie is because it troubled and moved me. What a whopper! Laughter and tears, a master stroke. Director Felix van Groeningen has made a masterful film which, in my eyes, couldn't have been made any better in Hollywood. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The Broken Circle Breakdownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; tells the love story between Elise and Didier. She has her own tattoo parlour, he plays banjo in a band. It's love at first sight between the two. As the moviegoer, you feel you could fit right into their lives and enjoy it, carefree in their company. When their daughter Maybelle is born, their life is complete. But when Maybelle turns six, she falls seriously ill. The impact is huge for both parents, because they struggle to deal with the illness. Maybelle's worsening condition really touches you and the accompanying sound track leaves no fibre of your body indifferent to her situation. The cast delivers a magnificent whole performance, but especially Veerle Baetens in the role of Elise, and Johan Heldenbergh as Didier are masters in this melodrama filled with passion, emotion and uplifting bluegrass music. And in the meanwhile, the sound track also soars from peak to peak. The Broken Circle bluegrass band has made country music popular again, and many people appreciate the banjo melodies and the harmonic vocals of the many songs. See elsewhere in the magazine how you can win the movie poster and a CD with the beautiful music. This is highly recommended as a lesson on how love conquers destiny, or perhaps not.

Text: Stefan Geukens Stills: Thomas Dhanens www.facebook.com/thebrokencirclebreakdown www.brokencirclebreakdown.be

The

Broken Circle Breakdown

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

The Broken Cirkle Breakdown Bluegrass band highly recommended!

On the trail of Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM (part 1)

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

There will be no sand or dust blowing over from the ‘Heeserbergen’ track to the buildings of the Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM Team. The magnificent building of the semi-factory team is located only a stone's throw from one of the world's most notorious motocross tracks, but on the day we visit to take a look inside, the ground is frozen solid.

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

The massive gate is closed. In the car it's nice and warm, but the bell and the intercom compel me to step out into the cold. But I give pause. It's not the cold that scares me, but a large dog whose race escapes me, glares at me, barking. I know that there is a gate that separates us two, but when I ring the bell, the safety barrier will probably open to let me in. And the reason I still feel very uncomfortable is that Jacky Martens has two of these dogs and that in the distant past, one of them made it clear that it didn't have fake teeth. It's not too bad, operations manager Joël de Busser quickly opens the side door of the workshop and the babies (and I mean the dangerous-looking dogs) keep watch from a distance to keep their options open. “They're not doing to do something?” I open the conversation as Joël extends his hand. “Normally no,” he replies. It's not an answer to inspire confidence. Relieved, I close the door of the huge, heated structure behind me, while the curly-haired security guard on four paws is sent back into the snow. A row of brand-new KTM bikes immediately gets my attention. “Just delivered,” explains De Busser, who notices my admiration. The workshop itself is also something to be treated with respect; spotless floors and partitioned workspaces for each mechanic. The riders themselves are still training in warmer climes. Jake Nicholls is spending time with Joshua Coppins in New Zealand, Romain Febvre has sought refuge in the south of France. The spanner men of Nicholls (Gaetan Bertaut) and Pauls Jonass (Gatis Frinde) are spending every minute building their new bikes for the new season. They work with painstaking precision to leave nothing to chance. The fine-tuning and development of the engine blocks and suspension happen on the upper level. This is the domain of the team owner Jacky Martens and Joël de Busser, a space that resembles a laboratory.

In overdri into the ne Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

ve ew season THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

the highest level of performance, we seek a twenty percent improvement in the engines. And we can. That's our speciality, perfecting the already-perfect. That's how we make a difference, eliminating tolerances, reducing weight, suspension, frame... Testing is actually the largest expense for the team. JoĂŤl: The riders start testing with a standard KTM. Afterwards, their findings are mapped out, and we build custom semi-factory bikes from that. Every rider has specific characteristics that he would like to see changed in the bike. For us, it's important to listen carefully and translate that into power output, stability, track feel and a thousand other things. This season we've had to start from the beginning because the 2013 MX2 bike's engine is completely new. My feeling is that despite the lack of time, we're already pretty far in our development.

Jacky Martens, 500cc world champion in 1993 and a team owner for nearly twenty years, has his ducks in a row. When the towering man from Lommel walks into his lab shortly after my arrival, the questions in me bubble up like fizz in a glass of champagne.

Q&A

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

The Art of Motocross: As we can see, it's now a hectic period leading up to the new MX season?

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Jacky Martens: Every year this is a period where 24 hours per day is too little and where I wish that there were a few more hours in a day. You don't want to leave anything to chance, because every year, you have to prove yourself all over again with results to earn your place in the paddock. I've been doing this job for nearly twenty years, but I still learn more every day. Now that we've got our first round in Qatar, we've had to shift everything to a higher gear, in terms of time as well as in terms of money. As you know, some deliveries have a lead time of two to three months, and there you're required to think far ahead. We'd already taken precautions because during the season, we'd already heard several rumours of the race in Qatar, but we've nonetheless had the team working flat-out from October until now. We've been working even on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. JoĂŤl De Busser: As operations manager and tuner of the team I'm very much aware of everything. Preparations for a new season always bring some healthy stress with it. Orders have to be placed on time, now that the season starts a month earlier. But make no mistake, the preparations for the new season actually already started in the summer, a good eight months before the first round of the world championship starts.

Taomx: So you already start in June of the current season to develop and work on new material from KTM? Jacky: In late June, early July 2012, we'd already started to test with the 2013 models from KTM. It's necessary to start early with development, because in the winter months, we can't test. We are a factory-supported team, which means we perfect the production bike that everyone else can buy in the shops. Development doesn't stop within this team. For a regular rider, the standard KTM is perfect. With our riders at

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

races on the world championship calendar?

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Jacky: Over a period of roughly a decade as a team manager, I've seen the costs triple. Thankfully we have good results to show with both our material and our riders. That attracts people from the business world because they also want to identify with quality. Whether that's a good thing, I'm still between minds about. The fact is that not a single sponsor is waiting to become more ‘global’. The sport will go world-wide, and because of the timing of the races in Thailand and Qatar, I hope that we'll get more attention from European TV. But this is too much already. The financial aspect today is such that you have to have very skilled people behind you to keep an overview on the situation. With Kay Hennekens, the CEO of Nestaan and co-title sponsor of the team, I have a

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

Fortunately, we'd been able to start early enough, because otherwise I wouldn't have liked to be standing here right now.

Taomx: How do you do the tuning of a bike for a destination like Qatar, where there has never been a world championship round before? I can imagine that the fine sand is a problem? Jacky: You're probably referring to the races that we used to race in the desert in Qatar that the late Georges Jobé was the promoter for. The race in Qatar won't be raced in that kind of sand. It'll be a new track that's been built within an existing race circuit for cars and road bikes. The fineness of the sand doesn't bother me,

because with DT1 filters we make sure that the bike only breathes clean air. The heat in Qatar on the other hand is a different animal altogether. In the summer here in Europe we also race in high temperatures, but nothing that compares to Qatar. Joël: On the test bench, we simulate the conditions with the info we gathered during our overseas races in Mexico and Brazil. The fine-tuning is done on site. The humidity, the altitude above or below sea level at the time, the temperature, they're all factors we take into account to set the correct carburation and ignition through mapping.

strong personality with a very clear vision in the ranks. Kay advises me on a business level which direction to go in, and completes me with my twenty years' experience as a team manager. I can count myself really lucky with the sponsors that form the pillars of the Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM team. With three main pillars and sixty-one connecting pillars we have put together a very solid team that has a bright future.

Taomx: As you mentioned earlier, the financial price tag has in the meanwhile become a whole plate. Are your sponsors actually asking to get more overseas

Joël: First fear grips your heart, because you do not want a rider to fail with an engine that you personally have put together. But anxiety quickly changes into

Taomx: What I've always wanted to know is how a tuner feels when ‘his’ engine is being ridden at the highest level?

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94 JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Stefan Geukens Joel De Busser, Lommel, Belgium 2013

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Quality insulation with a personal touch Nestaan Holland is een in 1968 opgericht familiebedrijf, gespecialiseerd in de ontwikkeling en productie van polyurethaan hardschuim blokken en tweecomponenten systemen. Met deze hoogwaardige polyurethaan producten kunt u isoleren, modelleren, gieten, sprayen, injecteren of lijmen. Al meer dan 40 jaar ‘bouwen’ vele relaties in binnen- en buitenland op ons.

Nestaan Holland B.V. Slabbecoornweg 31 4691 RZ Tholen • Nederland Tel. +31 (0)166 – 605 605 Fax +31 (0)166 – 603 450

www.nestaan.nl

Wij produceren polyurethaan (PUR) en polyisocyanuraat (PIR) blokschuim volgens de allernieuwste, continue technologie. De verwerking van de blokken tot platen en vormdelen vindt plaats op computergestuurde machines. Naast standaard maten worden ook klantspecifieke breedtes en lengtes geleverd in verschillende densiteiten, beginnend bij 30 kg/m3 en eindigend bij 200 kg/ m3. Ook verschillende brandklassen behoren tot de mogelijkheden. Kenmerkend voor Nestaan polyurethaanschuim is de hoge isolatiewaarde gecombineerd met uitstekende mechanische eigenschappen. Naast blokschuim ontwikkelt en produceert Nestaan ook tweecomponenten systemen, die geheel in ons eigen laboratorium zijn ontwikkeld. Deze systemen, bestaande uit de componenten polyol en isocyanaat, vinden hun weg over de hele wereld en worden in alle denkbare marktsectoren toegepast.

To be continued in our next issue.

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

JANUARI - FEBRUARI - MAART 2013

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

pride. Through years of experience, you know by feel whether the engine you've built is nearing perfection. It's a feeling that you cannot describe. It's either there or it is not when you do the build. The engines that I sense as the best are also selected for the actual races at world championship level. The other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;works of artâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; are then used for practice and tests. My feeling has not

THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

Stefan Geukens Lommel, Belgium 2013

Reportage: Wilvo Nestaan JM Racing KTM Text: Stefan Geukens Photography: Blink of an Eye - Stefan Geukens Production: Photographic Art www.jmracingteam.com

MOTORCROSS KALENDERS SEIZOEN 2013 NEDERLAND

WK MX1-MX2 /EUROPEES KAMPIOENSCHAP 125-150-250 02/03 10/03 01/04 14/04 21/04 05/05 19/05 26/05 09/06 16/06 30/06 07/07 14/07 28/07 04/08 18/08 25/08 08/09

LOSAIL SI RACHA VALKENSWAARD ARCO DI TRENTO NOG TE BEPALEN AGUEDA BETO CARRERO GUADALAJARA ERNEE MAGGIORI UDDEVALLA KEGUMS SEMIGORJE LAUSITZRING LOKET BASTOGNE MATTERLEY BASSIN NOG TE BEPALEN

QATAR MX1-MX2 THAILAND NEDERLAND ITALIE PORTUGAL BRAZILIE MEXICO FRANKRIJK ITALIE ZWEDEN LETLAND RUSLAND DUITSLAND TSJECHIE BELGIE GB

ONK NEDERLANDS KAMPIOENSCHAP MX1-MX2 MX1-MX2MX1-MX2-EMX 125/150 MX1-MX2-EMX 125 MX1-MX2-EMX 250 MX1-MX2 MX1-MX2 MX1-MX2-EMX 150/250 MX1-MX2 MX1-MX2-EMX 250 MX1-MX2-EMX 125/250 MX1-MX2-EMX 250 MX1-MX2-EMX 125/150 MX1-MX2-EMX 125/250 MX1-MX2 -EMX 125/150 MX1-MX2-EMX 125/150/250 MX1-MX2-EMX 125/250

MOTORCROSS DER NATIES 29/09

TEUTSCHENTHAL

DUITSLAND

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VALKENSWAARD NOG TE BEPALEN JASTRO BARSKO OREHOVA VAS MAGGIORA NOG TE BEPALEN NOG TE BEPALEN MATTERLEY BASSIN PAVOC ST JEAN D’ANGELY RONTEIRA JININ

DUITSLAND

ADAC 28/04 12/05 23/06 21/07 11/08 01/09 15/09 22/09

FÜRSTLICH DREHNA REUTLINGEN AICHWALD TENSFELD RIED GAILDORF JAUER HOLZGERLINGEN

GROOT- BRITTANNIE

NEDERLAND KROATIE SLOVENIE ITALIE UKRAINIE BRAZILIE GB TSJECHIE FRANKRIJK PORTUGAL TSJECHIE

MX3-WMX MX3 MX3-WMX MX3-WMX MX3-WMX MX3 MX3 MX3/WMX/VETERANS MX3 MX3/WMX MX3/WMX FIM JUNIOR WK

MAXIS BRITISH MOTOCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP 17/03 24/03 07/04 12/05 02/06 23/06 11/08 06/10

FATCAT DONCASTER CANADA HEIGHTS SWANLEY KENT LYNG NORFOLK MILTON MX PARK NORTHAMPTON FOXHILL SWINDON DESERTMARTIN NOTHERN IRELAND HAWKSTONE PARK SHROPSHIRE FARLEIGH CASTLE WILTSHIRE

FRANKRIJK

BELGIE

KAMPIOENSCHAP VAN FRANKRIJK ELITE

BELGISCH KAMPIOENSCHAP + NATIONALS 17/03 24/03 01/04 07/04 20/04 01/05 12/05 20/05 26/05 01/06 22/06 30/06 14/07 21/07 04/08 11/08 15/08 01/09 08/09 15/09 22/09 28/09 05/10 12/10

HALLE ONK OLDEBROEK GEMERT RHENEN MARKELO LICHTERVOORDE

MONSTER ENERGY MoN

WK MX3 – WMX (dames)-VETERANS 01/04 05/05 01/06 09/06 16/06 07/07 04/08 25/08 01/09 15/09 22/09 11/08

17/03 23/03 28/04 09/05 23/06 22/09

GENK WUUSTWEZEL AXEL (NL) MONS ZOLDER WACHTEBEKE DÜRLER AXEL ROGNEE KESTER-GOOIK GENK LOMMEL HASSELT GENK PAAL BALEN-KEIHEUVEL WICHELEN ORP-LE-GRAND OUDENBURG MONT ST GUIBERT NISMES LIMES QUEVRAIN ZOLDER

BELGIAN NATIONAL + SIDE-CARS- QUAD INTERNATIOLE MOTOCROSS BELGIAN NATIONAL BK SHORT MX BK BELGIAN NATIONAL + QUAD BELGIAN NATIONAL BELGIAN NATIONAL BK INTERS + SIDE-CAR + QUAD WK/CM SIDE-CAR EMX QUADS BELGIAN NATIONAL + QUADS BELGIAN NATIONAL SIDE-CAR + QUADS EVERTS&FRIENDS BELGIAN NATIONAL BK INTERS MX WICHELEN BK INTERS + SIDE-CAR MX OUDENBURG BK INTERS WK SIDE-CAR EMX QUADS BELGIAN NATIONAL COUPE DE L’AVENIR + SIDE-CAR SHORT MX b.v.b.a.

jos beckx

PROFESSIONELE GEREEDSCHAPPEN

jos beckx

Staatsbaan 14a 3945 Ham tel. 013 / 66 69 96 fax 013 / 66 35 82 josbeckx@skynet.be

17/03 24/03 07/04 28/04 12/05 02/06

SOMMIERES ROMAGNE LACAPELLE MARIVAL VILLARS S/ECOT ST JEAN D’ANGELY GAILLAC TOULZA

ITALIE

KAMPIOENSCHAP VAN 2013 03/02 10/02 17/02

RIOLA SARDO MALAGROTTA ARCO DI TRENTO

USA

ANAHEIM CA PHOENIX AZ ANAHEIM CA OAKLAND CA ANAHEIM CA SAN DIEGO, CA ARLINGTON TX ATLANTA GA ST LOUIS MO *DAYTONA FL INDIANAPOLIS, IN TORONTO, ON HOUSTON TX MINNEANAPOLIS, MN SEATTLE, WA SALT LAKE CITY, UT SHOOT OUT LAS VEGAS NV OPEN CLASSE LAS VEGAS, NV

2013 AMA NATIONAL MOTOCROSS 18/05 25/05 01/06 08/06 22/06 29/06 06/07 20/07 27/07 10/08 17/08 24/08

HANGTON – SACRAMENTO CALIFORNIE THUNDER VALLEY LAKEWOOD COLORADO BRISTOL BLOUNTVILLE TENNESEE HIGH POINT MT MORRIS PA BUDDS CREEK MECHANICSVILLE MD MOTO X 338 SOUTHIWCK MASS RED BUD NATIONAL BUCHANAN MICH. WASHOUGAL NATIONAL WASHOUGAL WASH SPRING CREEK MILVILLE MINN. UNADILLA NEW BERLIN N.Y. MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK TOOLE UTAH LAKE ELSINORE NATIONAL LAKE ELSINORE CAL.

Fotografie: Gutiérrez & Quarralt Supercross Bercy, Frankrijk 2011.

99 THE ART OF MOTOCROSS

05/01/13 12/01/13 19/01/13 26/01/13 02/02/13 09/02/13 16/02/13 23/02/13 02/03/13 09/03/13 16/03/13 23/03/13 06/04/13 13/04/13 20/04/13 27/04/13 04/05/13 19/10/13

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2013 AMA MONSTER ENERGY SUPERCROSS CHAMPIONSHIP

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Videografie Kris Melis Art Danny Vliegen Make up en Styling Cathy Kwanten voor Electic, Gigi

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The Art of Motocross en The Art of Nations ondersteunen het project “www.pictures4health.com” Volgende editie te verkrijgen vanaf april 2013.

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Official partner facebook.com/SECconstruction

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