CALVIN VLAANDEREN – CHASING THE BIG THREE

For Monster Energy Yamaha rider Calvin Vlaanderen, the 2024 season has been possibly the best season of his career, a career that starts in 2017 in the MX2 class and has seen him win GPs in both MX2 and MXGP, and pick up victory at the Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations victory with The Netherlands, but when it comes to putting together the best results over a period of time, there must be questions that this year is his best.

“Every year I make steps and improve,” Vlaanderen said. “If you look at the results over the last few years, I have just gotten better and better. Now, coming into a factory team, it has given me that extra boost that I needed. I have the people behind me, a factory bike definitely helps, the last percentages together, to be able to fight up front. That is definitely the difference.”

For whatever reasons, the South African born Dutchman has a love affair with Indonesia, and it was at the two Lombok GPs that he showed his best form of the season, finishing with two podium finishes and a lot of confidence.

“For sure. First weekend in Lombok I beat Tim and then the second one, I beat Jorge. First race (in the second Lombok GP), I caught Prado and passed him, and he won the first one in Lombok, so that gives me a lot of confidence, to know that I can also do it. So, going forward, I will take that in my pocket and know that I can not only be on the podium, but I can also go for wins.”

The podium in the first GP in Indonesia was a long road back inside the top three and Vlaanderen knew that he was doing all the right things to battle with the big three of the sport, Gajser, Prado and Herlings.

“Two years ago, I was on the podium, with the win in Sardinia and the same year I tied for a win in Lommel. Last year I had one race win, but my best wasn’t enough to be on the box. To finally be on the box feels really good. I am battling all multi-time World champions, with Jorge (Prado), Jeffrey (Herlings) and Tim (Gajser). So, to be up there, it just isn’t easy.”

Since returning to Europe for the races in Loket and Lommel, it was again doing the hard yards and trying to maintain that Indonesian form, and while he remains fourth in the World, he returned from Indonesia not feeling well and paid the price.

“It’s been a physically tough weekend at Loket. I picked up a sickness bug after Indonesia, but I still went to Loket with high expectations. Overall, I was satisfied with Loket and happy to keep this momentum going. The Lommel weekend was going really well until race two. In the first race, everything went to plan, and I had a good start, kept the top two in sight and felt like I rode well for third. Then in Race Two, I tangled with someone in the first turn and then crashed at the end of lap one. I was coming through the pack well, re-passing riders I’d already passed, but then crashed again.  A tough weekend in the end, and now it’s on to Sweden.”

So, with Uddevalla in his eyesight, Vlaanderen will try and regain that Lombok form and return to the podium. Currently fourth in the MXGP championship points and with only Gajser, Prado and Herlings ahead of him, his season remains a huge success, but a GP win, or more podiums will make his season much more enjoyable.

Photo Credit : Fullspectrum