Kevin Strijbos Interview

It is amazing to think that Kevin Strijbos was world junior champion in 1999, and EMX 125cc champion in 2001. So many years have passed under the bridge for the always smiling Belgian rider, but he continues wanting to fight for that ever elusive world championship.

Strijbos of the Stefan Everts led Suzuki factory team hasn’t had the best start to the season, but the Belgian is far from an also ran as he enters round four in Argentina this weekend.

He has gone 8^th, 8^th, 7^th in the first three rounds, and going into this weekend in South America he needs a change of luck.

The veteran of 14 years on the Grand Prix scene isn’t done just yet. Holding down 8^th place in the MXGP points standings pretty much fits with his results, but he is still just five points off sixth overall, and don’t be surprised if he moves up that ranking as the season moves into the later rounds.

Q: Kevin, how did you feel about the last round in Valkenswaard a couple of weeks ago?

Strijbos: The track was really difficult with all the rain, and that was good for me because I like those slow, technical kind of tracks. I didn’t have any arm-pump because you had to be precise on the bike and couldn’t gas it. I was feeling good for the second moto but my start was bad – I was happier with the first race performance! In the second I was stuck behind Evgeny Bobryshev, and couldn’t catch him on the straight. Overall it was a decent weekend and a lot better than Qatar and Thailand.

Q: Thailand was a tough weekend for the team, with Ben crashing out, and you not really making the results you might have hoped for.

Strijbos: I feel sorry for the team who have worked so hard because we have changed the bike set-up so much. Nothing seemed to work. In the first race I had so much arm-pump that I could not hold on and it was the same in the second race. I’m not sure what is wrong. The winter went so well. I felt good and people were telling me that I was riding better than ever but it is not showing on the track. I have to believe in myself but once I’m on the track it is a mess. We have some time now before Valkenswaard to find a solution.

Q: The opening GP of the season was a tough one for you wasn’t it?

Strijbos: We all struggled and it looks like we are not ready yet. There is not much more I can say! My times were ‘off’ yesterday and today and I tried to push and thought I was riding good, but it was nothing. I had a bad start in the first moto but I tried my best and we got an eighth. It was not good but there were signs of progress. I wheelied at the start of the second moto and it was one big mess. There was no energy in me to do what I needed to do. We have worked hard for this GP so it is a bit of a mystery. We just have to hope for better next weekend.

PIC: Suzuki World MXGP