World MXGP champion Tim Gajser is one very talented rider. His victory last weekend at the Arnhem Supercross, and his performance at the SMX in Germany a few weeks ago showed that his supercross skills are good.
The two times world motocross champion still has the dream to travel to America and race the AMA Supercross championship, and he might just surprise a lot of people when he gets there. We caught up with Gajser and asked him about Arnhem, the SMX and his season in general.
gajser-flying
Coming into the Arnhem Supercross, how did you feel?
I felt good, I hadn’t ridden the bike since the SMX, because we waiting for the shoulder to get better. Its cold outside, but we raced inside, so it’s a bit warming. I was looking forward to it.
You look so comfortable on the supercross tracks. How much do you train on these types of circuits?
Actually, I train only on supercross, if I am honest the last three years I just train on supercross and all the practice in the winter and during the MXGP season I am training in whoops, supercross jumps and also we have a quick section that is more like motocross. So I agree, my supercross skills are good. I know how to ride technical tracks, and of course SMX was more like a motocross track indoors, the ramps to the jumps were more like supercross, but the rest of the circuit was fast and more like motocross. At leas I showed I have speed indoors, the fast guys were there, Dungey a three time AMA Supercross champion, and a week later I am watching Monster Cup and they were also quick there.
Obviously Arnhem and Veltins for the SMX didn’t have massive whoops, but in America they are lethal. How are the whoops at your track back home?
I have bigger whoops, and my dad is making them bigger, they are not so long, like 40 or 50 metres, but they are three and a half and a half metres high, and steep, but I ride those with the motocross settings, in the whoops and everywhere, but the same set-up as the GPs. I think I know how to ride the whoops, but when you go to a race it’s different. Also the inviroment it’s narrow and you have to be perfect in the whoops.
Obviously the SMX didn’t turn out 100% for you, but you really showed good speed.
I thought it was good, It was cool. Actually it was a really fun event and the track was enjoyable, not too hard, but it was really fun, and I think everyone had fun racing there. many good battles and I was able to win the first moto and then I was leading the second, but then fell on my shoulder. I am really happy because I showed I have speed inside as well as outdoors.
MXlarge: How much were you disappointed you wouldn’t race the Monster Energy Cup in Vegas?
Gajser: I was really sad I couldn’t go to the Monster Cup. We made the right decision, because my shoulder wasn’t good and we had to fly out quickly after the SMX and then do some testing before the Monster Energy Cup, so I think we made a good choice. But on one side I was so sad, but it was better to heal up for next season. That race I dream about and the past two years I haven’t been able to go there, but because of some crashes I haven’t been able to go.
I am guessing you won’t be heading to A1 before the 2017 MXGP season?
No, I wouldn’t do a supercross before the MXGP season. There are going to be so many good riders in MXGP next year and I need to be 100% prepared for that. So many good riders, you really need to be prepared for that first race at the end of February. We also have the new bike, so we have to test a lot. I feel good on that bike. If I am honest I just rode two times 30 minutes on the new bike, and when I rode it I loved it, I felt so good on it. It handles so well and its very poweful, but we can make something more. I mean the more I ride it the more we will change and I am happy with it.
What about the HRC situation. Gautier [Paulin] is gone, do you just move into his place with Evgeny [Bobryshev]?
Not a lot will change. The past two years I have been an HRC guy and I have the same material as Gautier and Evgeny, so I had all the support from HRC, we were just in a different tent. I didn’t feel any less of a HRC guy.
Which part of the season was the highlight for you?
I think the middle of the season, like Spain, I went 1-1, then France 1-2 and then Great Britain 1-1 and Mantova 1-1. Those four races I won seven races from eight races and that was the highlight and the time I gained most of the points and I felt really good. Then we had a break of a month and I started thinking about the championship and everything didn’t go as I wanted. That was tough. Also the beginning of the season in Qatar going 1-1, those were the highlights. Also winning the title, many great memories from this season.
I still remember talking to Roger Harvey from HRC at the start of the year. I asked him how he thinks you will go, and he said he thinks you have a chance to win it, and that you thought you could win it. He said you didn’t say that, but the smile on your face when he asked you told him all he needed to know.
With my dad, we were talking when we were flying to Qatar for round one, and he said to me, you can win this series, and I look at him and I smiled. Everybody was talking about how many good riders in the class and how many champions, how many championships between everyone. I knew I had the speed, but Roger and I were talking in Sardinia, and Roger asked said to me, you want to win don’t you? I just smiled at him and he knew what I meant.
Ray Archer images
