Monster Energy Yamaha rider Romain Febvre arrived last year with a bang, surprising the whole motocross world with his speed and race smarts. He won himself the MXGP world championship and dominated the MXoN with 1-1 scores.
Hidden in the MX2 class with a single GP win to his name, and always in the shadows of Jeffrey Herlings, Jordi Tixier or some other riders, the Frenchman was known as a talent, but nothing could have prepared us for Romain Febvre 2015.
Now in 2016 his brilliance continues, and his race craft just gets better, and better. His second moto win against the great Antonio Cairoli was stunning for the spectators. The Italian has been a crowd favorite in Holland for many years, winning six GP’s at Valkenswaard, and considered one of the best sand riders of his era, maybe one of the best of all time.
But it seems the tide is turning in the MXGP world, and the young confident Febvre is making more statements, riding with more confidence, and going to yet another level. Has he got Cairoli’s number for the 2016 MXGP championship? We don’t know, not even Cairoli or Febvre can know that.
We caught up with Febvre after his win last weekend, and were not surprised by his confident, and positive statements about racing the king of the sand (Cairoli). This kid is more than the real deal.
Romain, that second moto was just something really special. Tell us about your race.
You know; the first moto I want to forget about that. The second moto I was much better. I knew I had the speed, but I needed a good start like in the first moto. It was really difficult to pass and I was stuck behind my team-mate and we had the same lines and it was difficult, but every lap I was catching and then I would be full of sand and I would pull a tear-off and lose a second and it was like that on every lap.
That type of racing is why we all love motocross. How did you make up so much ground? And then that pass, it was really impressive, tell us about that.
It was really difficult, but I saw that Antonio wasn’t getting away too much, and Jeremy and I were fighting and losing time on him. I knew if I could pass (Jeremy) I could catch Antonio. I knew he had different lines to Jeremy and I, and once I passed Jeremy I did catch quickly and then passed. Two laps to go I passed Jeremy and I saw it was just one lap to go, and I caught Cairoli really quick and I knew I had no time, but you know when it’s time to go, you just have to go. I was well prepared for the down-hill and I saw that he was always going on the outside and trying to play with the bumps exiting the corner. I came in really fast on the inside, but it worked out. I am so happy and after I passed him, I knew I was faster in the last part of the circuit, so I felt confident.
You got a little out of shape while chasing Cairoli and I thought to myself, he doesn’t want to throw this GP win away. Did you know you were already winning the GP with a second place in the second moto?
When I was third I didn’t, I didn’t know I was winning the GP, when I passed Jeremy, it all happened so fast, and I was in second and I could see Cairoli and I knew I had the speed. I saw two laps and I didn’t think about the Grand Prix, I just knew I had the speed and it was my time and I tried to pass him. I didn’t think about the overall.
Was beating Antonio in the sand also a battle for respect or a mental battle? You know Antonio hates losing more than anyone, he wouldn’t have liked you beating him.
For me, not so much. I don’t know for him, but for me, if it’s somebody else it’s the same for me. I don’t look at who it is, and we have a lot of good riders, and you see it if you get a bad start it is really hard to come back. I really don’t look at Antonio any different from the other guys.
You started the season late because of your injury in the pre-season race. You continue to surprise everyone with your speed, but how close are you to being the best Romain Febvre we will see?
I feel I am not 100% at what I can do, physically, I see every year I get better and I still have the focus to get better and I want to win so bad. I have a good team, good bike and everyone wants to win in the team, that is what I want. It isn’t like I am world champion so I feel I have done it, so I can do something else. I want to train and get better.
Just a quick run-down on the two moto’s?
I am really happy about the second moto, the first moto I had a good start and was third. I passed Nagl and was catching Tim, but everything \I tried to do didn’t work and that was frustrating. I didn’t find my rhythm and I got arm pump after 20 minutes. I just wanted to finish the moto and start a new one again. Second moto I was so hungry, but then I stalled the bike and Jeremy passed me, I caught him, then I crashed and I tried to get him and I passed Jeremy and caught and passed Antonio to win the moto.
Antonio has always been a good sport. He came over and congratulated you, that was nice.
You know, we all have respect for each other, and on the track we fight, even if we make a block pass, we still have this respect and after the moto he is just a normal person and that is it.
How difficult were the conditions?
We had some luck with the weather, they mentioned rain all day, but the first moto was wet, but the second moto it was much better.
Your sand riding skills are a lot better than Valkenswaard in 2015.
Last year I had a big crash on the uphill at Valkenswaard, and finished 10-5, so I improved and get better each year in the sand and I think it worked out in the second moto.
Ray Archer images
