We are now ready for our third part in the end of year report of Belgian MX talent. In this episode Yves 'Holeshot' Devlaminck sheds light on Julien Lieber, Daymond, Martens, Mathias Plessers and Jonas Salaets.
Julien Lieber: all or nothing
The opinion of Holeshot: “It is difficult to estimate Julien, because it is often all or nothing! He can easily take pole and two podiums in the ADAC and barely score any points next weekend. Technically he has good skills and he can handle all types of circuits. He immediately applied what he heard during the internship in Lommel, which is certainly a plus. But he absolutely needs to channel his attacking drive. Keeping his mind and building up calmly during training and qualifications.
Julien certainly has potential, at least if he uses his mind! I also hope that he does not jump on a large and/or too powerful motorcycle too quickly. He is of the age for it, but not yet the body. I have complete confidence in him and during the Coupe de l'avenir he rode a nice second series after dropping out in the first."
Daymond Martens became Belgian 85cc champion
Daymond Martens: the technician
The opinion of Holeshot: “Daymond has many qualities. He can drive fast on any circuit, his position on the bike is perfect, he rarely uses his rear brake, shifts gears well and his driving technique is also excellent. He is still quite short on speed alone, although this will improve with time and growth.
If I have one piece of advice for him, it is to let himself go a little more, both in fast sections and for big jumps, because he can certainly handle it! For next season, a mixed program of the French and German championships would be interesting, alternating with competitions in Belgium so as not to lose the feeling in the sand…”
Superstyler Mathias Plessers
The opinion of Holeshot: “There is a lot to tell about Mathias. Objectively speaking, he is one of the most stylish pilots in the 85cc European Championship. When I saw him in Poland, he immediately caught my eye, even though that did not yet translate into results. His attitude, riding technique, it all looks promising! Mathias probably has the largest growth margin of all in driving. On the other hand, I don't understand why he gets discouraged several times during the match, without any clear reason! I think it's even more amazing that 30 minutes later he walks around in the paddock as if nothing had happened...
Talent and technique are one thing, but Mathias has to learn to fight, he has to learn to suffer. It is not yet too late, but he will have to adjust his attitude in certain circumstances. Next year he wants to participate in the European Championship 125cc two-stroke. That is a big challenge, but he has the capabilities for it. On the other hand, he will have to step up physically because the circuits are all demanding at that level.”
Mathias Plessers during the Coupe de l'avenir in Angreau.
Jonas Salaets: eager to learn
The opinion of Holeshot: “Jonas has a lot of merit. He went from an amateur federation to the European Championships with limited resources without a transition period. You just have to do it! It was really cool to work with him. I have rarely known a pilot who pays so much attention and asks so many questions. That is an important quality... Jonas has improved enormously at the beginning of the season, probably because he started his preparation very early in the winter. He also had to learn a lot about the competition format and the courses in the European Championship.
That learning curve was interrupted in Valkenswaard where he had a hard fall, and he was quite lucky there! After that, the summer slowed down a bit. A season is once a long time and everyone has a bad period now and then. In 2010 he switched to a heavier motorcycle. I think his style is better on a 250 four-stroke than a 125. Technically he needs to concentrate on his agility on the bike, his speed when cornering on hard circuits, flat or downhill corners and big jumps . I think he could also benefit greatly from complementary training in martial arts or athletics. This allows you to develop more explosiveness and a higher speed of execution. Hopefully we will see Jonas at work a few more times in the Junior European Championship.”
In part 4: Brent Van Doninck, Julien Van Stippen, Ludovic Brevers and the others
Click on the Tag 'Belgian youth talent' below to see all parts of the series.
Photos credit: Olivier & CDS
