Published On: 8 november 2012

IIn this brand new series we are looking for the world champions of tomorrow. Not characters like Adam Cianciarulo, Jorge Prado Garcia or Tim Gajser. No, we are looking for talent closer to home. In wet, cold Belgium. But where in Belgium can you find such talent? The general public sometimes proclaims that there is no talent left in Belgium. That we have too few circuits, too little structure and too little money. Yet there are young perseverers who do not care about this and continue to train very hard.

Actually, we can't blame the general public. It is logical that they somehow think that there is no more talent. We as Belgians are used to nothing less than world titles. Something we have been waiting for for 4 seasons, Sven Breugelmans won the MX3 in 2008. Even if you look further, there is still no light at the end of the tunnel. That the current generation will fight for world titles, there is no doubt about that. Clement Desalle, Ken De Dycker, Joël Roelants, Jeremy van Horebeek and Kevin Strijbos are real GP worthy top riders. But what next?

In the MX2 class next year, the Belgians are few and far between. This is a class for under-23s. A World Championship for talents and the future. That causes a bit of panic. At first glance, it seems as if we Belgians will have to support the Dutch within 10 years or find another hobby. But with Julien Lieber, Kevin Fors, Damon Graulus en Brent Van Doninck we are pretty safe.

Both Lieber and Graulus are from 1994. Next season these youngsters will be 19 years old. To put it in perspective, Marvin Musquin became world champion for the first time in the year he turned 20. Tyla Rattray was even 22. Blake Bagget and Justin Barcia are also two years older than Lieber and Graulus. With super talents like Ken Roczen and Jeffrey Herlings in the back of your mind, you could almost forget that our Belgians actually still have a year or two to show themselves and develop. Although I don't think Julien Lieber will wait that long to really get noticed. Damon Graulus on the other hand is taking his time and will be riding the European MX2 championship next year.

Kevin Fors is a different story. He seems to be the Kevin Pauwels of motocross. A late bloomer who slowly but surely crawls to the top. With the guidance of the KEMEA Reytec Yamaha team and Marnicq Bervoets, Fors has made good progress this year. The stepson of Patrick Caps scored points in every GP where he started. During the Latvian Grand Prix he even shot to a 12th place in series two. Next year the young Walloon will be 21 in February. In principle there is still enough time, but the motocross world is merciless and time is starting to run out.

We also have Brent Van Doninck. The KTM pilot under the guidance of Stefan Everts will be 17 years old in January 2013. He is certainly one of the youngest talents on a 250cc 4-stroke machine. Next year he will compete in the European Championship MX2. Last season Brent already finished 7th in this class. It is only a matter of time before he steals podium places and even fights for victories.

Finally, we'll talk about it for a moment Jens Getteman. This season he has achieved great results in the MX2 world championship. He also became Belgian MX2 champion. Next year the 19-year-old from East Flanders will take an MX1 machine between his legs. Steven Lettani will ensure that Jens receives good guidance and can face the season with confidence. Stepping up to the premier class at such a young age is no small feat. With such a leap into the unknown, help from an experienced team leader is always useful.

In addition to these well-known talents, there are also many unknown talents. Boys who ride European and national championships. From 65cc to 250cc. We will also introduce these lesser-known talents to you. However, that will be for another time.

text: Frederik