Hello, this is Marianne Veenstra!
Dutch motocross is lucky to have Marianne Veenstra. The 19-year-old blonde is not only fast and beautiful, she is also quick to talk and has both feet on the ground. That's called Dutch sobriety.
As a hockey or tennis player, she would regularly make national media appearances. Or I'll say something like a skater, because as a sportswoman from the north that is of course completely your thing! And then 'the magazines' would now come by to take nice pictures and ask her what went wrong this season... But don't worry, what isn't there can still come. We certainly haven't heard the last of the Winter Racing Suzuki rider.
In fact, the fastest Dutch girl this season should have already reached the top in the World Cup for women. Due to a knee injury, Marianne missed her goal because Sweden scored two zeros. Just before traveling to South Africa on holiday, MXM spoke to the sympathetic Frisian.
Until your crash in the Swedish GP, was everything going well this season?
Marianne Veenstra: Certainly I have made some nice growth. Compared to last year I felt a big improvement and that was also visible in the results. I was always around sixth place. In France I reached the top five. With Lierop as the last GP I certainly had a view of fifth place in the final standings. Eighth in the final standings is not bad, but that in itself does not say much. Well, last year I was seventh too! If you put so much effort into it, you only want to get better, of course.
What was wrong with your knee and how are you doing now?
Marianne Veenstra: I crashed in a downhill in Uddevalla just as I was approaching fourth place! It looked quite serious at first. We were afraid that there was something wrong with the meniscus. Fortunately I did not have to have surgery, the injury mainly needs time to recover. That is why I have been doing intensive strength exercises for a while now to strengthen the muscles around the knee. I now ride with a brace and it's going well, only abrupt movements still feel a bit strange, but other than that I have no pain or anything. In the beginning, right turns still required paying attention and it is also logical that you hesitate to extend your leg.
At the top of the WMX championship, the level is increasing noticeably, but the differences are also increasing?
Marianne Veenstra: Exactly, you have a selection of four to five girls who call the shots at the front. Then there are some who lean against that top, like me. Between places 9 and 15 you have drivers who are also quite fast. The difference with the girls who come after is very big. You don't see that among men.
Livia Lancelot, Stefi Laier, Maria Franke, almost all the girls at the top are professionally involved in their sport. What about you?
Marianne Veenstra: I'm in a similar situation. At the Hanze University of Applied Sciences I went to the Institute for Sports Studies, but I stopped my studies for two years. I still have to figure out how to proceed, perhaps with home study later. Next year I will be all about the sport again. I am far from being at my top and I have the feeling that there is more to it. That's why I want to give myself the space to fully commit to motocross. I don't see myself going back to the Institute for Sports Studies. It would be nice to be able to do something with the experience I am gaining now.
The Netherlands has five girls regularly in the top 20. With you Marielle De Mol, Nicky Van Wordrageren, Britt van der Wekken and Shirley Verkade. Only Germany imitates this in terms of breadth. What is the cause of that?
Marianne Veenstra: I don't really think about that, to be honest. Although there is quite a bit of driving opportunity in the Netherlands. In most club competitions there is a women's class and now that it is coming in the ONK that is certainly a good thing.
The KNMV also offers quite a bit of support for the fastest girls?
Marianne Veenstra: Yes and no. I don't mean anything negative by that. There is a women's selection that Carlo Hulsen, Toine Van Dijk and also Leon Giesbers work with. That's a kind of social training. That's probably great for the younger girls and they learn a lot. They also get better every year. It's just more difficult for me because I don't have anyone to lean on because I'm the fastest. So I wouldn't think that's entirely fair. For effective training, you should mainly rely on your own abilities. That's why I follow my own program.
You completed an internship with Gary Seimics in the US at the beginning of 2009, and in terms of driving technique he is truly a world reference. He is known, among other things, as coach of Jeremy McGrath and maker of instructional videos. How did it go?
Marianne Veenstra: (enthusiastic) Super, really great! I learned a lot from it. With Gary I received individual guidance and that is certainly a privilege. We were really able to take the time to fine-tune my technique. Plus, I was also there in Florida for a few weeks. So that makes a difference, you can also train thoroughly without having to rush. I had a private court available that was very beautifully constructed. There were both hard and softer parts, very varied. And even in January and February it was always between 20° and 30° C. That's all so cool, but South Africa will be just as fun!
Thank you very much for the conversation Marianne and greetings to Shannon (Terreblanche).
Marianne Veenstra: I will do. I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone happy holidays and a fantastic 2010!
Marianne's website can be found here: http://www.marianneveenstra.nl/
More information about Marianne's sponsor Winter Autocentrum Groningen can be found here here.
Photos credit: CDS, Massimo Zanzani/Youthstream
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