Report of the Dutch MX talents
A promise is a promise! After our report on the upcoming Belgian youth riders, it is time for a look at the Dutch talents. The fact that the orange drivers are discussed after the 'Belzen' is purely a coincidence. You will certainly not hear us say that the upcoming Dutch generation is inferior to the Belgians! Just like it previously published reportt This overview does not pretend to predict the sporting future. Nor do we claim completeness with regard to fast youth riders above the Moerdijk. We also apologize for those who did not make it to this snapshot and thought they belonged in this nice list...
We say the word again Yves “Holeshot” Devlaminck. As a national talent coach of the Belgian federation and trainer, he has been keeping his finger on the pulse of promising MX youngsters for years. Yves is a regular guest at the 85cc European Championships and regularly visits youth competitions here and there in Europe. Beforehand, the Brussels resident - who talks almost as fast as he drives - apologizes for the fact that he does not know all Dutch drivers equally well. Consequently, Devlaminck did not want to pass judgment on these drivers. Noted. Yet it remains a fascinating exercise to hear this evaluation from an outsider. Read: a non-Dutch. Moreover, Motocrossmag will continue to follow the youth in the Netherlands and Belgium after this series...
Yves Devlaminck: “More than a list of names, the overview of Dutch motocross talents is also the story of a generation. This is how it works in most countries. Moreover, this is only an interim report on a group that is more diverse than you might suspect at first glance! Some boys are on a heavier bike before 2010 and leave the youth ranks. Others will remain in the youth series for a while. In the Netherlands, that generation has also been 'moulded' by the structural approach of the federation. If I'm not mistaken, the KNMV has been involved in intensive youth training since the end of 2002. This involves a significant investment with internships, training, selections, structural guidance and a financial contribution for travel and competitions. Moreover, there are also Dutch European Championship matches on the calendar. All this together creates a favorable environment…
The first products from that Dutch selection are now gradually being delivered. Men like Herjan Brakke, Glenn Coldenhoff, Ceriel Klein Kromhof and of course Jeffrey Herlings (shown in the intro photo). In addition to the structural framework of a federation, I see three other factors that influence such a generation. First of all, it is the presence of a leader or pioneer. In France that was Christophe Pourcel about three years ago. Cri-Cri's breakthrough was the best motivation for the French youth. Such a boy becomes a model in this way. If you know that someone you have been competing against for years can make a big impact internationally, then that goal automatically becomes tangible. In the Netherlands, Herlings is leading an entire group.
Secondly, they also sit in the width quite well in the Netherlands. Of course, there are still major differences in the quality of those talents. Yet that is an important fact. A super talent like Herlings takes 3 to 4 other riders under his wing and makes them better. In turn, those guys raise the level for those riders behind them and so on. The competition means that you have to keep fighting to be at the front. In a country where there is only one very fast boy, that effect disappears.
Thirdly, and this is certainly not an unimportant factor. Since the advent of the four-stroke, it is more than ever vital to in the right place at the right time to be. What I mean by that is that you also need to be well supported early on. After all, getting to the top requires a lot of effort from everyone involved. From the parents, from the federation, from the kids themselves of course and from the sponsors. Driving internationally costs a lot of money, even at a young age. Just go to na. One weekend you ride in Estonia, the next weekend in Portugal, Junior World Championships in New Zealand, in the winter you participate in supercross races in Italy and then you prepare for the new season in Spain. That's not a luxury, it's all necessary, but you have to be able to afford it! In the Netherlands they go for it and I think that's really great. Like Micha-Boy De Waal does, for example. Sometimes I wonder how they manage it all. Just with their school. In any case, I take my hat off to those drivers and their families. Or riders who specifically train and compete in France. Because the junior World Cup will soon take place there. Talk about a professional attitude!
In part 2: Lars Van Berkel, Micha-Boy De Waal and Brian Bogers
Text: Yves Devlaminck
Photos credit: Ray Archer, Per Friske
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