Radio 335 live: DJ Dennis 'Crusty' Verbruggen!
For Dennis Verbruggen, 2009 was the year of resurrection. The 22-year-old Kempen native stood on the podium of an MX2 GP for the first time in his career during his home race in Lommel. A switch to the MX1 with LS Motors-Honda did not happen. Verbruggen chose the Negaan-JM Racing team of Jacky Martens. This winter, Verbruggen quietly prepared for his very last season in MX2.
Dennis, we barely heard from you this winter. How are you preparing for the new season?
Dennis Verbruggen: “My preparation is going according to plan. Only the relatively harsh winter in Belgium could throw a spanner in the works. That's why I went to Spain during the Christmas holidays. At least there I could complete a normal running and cycling training. Something that was simply impossible here, with the winter weather conditions.”
Do you decide on your own what your physical training looks like?
Dennis Verbruggen: “No, I am assisted in this by Jan Van Brabant. Jan is a physiotherapist but he has extensive experience in supervising physical training for athletes.”
How does the motorcycle training work?
Dennis Verbruggen: “At the end of January we traveled to Italy with the entire JM Racing KTM team. There we were able to drive on hard circuits in good weather conditions. Ideal, because on days like that you can do a lot of testing work. And that was necessary because there was something to test.”
You are now on the team with your ex-villager and rival Joël Roelants for the first time. How did that test week go between the two of you?
Dennis Verbruggen: "Just good. We sometimes joke and joke together between riding sessions. But of course everyone does their own thing during the week.”
How often do you ride your motorcycle during this period?
Dennis Verbruggen: “At the moment you can expect to have to train with the bike two to three times a week, just to get automatic. Twice is actually a minimum.”
When will you first compete on the KTM?
Dennis Verbruggen: “My debut on the KTM is scheduled for Valence (20 & 21 February). I would have liked to ride in Lommel on Sunday, but until now I could not reach an agreement with the organizing club. But when I look at the weather forecasts for this weekend, I am not so sad about it. Although I do think that here in Belgium the season is starting too early. “
The first important assignments for the Negaan-JM Racing team will arrive in March with the ONK MX2 competitions in Mill and Halle. Do you expect to have a chance of winning the Dutch MX2 title?
Dennis Verbruggen: “Obviously, why wouldn't I have a chance? In the past I have almost always ridden in the ONK, so I know most of the circuits well. I already became vice-champion MX2 and was also third once. So I don't see why I couldn't compete for the ONK.”
Last year, Jeffrey Herlings smeared Joël Roelants' pants for 50 seconds during the second series of the ONK competition in Emmen...
Dennis Verbruggen: “Well, but I still don't see why I or Roelants couldn't beat Herlings. I mean, every day is different and every race has to be competed.
The weekend after Halle, the MX2 World Championship starts in Sevlievo. What are your goals for this World Cup?
Dennis Verbruggen: “Last year I turned 13e, but I dropped a lot of points at the beginning of the year. Now my goal is to get into the top 10 of the World Cup final rankings. Actually, I should be able to do that.”
Last year there were mainly outliers on sand circuits. But if you aspire to a top-10 place, you will also have to perform on hard circuits.
Dennis Verbruggen: “I am certainly as good on a hard track as on a sand track. Last year my starts were a big problem. This means that you always have to catch up. On a hard track you can still pass a few people, but of course the real toppers don't wait. Things are somewhat different on a sand track. In Lommel the circuit changes almost lap after lap, making it more difficult. Moreover, there are also a number of riders who are nearing the end completely broken to sit."
Has your starting problem from last year now been solved?
Dennis Verbruggen: “Yes, the cause of those bad starts was not my own, but the engine. The Honda CRF 250 barely made progress during the first meters. That it was not my fault was evident from the two holeshots I took on the CRF450 during the BC race in Orp-le-Grand. I have already experienced that the KTM gets off the starting blocks so much faster.
Will we also see you working in Belgium this season?
Dennis Verbruggen: “Yes, of course. I ride almost the entire BC. Not in the MX2 class, but in the Open class. There is a good chance that I will end up with the SX-F 450. But for now I haven't tested on that machine yet. Although I also assume I can make plans on that. There is a BC race that overlaps with an ONK, by then I will decide where I will ride that weekend based on my position in the standings. I still have to discuss this with the team, but it seems logical to me that in such a case you opt for the championship in which you are in the best position.”
2010 will definitely be your last season in the MX2 class. Can you go to the MX2011 World Championship with JM Racing in 1, together with Joël Roelants?
Dennis Verbruggen: “We haven't talked about that yet. But I assume that if everything goes well, we can talk about it.”
Credit photos: CDS, Bram Deboutte
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