Marnicq Bervoets about being a commentator
On Sunday, Marnicq Bervoets provided expert co-commentary for the images of the MX Pro Series race in Beervelde. A first for VT4, but nothing new for the sporty boss of LS Motors-Honda. Bervoets has been heard several times in recent years during live motocross coverage on Sporza. Curious about what such a job as a co-commentator actually entails, we asked Marnicq.
Marnicq, how do you start such an “interim” as a co-commentator?
Marnicq Bervoets: “They give you headphones and a microphone and then you have to explain it. (laughs) “No, all joking aside, it's not as easy as you might expect. After all, you don't know at all what to expect. Moreover, you often see less on the images on the monitor than if you were standing outside. But like many other things, it is something you have to get used to, you have to grow into it. It is also important that you know how to organize the match.”
Classify?
Marnicq Bervoets: “Yes, you have to talk about the battle for the lead, as well as about the chasers, and about the guys who are somewhere in the middle of the pack. “
Are you briefed in advance by the commentator or TV production people about what role you should play in the commentary?
Marnicq Bervoets: "Not really. You are expected to make some adjustments if the commentator makes a mistake or gets something wrong. You are also there to clarify certain terms or techniques.”
Have you often had to bite your tongue when a comment makes a mistake or says something out of the blue?
Marnicq Bervoets: “No, because you try to correct such a mistake immediately. Sometimes it's harder for me to restrain myself when I see certain riders messing around. But of course you can't mean to burn those guys down completely. You always have to weigh your words a bit.”
MXM: As a commentator, do you also have something like the form of the day?
Marnicq Bervoets: "Absolute. You have days when everything runs very smoothly. Then you immediately recognize the riders and you can actually fill in the course of the race. But there are also days when you wonder what you are doing there.”
MXM: “When did you have such a great day?”
Marnicq Bervoets: “Last year during the Motocross of Nations in Franciacorta. But I was also doing well during my live commentary in Kinepolis Hasselt at the MX of Nations in Budds Creek. A few years ago I was in the cabin in Gaildorf and I had a real off-day. At such a moment you don't know anyone and you don't see anything coming. Of course, this also has to do with the frequency, how often you comment. Compare it with cross-country racing itself, competition rhythm is important. That is why Joël Smets also feels more at ease and dares to say something extra more often. If, like me, you are called up more as a substitute, it is more difficult to get into it. It's also just a matter of practice, if you do something like this every week then it will go smoothly in the long run.
MXM: Finally, do you have to prepare specifically for a match as a commentator?
Marnicq Bervoets: “Not really, before the race I go over the results of the timed training or qualifications and then you quickly know who to keep an eye on. But of course that is also a matter of the eye of the connoisseur. (laughs)”
Photos credit: CDS & Ray Archer
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