The Crocodile Dundee in Joël Roelants
You can hardly deny MXmag columnist Joël Roelants courage. Many riders talk about Supercross, but Roelants is working hard to improve his technique and SX skills. The Dutch MX2 champion will even go to Australia this winter where he will participate in two rounds of the Australian Super-X championship. We called 'JR' for a quick update...
How are you doing Joël, aren't you bored too much?
Joel Roelants: “(laughing) No, I always know what to do. After the last BC competition in Mont-Saint-Guibert I took off my belt. Before Harfsen I had only been on the bike 2 or 3 times. Then I rested for another week after Harfsen and now I am physically active again.”
Have you also had a taste of motorsport recently?
Joel Roelants: “That wasn't anything serious! During the JM Racing sponsorship day you could drive on the circuit in Valkenswaard. One sponsor brought a BMW M3, another an Opel OPC and then there was a Ford Fiesta. Not exactly a PK beast, but in terms of drifting you could still do a lot with it! The sponsorship day was great fun again.”
Any news regarding your Australia plans that you talked about in the previous column?
Joel Roelants: “Yes, all systems go! I'm going to Australia from November 22 to December 11. I will be staying locally with Cody Mackie (note: Australian Lites pilot) and I will be participating in the rounds in Sydney and Brisbane. I have a mechanic and a team who will take care of my KTM. Because there are people on site to help me, I can also go there alone. I will take my own rear suspension with me, if I were to also carry my front suspension there would be no room for clothes! “
Have you ridden any SX lately? And what do you hope to achieve there?
Joel Roelants: “I went to train in Genk once, but nothing else. Genk is of course also super compact and not that demanding compared to real SX tracks. Which is understandable, because in Belgium it is difficult to build an SX circuit specifically for 5 pros! But the washboard is very good in Genk. I really don't have a specific outcome in mind. There may not be the most famous men riding in the Lites, but if you watch the clips on the internet you will see that they are all riders who have the experience to ride supercross. The intention is simply to learn a lot in Australia, both in training and during the competitions.”
What do you think of Ken De Dycker who will participate in Bercy?
Joel Roelants: “It's hard to judge in Ken's place. I was also asked if I wanted to participate in Paris, but I declined. First of all, it's a difficult track and you don't drive against it Janneke and Mieke. Know yourself: if you run into trouble under those circumstances, problems will arise. That is why I choose to build up step by step. This year we want to get a bit more feeling in Australia and then we will see what happens next year.”
Have you tested the new KTM SX-F 250 yet?
Joel Roelants: “Also with a view to Australia, I have already ridden here with the 2011 KTM. This way I know the settings of my front fork and with that I can ride in Australia. That first introduction was not too bad, of course there is a difference between the standard 2011 engine and my tuned Negaan-JM Racing competition engine. But the basis is already very good and once again you notice how powerful the 250 standard already is! But don't ask me to compare it to the 2010 production version. It's been too long already!”
On TV you seemed very satisfied after winning your Dutch title (Joël gave Jeffrey Herlings a mud kiss after the finish). Was the discharge greater than last year?
Joel Roelants: “I don't know if the relief was bigger... In any case, I was very relieved and I was happy for the team and the sponsors. Because Harfsen was so late, I went there unprepared. But it could hardly have been otherwise. After a long season you long for rest. If you continue training until Harfsen and then take a break, you will be delayed again in your preparation for 2011. In the end, everything went well, although I did suffer from pumped up arms. After the match Jeffrey (Herlings) came to congratulate me and I couldn't resist to be silly with him. He took it in a sporty manner.”
Next season you will work with Bengt Laeremans as a sporting supervisor. What will his role be?
Joel Roelants: “Bengt will be my driving coach. We've talked about that before. Now that he has stopped racing himself, he also has more time free. Next season he will divide his time between his bike shop and supporting me: preparing the bike, going on training, Bengt will also go to the GPs and will do video analysis. Not only do we get along well, Bengt also has a good eye for driving technique and he will mainly coach me in that. At this level every detail is important, this way I want to gain a few percent again.”
Have fun down under!
Joel Roelants: “It won't go wrong!”
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