5 minutes with… Kevin Fors
After 2 seasons of ups and downs with the KEMEA Yamaha team, Kevin Fors will switch to the Silver Action KTM team this year. The 2 Belgian MX2011 champion finds Jose Butron as a teammate at his new team and hopes to take another step forward this year.
Was there no more room for you in the KEMEA team? Or would you like something different?
KF922: I felt very good at KEMEA. We didn't have the best engine, but the atmosphere in the team was very good. I especially got along very well with my mechanic, and for that reason alone I would have liked to stay with the KEMEA team. However, it took a long time before they could give me a definitive answer for 2014. I received a lot of 'maybes' and in the end they didn't play it correctly with me. They were looking for two top 10 pilots, but had informed me that there was room for a third pilot, only to eventually inform me that there was no room. Suddenly I stood there and was quite disappointed with that decision and also a little bit about the way this happened.
Fortunately, you quickly found another solution!
KF922: I must say that I actually expected this turn of events and had already contacted some other teams. A few teams were interested, including TM. I then tested their bike and the bike didn't really suit my style. I then came into contact with the Silveraction team. This is a small, family team that focuses on the important things, and they also have a very good engine.
With the KTM 250 SX-F you cross paths again with the bike on which you became Belgian champion in 2011?
KF922: Yep! And the engine has become even better than then. From the moment I was able to try Butron's bike, I was sold on the KTM. Moreover, I have had good experiences with this motorcycle in the past, so that is an extra plus.
The leader of the team is José Butron, is it educational to have someone like him next to you?
KF922: I met him a few weeks ago in Spain at his home. He is very open and straightforward, and asks himself few questions... He always gives 100% and for me it is certainly very educational to have someone at his level next to me. I can learn a lot from his way of working both off and on the circuit. And judging by his results, it has been proven that the engine is very good.
There are always many shifts in the MX2 class, where do you place yourself this year?
KF922: The only thing I can say now is that the starting field will again be very wide. There are some top riders who have switched to the MX1 class, but at the same time there is also a strong group from the European Championships such as Guillod and Seewer. I don't know where to place myself before I've done a few races. The goal for me this year is to regularly ride between 10th and 15th place in the GPs. And the emphasis is actually on regularity. Previously I usually had 1 good and 1 bad match and now I want to perform 2 matches at an equal level.
Your weak point in recent seasons has always been the start?
KF922: I indeed had to reassemble from afar in 2012 and 2013. I think the Yamaha lacked a bit of power and that was a handicap in the starts. The start is very important in the MX2 class because the field is very homogeneous. The times are very close together and everything is determined in the first laps. I hope that I can solve this problem with the KTM.
However, you finished last season strongly?
KF922: I had a lot of highs and lows and in Bastogne in front of my home crowd I rode the worst race of my career. I was stressed and couldn't find my way on the circuit. Maybe I had ridden too much in training, which is under completely different circumstances than at a GP… I didn't know what the problem was. I was really angry with myself afterwards and that gave me a boost for the last GPs. I was therefore satisfied with the results of the last 2 GPs to end the season.
There is a lot of talk about the globalization of the World Cup, what do you think?
KF922: On the one hand, it is good for the image of the sport that the championship becomes more international. For me personally though... I love to travel and discover countries that I would never have reached without the GPs, that's very adventurous! But on the other hand, it is becoming increasingly complicated for the teams and pilots with those extra overseas GPs. The budget required for those competitions is enormous. If I don't race any more GPs next year, it will be because of these overseas GPs. And I'm not the only one! It is difficult for everyone and you can see that when you look at the start list for the MXGP… With 25 participants this is a bit sad.
What is your program for 2014 besides the GPs?
KF922: I will participate in the Italian championship and also in the ONK and the Belgian Championship. In Belgium I will ride an MX2 bike in the Open class, although I doubt whether to start with the 350 in the sand races. Last year I suffered so much in Mol that I don't want to experience this again. Because I am riding in the Italian championship, I will not be able to start in Valence...
Text: Olivier Evrard / Photos CDS
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