A moment with Auke Theuninck
This weekend the legendary beach motocross will be held in the French seaside resort of 'Touquet'. In addition to the regular motorcycles that will compete for victory with more than 1000 on Sunday, there is also room for quads on Saturday. In the run-up to this match, we had a quick chat with Auke Theuninck.
MXM: Auke, is Le Touquet now the highlight of the season for you?
Take: In the past, Le Touquet was really a competition that I looked up to. It is a competition with 500 participants in the past and all pilots who ever won it were well-known pilots. As a winner of Le Touquet you also get eternal fame, so to speak. Two years ago I won Le Touquet, but this victory was taken away from me. The race was stopped early, but the FFM made the mistake of flagging me with the checkered flag. The black and white checkered flag means they have to take the result the way we crossed the finish line. But the French said that if the race was stopped early, they would take the previous round as the final result. That is true, but then they have to use the red flag. So it was their word against mine. I was then dropped to fourth place. After this incident I have lost all my sympathy for the Le Touquet match. But it is and remains the most important sand competition of the year for all quad enthusiasts, so you should be at the top there too!
MXM: You clearly still have an account open in Le Touquet. How badly do you want to win that match?
Take: What happened is something that will always be in the back of my mind for a long time to come. Every time I talk about it again, something bubbles inside. Never before has a non-French person won this competition, so I could have become the first “foreigner”, but they robbed me of this unique event. I would really like to win this competition again, but I am also realistic enough that this will be very difficult. Everything has to go well, there must be nothing wrong with the machine, the pilot must be in top condition and have a great day. Sometimes you also have to be lucky that the opposition is a little less. Everything has to go well and two years ago my puzzle pieces fell together, as I sometimes say, but it wasn't to be.
MXM: When we talk about opposition, which drivers should people keep an eye on as they follow the race on Saturday?
Take: One name stands out and normally nothing can be done about it, this is Jeremie Warnia with number 2. Then you have Mathieu Ternynck (number 12) who normally cannot handle Warnia's pace, but in principle he is 'the best'. of the rest'. Last year Romain Couprie excelled and was able to win. Shortly after this we follow up with some drivers who will fight to maybe get on the podium and complete the top 5. Those pilots are the Frenchman Keveen Rochereau (last year's sand champion, No. 1), the Belgian and my brother-in-law Jan Vlaeymans (No. 4), Jeremy Forestier (No. 6) and myself (No. 19).
MXM: What will the season bring for Auke Theuninck after Le Touquet?
Take: Peace! Last year I started my own business as a secondary profession: Re-Fit, where I provide personal training and spinning. So I guide people who want to lose weight and improve their fitness as well as some motocross riders. That takes a lot of time. Last year I also put the quad aside during the summer and focused on other sports, and this has been beneficial. This summer I will participate in some triathlons again and perhaps train with the quad every now and then, but above all the FUN factor must remain high during the summer. During the winter months (the sand season), it is back to serious work.
The Quaduro of Le Touquet can be followed live on MotorsTV on Saturday, from 12:45 PM.
Text: Matthias Van Eeckhoven
Also to read
MXMag went to see the Free Energy Trailer in Olmen
The automotive sector is leading the way in vehicle electrification, and now the motorcycle industry is taking a similar step. However, developing a machine intended for competition use is a completely different matter…Robert Fobbe at the start in the USA!
Robert Fobbe will be in action for the first two (2) races of the Lucas Oil AMA Pro Motocross Championship! The 23-year-old rider will…Ian Ampoorter makes his return to Portugal
After a lot of injuries, Ian Ampoorter will appear behind the starting gate next weekend. The GasGas rider travels to Agueda in good spirits for the third race of the European Championship…Australia returns to the MXGP calendar!
From 2025, Australia will be back on the FIM MXGP-MX2 World Championship calendar. After 24 years, another Grand Prix 'down-under' will be held and this will happen...
Your reactions