Interview Le Touquet winner Daniëlle van Kempen
What could be better than setting yourself a difficult but achievable goal and then achieving it? Daniëlle van Kempen (26) can talk about it. The Zeelander won her second consecutive Enduropale-Le Touquet victory among the women last Sunday! The fact that Daan also won the MON Open Junior Championship in 2016 makes the past 12 months even more special. Mxmag brought Daniëlle to the microphone.
No, she doesn't have very stiff muscles and flat rest is not for her. After a day of rest, Van Kempen got back to work on Tuesday. Naturally in an excellent mood. “Just lugging car tires around is no problem. That will help you get rid of the little aches and pains automatically!” We jokingly ask whether Kees Van Der Ven, five-time winner in Le Touquet and therefore by far the most successful Dutchman ever in the most famous of all beach races, has already congratulated her. "No, not that! To be honest, I didn't really know what to expect in advance. I was well prepared and after 2016 I knew I could handle the competition myself. Because there were many girls on the list of participants that I did not know, I had to wait and see where I would end up compared to the competition,” Daniëlle explains. As the Dutch winner, Van Kempen was preceded by Nicky Van Wordrager, who was the strongest in 2011.
Ultimately, Van Kempen came in 3th after more than 265 hours of racing. Much better than last year when she finished 450th. Although her better starting position also had something to do with that. During her first participation, Daniëlle was pinned 717 and now she was allowed to start in the first group due to her excellent 2016 result. After all, the gigantic field of 1.100 riders starts in two waves. There is 30 seconds between the two groups, just a matter of limiting the chaos somewhat. “That start is very cool. Immediately full throttle in such a suit, and for so long. All the way to Stella Plage where the turning point is. That's a bit scary at those high speeds! Fortunately they had two kinks in it to reduce the speed a bit.” What's called. After all, speeds of more than 150 km/h are a regular occurrence during the Enduro Pale.
Teamwork makes the dream work
When you think of Le Touquet, you immediately imagine heavily modified engines. That turns out not to be so bad. The Yamaha YZ250 two-stroke fits her like a glove. Of course it was equipped with a special tank (13 liters), a cooling system and a larger front sprocket. Fortunately, MX Team Van Kempen has the necessary technical expertise in-house. Dad Van Kempen knows how to tackle things and Daniëlle's brother Jeffrey has also been at the start five times in Le Touquet. Because above all, the Enduropale revolves around good preparation and a strong team around the rider.
“Because I really wanted that title in the Open Junior class, we really focused on that. That was quite exciting until the end! I would have liked to ride the Red Bull Knock Out, but at that moment I was just on holiday to recharge the batteries. Then I continued with my physical training. From Christmas onwards we dived into the sand to train for Le Touquet.” The rain made it difficult to drive in Berghem, for example, so Daniëlle went to Dunkirk. Spending a weekend playing in the sand, racking up the miles. “I could never have ridden this Enduro Pale without the help of my friend Michael van Oosten, my parents, my brother Jeffrey and his girlfriend Mischa. It was a shame for Jeffrey that he couldn't drive himself, but this way I got some more support. In addition, Anita and Gerdard Manneveld were also ready for me in the pits. It's really great to be able to count on such a team!”
Diesel and sand hare
Internationally, Van Kempen was not up to par with her French top performances. She achieved top-5 finishes in the IMBA, but the European Championships were not her thing. “No, way too many hard jobs there. Just give me sand. I also like the longer duration of the match. When I saw the Enduropal on TV years ago I already knew, I wanted to try this. Actually, I'm a real diesel, the longer the race the better I get up to speed. That can be difficult in a normal race. At the beginning of the race I lose ground, but in the seventh lap I set my fastest time!” If it were up to her, she would have ridden the Enduropal before, but dad Van Kempen only wanted to let her start when she was ready. “That was definitely a good decision. I feel that I am now stronger and have more endurance than before.”
Whether as a girl she sometimes has to deal with jealousy. Especially now that she is also a champion? “I don't notice that at all. On the contrary, we have a super fun class. The comments are all very nice too. The men also see how hard I work for it and sometimes someone makes a joke. For example, a man said: I have been riding motorcycles for forty years, but now I can kiss the winner for the first time. Funny!" Girl or not, Daniëlle did not just get the title of champion. In order to score so regularly, she also had to work on her weaknesses. For the race in Geldermalsen, she trained twice on the hard track at the Meersteeg. That turned out excellently. To her own surprise, she performed excellently and was one of the few to just take the double. “I felt that people respected that we were going for it. Nice to surprise them too. How is this possible; Daan normally only drives well in the sand, doesn't he?
From horse riding to MX champion
This year she has to switch to the Seniors as champion. For the time being it is difficult to estimate where she fits in faster company. “A place among the first 15 would be nice, but if possible I would also like to complete more races or the entire French beach racing championship. Of course, that comes with a price tag with the travel and so on. So hopefully we can achieve that with sponsorship. To manage all this, our own team was founded: MX Team Van Kempen with Danielle and Jeffrey as riders. A big step after her sporting career started with horse riding. “Well, a horse like that doesn't always listen. Sometimes it just doesn't do what you want, that's easier with a motorcycle," she laughs. “My father had ridden motocross and so had my younger brother, so the step was quickly taken.”
The unpleasant memory of a serious knee injury is now far behind her. Danielle knows more than anyone that motocross requires major sacrifices. Not only from the rider and his or her environment, but also from sponsors who make everything possible. “You should definitely mention that,” she says in closing. Or in her words, thank you: Ralph Sigmans of Sigmans motors: for supplying a perfect Yamaha engine, BO motor oil: for the best oil available, Double D Designs: for the beautiful Kenny clothing, Shock Therapy for the excellent suspension, Van Kempen. . . fun on wheels, Bar de Belt, Fitness Fitaal, Onderhoudsbedrijf Van Gurp and all other sponsors. Hereby.
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Photos: Benjamin Hedoudin/BH Photographie (intro photo), other photos provided by rider
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