Exclusive interview with Lars Greekpoor
Lars Greekspor (18) had an eventful 2017 season. After a productive winter, things started to get better for Marc De Reuver's pool. However, in mid-June, De Amsterdammer broke his fibula. Yet Lars managed to come back strong and take a nice 5th place in the ONK MX2. At the end of the season, Maakpoor also made a positive impression in the enduros in which he participated. Such 2017 deserves an interview!
First a look back at the preparation of the past season. How was the preparation?
Lars Greek Spoor: “I had a good winter preparation, partly due to the help of my new fitness trainer. The first match of the preseason was in England, Hawkstone Park. In this race I rode together with many Grand Prix riders, which is always good to gain experience. The match went well. This was followed by a competition in France. This was in La Capelle. This was the first race on hard ground, a difficult track with many stones. But this match also went well. I also competed in several competitions in the Netherlands, so I started the season well prepared.”
Were you able to continue that good preparation at the start of the season?
Greek track: “The season started with the ONK (Open Dutch Championship) in Heerde. Had a good race, this also applied to the race afterward, in Mill. This certainly promised something for the rest of the season. I hoped to continue this at the Dutch Masters of Motocross, but unfortunately things didn't go well there. While the rhythm was the same during the ONK competitions, I clearly had to catch up during the Dutch Masters.”
Do you feel like you have grown during the season?
Greek track: “Yes, the further the season progressed, the better it went. I got into a better rhythm and the preparation started to pay off. The matches went well, the results got better and the vibe was great. All the loose pieces started to fall together into one smooth whole.
And then… The home race in Nieuw-Vennep. This is where things went wrong, what exactly happened?
Greek track: “June 16 and 17 was indeed a race in Nieuw-Vennep. On June 16 I had trained twice on the track, the preparations went well. The evening before the race I had the motorcycle triathlon, which is cycling first, then running and finally cross-country. I was 2 heree become. Things went wrong very quickly on Saturday, in the first heat, right in the first corner I came into contact with another rider. I fell off the bike and had an unfortunate fall. When I wanted to get on again, the doctor stopped me, but eventually I was allowed to get on the bike and I rode on with impatience. After about 10 minutes the adrenaline started to wear off and the pain in my right leg could no longer be ignored. After driving for a while and bumping my leg against the ground a few times, I decided to quit the race. The pain became too much.”
Did they quickly discover at the emergency room that it was more serious than you expected?
Greek track: “At the emergency room I couldn't stand on my leg, so I was sent to the hospital to take pictures of my right leg just to be sure. It soon became clear that my fibula bone was broken just above my ankle. This required six weeks of plaster to heal. A big blow both physically and emotionally, the season was going well, there were only a few games left and suddenly it was all over and I couldn't really do anything anymore.”
That is indeed a big blow. So after six weeks you were done with it and you could start training again?
Greek track: “No… If only it was a party like that. After a week and a half I had to go back to the hospital to have more photos taken. Bad news soon came, the bone had separated and there was no sign of calcium production. I was given a new cast and was given the choice to operate or not.
Did you ultimately choose to have surgery or wait?
Greek track: “My trainer then immediately contacted a doctor in Belgium. He was very clear in his advice; come to Belgium immediately to have the operation performed as quickly as possible. I immediately went that way and less than 24 hours later I had surgery. A plate is placed on the bone with a few screws.”
How did the rehabilitation go after this?
Greek track: “After the operation, I had to sit with my leg up for a week and a half and was literally not allowed to do anything. Absolutely nothing for me and I was very happy that I was allowed to wear a walking cast three weeks later. In the meantime, I continued to train so as not to deteriorate too much physically. When I was given a walking cast, I really had to learn to walk again, my leg felt so heavy. When I was given a walking cast, I was allowed to start putting light weight on my leg again. Another three weeks later I was cast-free and I could train harder. This was mainly about getting my coordination back, which was quite lost. It took some getting used to walking without a walking cast. After four weeks of intensive training with physio and of course training independently, I was able to get back on the bike. So it took a total of 11 weeks before I could get back on the bike.”
What was it like to be back on a motorcycle for the first time? Were you afraid of using your leg or falling again?
Greek track: “It was very strange to be back on the bike. I had hoped and expected that things would get better immediately. But I was no longer used to the feeling, I had to get used to it again. I was especially afraid to put my injured leg hard on the ground and clearly had to regain confidence in my leg. But it soon became clear to me that it was all sturdy enough. My reaction time was significantly reduced and I had to drive a lot to get it back. It was also quite a challenge, competitors that I had previously stayed ahead of now simply passed me easily. But this was really just a reason to train even harder and come back even stronger.”
When did you compete in your first race again?
Greek track: “During my rehabilitation I worked towards October 15th. This was the last match of the ONK. My goal here was to limit the damage in the championship and my 5e to hold my position, due to the injury I had missed 1 match and was out of 4e to the 5e position dropped. Luckily I have the 5ebeing able to hold on to a place and therefore still be able to end the season on a good note.”
Have you participated in any other competitions?
Greek track: “After Boekel the Enduros started. You will be on the motorcycle all morning and afternoon and you will encounter tests along the way that require time. The one with the least time at the end of the day wins. This is also partly by road. There are 5 competitions in total, of which I have now completed 4 and have already won 3 and came second in 1 competition.
So the Enduros are partly on the road, isn't this only allowed if you have your motorcycle license?
Greek track: “That is indeed correct! After 14 years of motorcycle experience on the circuit, I finally got my driver's license, haha. Against all expectations, I passed the theory in one go and I also passed my practical in one go. I have to say that I was more nervous before my practice than before many competitions. This means that I participate in the Enduros with a lighter engine. Instead of a 1cc four-stroke on the circuit, now a 1cc two-stroke. This is of course legally linked to age.”
But for now enough of looking at the past, time to look ahead. What are your future plans?
Greek track: “I still have one Enduro to go. This is a two-day event and takes place in Eindhoven. After that, preparation for the new season will begin again. We basically have the same approach as last year, but I said goodbye to my fitness trainer with whom I trained for a year. The National Championship season went well this year, but not yet perfect. For the coming season I hope to have an even better winter so that I can finish in the top 3 next year. I would also like to participate in some competitions in Spain, France and England, among others, to gain experience on more difficult, hard circuits. At the Dutch Masters of Motocross I want to compete as much as possible with the great Grand Prix riders and above all gain a lot of experience. Who knows, if all goes well, I might even gain some experience in the Grand Prix. I'm already looking forward to the coming season!”
Tekst: greekpoor.nl
Photos: Niek Photography
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