Five minutes with Clément Desalle
In the first four rounds of the World Championship, Clément Desalle was on the podium three times. The Monster Energy Kawasaki rider is fourth in the standings, just four points behind Romain Febvre. Without the MX Panda's technical problem in the first round of the Portuguese Grand Prix, it would certainly have finished third. There is no doubt about Desalle's regularity, which is why he is also called 'Best of the rest' after Jeffrey Herlings and Antonio Cairoli.
“Of course it is a bit frustrating, but both Herlings and Cairoli have been at the front for years,” said Clément. “They are clearly the men to beat in the MXGP, but we should not focus on them. The season is still very long and I am curious to see how the match between Cairoli and Herlings will evolve. To be honest, I can't imagine that they will systematically continue to dominate for 20 GPs as they have done until now. So wait and see!
I just keep giving the best of myself. First of all, I want to stay as regular as possible. Of course I would also like to win heats and GPs. Don't panic, there are still many days left in the season... and everyone is different!”
The Monster Energy Kawasaki pilot therefore looks at the future at the same time optimistically and realistically. “That's how I am wired because I'm just realistic. I have a strong character, I am aware of that. I can't pretend. You just have days when things don't go so well. I have no problem showing that. Every year I analyze what I did, what I could have done better. And without a doubt, I always want to do better! When I think back to my GP debut with my father, we actually didn't enjoy the positive side of what we were doing enough. We tend to only see the negative with the sole purpose of constantly improving. I think that is also a facet of my personality.
“I want to win heats and Grand Prix”
“A lot of things have changed since I became a father myself. My family is very important to me. When I lost my grandfather a few years ago, I realized how important it is to enjoy time, to enjoy life. Today I am looking for a balance between different things: my lifestyle, my work, racing... That is a source for me to have a positive and happy outlook on life. But I don't hesitate to show it if I'm dissatisfied! “
Photos: Stanley Leroux, Pascal Haudiquert
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