Interview Marvin Vanluchene: 'I owe my strength to the many people who support me!'
Now that the (orange) clouds of smoke after the first Dutch MXGP title have cleared a bit, one would almost forget in the euphoria after Herlings' victory in Assen that Belgium also welcomed a Moto-cross World Champion in 2018!
Surprisingly, Marvin Vanluchene, together with the Dutchman Ben van den Boogaart, won the World title in the sidecars last season in a dominant manner. Vanluchene, who had never won a GP before 2018, was particularly impressive this season by winning five GP victories in a row! The relief was great when they were assured of the 2018 Sidecar Cross World Title during the penultimate Sidecar Cross GP in Roggenburg Switzerland! Van den Boogaart in the box with driver Vanluchene turned out to be the fastest combination this season and both gentlemen have already announced that the competition will also have to deal with this duo in 2019. Reason enough for MXmag to ask the always cheerful Marvin Vanluchene a number of questions.
MXmag: To get straight to the point...Marvin Vanluchene is always described as a likeable guy. Yet the expert 'general' sports experts say that champions must always be antisocial people. Are you the kind of personable off the track but a 'killer' during the match or are you just the exception to this 'rule'?
Vanluchene: 'haha, this is hard to say. Of course I always try to be friendly to people, which I think is appropriate. Without those people, none of this would be possible. It is difficult to do good for everyone, but we will still do our utmost to give everyone a good day or a smile. But when I put on the helmet all the focus is on the match and it's every man for himself! After the heats I like to just have fun again.'
MXmag: You surprisingly became World Champion in advance.
Did you already have the feeling in the preparation for 2018 that you could really compete for the World Cup title or were you surprised that it went so well this season?
Vanluchene: 'I am indeed surprised, I still am! We had hoped to close the gap to the top 3. I had also hoped to finish on the podium and perhaps win a GP this season. But to become world champion this season, I could only have dreamed of that! But we did it anyway!'
MXmag: What do you think was the decisive factor for the success of Vanluchene/Van den Boogaart? Is it more the fact that you have improved as a driver or the fact that Ben stood next to you as a racing driver?
Vanluchene: 'I think both. Ben has been a great improvement for me in all areas. He has a lot of experience and is super motivated, he is not only a baking expert but he is also not afraid to get his hands dirty for the team. That makes everything very beautiful!
Ben also makes a major contribution to sponsors, he is very professional with the sport. So Ben is really a big contribution to our team!
Of course, it has also been nice for myself to have prepared the way it should have been done. For once I had no injuries and so I could fully focus on last season with Ben.'
MXmag: Ben 'boogie' van den Boogaart has said that his new goal is to win at least six World Cup titles in order to become the baking player with the most titles to his name. Ben's World Cup titles now stand at four.
The day after the GP final in Vesoul, your team announced that Van den Boogaart will remain your racing driver for 2019. Will you help him achieve his goal?
Vanluchene: 'That's right, we'll continue for another year. Which of course I am very happy with. I will of course do everything I can to win another title and hopefully help Ben become the greatest of all time.'
MXmag: Speaking of goals. What is actually your own new goal after you have achieved your first goal?
Vanluchene'Yes, that is of course something else. It is of course a goal to go for several more titles, which we are fully committed to. My goal would still be to be able to live completely for the sport and thus make it my profession.
Mxmag: Team Vanluchene always includes a heart with 'dad' in it. Your father left your life in 2013. I can imagine this has been a dark period for you and your loved ones. Yet you draw tremendous strength from this that everyone can only respect!
Can and will you explain what this triggers in you and how you get the motivation from this during the cross? And besides, does that also explain the emotional scenes when you won the title in Switzerland?
Vanluchene: 'That's right. When I lost my father in 2013, I went through an extremely difficult period. But here too, I wanted to come out stronger together with my family. My father had one dream for me, that I would one day become World Champion. This is of course not the least, but with every setback it always played in my mind: 'I have to keep fighting for my father'.
I owe the motivation and strength not only to myself, but also to the many people who support me in both good and bad times! The discharge was therefore indeed great after arriving in Roggenburg, everything falls away from you. That big dream of my father and myself has been achieved!!
Unfortunately, I can no longer do more for my father, but winning this World Title makes me proud to be able to give this to my deceased father.'
MXmag: Now you are indeed the 2018 Sidecar Cross World Champion!
“If you win you have friends” says the proverb.
Don't you sometimes get tired of the fact that you are suddenly so full of attention?
Vanluchene: 'That's right. There is more interest and you notice this.
Although I think we have a nice group of supporters and people who wish us this luck!
Actually, I can only take all the interest for the better, because this is exactly what our sport deserves, more interest!!!'
MXmag: You now sound like a good ambassador for sidecar cross! And that's why I want to ask the 2018 Sidecar Cross World Champion, what do you think is the best thing about sidecar cross?
Vanluchene: 'The team works, you just have to have a complete team around you that wants to give 200%. And this is precisely the difficulty in getting all of this right for a full year. I can be very proud that I have such a strong Team!! Without them this would certainly not have been possible, because everyone who works on Sidecarteam Vanluchene has to do everything to bring it all to a successful conclusion and that is an incredible achievement!
MXmag: Finally, would you like to say anything yourself?
Vanluchene: 'Of course. I am I am extremely grateful to my entire team, but also to my sponsors, family and supporters. Without them none of this would have been possible!'
MXmag thanks Marvin Vanluchene for this candid interview and wishes the team good luck during the Sidecarcross of Nations in Slagelse (DK) this coming weekend!
Text: Emil Bilars
Photo: Stijn Vanoverbeke
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