Interview: The real Thomas-Kjer Olsen
From his debut in the MX2 World Championship, Thomas-Kjer Olsen's star skyrocketed like a comet. The Danish ex-EMX250 champion finished third in 2017, his very first GP year, and emerged as a permanent fixture at the top. But who is the person behind the acronym TKO?
A special conversation requires a special location. While looking for a quiet spot at the busiest motorcycle fair in the world, I ended up with Thomas in the cloakroom of the Husqvarna stand. Sometimes you just have to improvise. Fortunately, the MX2 MX Of Nations winner is not the man to complain about that. Scandinavian down-to-earth perhaps?
As a factory rider you are of course in a very different financial situation than as a European Championship rider in the past. Has that changed your approach to money?
Thomas Kjer-Olsen: “No, of course I enjoy myself after the season. Or I don't have to worry so much. During the break I was on holiday with friends who have a normal salary. They sometimes said, 'Now I have to save some money'. I have to take that into account. Not that I earn crazy amounts of money, but I can afford a good life. It hasn't changed me much. I didn't grow up rich or anything and when it comes to big purchases, I'm still modest. (laughing) Of course it's nice to have a nice car, but that can wait until I'm in the MXGP!”
It's not that you necessarily have to have a certain car...
Olsen: “No, not, but I think it's cool. It's just nice to have a nice car.”
Use that as motivation for yourself. That you treat yourself to a big chunk of your bonus?
Olsen: “Not at all, that's no motivation at all. It comes with it. Besides, I don't spend much money during the season anyway. Then I'm mainly involved in motocross, so I spend the most when the season is over.”
Which car is on your wish list?
Olsen: “I'm actually not very good at model names. I think it's an Audi RS6, I believe... I like that! That looks cool to me, in black of course.”
Who are you most like in character, your mom or your dad?
Olsen: “I'm probably more like my mother, but I do have my father's sense of humor. Sometimes I catch myself making bad jokes and thinking, that's really something my dad would say! (grins) Then I'm a little disappointed in myself. I have a very good relationship with my parents. I talk to my mom most on the phone. We talk about everything at home, but when I talk on the phone, my dad mainly talks about motorcross and my training, while my mom talks more about personal things.”
What was it like as a young guy leaving your family behind when you turned pro?
Olsen: “Of course that is always difficult. Although I have an older brother and sister, I was the only child left at home. I actually had half the house to myself. My mother took care of the food and washed my clothes. When I started living on my own, there was a lot that I suddenly had to do myself, but I learned quickly. And I was lucky to have Rasmus (ed. Jorgensen) with me, which made that step much easier. Having someone there who I've known pretty much all my life made a big difference. Or just to be able to speak Danish. I know how my brother (ex EMX250 vice-champion Stefan-Kjer Olsen) fared when he lived in Italy during the period he rode for Jtech Yamaha. It was very difficult for him then. I knew it wouldn't be easy but in my case the last three years have flown by. Even now I'm getting used to living in Lommel. ”
Do you have a girlfriend in Belgium or Denmark?
Olsen: "Not at this moment. If I don't drive, I do have time off, but it's good as it is. As a top athlete it can also be difficult with a girlfriend. That's going well for many boys, we'll see how it goes. Who knows, I might answer this question differently once this interview has been published!”
Your older brother Stefan preceded you in his international career. Were there any do's and don'ts that you learned from him?
Olsen: “Certainly, there were plenty of issues. He also rode in the World Championships for one year. But also before that. Stefan has been very important to me because I learned so much from him. In terms of driving technique, for example. Okay, we don't have the same style but I paid a lot of attention to what he did. He probably also pushed me to reach a certain level. Because I wanted to beat him… Stefan is five years older, that's quite a lot, but what athlete doesn't want to beat his older brother or sister? I learned a lot from that period in which he turned pro. For example, in 2015 I was already planning to go to the GPs the following year. By talking to him and to Rasmus Jorgensen who became my coach at that time, I got a different view of the situation. We had seen from the front row how Stefan was doing. He had a difficult first year in the GPs, which means that you then have to bring a budget or at least that you have to ride without a salary. While an extra year of EMX250 in a good team puts you in a good starting position. That plan worked almost too well! During the preparation for the 2016 season, we said laughingly: 'We are just going to win the title next year and then I will join a factory team. And that's exactly how it turned out because I was able to go to Rockstar Energy Factory Husqvarna, the team that I wanted.”
You started off so strong in that first season that it almost seems like you haven't made any progress since then. At least for those who rely solely on the results. How have you become a better rider since 2017?
Olsen: “Okay, I felt like I was ready when I started in the GPs. But I've matured a lot since then. There is so much I have learned about nutrition, training and how my own body reacts to such a long season... Adjusting myself to life in Belgium, how to test a bike, what works in a GP situation and what doesn't .”
What exactly do you mean by the difference between a normal test during training and a test with a view to a GP?
Olsen: “It's very different. You really have to imagine the different circumstances. A certain setup may work on that track you are testing on, but will it also work during a GP? Then the intensity is so much higher and you always ride a little stiffer than during training. I have often found that I have found a fantastic setup during training. This is it, better than ever! Then you come to a GP and find out that I can't drive it. You just learn those kinds of things by doing. When I started the season so strongly in 2017, I also surprised myself. Then you will automatically adjust your expectations. In that situation it is also easy to become disappointed because you want it so bad. At that moment you have to think back to what the goal was that you set before the season.”
This year you became vice world champion after an untouchable Jorge Prado. How do you view your performance?
Olsen: “I'm quite satisfied, I really gave it my all this season. Sometimes things just don't go the way you want. Sometimes you question yourself. Sometimes you can win easily or you end up on the podium even though you rode poorly. The following weekend you push yourself to the limit and you finish fifth or so. Still, I'm happy, I kept going. Falls and small problems are normal, such as the crash in Indonesia. Luckily I didn't break anything."
Besides the motorcycle, it was noticeable that you showed the audience a different side of yourself: more open and relaxed than before. My compliments for that, because it is probably not easy for you to act differently.
Olsen: “That is true. I come from Scandinavia where we are not so outgoing. Being open and welcoming to other people is something I want to get better at. When I started in the World Cup, I only had one thing in mind. I'm there to race and nothing else, only racing counts. Now it's something different. Bad days are part of it, so it's nice to act differently during the weekend. Autograph sessions are not necessarily my favorite part of my job, but they are getting better. Just like talking to strangers. So being more social is certainly a point of improvement. Over the years I have gotten better at it and I will continue to work on it. It also makes me feel better on a personal level.”
And that is of course also part of your role as an ambassador for the brands that sponsor you.
Olsen: "Precisely. At EICMA we had a Husqvarna-KTM dinner and it's great to go there and know you're stepping outside your comfort zone. I have to admit that sometimes it is a challenge for me! But in the end it's cool to talk to the people who make or develop my bike. And they also appreciate that direct contact with 'their driver' because they receive their information through three or four other intermediaries.”
Is that an aspect of your life that surprises you? As a little boy you dream of becoming a factory rider or world champion and you are on that path.
You suddenly become a star from being a sportsman. Someone that other people look up to and whether you like it or not, you are a role model for others…
Olsen: “What you say is correct, but it is difficult to see myself that way. Sometimes people tell me I have a dream job. I really love what I do, but from the outside people only see one aspect. As a fan or as a child you think 'that's so cool', while the reality is of course more complex. I also think I can do more for the promotion of motocross in Denmark. In any case, it's cool when people recognize you and want to take a photo together or ask for an autograph.”
You are one of the best Danish motocross riders ever, but there is little media attention for it in your own country. Does that bother you?
Olsen: “I would like nothing more than for the sport to become better known, but I am not going to look for fame or fame myself. Other people in Denmark would like to see me push more in that area, but that's not how I am wired. Every time I train in Denmark, there are people who come up to me or friends of my parents who are not into motocross tell me that they start following the GPs on Sundays. Then I think: Don't you have anything better to do? Simply because they don't know the sport! But that's how it works and that's really a can-opener for me. Even if I can convince just a few more people to follow motocross, it means a lot to me.”
2019 was very special for your team due to the split between the team owner, Jacky Martens and the main sponsor Kay Hennekens. That news also became known very early in the season. What have you experienced as a driver yourself?
Olsen: “Hmm, I was actually trying to get it off my chest. I'm not going to lie, there was definitely tension in the team but fortunately I have my own circle with Rasmus, my parents and friends. That's what I have to deal with the most and during the matches themselves, the team ran as it should. There were certainly struggles, but we eventually overcame them. There was certainly tension, but there was little drama about it during the season. In terms of atmosphere, it was honestly not great. We all agreed that we would make the best of it, especially because we almost had a whole season ahead of us, but with such a split it is inevitable that someone here and there will be negative.”
You start the 2020 season as a World Cup favorite. Only the MX2 world title counts now.
Olsen: “That's right and it's my last year in MX2 before I have to switch to MXGP in 2021. I'm really looking forward to it. We have already done a lot of testing to make the bike completely to my liking. In recent years I have always given everything, in every area. So it's not like there's exactly one thing I have to do to become world champion. I'm just going to use all my experience to put the puzzle together. We've done that every year. Sometimes it was about taking small steps forward, but if we succeed again, we will reach the highest step of the podium!”
What are the areas where TKO still has ground to gain?
Olsen: “Training and recovery are crucial for me. The season is so long that it's just hard to recover. You become aware of this at the end of the season when you start to feel sluggish, you are tired, there is a long flight to China, you are more likely to get sick, such as the food poisoning I got in Turkey... Little things like that are important, but it It goes without saying that you lay the foundation in the mid-season. Then it must happen. Working hard and smart, that's what it comes down to.”
In the meantime, you already have a good idea of who your main opponents should be in 2020. Are you working on that?
Olsen: “No, not. I just focus on myself now. Motocross is not boxing either, we do not train to compete against one rider in particular. You always have to move forward and on the attack, defending against someone is actually impossible.”
Although knowing about your opponent can help if you have a comparable speed and you are looking for overtaking opportunities?
Olsen: “I do that anyway. You compete against each other so often, 60 times over an entire GP season, including the qualifying races. I know when the other guys are going to be strong or when they're likely to weaken. That knowledge comes unconsciously during a match. But you also take into account what their style is... How aggressive can you be and when is it better to hold back for a while. You're not going to give away an advantage if you have everything in your hands. And you tackle some guys a little differently, but in general I respect every opponent.”
What don't fans know about you yet?
Olsen: “Maybe my life won't just revolve around motocross. I am a sports fan in general, I really like basketball for example. What we do as motocross riders is individual, which is why team sports also appeal to me. It's completely the opposite. In a basketball team you have to do it together. In fact, it should also be that way for a racing team. In my team I have an excellent relationship with all the technicians and that creates a good atmosphere. They are all my mates, sometimes I just go to the workshop for fun. It surprises me when I hear riders say that they are almost never in their team's workshop. I'm there every day to do something.”
As a top driver you take the entire team in tow. Great champions pay a lot of attention to that, is that something you had to learn?
Olsen: “I actually do that anyway, I just keep it fun for the group. Sometimes you have to be serious and other times you can joke around with them. I like that!"
Tekst: Tom Jacobs
Photos: shotbyBavo, JP Acevedo, IG Olsen.19, Rene Van Dinther
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