Five minutes with Cyril Genot
With a great first victory in the high-quality ADAC MX Masters and a successful performance in the MXGP of Lommel, Cyril Genot (22) has been in the spotlight in recent weeks. The Belgian Sarholz KTM rider is now reaping the benefits of extensive winter preparation. Time for an update!
In 2019, the fast Limburger entered the MX2 World Championship through the back door. His entry into Tanel Leok's team convinced IXS Yamaha for an extensive program in 2020. However, the season was seriously disrupted due to the erratic calendar due to the corona pandemic. That did not stop Genot from achieving some strong results. He finished 14th in Latvia II and 13th in Lommel II.
“CG105” was rewarded for these performances with a seat at Sarholz KTM, which has long been the reference in Germany. And therefore an excellent basis for his first season on the KTM 450 SX-F. On the programme: the ADAC MX Masters
and some wildcard MXGP appearances.
“The past few months haven't exactly been easy for me or anyone else. Due to the whole Covid situation, it is difficult to plan anything anyway,” says the KTM Sarholz pilot. “All drivers have had a complicated 2020. Because the season ran so long, I trained for over a year without a break. The constant changes to the calendars were not easy to deal with. It really was a year full of uncertainties. Especially because I was not spared from setbacks last season. But despite all the mechanical problems I had with the Yamaha, I still achieved a lot of good results.”
After signing with Sarholz in November last year, it was a challenge for Cyril to adapt to the powerful KTM 450 SX-F. “The adjustment with my new team went very well. But I have to admit that the step from MX2 to MX1 is huge. To be honest, it was not easy at all in the beginning,” explains the Benzim ambassador. “But I took my time, I worked hard and in the end I found my niche on the KTM 450.”
“The competition as an exam!”
“I'm very pleased that the hard work is finally paying off,” he continues. “I made quite a 'click' this winter. You could see it during training, but a match is the real test. That's the time to prove that I've made progress. And I'm happy with the races I've done so far. There is definitely still work to be done, but I feel like I've made a good start. I look forward to building on that positive momentum in the second half of the season.”
“As far as the MXGP World Championship is concerned,” Genot concludes, “it is clear that I would have liked to participate in more GPs this year. But the ADAC MX Masters are the absolute priority for my team and their partners. Due to the many changes in the different calendars, the German Championship and the MXGP rounds eventually overlapped. Too bad, but nothing can be done about it.”
In the standings of the ADAC MX Masters, Cyril Genot is currently second, just two points behind his teammate Jordi Tixier. There are two more rounds this season (Fürstlich Drehna, Reutlingen) with three heats each on the program.
Tekst: Olivier Evrard
Photos: ADAC, Sarholz KTM
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