Five minutes with Arnaud Tonus
In addition to Tony Cairoli, Kevin Strijbos and Shaun Simpson, Arnaud Tonus also said goodbye to the Motocross World Championship this year. The amiable Tonus is barely 30 and therefore one of the younger riders among the big names who are retiring. 'AT4' was certainly a big name, although there could have been (much) more in it.
In 2010, Arnaud Tonus broke through to the general public. Tonus rode together with Ken Roczen and Larissa Papenmeier for Teka Suzuki Europe World MX2 that year. The technically strong Swiss was regular, piloting his RM-Z250 to seventh place in the final standings and taking his first GP podium.
The following four seasons he found himself close to the MX2 top in terms of speed. With one GP win in 2014 and a fifth place in the 2011 final standings, AT4 then took a chance in the US. However, in two seasons for Pro Circuit Kawasaki, he was in more trouble than he would have liked. There was therefore no more than a handful of places of honor.
A return to the World Championship – on Yamaha for the Dutch Wilvo MXGP team – relaunched his career. An MXGP series victory in his own country, a strong 2019 campaign with six podium places and a fifth place in the final standings confirmed his capabilities in the premier class. Both 2020 and 2021 were unfortunately overshadowed by injuries.
Money was not the deciding factor
This season Tonus competed for Hostettler Yamaha Racing. “I have had two difficult years. This made it difficult to find a good proposal. Saying goodbye to the World Cup had been on my mind for a few months because I had two concussions in a row. That was something that weighed on me. My body reacted a little differently because of this. I worked hard to get back to full strength, but it was difficult to find my speed again. So it was a mix of different causes that led to my decision.”
“One thing is for sure, I didn't want to let my future depend on the fact that I don't know yet what I'm going to do next. To continue in the absence of an alternative, so to speak! I also wanted to make sure the fire was still there to ride at the highest level. Actually, my decision wasn't based on money at all. MXGP simply requires 100% effort.”
“The love for motocross will never go away, I will just have a slightly different perspective,” he said of his near future without GPs. “I will still ride and enjoy a dirt bike but not as a professional rider anymore. Maybe some competitions for fun but there is no exact plan at the moment.”
Tonus fought for the MX2014 title in 2 with seven podium finishes in the first ten rounds. In the same season he also won his first and only GP victory in Beto Carrero, Brazil. A dislocated shoulder ended his hopes that year. Arnaud then moved to the AMA where he was recruited by Mitch Payton's legendary Pro Circuit Kawasaki. The Epstein Barr virus and a broken wrist threw a spanner in the works.
Tonus himself calls 2019 his most memorable season ever. That year he made a successful comeback in the strong Monster Energy Yamaha factory team.
“2019 was definitely the best season for me. Especially because I came back after a serious injury. Fighting back again and again after injury was the common thread throughout my career. But the shoulder problem I had in 2018 was really serious. I didn't even know if I would be able to drive again. Coming back from such a problem and having my best year was really special!”
“There isn't really one moment that stands out. I went through so many ups and downs and faced so much in my life. You always have to question yourself, dig deep and learn about your own body and go through a lot of emotions. A career is so much more than just results, although that is of course part of it! As a person it is quite crazy to experience competition at a high level. Moreover, motocross is super demanding mentally and physically. I discovered a lot of things and I am happy and grateful that I experienced it all.”
After a 7th place in the EMX250, Tonus entered the MX2 World Championship in 2009. After a fairly modest debut season with the French HDI KTM, he always rode for top teams. Although Arnaud was forced to miss many races in the MXGP, he is well placed to outline the evolution of the past five years. “The MXGP is much more evenly matched now. The top riders have more or less remained the same. But you can fight for 19th place while being only two seconds per lap away from the top-5 times. That's new. I don't think it was this competitive before.
Naturally, that evolution has made the sport exciting to watch. So it's great in itself, but not when you're in it! It can be very frustrating if you are just a little bit short. That's hard to accept at first. Everyone has improved.”
Last year, Gautier Paulin, Clément Desalle and Julien Lieber already left the World Championship stage. With Tonus and his retiring colleagues this year, a changing of the guard is certainly underway in the MXGP. Arnaud achieved many podium finishes and won titles in Great Britain and Switzerland. Yet he also has the reputation of a rider with brilliant technique who should have won more.
“I don't really look back that way,” he says when asked about his own view of his career. “I know I could have done better in some areas and I'm honest with myself. I think the injuries started to catch up with me, not consciously but perhaps a little unnoticed. After a few injuries year after year it is difficult to ride as freely as when you were young. I had potential but faced difficulties along the way. That part was also just part of my career. All in all it was a very rich experience.”
Tekst: Adam Wheeler, Tom Jacobs
Photos: Ray Archer, shotbyBavo, Yamaha Racing, archive
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