Five minutes with Dietger Damiaens
The Limburger faces several crucial competitions at home and abroad. Next weekend the third race of the European Enduro Championship is scheduled where Dietger Damiaens will defend his third place in the standings.
That race takes place in Finland. We spoke briefly with Damiaens and asked about his expectations.
MXMag: This weekend there is the race in Sipoo in Finland. What are your expectations for this match?
Dietger Damiaens: That is always difficult to say, but I hope to achieve a podium in the E3 class and finish somewhere between tenth and fifth in the scratch.
How do you organize the movement of the material to such a distant destination such as Finland?
Dietger Damiaens: This year I have been included in a support program of ADEPS (the Walloon version of Sport Vlaanderen) from which Erik Willems and I can benefit. A budget has been released for both of us. Both of our materials are transported to Finland in a van and we arrive afterwards with a scheduled flight.
The ISDE will take place in France at the end of August. Is it already known who will participate in the Belgian team?
Dietger Damiaens: That is a difficult question. They are working hard on it, but I can already say that Erik Willems and myself are already 100% sure of a selection.
In between there is the 12h de La Chinelle in our own country. Are you going to participate in that too?
Dietger Damiaens: Yes, I will start there with the official KTM Belgium team. The intention is of course to win together with Jeffrey Dewulf and Nathan Renkens.
In the European Enduro Championship there is a healthy rivalry between you and Erik Willems. How do you get along with each other?
Dietger Damiaens: We get along very well with each other. We walk the circuit together, we help each other with training and with technical things. We lift each other to a higher level. Last weekend we trained together in France.
It is generally known that there is more collegiality in Enduro than in motocross. You do the two sports. How do you experience that difference?
Dietger Damiaens: It's completely different. In motocross it's every man for himself and in Enduro everyone helps each other. There they are always there for each other and it was a whole new world that opened up for me. When I started Enduro two years ago I saw the big difference between the two sports.
What is the relationship like with riders from other countries?
Dietger Damiaens: The foreigners come there with big trucks and teams and we stand among them like pathetic Belgians (laughs). But we are still doing well this year because we are first and third in the ranking.
The first and third places in the standings are very good scores for the Belgians. How would you like to finish in the European Championship?
Dietger Damiaens: I am now third in the overall standings and although it will be a difficult task I would like to keep that place. We will certainly try it in Finland and during the last competition in Germany (editor's note on October 29 and 30 in Rudersdorf). In my own E3 class I am second behind the British Dan Mundell and ahead of the Frenchman David Abgrall. I also hope to finish on the podium there in October.
Photos: Vision Media
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