Interview - Evgeny Bobryshev - MX1 Rider - Honda World Motocross

2012-04-04 18:56
Honda World Motocross not only boasts one of the most powerful and exciting riders in the FIM Motocross World Championship, but also arguably its friendliest and most charismatic.

Evgeny Bobryshev is unique as the sole factory star from Russia that broke a thirty-one year dry run for his country when he conquered the 2011 Grand Prix of Germany at Teutschenthal. The 24 year old faces only his third campaign in the premier MX1 class after finishing tenth in 2010 as a rookie and then an impressive fourth on the works CRF450R last summer. As a racer �Bobby� has aggression, a willingness to entertain, massive potential and the full weight of HRC and team partners such as Showa and Dunlop thrown behind him (and team-mate Rui Goncalves). As a person he is modest, amusing and humble. It makes for a potent mix�

Evgeny, 2011 was a learning year as a factory rider, but you must have been pleased with how it turned out�
Yes, even though I had that injury in Belgium that disrupted the season I was happy with how things went. It could have been worse! Especially with the problem with my neck, in the end I only missed one race. Part of me feels like I could have had third in the championship, but I was really on the limit to do that and in the end it wasn�t possible. This sport and what I do every day towards it is my life, so to finish fourth�.for sure I was happy with that.

In a way does this mean that 2012 is �the year of truth�?

I don�t feel this. Honda has a high goal for 2012 and I know this, but I am not letting any pressure get to me. Within myself I know I am doing all that is possible to be the best I can be�the training, the testing, the commitment. The team are pushing so hard and I think with this joint effort and a little bit of good luck the results will come.

In your first MX1 season, in 2010 riding a Honda, you were the surprise of the year with some speed that put you near the front. So how does it feel now, just one term later, to be mentioned as a title challenger?

Quite nice! For sure it is cool to see this written in the magazines and hear my name mentioned with those guys like Cairoli and Desalle, I really like it, but honestly I am not thinking about it too much. I think if you start to build all that expectation on yourself then you will just end up panicking, making mistakes and crashing. For that reason I really am looking at each Grand Prix as a �single event� this year. Motocross can be so unpredictable.

Tell us a bit about your preparation for 2012�

I started physical training earlier for this season, in December. Two weeks that month and then another fortnight in January, every day, very hard. There has been a real mix: gym work, ski training and walking in the mountains for cardio.

Why did you start earlier?

I had had enough of a holiday! I had one month free and together with the team we made the decision to start in December. I was injured at the end of 2010 so I had two months off and came back in January with what felt like a huge belly! I didn�t want that long break this time and it helped I was fitter for all the tests and programme we had planned. It felt much easier.

Which kind of training did you prefer? The walking, gym or skiing?

Skiing, oh yes! The walking was pretty good, but the skiing was enjoyable. I can do it quite well and had fewer crashes than the year before. I went with Rui [Goncalves, team-mate] and on a typical day we had to complete a track that meant two-three hours of heavy work. Rui and I don�t have too much technique so we were using a lot of power to get up and down. It is a great workout, but not as tiring as the gym where after a session I feel like I want to eat and go straight to bed.

Then you went to Sardinia�

We were there a month, so a long time, we alternated between training and resting and we tested the suspension in the last week.

How do you feel about the new Showa SFF Air system?

Wow�it is something you have to try! It is hard to explain well, but it is like I don�t have any pressure through my arms or shoulders. The suspension absorbs so much; it is like a sponge. It took a while to get used to and it felt a bit stiff at the beginning, but I liked it right away. You find the right pressure in the fork � like a tyre � and away you go.

The CRF450R this year is quite a special prototype. How does it feel?

Oh, great! We had the base bike in Japan last October and that was already impressive. The Japanese said to us �this is about 70% of the final bike� and we thought �wow!�. For me the handling is noticeably better through the tight and small corners. It is better balanced through the new chassis and engine position. I prefer my bike to feel higher and it is ideal.

So how has the work curve been to get it ready?

We did most of the basic set-up work when we were in Japan so now it is just little steps or improvements. For me personally I need to do the races to feel the exact set-up because those conditions are ideal for proper evaluation. I�m happy with the bike, it handles really well, and we just needed to get through the races to find the final pieces of information.

The team did some great testing with you before the German GP last year and you went out and won. Will you be at a similar stage of readiness but before the season begin this time?

Yes. Last year it was the beginning of the project, if you like. A new team, new group�we started from zero. Now the system is in place and we are ready to go much earlier this season. We did a lot of good stuff in Sardinia and made some progress. I�ve never had that depth of planning and preparation before.

Do you know what it takes to win an MX1 GP now?

I know I can beat them now. When I go to a race I want to finish as high as I can. Your possibilities on any particular day can depend on the track and a few other things. You have to know when you have reached your maximum potential or place. I�ve learned that going over that limit means you can risk everything.

2012 see you sharing the awning with Rui again. Do you like him? Do you get on as team-mates?

Yeah, and this year I think better than before. We didn�t know each other before 2011 and now we�ve spent time training and talking. I feel comfortable having him there in the team. We don�t talk in much detail about set-up, not as I would to my mechanic, but we chat.

After your neck injury in a Belgian Championship event last summer how do you feel about non-GP races now?

Well I�m doing Dutch championship races and three in Russia so I guess I feel OK about them! I think I have only two free weekends once the Grand Prix season starts and depending on how I feel when they come around I might choose to keep racing somewhere or have a break. I don�t feel that the schedule is too much. I have all week to recover from a race and do a single training or riding session. Like I said racing is the best form of training or preparation for me. It motivates me more than just riding round and round an empty track. There is a bit more risk, but I also feel that I am more concentrated at a race, with the start and the opposition and so on. For sure I won�t be going crazy away from a GP but you can get injured jogging along a road�I had a mechanic when I was racing 85cc and he broke his leg coming down a step in his house!

How does it feel to be part of this massive HRC-backed effort?

At a time when many companies are looking to cut back it seems Honda are pushing hard�
Really good and I am very aware there is a big group making all this happen. It feels like anything can be done and that gives you confidence.

This year we go back to Russia for a Grand Prix for the first time in ten years�

Cool! It�s really good. The track is far from Moscow, but is great to be part of the world championship again. I missed the meeting in 2002 and was only a spectator. I think it will be a difficult race because I reckon a lot of people will come and there will be a lot of attention. I�ll need to keep concentrated, but at the same time I don�t want anyone to have an opinion of me like �he�s acting the big star�. It will be fun but a different, and new, experience for me.

Source: Honda Pro Image

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