Team France’s Marvin Musquin took the overall win in the MX2 class at this year’s Motocross des Nations, and that’s not a huge surprise, being that he was the runaway MX2 World Champion. He’s fast, and he’s headed to the States in a couple of years. We talked to him immediately after the race.
Marvin Musquin: This race was great because a lot of riders came from over there, like [Jake] Weimer and [Tommy] Searle and Tyla Rattray and Brett Metcalfe, so it was great for me to win both motos with them in the field. The American team was not so bad, but not really, really strong, you know? [Ryan] Dungey was strong, but I beat Weimer and [Ivan] Tedesco was like fourth or fifth out there. It’s just too bad for Gautier Paulin, because he crashed in the last moto on the first lap, and that was it.
A lot of people were saying that this is a supercross track, but it’s not really a supercross track.
Yeah, they say that because there were big jumps with some rhythm sections, and some sort of whoops, but it was so good. The traction was really good, and the organization was perfect. Everything was good for me.
You ride supercross a lot, too, right?
Yeah, I ride supercross some, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Actually, I think it’s been basically since I was on 65cc bikes in 2000. Supercross is very important for me, but I think I used to be much better in supercross, where now I think motocross and supercross are the same for me. I like supercross very much, and I will be in Bercy and Genova, and I hope to do well there.
Do you follow Christophe Pourcel much?
I think it’s great for Christophe because he had the big accident in 2007, so it’s crazy for him to be doing so well, but to come back was big for him. I’m a fan of Pourcel, and when I see Pourcel in America, I say, “Yeah, I can be in the USA like Pourcel!”
How long until you do?
Next year, for sure, I’ll stay in Europe for Red Bull KTM, but I hope to go to America in 2011.
Yeah, okay... (Laughs)
Why were you so much faster this year in the GPs than before?
I have a new trainer, and he’s the guy who trained Frederic Bolley and Sebastien Tortelli when he was in the USA, and during the winter, the training was much better with him there. My conditioning got better and better in this off-season. And at the beginning of the season, I was with Honda, and I switched to Red Bull KTM, and the team and the bike and everything are great for me. I think this is the bike and the team to win a world championship on.
It’s probably not so easy to change from a Honda to a KTM with basically no testing and stuff, is it?
Yeah, it’s not easy, or it shouldn’t be, but it was crazy because we had all the lawyers involved and everything. It was crazy for me and for KTM, but when I switched to the KTM, it was so much better! I was much faster, and I took holeshots all the time – not every time, but a lot.
And usually if you were beaten to the first turn, it was probably another KTM over here.
Yeah, somebody like Rui [Goncalves] or [Joel] Roelants.
We look forward to seeing you in the USA in a couple years!
Yes, thank you.
Marvin Musquin: This race was great because a lot of riders came from over there, like [Jake] Weimer and [Tommy] Searle and Tyla Rattray and Brett Metcalfe, so it was great for me to win both motos with them in the field. The American team was not so bad, but not really, really strong, you know? [Ryan] Dungey was strong, but I beat Weimer and [Ivan] Tedesco was like fourth or fifth out there. It’s just too bad for Gautier Paulin, because he crashed in the last moto on the first lap, and that was it.
A lot of people were saying that this is a supercross track, but it’s not really a supercross track.
Yeah, they say that because there were big jumps with some rhythm sections, and some sort of whoops, but it was so good. The traction was really good, and the organization was perfect. Everything was good for me.
You ride supercross a lot, too, right?
Yeah, I ride supercross some, and I’ve been doing it for a long time. Actually, I think it’s been basically since I was on 65cc bikes in 2000. Supercross is very important for me, but I think I used to be much better in supercross, where now I think motocross and supercross are the same for me. I like supercross very much, and I will be in Bercy and Genova, and I hope to do well there.
Do you follow Christophe Pourcel much?
I think it’s great for Christophe because he had the big accident in 2007, so it’s crazy for him to be doing so well, but to come back was big for him. I’m a fan of Pourcel, and when I see Pourcel in America, I say, “Yeah, I can be in the USA like Pourcel!”
How long until you do?
Next year, for sure, I’ll stay in Europe for Red Bull KTM, but I hope to go to America in 2011.
Yeah, okay... (Laughs)
Why were you so much faster this year in the GPs than before?
I have a new trainer, and he’s the guy who trained Frederic Bolley and Sebastien Tortelli when he was in the USA, and during the winter, the training was much better with him there. My conditioning got better and better in this off-season. And at the beginning of the season, I was with Honda, and I switched to Red Bull KTM, and the team and the bike and everything are great for me. I think this is the bike and the team to win a world championship on.
It’s probably not so easy to change from a Honda to a KTM with basically no testing and stuff, is it?
Yeah, it’s not easy, or it shouldn’t be, but it was crazy because we had all the lawyers involved and everything. It was crazy for me and for KTM, but when I switched to the KTM, it was so much better! I was much faster, and I took holeshots all the time – not every time, but a lot.
And usually if you were beaten to the first turn, it was probably another KTM over here.
Yeah, somebody like Rui [Goncalves] or [Joel] Roelants.
We look forward to seeing you in the USA in a couple years!
Yes, thank you.
