It isn’t going to be an easy taste for anyone in this year’s World MX2 Championship. First off Musquin showed last year that he is the fastest MX2 rider in the World and his stunning performance at the Red Bull FIM Motocross of Nations really puts pressure on the others to improve a lot of be beaten again.

Roelants isn’t bothered by the results of Musquin or anyone else and he has shown a lot of improvement in the winter months.

Two trips two America in the span of two months and it shows the motivation Roelants has to battle for the championship in 2010.

We caught up with the rider who many consider might lead the nation of Belgium into the next era.

Q: Joel, so what have you been up to? I noticed you went to America late last year?

Roelants: I am just back from another trip to America. I went this time with Ken De Dycker, and we were there for two weeks. We rode two days riding one day off, and then physical training. He wanted to go and otherwise I have to go alone or with my mechanic and we could split the costs so it was perfect. The weather has been so bad in Belgium, you just can’t ride, so I needed to go there and ride.

Q: Did you guys train together, or even do some fun races together?

Roelants: We didn’t actually train together, only when we were playing around we did some stuff together, but most of our training was apart.

Q: What about this year, it’s not going to be an easy job for anyone in the MX2 class is it?

Roelants: I am going to go 200% and give everything I have and I want to race them and beat them and I think that is possible.

Q: What are your plans for now until the World Championship starts in Bulgaria?

Roelants: I am now in Italy with the team for 10 days and we won’t do Mantova, we start with Lommel, then Valence and I don’t know the calendar and I don’t know what we do after Lommel. Lommel is my first race and it’s on the 14^th of February.

Q: Do you like the Bulgarian circuit?

Roelants: It’s okay, it isn’t anything special.

Q: Last year you started the season and many people said your bikes were not quick enough. Has that change for this year?

Roelants: For sure we can start with a good bike at the start of the season. We will do a lot of testing before Lommel, and I think the bikes are going to be really good this year.

Q: Did the MXoN give you more confidence?

Roelants: I am always really confident, I tried to do my own thing and not think about results and just get the most out of it. When it isn’t going good it’s easy to lose your confidence, but I keep fighting and that is the best way for me. For me it’s the same if I ride bad or good, my confidence is always good.

Q: While in America did you ride against any of the top American guys?

Roelants: I didn’t see many of the American guys, I saw Tommy Searle at the KTM track, but I didn’t have the Supercross suspension and that was pretty dangerous, on some jumps my bike just nose dived and I couldn’t really go fast on those tracks. Most of the top riders were doing Supercross training, so they were not on the Motocross tracks. One time I had Searle and my speed was the same, but I didn’t really take much notice.

Q: What was the biggest advantage of going to America, what did you learn over there?

Roelants: I think I improved my jumping technique and I use only half of the energy to jump now, I can jump faster now.

Q: Did Ken improve his jump technique. He always looks crazy over a jump?

Roelants: I think when Ken is riding normally, just in training or practice he isn’t a good jumper, but when he is on the gas he can scrub better than most of them.