Names like Stefan Everts, Eric Geboers, Greg Albertyn, Mickael Pichon and Steve Ramon have enjoyed World Championship success with Geboers and all have enjoyed their time with the Belgian gentleman.

We decided to ask Mr. Geboers about his two riders in 2010 (Clement Desalle and Steve Ramon) and also about the present state of the sport.

MXlarge: Sylvain, thanks for your time. You have a new rider in Clement Desalle this year; many people were impressed with him in 2009. Can you give me your opinion on Clement for this year?

Geboers: I think Clement has the speed, the technique, but he still has to work, he doesn’t have the same experience as Cairoli, he is younger, he has never been in MX2, he came straight out of the MX1 class. It’s the first time he has worked with a factory team, we give him a lot of options and he hasn’t had any experience in preparing bikes, tires, suspension, we have so many options and he doesn’t know, he has to learn to deal with all of that.

MXlarge: Clement has a lot of motivation and he always seems ready to race. Obviously this year there is more pressure?

Geboers: I think at the moment Clement expects a lot, he puts a lot of pressure on himself and that is something we have to take care of. He has to enjoy racing like he did before, that is important. We don’t put any pressure on him, but I see the pressure he puts on himself.

MXlarge: He’s still the guy many of us expect to run with Antonio (Cairoli).

Geboers: I hope so, it’s early to say, we only did some International races. Everyone expected him to be in front, he has the speed, but he hasn’t won one of those races. It is still a month away from the first Grand Prix and GP’s are different from these early races. International races you come to the paddock and you go riding. In the Grand Prix you have a day to prepare for the Sunday.

MXlarge: What about Steve (Ramon)?

Geboers: Steve has lost nothing from the accident last year. He often has problems getting his body ready for the season, but it looks like he is better prepared than ever before. He struggles a little with his arms, but that also has a lot to do with the cold. Also these International races you just race. If he can overcome his arm problem, he is going to be tough, hard to say tougher than ever. Like you said, it is hard to see if he is faster or slower than before. He is making good starts and he is always at the front.

MXlarge: Changing the subject, you just release the news that Rockstar are going to be co-title sponsor of the Suzuki factory team (along with Teka). That is a great addition with the economy being so bad. Your team always seems to be able to pull something together.

Geboers: We were in a worry in the middle of the season last year. The recession has really made it tough and the motorcycle business hasn’t picked up. I think we have to say thanks to Teka, who is a strong partner, and they are thinking in the same way we have to think in Motocross. They are flexible to share the title sponsor with Rockstar, not too many sponsors would do that type of thing, not a big company like Teka, but they have done that, we are very grateful to them. This is a chance for us to come out strong again. We have two strong companies supporting us, and also Suzuki and this makes us strong in this type of recession. Why it comes I don’t know, maybe we are working well over the years, no scandals, always open and fair to everyone. I don’t think riders or sponsors complain about us. People working with us have a degree of satisfaction.

MXlarge: What attracts companies like Teka and Rockstar to the World Motocross Championships?

Geboers: You have to do a good job and a fair job and it is give and take. I think in this sense we find Teka very good, very helpful, they understand Motocross and our needs. They like the publicity Motocross gives. Many in the paddock look at Youthstream and see a company that might do harm to those in the paddock, but on the other hand, they have brought Motocross to television and big sponsors. We pay for the entry fee, but at the end I have the big sponsors, and  it’s because of the exposure.

MXlarge: The presentation of the World Motocross Championship has never looked better. Would you agree?

Geboers: The presentation is well done, I don’t know if Youthstream make a lot of money out of it, if it is a big business for them, but what I do know is that we are better off with sponsors today than we were ten years ago, much better. We get bigger budgets and they keep returning, much better than before.

An example, Belgian television is no longer contracted to Youthstream, but there are different channels that will run it, and we will see Motocross on television in Belgium. They organize that for the sport.

MXlarge: Is the progress of Motocross going to see us continue to keep these big sponsors?

Geboers: It is hard to tell, but one thing, if we want to grow, we have to fight the other sports and be competitive with these sports. If other sports are doing a better job, we lose sponsors, if we grow we come competitive with other sports and we will take the profit from those other sports. I am not pro-Youthstream or anything, but we have to grow. 

MXlarge: What is the downside of the World Motocross Championship?

Geboers: I know there are smaller teams having problems, suffering. Today if you have to rely on the European business, it is very difficult, but this has nothing to do with Youthstream, it has to do with the economy. I hope that Youthstream understands we are in a recession and we have to grow, no other sport stands still, not even in a recession.

MXlarge: How is the situation in Belgium with noise, and the tracks?

Geboers: At the moment everything is focused on Grand Prix, the Sunday racers are not the problem; the problem is the tracks where every day riders are riding, because there are no rules for the day to day riders. If it gets worse in Belgium, then we have a problem. We have to come up with rules from the FIM, and run those rules at our circuits. We don’t have any information and we have a circuit in Olmen. If it gets worse we close the tracks, then we don’t sell bikes and the sport stops in Belgium. You can’t play football on Motocross tracks, but you can ride pushbikes.