Arnaud Tonus interview

Posted on June 19, 2019

There are a handful of riders in the Grand Prix paddock that you get the feeling know themselves really well. An inner knowledge that not only makes them thinkers on the track, but also great people, who are enjoying the journey of life and trying to get as much out of the experience as possible. Arnaud Tonus is one of those guys.

Having come through his share of bad luck, or bad injuries, the Monster Energy Wilvo Yamaha rider is very much in a moment in his career that the good is far outweighing the bad. Now on the podium on a regular basis, and nearly winning the GP of Latvia last weekend.

I have interviewed Tonus on a handful of occasions throughout his career, and speaking to him in Latvia last weekend, I was pleasantly surprised how far he has come since his 2018 season, a season that saw him miss a year of racing, and struggled to come back from a near career ending injury.

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MXlarge: You must be feeling fantastic. You are riding really well, and you nearly won the Grand Prix.

Tonus: Remember that interview we did in the winter? (It was an interview where Arnaud was coming back from a year out and the hardships of injuries).

MXlarge: Yes, I do.

Tonus: You know, talking about that interview, it is hard looking back, but I felt I had something in me, to make it happen. I had to be patient with those injuries, and it was tough to swallow, and coming back from that, it feels really nice. I am really thankful.

MXlarge: When you took the lead at one point, they showed your girlfriend on the television monitor, and she looked so proud, like she knew you could do it, or something like that. The people around you, they must help a lot.

Tonus: It is great, and my girlfriend knows me better than anyone and she has been here through the tough times. She knows what I went through. I am not a guy who expresses himself so much and it was a hell of a ride. I don’t think she was proud of me leading, but maybe you thought that from her expression. She is so calm and humble and if I am first or 20th, she supports me the same. It is really nice from her, and its pretty unbelievable and I see it on her face when it is going bad, she is so supportive and never judging me and it is really cool, and I am thankful with that on her. Happy to have her on my side.

MXLarge: Somebody like myself, or so many people, who are not competitive, or don’t go through pain, we don’t realize what you guys go through, with injuries and stuff. Was there a moment during the injuries that you stopped believing and just thought fuck it?

Tonus: Yes, for sure, and definitely the last injury to my shoulder. Even the doctor said, fuck, we are not sure you will be able to ride again. It was a mess in there and everything was destroyed and at that point I thought it might be over. You have the pain and you don’t have the belief or anything, you just suffer. You don’t want to ride a dirt bike at that time. I had great people, also Louis (team owner) supported me.

MXlarge: He could have easily taken the easy route and resigned Shaun?

Tonus: He kept believing in me and I wasn’t even riding, and I am super grateful to Yamaha and Louis himself. There were many emotions when I got back on the bike, I struggled with fears and it took me some time to be myself. For a long time, I was stiff on the bike and now I am really happy I am loose again and happy to ride.

MXlarge: There were times today that I thought to myself, I am not sure I have seen Arnaud ride at this level. Is it the best you have felt racing?

Tonus: It is hard to say. I would say in these conditions yes. Normally on a sand track I am not comfortable, I am not born on these types of tracks. More like Russia is my style, but I was super happy to ride like that in those conditions. For me though, the best I have felt on a dirt bike was in Arco in 2014. I was last in the first corner with a bike problem and I came back to finish second on the back wheel of Herlings, and I think that is the best feeling I have had in my career.

MXlarge: We are all talking about the good tracks that are coming for Tim, but you also like hard pack and those tracks are coming, like Germany, Indonesia, Loket. You must be excited with this form to go to those tracks?

Tonus: Of course, but I try to take every race as a gift. I didn’t have the mentality that it was sand, I was just happy to ride. I just take it all as a gift, because it is all the work where I have trainer myself mentally and it seems like it is working.

MXlarge: Is this the calmest you have ever been, because you just did two motos and you nearly won the GP and you seem so calm and relaxed?

Tonus: I don’t know, I think I have always been a calm person, but when it is going like this, it is easy to be relaxed inside. Today, for me, it was kind of emotionally heavy, because I was leading and it took some energy and maybe that is why I sound so relaxed, but it is more emotional fatigue, you know what I mean?

MXlarge: I have seen some of your team celebration photos and it always cracks me up how you look on the photos, you really look like you are celebrating and having fun, some crazy faces. It is nice to see.

Tonus: I try to express myself in those moments. I am not a guy who shows so much and it takes so much to get on a GP podium, and if I wasn’t making those crazy photos, then I wouldn’t do it, unless I was drunk, so I need to express myself and that is what I do.

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