Romain Febvre interview - Podium
When Kawasaki factory rider Romain Febvre started the 2024 season, he was straight away battling with his old nemesis pairing of Tim Gajser and Jeffrey Herlings, not to mention defending World MXGP champion Jorge Prado. These four riders were locked together in a battle for this years MXGP title and until France, the Frenchman was right in the mix. So much so, that despite picking up a serious thumb injury in France, he was still able to win the French GP (before losing it, due to a yellow flag ruling with other riders).
The thumb injury would see the 2015 World MXGP champion miss half a dozen rounds, but in his return in Loket, and then Lommel, he quickly showed good speed, finishing on the podium in Lommel and quickly giving his intentions to fight for as many points as possible and he didn’t mind getting in amongst the three guys fighting for the World title, Gajser, Prado and Herlings.
Down in seventh place in the series points after missing Germany, Latvia and the two Indonesian rounds, Febvre is capable of making his way into the top five by seasons end, but his goal isn’t to climb the series rankings, but get some GP wins and more podiums.
As always, a great interview as the Frenchman said it like it is and didn’t hold back on some topics, like his team-mate Jeremy Seewer and the big three and their title fight. Just today signing with the Kawasaki factory team for another two years (which should really see him end his career in the green team), we spoke to Febvre.
MXLarge: Obviously this place (Lommel) is tough, and you are not back long, so how did you feel with energy and being able to compete?
Febvre: Let’s say, normally I am good in the sand. I have won twice in Lommel, but the way this year went, with my injury and stuff and just coming back, I really didn’t expect to be on the podium. Just because, I am missing some riding, I am also missing some condition. Yesterday was a big struggle with the bike and somehow, it turned out much better today. We just changed the bike before I got injured, before France, and then to be better on the hard pack. So actually, the bike was better on the hard pack, but we could not try this in the sand – and then I got injured. I started to ride a little bit, but my pace was not how it was today. And then just when we came, actually this week we were testing, that was not so much. And then Saturday, I was just struggling big time, like I could not find the flow, like the results showed. I decided to just go back to where I started the season, where I was good with, even if I did not feel like 100% physically, but yeah, anyway, my goal was to just to get some flow. And then somehow, today, I managed to do it really well.
MXLarge: How about the motos?
Febvre: After the first moto, I came back to the truck and I wasn’t exhausted, and sometimes, even when I am 100% ready, I give my all and feel done, but today, I felt great. So, I finished fourth and I thought, I have a chance to be on the box. The first moto, I got a pushed wide on the first turn, and then just rode outside, and then I was quite far back, and came back to fourth, so I was happy with it. The second one, I took a really good start, I was second or third and Tim ahead of me and he knew it was going to between him and me. I passed him and he slowed down, I think he struggled a bit. So, I was and then just maybe two laps or three laps after, I just crashed after the finish line! So, I was like, ‘wow, like it’s going to be tough physically to go again,’ you know? And then somehow, I found the flow on the track, and then I wasn’t exhausted at the end! It was a good operation, and I’m happy to be back on the box after five weeks out.
MXLarge: When you were away, injured, what did you do to stay in condition?
Febvre: I did everything I could when I was injured, like actually I was doing more sports because I could not ride, but yeah, you can do everything you want, but when you jump on the bike, you feel like it’s so hard to ride, you know, because it’s so physically demanding. So yeah, like I said, the goal was just to get the flow on the track, and then once you have the flow and you are not fighting with the track or the bike, then it’s so much easier, it’s maybe two times easier, and then once you go in the hole and everything, then it’s just like ten seconds slower! So yeah, I find the flow today, and I was really happy about it.
MXLarge: Fighting with Tim and him being involved in the championship picture, is that difficult to get involved in their title fight, or you just want to do the best you can do?
Febvre: I don’t care, I really don’t care. I don’t think about the championship, I just try and do my best, maybe its selfish, but I don’t care. It is like this.
MXLarge: I don’t think it’s selfish, I think you are a racer and can race who and how you want. Jeffrey said just after you got injured, how he likes racing you, in the Dutch championship and that you deserve another World title before you retire. He also said he is looking forward to you coming back, because he knows you can get between the others and maybe help him close the points gap, as you did today. He said a lot of really nice things. You are one of the few guys who can really cause problems for those three fighting for the title.
Febvre: For sure, for sure. If I am on a good pace and my condition is good, I can be somewhere on the podium, but it can also work against Jeffrey, because if he crashes or I am just better, I can also be between him as well. So, whoever has a good day its good, but if you have a bad day, I can make it worse for you. But some guys are talking like this, because now, I am not battling for the championship, but I am sure if I was in front of him (Herlings), then I am sure he didn’t like me for sure.
MXLarge: You mentioned on Saturday that you were having trouble turning in the corners and I know speaking to Jeremy (Seewer) in Indonesia, he has the same problem, sort of having to square the corner up, rather than ride with momentum. Was it better for you today?
Febvre: To be honest, I really don’t know how Jeremy has the bike, but we don’t have the same bike. So, not the same bike and not the same technique, so I just cannot compare, because it is so different. I mean, he is really difficult, and he is always searching for the bike, but never questioning himself. So, that is how it is, and I don’t care to say, but I think it has always been like this, because in the second race, he did really good, so where did that come from, is it on him? The bike stayed the same all weekend and he was all weekend bad and then in the second race, I think he finished behind Gajser, so the bike is not so bad.
MXlarge: I think you have trained at Arnhem a lot, just like a lot of the guys, is Arnhem a track you like?
Febvre: Sometimes, it isn’t a track I am used to going. It is pretty okay, a bit harder than here, some parts of the track are a little bit harder than Lommel, it is a track I like a lot, last year I won there. I am not thinking about that, I just want to get in good condition, get a good flow again.
MXLarge: When you think you will be able to win, maybe in Sweden already?
Febvre: No, not already. My condition was not good enough to win in Lommel. When I started in Loket, my goal was to be close to 100% for Sweden, so now we have two weeks, train some more and feel better. Sweden is a track, if you get a good start, you can make it to the finish. The goal is to be good in Sweden, yes.
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