Rockstar Energy Husqvarna rider Thomas Olsen will without question be one of the front runners for the 2019 MX2 championship. Having been a consistent top three guy throughout his MX2 career, the Danish rider will go into next year with a lot of confidence, and the feeling he can push defending champion Jorge Prado to the end.

We caught up with Olsen and asked him about his off-season experiences and what makes life fun away from the races.

MXlarge: Where are you now, in Holland?

Olsen: I am still in Denmark now, but I this weekend I go back to Belgium to start riding a bit.

MXlarge: Seems a lot of guys are already into their pre for 2019. Have you done anything, maybe been in the gym or something?

Olsen: Yes, I have seen different guys training on the bike, but last year we started later and it worked out pretty good. What I normally do is start three or four weeks before, working out in the gym a lot. Getting my physical condition good.

MXlarge: It is a long season, with the two races on Sunday, the Saturday qualification races, pre-season races and I know you also do National races in Holland maybe also in Denmark. When it comes to that last GP, or the MXoN, are you pretty happy to have a rest for a month or two?

Olsen: I would say yes, because it is 20 races and a lot of travelling, and you have to stay in shape throughout the season, so I would say yes, but at the end of the season, I still felt good. I put everything into it and the season was finished, it was nice to relax and think about something other than motocross. That is what I really enjoyed, was getting away from it and doing things that you normally don’t have energy for. Doing something else while I still can.

MXlarge: So what did you do?

Olsen: I went on holiday with my friends, just had fun being with my friends, my brother and my family. I still stayed active, because nobody wants to stay in bed all winter. I helped my brother out building his apartment and we did all kinds of different things.

MXlarge: Do you follow other sports? I know speedway is big in Denmark, but what interests you?

Olsen: What big sports we have in Denmark, I don’t really know. Other than motocross I like basketball. I find it really interesting and have followed that a lot in the winter, when there is no travelling.

MXlarge: You mean American basketball?

Olsen: Yes, NBA.

MXLarge: So do they show that on Danish television, or you watch it on a pirate channel online?

Olsen: Sometimes early in the morning it’s on a sport channel, or I might just watch the highlights on youtube to follow the games. It’s a fun sport and a team sport and it’s so different. I like the team sports, and I know in motocross you have a whole team around you, but out on the track you are all alone. You put a lot of pressure on yourself, so I like to watch a sport with a whole team, because they have to work together. I know we work together as a team, but it’s different.

MXlarge: Do you miss that, doing a team sport?

Olsen: Well, I am not very good at it, and I am good at motocross. I enjoy watching it, but I suck at it and you need to choose what you are good at. I really enjoy the riding and training and it’s tough sometimes. I do look at those sports and realize what a tough one I picked. I mean motocross is a tough sport and you need to be a strong athlete. That is what is nice about motocross.

MXlarge: There is always people joking about football players, when they get a slight kick on their ankle or something and act like they have broken their leg, and then you see a motocross rider falling off, and landing really hard, but still, you guys just jump up and try and get on the bike as quickly as possible.

Olsen: That is true, but I think if motocross riders had a back-up rider, who could grab the bike,  and get going, I think maybe we would lay down a little longer on the ground, but we don’t have that. The adrenaline is running and you just want to get going again. There is only you to finish the race, and you have to do it yourself, but in football, they can just replace them. We do take a lot of big hits, but we are so used to it, its normal for us.

MXlarge: You mentioned that you like recovering after the season and doing fun stuff you normally wouldn’t do throughout the season. You obviously have to love what you do, otherwise you don’t do it, and so how long does that feeling last before you are desperate to get back on the bike again?

Olsen: I have it now, I got the feeling now that I want to ride again, but I also know that it’s a long season and we will be on the bike a lot, so I am telling myself just take your time and you will be back on the bike soon and you will get a lot of time on the bike. I am trying not to think about it too much, but I know I will enjoy it and there is no need to ride all year around.

MXlarge: Would you say the travel is the biggest killer throughout the season and not actually the racing? I mean riding a motocross bike is hard on your body, and you need to recover, but seems a lot of people really hate the travel part.

Olsen: Yes, it does, but its part of the sport and that is how it is. It does take it out of you, you just sit on a plane for three or four hours, but you have to drive to the airport, wait at the airport, get your rental car and travel to the track. It’s a whole day travelling, and it can make it tougher, but we are all going to the same place, so it’s the same for everybody. I do enjoy it when it’s at Lommel, because it’s just a five minute drive to the track.

MXlarge: What is the plan now until the pre-season races?

Olsen: My plan is to do a little more work in the gym, and get in better shape, and then we start riding a bit, slowly coming into it. Last year I was really ready going into the first race, but this year we will take it a little easier in December and get into the hard stuff a little more in January. I will spend a lot of time on the bike and those months are like boot camp and you are very tired going to bed.

MXlarge: Have you met your new team-mate Jed Beaton yet?

Olsen: Yes, we met when he came to the work-shop, he seems like a nice guy, and he is good on the bike, like you saw before he got injured last year. It will be great to get to ride with him a bit and we will start at Redsand, so there will be a lot of guys there, and that is nice to have people to push you a bit.

MXlarge: Last question. Do you know what pre-season races you will do?

Olsen: The plan is Hawkstone Park and Lacapelle.