Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126608
DeCoster . we see (Heikki) Mikkol a . they are around longer than Am er ican driver. Am erican drivers co me in mo re young than European d river . t hey are . I think . not so much motorcycle driver . as they ar e a fra id of nothing : t hey just go . you know . European driver it 's not so much that wa y. it's more techn ical. " 1980 proved to be t he yea r a n American almost came to grasp with a titl e that has eluded our co u ntry so fa r - a world MX titl e . Brad La ckey . th e veteran GP racer from California . ran hub to hub with Malherbe th ro ughout that season . It ca me dow n to the final round in Luxembourg. where the race . and titl e . fell to Malherbe. During that race some conflict arose between Lackey and Malherbe , and between those riders and the spec tators who lined the fences . "I don 't have any problem anymore with Brad . During 1980 . except the last two GP ·s. feelings were not that bad. Then I have problems too . Many supporters of Brad were there (Luxembourg) and I received a small beer bottle . they send me this (MaIherbe motions that the bottle was thrown at him). I don 't know if it was true about Brad (that things were also thrown at him) . It was same for both. This year no problem with Brad. I think people (the press) were exciting the people too much. make tension . " Malherbe shed some light on who will he in for the hunt for a 500cc title in '82. "It's hard to say before the year starts, I think it 's going to be Graham "' (Noyce ) again . (Hakan) Carlqvist , and maybe (Jean Jacques) Bruno. because he 's coming up . I don 't care too much about (Andre) Vromans, because he change bikes (to Suzuki ) and it takes time for him to be ready on new bike. Lackey. last year he was not very good . hey? I think he was not angry to win last year. Hard to say about this year. " In the motocross upset of '81. Americans conquered both the Trophee and Motocross des Nations . .held in Belgium and Germany. respectively. America's team . comprised of Honda riders Danny La Porte , Donnie Hansen, johnny O'Mara and Chuck Sun, went over as t a second choice from the U.S .A. They were regarded as a B squad in Europe until they overcame all odds to win . 'They were very good . I see only the 250 race (in Belgium) so I can talk only about that. The best (rider there) was .Vrom a ns , easy. that 's the first thing . The American drivers were very excited. very angry to win. They never be angry like that before , and they never be angry like that in the future . . "I think they were coming to Europe and the people in Europe think 'It is just an American driver. nothing special. They are just here . nothing else .' The Americans were very excited by Roger (DeCoster , who was behind the team's effort ) because he really su pervised those guys a nd rea IIy wanted them winning. He push very ' much . They bel ieve in him. they win l He knows racing here . he ca n help those guys . If I was th ere (competing) and if (Georges) Jobe was there , I am almost sure Belgium would have won . " Both Malherbe a nd Jobe are Belgi ans . a nd both were unable to rid e due to injuries . A ca ree r is on e thing. but the social side of matters is another . "Sa bine knew nothing about motorcycles . , a bo ut motocross wh en we met. We travel together . a nd she learns quite fast. " Sabin e cast an a ffectiona te look a t And re . both laughed . then Andre co nti n ued. "At th e races is not really place to meeta girl . do you think ?" Inste a d of ha ving to force him sel f to trai n d ur ing off-season . An d re looks at the per iod as one of .relaxa t ion and enjoyme nt . while still ge tt ing th e job do ne . "I don't do any thi ng special just prepa re for next season . Tra in a little bit a nd take it easy a litt le bit. Snow ski, every yea r I go bu t this yea r I cannot (d ue to inju ries ). I run a litt le . I drive b icycle . I pl ay ten nis . I do many th ings . I try to enjoy m y train ing as much as possibl e ." Belgium is kn own for th eir top not ch MX rid ers. but Malherbe was hard pr essed to name the up -an d comer s in his co untry _"It's hard to say who will win GPs some d ay. Some d rive rs are good fro m 16 to 19 . th en th ey are finished . no more progression . They completely come and then more fast go down . We have some rid ers . like (Erik) Geboers. who are already riding 125 GPs . but other than that hard to say. " Andre doesn 't center all his interests around European racing , as he enj oyed riding the Superbikers in 1980 (all -terrain race in California) and still wishes to enter the Trans -UxA . "I don 't wish to try the Trans-USA , I wish to win . that's different. I want to take one Trans -USA title . I like Super bikers because I have much fun . just for myself. It's different ; I even like pavement . it's something new . " The 500cc class has been his for two years . and Malherbe plans to st ay there . The 125 or 250cc GPs aren 't in his future plans. "No. never. I think th e big bike is the best class. th e hardest one. I like to stay where I am . I feel good where I am. " Throughout my visit with Andre and Sabine I was surprised at th e friendliness and openness with which they pursued the conversation . According to Malherbe , that's the way it is with racers in Europe . "We are all friendly . We are all friends . We know everybody. we can talk with any other rider. we can have som e good times . " Malherbe can be seen in French publi cations doing many crazy things, posing in his underwear . or riding mini bikes off a GP starting line . To that he replied. "It's all for fun ." We neared our destination In Brussels. as the open highway gave way to the compression of the city. Our meeting neared an end . so the last question was posed. Where will Andre Malherbe be in ten years? "What I want to do is impossible. I do moto cross racing. and I want to stay and do something in the sport . though maybe I would like to do something different . but I can't sa y in English ." Andre and Sabine again converse in French to come up with an English equivalent . "I like to drive car racing. I am very interested in . Formula . One day . but I have no wa y to do. I have much money in motocross racing and have a good life . but if I go car racing I must spend much money. So in my situation it is impossible. That 's the sport I like best to do . After that it 's tennis . I am not that good. I have tried to beat Rog er for two years but I cannot. Next time I think I'm going to beat him . "I look ahead . but I'm not interested in having my own shop or com pany. I don't know exactl y what I'd like to do right now , but other things like that a rc not very inte resti ng tome ." With that th e ru sh was on . as Mal herbe was within minutes of miss ing his appointment. We bid each ot he r farewell . a nd as we parted we talk ed of And re 's bid on his thi rd titl e. "I want to win Carlsba d . I will win it ne xt year. All I have to do is get used to the hea t. " With th a t pred ict ion . we went o ur se pa rate ways . •