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/128225
It was great but also a little strange. Normally when he comes, I'm usually in hospital. One time he came to Mugello, and I hit my head and was in hospital, and then another time I broke my leg. You signed for GPs with the Shell 250cc team when it was initially owned by Jeff Hardwick and Mick Doohan at the beginning of 1999. This gave you Honda factory bikes, and you had some good results, but that all ended more than two years ago. Have you heard anything from Honda since that time? I haven't heard anything from Honda. I think in some ways Honda are a little bit strange - if you are loyal to Honda then they are loyal to you, but they weren't very loyal to me at that time, so I'm happy where I am at the moment. The Zoppini Abruzzo team and Aprilia gave me a chance to get back to GPs. Honda is a good company, but I'm happy with Aprilia for their support this year. How is racing in Europe different now than when you first came in 1999 for the Shell 250 team? It's completely different to when I was in Europe before, especially when I first started in 250s [1999/20001. I had a place to stay in Belgium and a big motorhome, and my mum was with me a lot of the time, and also my young brother and sister came to Europe on holidays, so I always had some company. This year it's really tough being over here by myself. My team are all Italian, and they are a really good team, but they don't speak English so well, and there are only so many things we can talk about before their English runs out. So how are you traveling around Europe to the races this year? I've got a Mercedes Sprinter van, just like a camper really - it's got a shower and a bed in it but no air conditioning, so it's really hot, especially these past two races with the heat wave in Mugello and Barcelona. I even have to leave the door open when it's hot. But that might have helped actually because I was acclimatized (sic) to the heat for the race in Barcelona. So you're driving to every race in Europe? Yeah, I've got a 250 liter long-range fuel tank, and the Sprinter's a turbo diesel, so I can do about 1400km [868 miles] on a tank. I just stop to have a drink and piss. When I can between races, I go back to Amsterdam. I've been staying there with John Swaans, who is a Dutch friend of mine who has helped me out with things and getting a ride this year. You have raced factory Hondas in the past, but before Barcelona your best results were two fourth places in 2000 (Holland and Portugal). Have you thought that being on the podium and winning could have come before now? Yeah, especially after Japan, South Africa and Jerez this year. My results were sort of okay, but I thought I hadn't really pushed hard - as hard as I should have to be up the front. But Barcelona has shown me how hard I have to push (Left) Australian Anthony West wheelies en route to winning the first Grand Prix of his career - and then celebrates with his team (above). to be on the podium, and now I know I can do it. In the past I always doubted whether I could do it, but now I've got no excuses not to be up in the front. Do you think the victory in the Dutch TT will now help you get more support from Aprilia with new factory parts or different tires from Dunlop? I'm not sure. Being on the podium at Barcelona didn't help get any parts for the engine or tires for Assen. Even here at Assen for the rain, the factory bikes had a different wet-weather front tire to what I could get, but it didn't seem help them very much. In practice in the dry at Assen, when I was doing my fastest laps, Poggiali was coming past me like I was standing still, so I think there is a big difference with the engine he has to one I've got. I would like a better engine so I can be up in the front a bit more in the dry so I don't have to wait for the rain to have a chance. Could you have won at Assen on a dry track? Probably not, but I thought I would have a chance at the podium again. I really wanted a dry race to prove that the Barcelona podium wasn't a fluke. I didn't want anyone to think that I f1uked it only once. But I won today [Assen] in the rain, so now I need to do it again in the dry to show that I can do it. I just hope the British GP at Donington will not be too much of a disadvantage with a non-factory bike. After everything that has happened over the past couple of years, including no racing in 2002, what were you thinking over the final laps of the Dutch TT when victory was in sight? I was thinking a million things, and it was difficult to concentrate, especially when I had a good lead out in front. Three laps from the finish I just thought, "This is my time, and I've just got to do it. ' Do you think this win can help get into MotoGP, and is that still your goal? I know it's going to be hard to get to MotoGP, but for me riding bigger bikes is much easier. I know when I rode the 500 twin [2001], I felt really comfortable even though it didn't have the power of a V-four. MotoGP is what I wanted to do this year, but I had to settle on a 250 ride. Ever since I started racing big bikes, like a VTRIOOO, I've always liked them because you are able to slide them around and use the rear wheel, which is what I did in dirt track racing - that's my style. It's one of the reasons I think I can go fast in the rain. eN Anthony West backed up his victory in the Dutch Grand Prix with a come-from-behind third-place finish in the British GP at Donington Park ... Editor cue I e n e vv s