Young Dutch talent, Bradley Mesters is quietly having a strong season despite an injury disrupting his season. The Kosak KTM rider started the EMX250 season with fifth overall at Madrid in hard pack and at the latest round of the series in Lommel he ended up fifth overall. He even had the red plate in the ADAC Youngsters Cup before his injury.
We caught up with Mesters to discuss his season so far and more… you can read, watch or listen below…
GateDrop: Bradley, here at Lommel for the EMX250 series… Overall a very very solid weekend for you and especially the first moto was very good. I think you can be happy with your speed and results here at a tough Lommel…
Mesters: Yeah, I’ve prepared quite long for this race. I was looking forward to it actually and yesterday was like solid. I came from fifteenth to third, almost second but a bit lost my pace in the last few laps but that was like really good. I was looking forward to maybe getting a podium but today just the start… starts were not on point this weekend so two times I had to come from the back and then I struggled a lot to pass Rizzi. I lost a bit my momentum because of him and then after I get a bit tired and guys from the back started to catch me and unfortunately I got passed in the last lap. But overall quite a solid weekend. P5 overall I think and the speed was there.  I just maybe need some better starts and some better physical condition and I will be on the podium so that’s something to look forward to for next year.
GateDrop: How did you find the track both days? It seemed pretty different both days. Yesterday for Lommel it actually wasn’t that rough and pretty fast although kind of slippery too… Today looked very very rough and Lommel like we know it…
Mesters: Yesterday you also see like some guys who don’t really belong on the front but because the track was like so flat and fast everybody can go fast. Today was like way more heavy and way less speed so yeah you see many guys start to go slower and slower or lose pace. I think I give it a bit too much in the beginning because I needed to come from far behind so that’s why I struggled a bit in the last few laps but overall the fitness is not that bad.

GateDrop: At the first round of the EMX250 series in Madrid I think you were really really impressive there with a fifth overall. You must have been really happy with that because everyone was there at the first round and also it’s hard park so what did you expect coming into the season?
Mesters: My goal was actually really to be top five there because the pre-season for me went so well. I had a good winter, good pre-races like the International Italian championship and Hawkstone. But yeah, fifth overall I was in the morning on Saturday I struggled a bit but turned quite good around o the Sunday. I was tenth and a fifth  and almost fourth at the finish line but anyway fifth overall was good.
GateDrop: With the injury last year, this year was it just important to try and make all the races and not get a big injury? I know you were injured earlier this year but at least it wasn’t a big injury…
Mesters: Last year I almost didn’t ride a bike, I just did the opening round and the last round but this year was my goal actually was to be top five in the championship but unfortunately at the German championship I dislocated my shoulder and had a concussion in practise that set me back a bit. I feel like I needed quite a lot of time to get back from that injury and also like before was way more easy for me to go the pace where I’m riding now. Now I need to work more hard for it but still now all the rounds where I do, I just want to be up there or show that I’m a top five rider and go for the podium every round. For sure that’s my goal to finish one time on the podium this year for next year I think we will go one more year EMX250 and then go for the title.
GateDrop: Conditions today, I would say they’re your conditions… Now you have done well in hard pack before but do you still think that’s an area where you need to put more laps in at the training days, more hard pack riding or do you feel comfortable in both hard pack and sand?
Mesters: Of course I’m more comfortable in the sand tracks but I think racing for me doesn’t really matter if it’s a hard pack track and as long as there are lines in it then it’s good for m. When it’s getting dry and slick then I struggle a bit but when there’s lines in it then yeah it’s quite the same… Okay, not the same but if it’s still technical.  When the track is technical I’m good but when it’s fast it’s just a little bit more difficult.

GateDrop: You signed with the German based team, the Kosak KTM team, how’s everything going with this team for you and are you based in Germany or you still do your own thing in the Netherlands?
Mesters: No, the bikes are at my home and the engines we do by ourselves. I have my own engines and suspension… the team is very free, they let me do my own thing. That’s really good and nice from them. I can do everything what I want, Kevin (Giedderz) is also a really nice guy, he always wants the best for me and always behind me even when the results are not always there. But they will always be there to support me and that’s really nice.
GateDrop: I seen this weekend that Davy Pootjes is actually working with you, I didn’t know that until this weekend… How long have you been working with Davy for and he must be able to really help you… obviously he’s been through a lot, more than most in the sport… But he was so talented but had a lot of injuries and stuff going wrong… But I’m sure he’s able to help you…
Mesters: So, now he has helped me for like two months or something. We asked him for some help because he’s like what you say, he has been on the top and now unfortunately it has stopped him but he was like one of the biggest talents in the sport. He’s been through a lot so he can help me with a lot of things that I’ve never been through. It’s really helpful for me because he can see things around the track and of course he knows how to ride the bike so it helps me.
GateDrop: You’re also racing the ADAC championship in Germany, how is all that going for you and it also looks like a good series this year the ADAC Youngsters Cup… There’s quite a lot of winners….
Mesters: Yeah, I have three podiums now there but unfortunately then I dislocated my shoulder. I was leading the championship at one point but I lose many points at the round of it because I was not fit there with my shoulder, I wasn’t ready but I had two days and of course because I was first in the championship, I wanted to try. I’m fourth now, not too far back from third, I think we’ve the same points and also the leaders are not that far ahead anymore so you never know what can happen.

GateDrop: Just for next year, have you got a deal with Kosak yet or is it still up in the air? I think you’re still going to be doing the EMX250 though by the sound of it…
Mesters: I’m still going to be racing EMX250 next year. I think that’s more smart to do because yeah on the 125cc, I also stepped up too fast and so I feel that it’s better to stay one more year. Then we will see what can do next year but we have not signed yet…  The option is there for me to sign with Kosak so we’ll see.
GateDrop: You touched on it there, as you jumped quickly to the 125cc and stuff I think you were with F&H in the past what was it like being part of that team? They’re obviously a professional team and you would have been working with Marc de Reuver there as well… What was that experience like?
Mesters: Yeah, for me of course I was there since an 85cc. It was really nice of course to see those MX2 guys there at that time. They were up there every weekend so for me it was nice to see that. Marco also helped me then of course with the training, if you do it alone or with other guys it’s always more easy but yeah it was good time. I just think I stepped to quickly to the 250’s but there were some trouble in the team with me so that’s why that happened but it’s passed.
GateDrop: Your good buddy, Roan van de Moosdijk, he’s now your team mate here at Kosak KTM, that must be quite nice…
Mesters: Yeah, we’ve been team mates like a long time and he’s one of my best friends so now he’s also with this team. It’s nice for him, I hope he can do like good results. I know it’s in him, he just needs to show it.