We spoke to Liam Everts after he finishing fourth overall at his home GP at Lommel. Everts wasn’t totally thrilled with his riding but he had a hard charge through the field in race one to fifth before taking fourth in race two – but he wanted more! See what Liam had to say about his day, his GP in Germany and changes he made after Sardinia to help turn his results around.
Watch or read below:
Liam, a very tough weekend as always in Lommel, I feel like you rode better today than yesterday but what do you feel?
Yeah, for sure I rode a bit better today than yesterday, but I just struggled all round. I just didn’t have that freshness, that attack in me, that showed especially in the second one, once Lucas got around me, I just couldn’t follow. The gap with Simon stayed the same, the yo-yo effect. I just tried to make the most of it and come through, finished fourth overall.
It looked tough to find a rhythm out there and very physical, just landing in holes
For me I didn’t struggle with that. My flow was actually okay, after the second race I wasn’t really tired or done, I had quite okay flow but I just couldn’t push. Like I said, didn’t have that attack in me to make the details work.
You are on factory KTM and just signed an extension, did you expect the results to come this quickly?
Not really, especially the first half of the season with a GP win and podiums, I expected it come a bit later this year the podiums, maybe not the GP win but the podiums.
You have spoke about it before but how much did that GP win relieve pressure off your shoulders, you have joined your name in the Everts legacy now as GP winner.
Yeah exactly, it took a lot of pressure of of me but at the end of the day I want to do it again and keep going. Not say yeah I achieved this and it’s good, I want to keep fighting and go for the next step again.
Your dad said to us there was a month ago around Italy that there was a meeting with your dad and Harry and some changes that brought you to the next level, what were those changes?
It was after Sardinia, I think it was one of my worst GP’s ever! There we saw something had to be changed, something had to be done. The biggest change is going practicing more by myself with my mechanic, still under his program but he doesn’t go to so many practices whereas before he would join every session, he doesn’t do that any more. Just listening a bit more to myself, I have turned an adult (18) find my own will and my way also.
You last name is obviously Everts, so you have grown up with pressure, does this make it easier to deal with pressure now? Other riders maybe aren’t used to it? You seem very relaxed and don’t seem to struggle with the pressure?
It does get to me sometimes. It is hard. It goes a bit up and down you just have to find the consistency, I believe that is the next step, the mental step.
Do you have hobbies away from motocross to relieve that pressure or are you just motocross, motocross, motocross?
All my hobbies outside of racing is still with an engine! If it’s jet skiing or whatever it is, the only one is playing golf, but I haven’t played for quite some time!
Belgium are looking really strong now, yourself, both Coenens, Jago. The next coming years it could be like your dad, Bervoets and Smets for MXoN and you part of that, is that exciting as country to look forward to?
Yeah, of course it is nice. It is something that we have waiting for, it has been a long time, it’s cool to be part of it.
Interview: Jonathan McCready
Images: Ray Archer
