Lucy Barker enjoyed the best weekend of her WMX career so far in Arnhem, finishing an impressive fourth overall. The young Brit has been working relentlessly behind the scenes, and her hard work is starting to pay off on the world stage. With the guidance of Kenny Vandueren and strong training partners such as Lotte van Drunen, Barker has made clear progress this season, and Arnhem was proof of what she is capable of. We caught up with Lucy to discuss her performance in the Netherlands, training, the support of her family, and even future ambitions like a potential trip to America to race the Mini O’s event.
GateDrop: Lucy, 4th overall, your career best WMX, you must be absolutely buzzing with that…
Barker: Yeah I’m happy, I mean I’ve been working hard so I think it’s about time that I showed where I should be. I’m genuinely just happy to show what I can do and finally be able to show what’s there.
GateDrop: I was speaking to your brother on Friday and he said he had seen you on the run up this and I think it was a few days ago he said it was the best you’ve ever rode and he was like if she rides the way she practices then the race it’ll be really good… Never count your chickens before they hatch but he certainly wasn’t lying (laughs)…
Barker: Well, I still feel like I’m a bit better during the practice sessions but it’s all coming together now I’ve been working hard with Kenny Vandueren, Lotte, Jarne and Bertram. We’ve all been training and we’ve been going for it and putting everything into it. My family spend months apart and people don’t see that but we’ve been putting a lot into this for this round.
GateDrop: The track is not exactly British, Dutch style – very very difficult both days even though they levelled bits it was pretty rough already for your race today… Just what was it like riding the track… you seemed to enjoy it!
Barker: I loved it to be fair. I felt stronger at the end if I’m honest. It took me really quite a long time to get into it and a bit longer than I would have hoped. In that race I was a bit slow at the start but I showed that I’m strong. I showed that I’m fit which I’m happy with. It was a lot rougher today than yesterday for sure. They watered it so much so it was just really deep sucking you in and you had to be calm. A lot of girls were going down and I saw who was in front. I knew I was faster than them and I just put a few good laps in and caught them up and made the moves.
GateDrop: One thing I noticed this weekend anyway sometimes if you get a bad start the first couple of laps chaos maybe you rush it but this weekend you seemed very chill and just let the race come to you… I think that helped, would you agree or maybe not so much?
Barker: 100%, I agree. Bad starts have been pretty much the story so far in my career. I’m not really sure what it is yet, I think it’s very mental on the starts because I can go to a smaller event and have a good start so it’s difficult to conquer. We’re practicing them obviously a lot, we’ve been doing a lot of starts but you know we just got to keep getting experience. I think this weekend I’ve been so calm and patient. I’ve been working on the psychological side and I’ve just like you said, let the race come to me. I know I’m strong, I know I’m fit and I don’t need to prove that in the first two laps. I just need to stay on that bike and then the aggression and the good riding can come.
GateDrop: I mean fourth overall, did you really expect that coming here? There are a lot of fast girls out there!
Barker: With my speed on a practice day, I knew it was possible to be up there, definitely. Obviously you’ve got high hopes of getting a podium for sure and you always want more. I did expect to be in the top five if I rode like I did at practice but still I’m not 100% satisfied with the riding but in general I’m really happy with how I handled starts in the race.
GateDrop: You’re still very young but obviously the girls at the top are also very young Lotte and Daniela just how much respect have you got for them?
Barker: Oh I have a lot of respect for them. It just shows you like obviously they’re on teams and stuff so they’re going for it as well. Everyone is putting everything into it and I feel like I’ve started off a bit slower than I would have liked too. Everyone’s paths is different and everyone starts a career differently so if this is my path then I’ll just keep going until I get to the top.
GateDrop: Mum and Dad here this weekend and the Brother as well, he’s obviously not always here so it must be nice to have the best ride of your career in front of them?
Barker: I am super happy. My Mum and Dad have spent months apart in the last few months just so I can train in Holland. My mum is at home working so we can do this and so we can ride. I can’t thank them enough honestly as well as my brother and just everyone around me. It’s just incredible what they do for me, they give up their life for me.
GateDrop: And Kenny Vandueren you started working with him… Just what’s it like working with him and how is he able to help you?
Barker: It’s amazing. Obviously he’s a very good sandman, I mean he is from Belgium.
GateDrop: Do you remember him racing?
Barker: Not so much no but he tells me a lot of the time. I’ve seen a lot of the results so I definitely know his career quite well now. He likes to rub it in a bit. He did actually get on my bike last week in Lommel and I was faster than him, there was two seconds in it actually (laughs). But no, he’s amazing honestly on the physical side, off the bike, on the bike and he’s just so good with Lotte, Bertram and everyone else. Lotte even always says oh Lucy can go really fast here and we just have a really good group. It’s just been such a good year to work with them.
GateDrop: What’s it been like putting the laps in with Lotte, she seems to be a very close friend of yours and it must help in the sand I imagine?
Barker: We’re really good friends now. It obviously helps, she’s the best in the world at the end of the day like and she’s the best there is now. It’s really good, she helps me and I can follow her and I think it helps us both as well because I can set up in front, she can set up in front. It’s nice it doesn’t get boring.
GateDrop: A bit of a scoop your brother was telling me earlier that you’re hopefully going to be going to the Mini O’s in America?
Barker: Well we’ll see. Nothing is confirmed yet but I’ve got a bike sorted thanks to a friend. We’re going to see if we can get an entry and then how everything goes and how Turkey goes. I won’t be doing Australia to save a bit of money and hopefully go there.
GateDrop: Have you ever been to America before?
Barker: No, I’ve never been even for a holiday or anything.
GateDrop: If it all goes to plan I am sure you are looking forward to that and do you know yet what classes that you’d be doing?
Barker: I’ll go in the women’s class obviously. I think it’s 15 or 16 above, I don’t really know the classes too much but then the 250B class.
GateDrop: That would be with the guys?
Barker: Yeah, I think Lotte said she’s done it before. She said just enter as many classes as possible so it’ll be nice if she’s there as well. I can get a bit of guidance and we can train together and maybe stay together – it would be good.
GateDrop: Just on next year probably not because obviously women’s motocross is very tough but any phone calls or is it looking like you’ll be staying with the same sort of setup?
Barker: I have no offers at all. I’ve not even actually had like a main sponsor this year I’ve got my kit guy Ruben who’s amazing I’ve got like people like Twin Air, Goggle Bob, Track Industries, Michelin and just proper loyal sponsors who want to support me. I’m happy with how I’m doing it, I’m lucky enough to be able to do it with my family so we keep going like this.
GateDrop: When was the last time you were back home in the UK like, once Turkey is over I imagine you’ll be going back? Are you looking forward to going home and seeing friends?
Barker: I’m actually going home tonight. We will clean the camper and then get some training for Turkey. Last time I went home was after the Zwarte Cross about a month ago for a week because my dad went fishing. He came back out here so I’m ready for home to see my dog, my horse, grandma and then back out training.
