Interview: Mikkel Haarup – impressive speed at Matterley Basin MXoN

Images: Nigel McKinstry | Interview: Andy McKinstry

The Matterley Basin MXoN was an end of a chapter in Mikkel Haarup’s career as it was his final race on the 250cc and with Triumph. The Dane had some fantastic speed but bad starts and crashes meant he could only charge back to fourth overall but he had the speed for a podium.

We caught up with the friendly Dane to discuss the event and much more…

GateDrop: Mikkel, I mean, in the second moto, an awful start, but you were on rails. I mean, you passed Tom Vialle, and boom, you were gone. How good did you feel, in the second moto especially? You were unbelievable…

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Haarup: Yeah, I actually felt good in both moto’s and I think lap times also showed. Sadly, we didn’t get it on paper because, like you said, we went down. So then, the second moto, Guillod, I believe, got tangled or made a mistake in the first corner, and, yeah, I just hit his bike as he crashed, which was unfortunate, so… But I enjoyed, I had a lot of fun racing through the pack, and the speed was good. I was happy to finish off the season like that.

GateDrop: Just being at this team event, you’ve obviously got a very young team, and it’s not an individual… Did you enjoy that side of it? Maybe it was a little bit less pressure for you, and did you enjoy just the whole event being under the Denmark awning and stuff like that?

Haarup: I enjoy working with the younger guys. I like to encourage them, and I’m proud of them. They did really well because normally they’re riding a 250, they stepped up and raced the 450cc because I couldn’t. I’m really impressed with what we accomplished with the eleventh overall as a team. So, yeah, I couldn’t have asked for much more, and hopefully we can work towards something more with this team. You know, it’s young, so let’s see what it brings.

Image: Nigel McKinstry

GateDrop: Yesterday, the track, it was just ruts pretty much everywhere. Today, it was a little bit more open, but with the rain, was it maybe a little bit more slippery and less grip?

Haarup: The first one, it was slippery, that’s why I went down. I was just accelerating off the take off, and I literally just high-sided. But overall, the track was cool. I also enjoyed yesterday. It was a little bit more deep, as you say, but it was a good motocross track for sure.

GateDrop: And just on your last year racing MX2 World Championship, you always had a lot of talent and a lot of potential, but you were never really able to string a full season together. The last year, I would say you’ve done a good job. Fifth overall in the championship, was it a bit of a relief that you were able to show that in MX2?

Haarup: Well, for me, fifth overall is really impressive as a team, especially because Triumph are just coming into the championship. But I do believe if we’ve had a year or two more it would have been even better. But yeah, I’ve been through some ups and downs, also team-wise and stuff in the past, but nothing I would change. This year, I feel like we’ve done what we could. Obviously, we’ve improved during the season, and you could also see my speed was getting better and better throughout the season. I’m proud of what we accomplished with Triumph, and now we’ll see what the future brings.

GateDrop: I feel like Triumph has gone under the radar a little bit. I mean, it’s their first year racing, and you got podiums, and you’re fifth overall in the championship. It’s pretty unbelievable for the first year in the sport…

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Haarup: Yeah, and fourth as a manufacturer as well, in front of all the Japanese brands. Honestly, I will say, you say we’ve gone under the radar, but actually, all the people that I’ve met have been very impressed with me, with the bike, with the team. I don’t think we could have asked for much more. Obviously, we always love to win, and that’s something that we’ll have to wait for another day.

Image: Nigel McKinstry

GateDrop: The off-season is coming up, have you got a holiday planned? What’s the next few weeks looking like?

Haarup: Back to work.

GateDrop: No break?!

Haarup: Currently, I have to see, obviously, what the future brings. Currently, I’m a free agent, so I don’t know what will happen. Obviously, I need a little bit of recovery, but I’m more excited to see what the future brings.

GateDrop: How excited are you to get on a 450? I think you will suit the bike. You’re pretty tall now as well, and you’ve got a good technique, so it should suit you…

Haarup: I rode the 450cc two years ago during the winter time, the whole winter, and I enjoyed it a lot. So, yeah, I look forward to being on the 450cc, but let’s see what’s going to happen.

GateDrop: Are you talking to teams? How likely is it that you’re going to get a ride? Is it looking good that you’ll be racing MXGP, or what’s the situation?

Haarup: It’s tough, it’s tough. Currently, I don’t know. Obviously, I’ve been talking to teams. Teams have also approached me and said, well done, and things like that. People notice, but yeah, let’s see. Currently, I don’t know what I’m going to do. I haven’t signed anything.Let’s see what’s going to happen.

GateDrop: Well, I hope you get a good ride and we’ll see you in MXGP next year. Thank you for the interview, and good luck.