Tinus Nel recently sat down with young British talent, Cohen Jagielski to discuss his career and more.
You can watch/listen or read below:
Nel: Now Cohen you’re in England right so you’re a british-based rider and of course England has got a wonderful history with Motocross from the old days when they called it the scrambles and that so it is is a country with a lot of history and background in Motocross so tell us a little bit about your own history how did you start and how did you get into Motocross
Cohen: So first I started on a Strider bike and then my dad inspired me to do Motocross and then when I was three three or four I done my first race at five.
Nel: All right so you started on a Strider bike and you had your first race at five and how did the the first races go because you hear many stories you get stories about the rider that threw the bike down and ran back to the car you get stories about riders that won so how were your first races?
Cohen: They were okay I think. I was in like the top five or something like that I started on that PW.
Nel: All right well top five and that’s pretty good and and tell me how long did it take you to start getting really good results on your bike that Dad and the family could see you’ve got real talent?
Cohen: Well in 2021 I was British champion on auto right in 2021 British champion on auto.
Nel: Yes I read about that um you were that was the Revo Championship right?
Cohen: Yes.
Nel: On your Instagram I saw that it where it lists your championships it said that in 2019 you had a big title before that what was that can you remember what that was?
Cohen: May have been Northern team track Northern team event
Nel: Yeah there was a northern team event also in 2021 right now um we get coming a bit closer in time in 2023 last year you participated in the Coupe De L’Avenir?
Cohen (interrupts): Oh in 2019 I was the world Strider champion.
Nel: What, really? Now tell us about that? Yeah that was what I wanted to know.
Cohen: Yeah so um when I was like I think it was five years old I competed in America for the World Championships on my Strider and then I won that and then I came back to England and started riding the 65 Yamaha.
Nel: All right so you went from The Strider straight onto the 65 and and working with the gears this is this is fantastic All right now tell me h we were talking about the Couple De L’ Avenir r um you in in last year in September or October there’s this race in Belgium called the Coupe De L’Avenir which is regarded as the mini Motocross of Nations because it’s a team event now I see in you wrote that that you came second which is team GB came second. I think in the overall standings yes, but the 65 crew uh of Team GB actually won the category right yeah and and you were the best Rider there I think you had third and fifth so because with withCoupe De L’ Avenir it works like Motocross of Nations you get one point for a win and more points so the less points you have the better actually and I think you had eight points the least of everybody there?
Cohen: Yes it was a very good that the Coupe.
Nel: All right and what did you think of the track and of the event what was it like for you?
Cohen: It was very rough sharp edges on the track and it got very rough. It was good, it was very good though.
Nel: Have you done many races out of the country, you know out of England in Europe or other countries?
Cohen: Oh yeah I competed in the Coupe, the worlds, the EMX in Lommel, Germany and Czech Republic.
Nel: Yeah of course Czech Republic was at Loket with the EMX final is that right?
Cohen: Yes.
Nel: All right now have you always been on um you said that you started on Yamaha but then you switched to another brand so what are you riding now?
Cohen: I’m riding gasgas, now riding gasgas.
Nel: Now talk about going very very fast last year 2023 you qualified for the junior World Championships and you qualified for the European Championship Finals. At the junior worlds were in Romania and for the EMX finals in Czech Republic and on both occasions you just just missed the points with a few seconds in some of the races so how do you remember these races?
Cohen: Of last year? So at the World Championship I had a bad start in the first race and then I come like 24th I think and then in the second race had a good start got to sixth I and then I crashed on this like like sloppy bit and then I got back I think it was in the top 20s or something. And then at Loket, was in 40th place qualifying and then I done a fast lap to 24th and then in the first race I got 23rd I think. Then in the second race I was in 20 and then I had no seat and then someone on the last lap took me out.
Nel: Oh wow, no seat and somebody took you out and and crashing out of sixth in the junior worlds that must have disappointed you. Now talk about no seat uh you saw just the last GP, Pardo in the qualifying race lost his seat as well so at least you know you’ve got these two Gas Gases with no seat so you can phone Prado and tell him hey I’m doing the same kind of things as you. What happened to the seat and how did it come off? Did the bolt just come loose or what happened?
Cohen: Yeah I think the bolt just came loose and it just came off.
Nel: Yeah and Loket is a crazy track to be without the seat it’s a scary and very technical track with those uphills and downhills. What did you think of the track?
Cohen: It was good, some deep ruts in the track. It was nice to be hitting the same ruts as Prado.
Nel: That’s an awesome thing to say and of course you had the opportunity then to watch him and your other racing heroes in action and did you get an autograph or something at least?
Cohen: Yeah I had a photo with him on the track walk.
Nel: Oh wow that’s fantastic and who is your favorite rider by the way?
Cohen: My favorite rider I’d probably have to say Prado or Jett Lawrence.
Nel: All right, yeah that’s what most of the young people say Prado or Jett
Lawrence. So you follow the Supercross in America all the time then right?
Cohen: Yeah I watch it all.
Nel: Now talk about Supercross just last weekend Supercross did you see the crash
of Ken Roczen?
Cohen: Yeah his rear shock went on the whoops.
Nel: Oh the shock blew that was. That shows you that you can’t just put a spring in there that’s not going to work, and if you see the one photo where the shock blew I mean his boot was full of oil already so there’s no way that you’re going to stay on the footpegs like that. It could have been a really bad crash right?
Cohen: Yes.
Nel: I said at the moment it looks like Prado is quite dominant. You know that the other guys don’t really know how they can beat him.
Cohen: He’s very very good and very smooth.
Nel: Yeah very smooth, now what did you think of him going to America doing Supercross and he won one of the qualifying races which is really really good for somebody coming to the 450 SX for the first time? I mean Supercross is something completely different from Motocross so what did you think of his performance in the Supercross it was good considering he only had a couple weeks practice for it?
Cohen: Yeah and and he had a quite a heavy crash before the first race as well.
Nel: All right, now we’ve spoken about the international things and your heroes and everybody oh by the way speaking of Lommel and so do you have a favorite track ?
Cohen: I’d have to say my favorite track’s got to be a track, what’s it called? The track at Eindhoven in the Netherlands.
Nel: You’re talking Veldhoven? Maybe the track there that’s near the airport Is that the one?
Cohen: Yeah, yeah.
Nel: We go to the Dutch tracks we spoke about them and your great result of a few weeks ago you went to the euro qualifier at Valkenswaard and you completely dominated, so tell us about that event.
Cohen: So on Saturday I felt good in free practice. I came third and then in qualifying I came second, and in the qualifying race I was nearly last and came to Fourth. Then on the Sunday I was ready and then I put it all together. First race I didn’t have the greater start I came from 10th to first, and then in the second race I came from third to first on the first lap
and then I just got my head down and then rode my rice and then I won the second race and it gave me the overall win at Valkenswaard.
Nel: Wow, so in the first race you actually didn’t get the holeshot you had to come from 10th and pass all of those Riders, because the Dutch riders in the sand are really, really fast you know. You have Riders like Kash van Hamond and Mike Pijnen and and these guys these are fast little riders in that sand so it’s great for you to have done that. Now that has moved you to second in the in the standings in European championships only two points behind, because in in Denmark I think you had a third and a second is that right?
Cohen: Yeah I got second overall in Denmark also second overall.
Nel: But the third and a second and that’s what made the two points difference otherwise you would have been joint leader and in fact leader because you won the last race, but there’s one more round left of the qualifying series that’s in Germany and how do you look forward to that?
Cohen: I don’t think we’re going to Germany because um we don’t have enough
points to qualify for the semis in Lithuania and yeah …
Nel: All right so there’s the European finals looking at you but then most importantly the world juniors at Heerde which is a deep deep sand track that swallows submarines and 65 cc bikes whole so what do you know about the track and how do you look forward to that?
Cohen: Yeah it’s a very good track when I went out to Valkenswaard, we went a couple days before I rode Heerde and I look really good right now, so I can’t wait for the junior worlds.
Nel: Right so you can’t wait for the junior worlds. I love hearing that and you you think you’re going into that with confidence because you done well in the sand against sand riders so that should put you in a good position. Okay uh if you look at the other other zones ’riders from Estonia, Latvia, Denmark these guys will also know a little bit sand because they they also are good sand Riders but the normal fast Riders from Italy France maybe these kind of riders Spain might not be as good in the sand uh so there you might have a bit of an advantage. You said you loved Veldhoven as a track so do you like sand tracks more than hardpack?
Cohen: Yeah I love sand tracks more than hardpack.
Nel: All right now tell me, we spoke of motocross and supercross and at the end of the year there’s this British Supercross the arenacross. Are you going to do any of those races at any stage ?
Cohen: Well, last year I was about to do it and then two days before I was practicing a track called SX Works and I tried to jump this big jump and cased it and broke my ankle and
then I couldn’t do it. So then this year I think we’re just going to miss it and then just knuckle down on the normal stuff.
Nel: All right yeah, your ankle broke. Is that the photo that I had in the video is that the time when you had that, right?
Cohen: Yeah it was an absolute bummer.
Nel: All right now you were talking about the training for the Supercross. Now, for Motocross, how is your training? What do you do? You said you were riding this week, and so what is your training program for your Motocross because we all know that people who know about racing know that you have to be really fit to do it. So what do you do for riding and fitness and so on?
Cohen: So for my gym fitness I’ve got a trainer called SPC Fitness and then for my motocross trainer it’s a man called Ashley Wiles and then he’s doing all my training on my
motorbike.
Nel: All right, and does Ashley go with you to the races when you go to Europe?
Cohen: He’s I think he’s going to the worlds but he doesn’t go tothe EMX really.
Nel: All right now we spoke before we got on air we spoke about the the top
that you’re wearing with the flex and and the sponsored stuff that you have and all the logos so tell us a little bit about that yes so my sponsors are.
Cohen: I’d like to thank Plews Tyres, FlexMX, Kas suspension, RMJ Rookies, SYPC Fitness, EMX Central, RMJ Academy, Moto Verde, Ashley Wilde, Tim Dane tuning and Doma Exhausts
Nel: Now with your bike with the tuning who does your tuning and what’s been done to your bike so his name?
Cohen: He is called Tim Day tuning and he does all my engines, and very good solid bikes.
Nel: Apart from the sponsors that you mentioned I’m sure the family helps a lot, like mom and dad and maybe the grandparents and everybody. So who are the people that you have to remember that’s helped you in your racing?
Cohen: My mum, my dad, my nan, my granddad.
Nel: And tell me at school do your friends know that you race and do they make a fuss about it?
Cohen: Yeah all my friends know that I race, and then soon when I’m riding, my teacher is going to come and watch me at a track called Hawkstone.
Nel: Do you do any other sports at school or or what hobbies do you have apart from raing?
Cohen: I don’t really do any sports at school I just play football with my friends for a play
but then some of other sports that I love. I love doing sports and I love going on my scooter and all my electric bikes.
Nel: Yeah we saw you with your scooter. you were pretty good with your tricks already when you were only much – not that you’re not little now – but you were more little then and and I saw you were pulling some insane tricks and and also with your electric bike. So where is that pump truck is that near you?
Cohen: Yeah it’s about 15 minutes. I’ve got loads by me and we just go to them once a night once a week.
Nel: All right, well this has been absolutely great. Now to close us out you’ve got what your plans for this year and what you want to achieve with the junior worlds and the euros, and how do you see next year and the years after that what do you want to do?
Cohen: I think next year I’m going straight to Big Wheel and I might be doing the EMX85 and then just carrying on from there on.
Nel: On the big wheel all right, that’s a big jump for you but that’s good because I can see from the videos that you’ve got great bike control and everything so yeah that’s great. And looking at the British scene, because you know um we had you and Hayden Statt uh so there’s two great European level talents. Are there more European level riders in England at the moment that that can go across?
Cohen: Yes, Robbie Daly in the 85s and Jet Gardner in the 65s.
Nel: Right, Robbie Daly and Jet Gardner and of course Harry Dale I saw Harry Dale did the first um ADAC MX Masters, well ADAC Junior Cup race last weekend and he was in the points both races. Would you guys when you’re on 85 consider doing something like the Dutch Masters of Motocross and the ADAC races in Germany?
Cohen: Yes we do a couple of the Dutch Masters I think yeah
