Star turn!
By TMX Archives on 22nd Nov 05
Words by Jonty Edmunds Photos by Roddy MacLeodAs the number one rider on the MXGP scene today everyone wants to know what Stefan Everts thinks. Words by Jonty Edmunds Photos by Roddy MacLeodAs the number one rider on the MXGP scene today everyone wants to know what Stefan Everts thinks. Be it about an upcoming race, being the world championship's most successful rider ever or simply how qualifying went - you name it, Everts gets asked it...year on year.But dealing with the media is something Everts, like most professional sporting stars, has learned to handle. And as well as knowing the importance of communicating well with the media in order to promote himself and his sponsors professionally, Everts - unlike most motocross riders - also has to deal with being a sporting celebrity in his home country. That means daily national media coverage and being recognised in the street.In this interview the nine-time world champ talks candidly about his relationship with the media and how he deals with fame before reflecting on the 2005 season.dbr: Stefan, you must have given thousands of interviews over the years. Do you ever find yourself struggling to say exactly what it is you want to?SE: "I've never had too many problems doing interviews for magazines but as soon as there was a TV camera and a microphone I would freeze when I was younger. I couldn't express myself that well. Also, when I speak Flemish I have a strong accent and I was a little bit ashamed of that early in my career. I remember that the first time I went to a live TV studio I was with Eric Geboers so he jumped in a few times to help me. It certainly wasn't easy for me then."dbr: Did you ever have any sort of media training?SE: "I never had any advice or training about dealing with the media and that was a mistake. If I could start my career again I would have gone to media school so that I could learn to be more relaxed in front of a camera and to express myself better. I know now that I have to be positive - a leader - when I am in front of a TV audience. You can't be a shy guy because then you aren't having a positive reaction on the public. It took me many years to be like I am now - to be able to express myself clearly and effectively."Joel Smets is so natural in front of a camera, he talks openly and honestly. That has always been his strong point against me. It is very important to come across well in interviews and on TV and I figured it out about six years ago. You have to sell yourself to the fans, sponsors and the press. If you don't know how to sell yourself you aren't going to have a lot of attention, which means you won't have a lot of fans or sponsors."dbr: Is honesty the best policy when being interviewed?SE: "I don't have to deal with all the questions that I get asked but I just try to explain as clearly as I can what I think about whatever I am asked. I think that it is important to say how it really is, not trying to make excuses."I think you have to be honest but in a diplomatic way. I think people respect you more if you say 'I made a mistake'. Joel is the perfect example of not doing this - he has been having what I would call a lot of excuses. I think that it is important to say it like it is."dbr: Have you ever said anything to the media that you regret?SE: "At one point in my career I was too open with the press. I had a lot of confidence at that time and I would say things like 'on Sunday I'm going to win two heats'. I know now that you can't say that because it comes across that you are arrogant. It is better to say that you feel good, that you are looking forward to the race."You have to find ways of letting the press know that you are feeling good and enjoying the race without saying that you think you can win. If you do it also puts more pressure on you."dbr: How do you feel you get treated by the specialist motocross magazines across Europe?SE: "They have always treated me well and haven't been saying that I have been big-headed or that I am a dickhead, even during the period of my career when I was a little too confident. I had my bad years but even then I have been treated with respect."dbr: What about the US press?SE: "The US press sees ***k all of what I do. They arrive at the des Nations and that's pretty much it. This year's des Nations was the worst race I did all year and that is all that some of them get to see. What they would write used to frustrate me but now I don't let it bother me anymore. They don't seem to get what I try to say or do. Of course when they see you many of them talk very differently but they just don't write it."There is very little in the US press about GP racing. Racer X has some cool stories from the GPs - they have one soon about me and Ricky because we both won nine titles and 87 races - but generally the US press don't really follow GP racing. I'm not bothered, I concentrate on selling myself in Europe and I don't worry about what is happening over there."dbr: Most motocross riders don't have to deal with daily national press in the way footballer players or F1 drivers do. How do the Belgian press treat you?SE: "The Belgium press doesn't build up sports people and then knock them down like newspapers in some countries do - they just don't work that way."There was one point that Joel and I had some problems but we cleared that up and the journalist that wrote the story which started it all admitted that he had added some salt and pepper to his story. You just don't do that and he knows that now."dbr: Exactly how much interest do the Belgian daily newspapers take in you and what you do?SE: "Every week I have the daily newspapers calling me, which is good because there is almost always something about me and about motocross in them. For example my local newspaper normally runs one page before a race and the same afterwards depending on where the GP is. The other newspapers run something a little smaller but always run something. When I won the world title this year I was on the front page of a national Belgian newspaper."dbr: Every rider suffers from negative press once in a while. How do you deal with it?SE: "That is something that can be hard to control because once I have done something and the press have seen it then they will write about what they have seen. But I can control what I say. I got some bad headlines about what happened with Pichon last year but I was able to try and explain things from my point of view."Someone would have to write something really bad about me for me to want to speak to them about it. I remember that in '93 someone wrote ***t about me and hadn't even spoken to me which made me mad at the time. It was in a motocross magazine but it didn't last long so that pleased me."dbr: At the end of a long day at the races do you ever think 'oh no, not another interview'?SE: "I like to do interviews and talk about the sport that I love. I never think 'oh no, not another interview'. I am a professor in my job. I still enjoy speaking about it. If you don't then you are lacking some passion for the sport. If I am out having some fun - maybe at a party - and people want to talk about racing then that's different. There is a time and a place. If I have a beer in my hand at the end of the season and some fans start to talk to me about racing I say 'hey, come on, leave me alone with the questions and let's have some fun'."dbr: Do you sometimes find yourself holding back what you really want to say?SE: "I have to hold back sometimes. In my case if you saw what happened in South Africa last year...if another rider did that they would not get punished as much. Because I was the first I got a big, big penalty. I know that I have to avoid negative press at all costs."I have to be careful of everything that I do - like getting a big speeding ticket or something like that because for sure that would be in the newspapers in Belgium. You have responsibilities, even if I don't like it sometimes I have to deal with it because it is part of what I am and what I do. I have to remember that I get paid to do what I love and that kids look up to me so I have to try and set the best example I can."dbr: Due to the mainstream popularity of motocross in Belgium and the fact that you are so often in the news, you are a recognisable sporting celebrity there. When did you first realise that you had become a celebrity?SE: "Pretty early on in my career people started to know who I was. After '98 when I lost the title to Tortelli my popularity grew which I wasn't expecting. From losing I became more popular in Belgium (laughs]. The way that I lost, by falling and then sitting there and crying and with my dad being there as well, it was a very special moment that helped me connect with people in Belgium. I leaned then that it doesn't always have to be because of a victory for people to like you. That moment made a big difference."dbr: Being recognised in the street by members of the public is something that most motocross riders will never have to worry about. Is it weird to deal with?SE: "Sometimes when I go shopping I can see and hear people saying 'look that's Stefan Everts' or 'hey, did you forget to bring your bike' just so that they can say something. That makes me a little crazy sometimes. Knowing what it can be like for me sometimes, when it's not even fun to cross the street because of other people recognising me, I would not want to be Brad Pitt or Bono or a big movie star - ever. I just try and laugh with it because they see this 'hero' that they only see on TV and that's me - Stefan Everts. I'm just the guy who lives around the corner, I stink on the toilet too!"Most of the people are too scared to come up to me but most of the ones that do say something stupid. That's when I think to myself 'shut up' if you don't have something constructive to say."dbr: Does being a Belgian sporting celebrity have plus points as well as negative points?SE: "There are a lot of really positive things that come with being recognised and popular. I can get a good table in a restaurant for example. But sometimes I find that so unfair - why should I get it and not someone else? That's how life is - the water goes to the sea but there is already lots of water there, why doesn't it go to the deserts? It makes my life easier sometimes though."dbr: But what about your real fans, what is it like spending time with them?SE: "Although it can sometimes get a little too much I like being around my fans on race day because it helps me relax. I don't let myself get too tense thinking about the racing. If I focus on the race too much I pump-up which is not good for my racing."dbr: Does living in Monaco, away from people that recognise you and want to spend time with you, help you to relax?SE: "Things started there because of tax reasons but because I have less friends there I can chill out and relax more easily. If I am in Belgium there is always someone wanting to do something, I have a full schedule every day if I want. In Monaco I do my training and then relax - sometimes I need to do nothing and re-charge my batteries."dbr: What advice would you give to up and coming riders with regards to the press?SE: "Always make sure you have time for the press and sell yourself by being honest and talking openly about stuff. Be interesting in a good way and believe in yourself. Ben Townley is so good with the media because he is really relaxed and natural. If you are a shy person you need to work on being more open because people might think that you are just a boring person or that you don't really care about what you are doing. Learn from riders that are good with the media and doing interviews."dbr: What is the best thing about being MX1 world champion in '05?SE: "That's a difficult question. I guess winning the title so close to home is the best thing about winning this year. I have won many titles, all a long way from home, so it was nice to claim the title near my home at the Lierop GP. I won both motos, the weather was great and there were so many of my Belgian fans there. It was really special for me."dbr: What is the worst thing about winning the world title this season?SE: "It might sound a little strange but my popularity in Belgium. It is really high at the moment which is a good thing but sometimes it is difficult to keep smiling all the time. People don't give me one minute of rest some times. I had a few races this season that were really difficult because of that."dbr: What has been your biggest crash this season?SE: "The most spectacular crash was in Spain. I made a mistake in the whoops and was hanging over the handlebars with my legs up in the air. It was also a pretty big impact when I crashed because I hurt my ribs when I hit the ground."dbr: What could the FIM or Youthstream have done to make the series better?SE: "I don't like to give too many comments because of my penalty. I can't say anything about the FIM or Youthstream. There are many, many things - too many to say - but I won't comment on them."dbr: What was your favourite circuit this year?SE: "I had the most fun at Matchams. It was a cool track because of the big whoops, the jumps and the sand. I really enjoyed it there."dbr: What was the worst circuit this season?SE: "Namur was so difficult for me this year. Normally it is one of my favourite tracks but this year with the rain it was really difficult, especially one of the steep downhills. It was really tough."dbr: What country did you enjoy visiting the most this season?SE: "I think Japan was a great success. Winning the Japanese GP in front of the people from Yamaha was cool. Also, the event helped to raise the profile of the world championship in Japan."dbr: What was your hardest race this season?SE: "I think the second moto in France when I crashed. I had bent handlebars and my bike was all twisted which made coming back hard. Also, the first moto in Italy where I rode really unrelaxed. I was having a difficult time to finish fourth or fifth, I just couldn't get into my rhythm."dbr: What was your best start this season?SE: "The second moto in Lierop - I got a big-time holeshot for the first and only time this year."dbr: What was your best performance this season?SE: "I had a few - Matchams Park, Lierop, Ireland. You know those races where I won the double. Germany was also nice but I didn't get the satisfaction there that I did from the other races."dbr: What was your most disappointing result?SE: "South Africa where I crashed on the last lap of the race and lost the GP victory to Coppins."dbr: What was your best pass this season?SE: "The one I can remember at this moment was the pass I made on Townley in Ireland. Before the whoop section I went from the outside of the turn to the inside and had passed him before we got to the whoops. I saw that was one of the places to pass him. I had a better line but at the time I went to pass him he made a little mistake, which made the pass easier for me. He was a little surprised when I pulled alongside him."dbr: What was your best qualifying performance?SE: "Pole position in South Africa. I got it on the last lap. Everything just went great. I had Ireland and Lierop where I was on pole right up until the last few minutes but didn't get it. Pichon is the king of pole positions because he can put one really fast lap together - I don't know how he does it."dbr: What was the coolest jump this year?SE: "A really cool and difficult jump was the one in Japan where you could jump into the whoops and make a triple. You had to take the outside line and carry lots of speed. I think that I only did it once or twice in the race though. You couldn't see the landing because the berm before the first tabletop jump was lower than the landing. When I did it perfectly it was awesome. I think that Townley did it first."dbr: What was the coolest thing a fan said to you this season?SE: "One thing fans have said that is special to me is 'thanks for the great memories you have given us'. Also, this season a blind man came to me at a Belgian championship race and he said that he had been a fan of me for more than 10 years. He listened to the TV and had planned to come and see me for some time. He told me that he hadn't slept the night before because he was so nervous. That was a really nice moment for me."dbr: What did you spend your championship bonus on?SE: "I haven't bought anything special yet. There are a few things that I would still like to have but my priority at this moment is to build a farm in Belgium. I have the land and the plans ready, I just need the permissions. This is my dream - to build a house and a big workshop for all of my toys. I want a museum with a bar and a pool and a cinema room. That's where I want to put a lot of my bonus."dbr: What rider impressed you the most this season?SE: "I think Tyla rode well. I think he would have had a big chance of winning the world title if he hadn't got injured. He has a great style and will get faster."dbr: What rider disappointed you this season?SE: "Usually my expectations are pretty good and they were this season. Maybe I expected more from Ramon. I expected Josh to be fast but he had some injury problems at the beginning of the year. I expected Pichon to be fast but I didn't expect him to fall away like he did."dbr: What areas of your riding will you work on over the winter?SE: "It is important for me to be more aggressive during the first few laps of the race. That is Pichon's strong point - he can really explode for 10 minutes. I am more like a diesel because I need 10 minutes to get going and then I am okay."dbr: Did your mechanic do anything to annoy you this season?SE: "No. Not one thing. He is the best mechanic I have ever had. He is so determined. He is really quiet and just gets on with preparing my bike. He knows what he needs to do to make me happy."dbr: What is the most stupid thing you did during a race?SE: "Probably that I waved to the crowd in South Africa. People think that was the reason why I crashed but the mistake was that I cased the jump. Even if I hadn't waved to the crown I still would have crashed because I came up short. I was too relaxed, waved and fell."dbr: What is your favourite racing memory from '05?SE: "I got a lot of satisfaction from the first race in Namur. There was more or less nowhere to pass on the track and I was the only rider to find one place where you could pass. I knew from the first rider that I passed there that I would be able to pass everyone and win the race. That was such a fantastic feeling figuring that out. That is the first time in my whole career that I got that feeling inside. There have been other great moments but not as good as that one. To win titles is cool and hard but in Namur I felt something extra."dbr: What rider will make things really hard for you next year?SE: "Well, Tortelli is coming back next year and he made a good impression at the des Nations. I always try to consider my rivals as being strong. I expect more from Pichon. Josh has some new experience and the same good bike so he will be strong and Ramon is a great rider but I'm not sure if they will race for the title."dbr: The coolest thing a sponsor did for you this season?SE: "What Acerbis did by putting all the flags inside the number 72 on my race shirt was cool. They also made a small T-shirt for my son with the number one on it."