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After several months of uncertainty, Evgeny Bobryshev was finally able to find a team for the upcoming season and of course this is not quite what many expected. Instead of competing at the World Championships where he made his name, Eugene will be based in the UK and compete in the various national championships held there.
You've finally made a contract! Just tell me how it all happened?
I finally got a pretty good deal with Suzuki UK. I'll be working with Neil Prince, so I'm very happy. We are gradually making plans for 2021.
Did you consider this team at first or did it come about after you ran out of good offers in MXGP, Australia and the United States?
I had some suggestions, but nothing worked out. I really wanted to stay and ride the Motocross World Championship, but I just didn't have the right decision. We couldn't figure out the commands because there were some, let's say, strange proposals. I can't say too much about it, but they were more beneficial to the teams than to me. I ended up signing with Suzuki UK.
There have been several rumors about signing with BOS Suspension KTM. Were you even close to a final decision?
Yes, we spoke at length with BOS Suspension KTM. I tried the bike, the components and was very pleased with everything. The owner is also a nice guy so everything seemed positive. Unfortunately, when we came to the contract, there were some difficult moments and I could not sign it. We just couldn't agree.
In one of your previous interviews, you said that you don’t want to ride for free, but you also can’t bring a serious sponsor to the team. I guess that's one of the problems you have when negotiating with teams?
Yes, this is a problem. In negotiations with many teams, everything was leaning toward the idea that I would bring a big sponsor, which I don’t have. It was really difficult. It's true, but it was just hard to do. I don't have a guy who can bring in a lot of money.
Did you come to Neil Prince when you ran out of options or did he come with an offer? How did it all come about?
We have maintained a relationship with him since I rode for his team in 2010. He suggested that I ride a Suzuki and it was good for me, so we tried to figure it out and come to an agreement. Neil is a really nice guy and really knows his way around motorcycle prep. I enjoyed working with him and had a good feeling with him and am happy to be back with him.
Do you know about what the AX World Tour series is now? Have you seen the tracks and videos from the races?
Yes Yes! I drove in this series in 2010 and had a lot of fun, so I just thought we should do it again. I really like this format. I need a few races to get used to it and get to know the bike, so it was a decision we made together. This will actually be very interesting for me.
Are you happy to be racing on open tracks in Britain? Obviously, you're a former champion, so you already know what to expect.
Yes! I like England and racing there. There are a lot of good people, good fans and a lot of good tracks, so that's one of the reasons why I'm so looking forward to it. Of course we will also do some MXGP rounds, but we are still working with Neil on the budget to do more races. To make all this happen, we need to find the right partner.
In my opinion, the most important thing is that you can ride several stages of MXGP?
This is what I want. This is what I want myself. I belong to MXGP and have been racing for many years. It would be a shame to just stop and not do it because I have a lot of fans in Russia who follow me and want me to go there. I want to race in the world championship because I can still fight and I want to do it. So far I've stopped at seven stages, but I hope there will be more.
What happens if one of the riders gets injured and some team in MXGP asks you to replace him? Will you be able to break the agreement with Suzuki?
I don't know, I haven't thought about it. It's a difficult question. I need to talk to people because I can't just up and leave if I'm driving a Suzuki. It would be rude of me. If anything comes up, I need to discuss it with Neil first and then with Suzuki.
Although you will be riding in the UK next year, I assume your main goal is to return to MXGP full-time in the future? You haven't completely given up on that idea, have you?
Yes, right. I want to still race there and go the whole series. I'm still doing my job and preparing for the races. Let's see what the future shows.
Now that time has passed, are you still unhappy with what happened at HRC? Probably couldn’t even think that everything would happen like this?
Of course it’s bad that all this was revealed so late. This is what makes me sad. I can't blame Honda because I've been with them for many years and I'm glad I had the chance to work with this company. It happened and it's bad. I don't give up and try to make things work in the right direction.
Were you surprised when you learned that Brian Bogers would be replacing you? Obviously, it's likely that you would have beaten him next year.
It's not my decision and Honda did it. They believe in Brian. I was expecting another rider, but I didn't know what would happen when they made the deal with HSF. It was their decision and I wasn't angry. This is how it happened, and nothing can be done about it.
Interview: Lewis Phillips (mxvice.com) Adaptation: Roman Mishenev
Photo: Honda Racing Corporation
The Russian team is 4th at the unofficial Olympics in motocross. Only 5 points short of bronze
The Russian national team, performing under the flag of the Motorcycling Federation, completed the 2021 Motocross of Nations (Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations) with the best result in the entire history of Russian motocross! Having lost only 5 points to the Great Britain team in the sum of three races, the MFR team consisting of Vsevolod Brylyakov , Timur Petrashin and Evgeniy Bobryshev took 4th place!
MFR
The track in Mantua, Italy turned out to be very difficult: sticky sand would not pose a big problem for most pilots from 33 countries, but the rain that did not stop all Sunday made the track difficult, slippery and dangerous. A huge number of crashes and collisions, which even the favorites of this unofficial motocross Olympics could not avoid, many breakdowns and falls. However, Russian athletes managed not only to avoid mistakes, but also showed a high level of mastery of racing equipment in such difficult conditions, endurance and the ability to work for the overall result.
Vsevolod BRYLYAKOV (#73, 2nd place in the MXGP class): “We probably did the impossible! 4th place among all countries is very cool! Emotions overflowing, goosebumps! Especially when I went out for the third race.”
Timur PETRASHIN (#74, 5th place in MX2 class): “It was very, very dirty! I was driving and didn’t even know how I was going, I just kept my pace. Thanks to the huge number of fans who simply blew up the phone with messages on social networks!”
Evgeny BOBRYSHEV (#75, 2nd place in OPEN class): “It’s all over, just a stone off my shoulders! I am very pleased, I am simply overwhelmed with emotions! Only 5 points to third place in the world - this is a victory for us!”
MFR
Final results of 2021 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations (Top Ten):
1. Italy - 37; 2. The Netherlands - 38; 3. Great Britain - 39; 4. MFR - 44; 5. France - 50; 6. Belgium - 74; 7. Estonia - 78; 8. Switzerland - 80; 9. Austria - 82; 10. Denmark - 84.
MFR
“I sincerely congratulate our Russian athletes Evgeny Bobryshev, Vsevolod Brylyakov and Timur Petrashin, our entire team, all Russian fans, on their amazing result at the Motocross Nations Cup!
— President of the Motorcycling Federation
Alexander Dzheus commented on the performance of the Russian team. — We believed in our athletes and the 4th place that our team took is truly golden for us!
Today the guys wrote history, and we were with them, supporting and cheering! Immediately after the race, the President of the International Motorcycle Federation FIM, Jorge Vegas, congratulated our team by phone. The motocross season continues, I wish the guys podiums and exciting races!” The Motorcycling Federation thanks the Ministry of Sports of the Russian Federation and everyone who supported our team, cheered for our athletes and followed the progress of the competition in Italy, helped in organizing and technically supporting the performance of the Russian national team at the Motocross of Nations 2021.
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Motocross 2021: Evgeniy Bobryshev - MXGP, UK, States? Let's talk!
The past season for world motocross was unusual and unpredictable. Shortly after the start, the MXGP World Championship went into standby mode. The riders, who had recently completed training camps, found themselves locked within four walls.
MOTOGONKI.RU, January 29, 2021 — How did you manage to get through that difficult period and what are your plans for the 2021 season, Evgeny Bobryshev told the online publication Motogonki.ru.
Evgeny Bobryshev:
The period was really difficult, when quarantine was introduced, we stayed at home for three months. You've been training all winter, and now there's this break. I slowly maintained my fitness. We slightly missed the point with technical preparation, because I only got on a motorcycle in mid-January. After the Eaglet, my leg took a long time to heal and was painful. I spent a whole month riding in Spain on children's slopes. No tests - nothing.
I couldn’t normally fully evaluate the new motorcycle, do something for myself, and then, due to the quarantine introduced in Europe, we had no time left at all. When racing resumed, we went straight to the championship. This was a difficult turning point... From race to race we were in search of adjustments and only at the final stage of the World Championship in Italy the motorcycle became familiar.
Quarantined in April 2021: Health to everyone! Stay home and be safe
Motogonki.Ru: So it was only at the last stages that you managed to customize the motorcycle for yourself?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
Yes, I had a lot of pain at the races because we were jumping from one suspension adjustment to another. It got to the point that for the first race there were only adjustments, they didn’t work. Others bet on the second race. It seems normal, but then a new stage, a different track... There seem to be small nuances, and someone might be surprised, because there is a week between races, but it’s not so simple. The balance of adjustments is difficult to find during competitions.
Motogonki.Ru: Have you managed to collect the necessary data by this year?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
At the end of the season we found suspension adjustments that I will now start driving with; they are suitable for the main routes.
What are your plans for 2021, for example?
Motogonki.Ru: What motorcycle will you ride on in the 2021 season?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
For the second year in a row I will be racing Husqvarna. The motorcycle will be 2021, fresh. We are now in Spain, waiting for the team to arrive and will begin training on the tracks in early February. Let's start with last year's settings and slowly add, test something, try a new suspension. I already have a base from that year that I like. Now we’ll just finalize it - mainly on the engine and suspension, we won’t change anything else.
Motogonki.Ru: You had offers from teams of different levels and with completely different programs. Will you end up driving for the same RFX Racing team?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
Everything was complicated from the beginning; until recently there was no certainty. The team lost a lot of sponsors in December, but then everything resumed and they had a budget for the next year. They got in touch.
Motogonki.Ru: What championships do you plan to participate in?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
I will go to the English stages - the ACU Championship - the main one, as well as the MX Nationals. I don’t plan to go to MXGP, but if things go well, it’s possible that I’ll ride a couple of stages in agreement with the team. But, to be honest, instead of the World Championship, I have more desire to go to the stages of the American Championship.
Evgeny Bobryshev at FHX Racing
Motogonki.Ru: What about the German ADAC Championship?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
I negotiated with the German team. Things have changed now, but they would like us to collaborate this year.
Motogonki.Ru: What races do you plan to open the 2021 season with?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
It’s difficult to plan anything now, something changes every week. The Dutch stages were supposed to start in March, but they were postponed. The Italian stages are also now in question. My first race is scheduled in France in March - Mastercross Lacapelle Marival, last year I took part in it. And then the English stages will begin.
Motogonki.Ru: You have already become a champion in Great Britain. What are your ambitions for this year?
Evgeny Bobryshev:
We have to win, and that’s all (laughs - note from Motogonki.ru). You need to prepare properly. I hope it will be easier with the motorcycle and preparation. The most important thing is fitness. A little more luck and then everything will be great.
