00:03Siamo in compagnia di Lukas Koenel.
00:06So Lukas, first of all, how are you?
00:09I'm good, thank you.
00:11How did you prepare the next season?
00:14A bit like always, just the winter is always kind of the same, just testing and working
00:21on the physical side and trying to get the bike on point for the season, because that's
00:26why you can do the most of the work, the season is more keeping the rituals, you know.
00:30So, I mean, a lot of work put in the winter and I think we are starting with it now.
00:37Last year you finished in the second place in MXGP as a rookie.
00:45And could you imagine that before the season?
00:49Honestly, yes.
00:50Only that I had an injury coming into the first round, so I couldn't really say it.
00:58I hyped a lot.
01:00So, yeah, I didn't expect nothing at that point.
01:04So, at the end when I started winning, I was like, we can maybe even go for the title.
01:09But I had some issues on two games and only, and that missed a little bit, but still second
01:17was good.
01:17I would love to win, but second is, yeah, was also not too bad for the first time.
01:23And what was the key moment in your season, from your point of view?
01:31The key was just to believe because I think I was one of the only ones that could believe
01:37that I could win the first round already.
01:40So, I mean, just trying to convince that I can do it.
01:48Did you change your approach?
01:51Yes.
01:52I did change it because I knew I couldn't win in those circumstances.
01:56So, I needed to accept getting passed and taking my time.
02:02So, the mentality changed from, yeah, we want to go win to, yeah, we're not going for the
02:07best season possible.
02:08And what is it like having a twin brother as your rival or teammate?
02:15Yeah, in the past, it was my rival also, but it was always nice racing, you know, when
02:22you arrive on your model, you always want to ride clean, so you watch out.
02:26But now, as teammate, it's really nice because we are only two in the team, so we can share
02:30a lot of information.
02:31We can help each other on every base, so it looks really nice.
02:37How do you prepare with your brother?
02:43So, we push each other to the top, let's say, but, yeah, we do everything the same.
02:50Just on the races, we ride, we don't ride at the same time.
02:53So, it's more or less, for example, before race, I go check some lines and I tell him,
02:58oh, this you can try or, you know, and then when he finished the model, I get some information
03:04and I can see what lines were good on him and not.
03:07So, we always can discuss this.
03:09So, yeah, when we ride together, you can do less because, yeah, we are battling and who
03:17finds the lines are fine lines, you know.
03:21You came second in the last couple of years.
03:26Have you had any regrets?
03:29Honestly, no, because I'm really young still.
03:32I got second in the MX2 class two years ago and then I just went to MXGP to the highest
03:39class.
03:41People were doubting and saying, I need to stay.
03:44I was like, you say what you want, but I will show to the world what I can do.
03:47and as we can, as we could see, I almost got the title.
03:51So, I got second also and to get second in your first year there with all those people
03:56with all the experience is, you know, for me, I thought it was really impressive and I think
04:00I impressed not only me, but quite some people.
04:02Do you have a favorite victory in your career at the moment?
04:12This is hard, but honestly, the one at home in Belgium, my home GP was the best because
04:19a lot of friends, family and in front of your own car, you know, so this was the best one
04:27for me.
04:28On social media, I see that you follow many sportsmen like Markets, LeBron James.
04:37Do you have any idols?
04:41Honestly, yes.
04:43One of my idols has always been Mark Markets.
04:46Since I was a kid, I've always been looking up to him and I even took 93 as Melba.
04:54But as we know, somebody is using 93 in the MGP series already, so I can't use it.
05:00But I don't know, he's always been my idol and even through what he's been through now with injury
05:04and back to the top, you know, for me it's my idol.
05:10It's your inspiration.
05:12Yes.
05:15Do you dream about the possible training with Markets in the future?
05:24Yeah, honestly, always nice.
05:27We trained one time in a motocross together.
05:29I can tell, he's really fast already.
05:32So, he's a good MX rider also.
05:35So, we trained one time already together, but yeah, I was like a kid.
05:39When I saw him, I was like, is it really him, you know?
05:43So, in which area do you think that you could improve?
05:49I think in every area I can always improve because what's my luxury is that I'm still young,
05:56so I can always learn more things.
05:58So, I think I have quite some margin to improve on every base physical and I get more muscle
06:03and also understanding the race and yeah, on everything.
06:10Let's talk about your passion, extra races.
06:18Is it true that you are a fan of Fiat Panda?
06:23Yes.
06:24Why?
06:25I don't know, I always like the old stuff, you know?
06:28And when at home we had a Fiat Panda, we had the old one, like not old but the recent
06:36one still.
06:37And I always wanted to have an old one, you know, an old version, the 4x4.
06:42And when we were in Italy, I said to my father, we need to buy one, we need to buy
06:46one.
06:46And finally we bought one because it's hard to find and we found one.
06:51And I was like, yeah, I love it.
06:54It's a nice car, it's a cold dive but it's, for me it's a mythical, you know, it's like a
07:01special car for me.
07:02I like it.
07:02Last question.
07:05Give me an adjective to describe yourself.
07:09I think I'm kind of a calm person from the outside and always fun but when I put my helmet
07:18on, I'm not the same.
07:20I'm completely different, I want to win and I do whatever it takes to win.
07:25But when I take my helmet off, I'm, you know, cool, like I can chill and I don't have a
07:30problem with nobody.
07:32But when I put my helmet on, it's just, you know, I'm different.
07:36And which is your biggest dream?
07:40To be the best rider in the history.
07:43If I could be, yes, but that's the half thing.
07:48Okay.
07:49Thank you.
07:50Thank you.
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