Posts
2954
Joined
11/18/2008
Location
Sachse, TX
US
Fantasy
205th
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 11:24am
Russian Bobby
На здоровье!
The Shop
But here is a cool little read on the guy that I found the other day.
Interview Thursday 02nd June 2011 By Geoff Meyer
Back in the 1970’s Russian Motocross riders were considered some of the toughest competitors in the sport. Names like Guennady Moissev, Victor Arbekov and Vladamir Kaninov enjoyed a lot of success on the World scene, with Arbekov winning the World 250cc Championship in 1965, plus 10 GP victories and Moissev winning World 250cc Championships in 1974, 77 and 78 and 14 GP wins.
Many Russians won Grand Prix’s, including names like Kavinov (8), Anatoly Ovchinnikov (2), Gunnar Draugs, Igor Grigoriev, Pavel Rulev and Eugenij Rybalchenko all scored a single GP win each.
Since that golden era of Russian Motocross the sport has been cut short of top line riders from the Soviet Union.
Even today finding Soviet riders on the entry list for a major Motocross event isn’t easy. However a young Russian called Evgeny Bobryshev is making his mark on the World Motocross scene. Rather new to the MX1 Grand Prix series Bobryshev worked his way through the World MX2 Championship, before being signed by British team CAS Honda to race last year’s World MX1 Championship. He did have some success, although lack of fitness made sure he didn’t reach his true potential.
It was back in 2005 that the 23 year old Moscow born kid arrived on the Grand Prix scene at the Grand Prix of Namur in Belgium. Riding under the Tinus Nel Vangani team Bobryshev. Being a European Championship rider he got the chance to race the odd Grand Prix, but didn’t actually have his first full season in the Grand Prix’s until 2008 season when he rode for the Van Beers Yamaha team in Holland. Nel who brought many of the leading GP riders to prominence remembers Bobryshev well.
“I’ve known him since 2005 when he came to us on a recommendation of Alexander Nifontov - his sponsor then,” Nel remembers, “He was always very pleasant to work with, hard working, polite, great personality and a real charging bull on the track, he is strong as an ox , just a complete block of solidity. Look he is in at a very competitive era and was never one of the "fancied" riders, but he has that ability for sure. I think there is a lot of development to come yet. he was a bit of a late bloomer in reaching his full potential, but then so were Maschio, Dobb and others.”
When Bobryshev smiles it’s a smile of honesty. Is it clear he is a good kid in a World of rough tactics and do or die riding styles, but the Russian rider is something of a gentle giant. Always with a smile on his face and not looking too serious he could be the next big thing with a little help from some friends.
When Bobryshev signed for the CAS Honda team in 2010 many people were a little surprised, although the Motocross insiders figured the tall Bobryshev would suit the bigger MX1 machines and he did impress, leading the Grand Prix of Latvia for some laps before he began to struggle with his poor condition.
When the CAS Honda team disbanded it was already assured that Bobryshev would have a ride in a Honda team. Roger Harvey of Honda Europe had his eye on the Russian for some time and 100% believes that the Russian has the potential to not only win a Grand Prix, but also win a World Motocross Championship.
“He has talent, so much natural talent, no doubt about it,” Harvey told. “He is also a worker and he listens to everything he is told, and tries to make that a positive. I really like him. His only set-back might be he struggles with nerves and that affects his riding, but the kid hasn’t been in Grand Prix Motocross for that long and he is for the first time in his life in a factory team. In my opinion he has the potential to be a World Champion, he is that good. He has a great work ethic and has talent, the two most important ingredients to be a World Champion.”
We decided to sit down with Bobryeshev and ask him about his career to date and what it will take to be a Grand Prix winner.
Motocross Illustrated: Russia isn’t a country you find too many Motocross riders. How did you get into Motocross?
Bobryshev: When I was growing I used to just ride for fun, just ride in front of the house. In Russia riding Motocross was not about making money, I never expected to make money from Motocross. Now I ride for the Factory Honda team and I feel professional.
Motocross Illustrated: What is your character, what type of person are you?
Bobryshev: I think it’s difficult to say, sometimes I am shy, but usually friendly. I like to laugh. I see so many guys in the paddock and they are looking so serious and looking straight and not talking. I don’t like that, I like to smile and have fun. The race is coming in half an hour I just talk to people around the paddock. Motocross is just Motocross, but you need another life. I go out sometimes. I am good friends with the Leok’s, both of them and we go out sometimes during the week. It doesn’t happen too much because everyone is training and all the professional riders are doing their work.
Motocross Illustrated: How different is it for you in Russia when you are home?
Bobryshev: In Russia we have friends, like six guys, good friends of mine. We go training together and meet each other during the week and just talk and have fun. We eat some food and just relax. I think Russian Motocross it is hard to concentrate because everyone is having fun, all my friends are around and I can go everywhere with them, but in Belgium there are only other riders and of course everyone is working hard in the Motocross. You go to bed on time, you eat the good food, but in Russia you eat whatever and go to bed late.
Motocross Illustrated: How would you describe a typical Russian person?
Bobryshev: Russian people are maybe different. Many guys have money and they think they are gods and they spend money on their houses and big cars and they are not acting normal, they have the gold around their body. Most Russian people laugh at these types of people. You see in Europe there are many rich people, but they don’t act rich, that really impresses me, I like this way of acting.
Motocross Illustrated: How is the lifestyle in Russia?
Bobryshev: I like the lifestyle in Russia, it is easier, also no rules. People in Russia are very relaxed. When you get home everyone speaks your language and that is of course nice. When I am in Belgium or Holland I speak English, but my English is not so good.
Motocross Illustrated: Evgeny, I heard you had to work pretty hard in the winter?
Bobryshev: At the end of last season I headed home and was eating a lot of my mother’s food, really enjoying it. I put on a lot of weight. I was really fat in January, I had put on a lot man, I was always like 85kl and I ended up weighing 92kl, so I put on a lot.
Motocross Illustrated: How did you get back into shape?
Bobryshev: We went training in the Mountains and that was tough. I didn’t know it would be so hard in January. We training in the mountains and our coach was training the Italian National team, but he was an old man, so I thought it shouldn’t be too difficult, but when were training he was just pulling away from us. We did skiing, running, cycling and I was okay because I did some schools for skiing in Russia, but Rui (Goncalves) had some problems with the skiing part, he wasn’t very good at that coming from Portugal. We were going for 4 hours at a time and I was sweating so much, the old guy never gave up, he kept pushing us and we had blisters on our feet, but he kept saying just go, keep going. I never gave up, and I was working until the end. We worked from the morning until the evening, also going to the gym, it was really tough. After three weeks I got down to 86kl. I lost more weight after that, we went to Sardinia to train and I ate some good food. At the moment I am back to 85kl.
Motocross Illustrated: You looked strong in the first round in Bulgaria this year, which was a big difference from in 2010.
Bobryshev: At Bulgaria last year I was tired after 20 minutes, but this year I could handle both motos easy with my good speed. In the sand at Valkenswaard it was the same. I was happy in Bulgaria, but I made some mistakes and in the second moto I was slow in the start. I felt like I could have done another two motos, I felt so fresh. My biggest problem with Bulgaria was that I made those mistakes and when I crashed I lost too many places and because everyone was on the same speed in Bulgaria it was impossible to come back through the field.
Motocross Illustrated: You do seem to struggle with your energy during a race, why is that?
Bobryshev: I get nervous, it’s always the same, ever since I was a young kid I would get nervous and it’s not because of the speed or racing, it’s just at the start gate, I don’t like the start, 40 people going into one corner where only like five riders fit, I don’t like that. Once the gate drops the nerves are gone, even when the 5 second board comes out my nerves are gone, but before the gate drops I am really nervous, too nervous.
It costs me energy for sure. It is taking energy and it’s not so good. On some tracks I am nervous, not Latvia or Sweden, because those tracks are wide and you feel safe, so I can relax and find places to pass. In France at St Jean it’s a hard place to pass and I get nervous there.
Edit: The rest of the interview is in this free online mag here.
http://www.motocrossillustrated.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a…
Back on subject though, Bobby seems like a genuine, happy-go-lucky, nice guy. I wish him all the best......
I just found the rest of it in... motocross illustrated issue #6 on pages 50 through 57.
http://www.motocrossillustrated.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=a…
I like this Bobby dude as well. He has risen to the top on the MXGP circuit very quickly.
I think the rider has a bright future as an organ donor...
Next season if he can stay injury free and stay consistent he should be a regular challenger for podiums and more at the GPs. Then again so will about eight other guys lol
Post a reply to: Russian-Australian Relations