Marc De Reuver will be back

At 27 years old of age Marc De Reuver isn?t about to sell his mansion in Belgium and move into a retirement village. The multiple Grand Prix winner and one time King of the sand is on the way back and it?s a journey that hasn?t been easy. Mid-way through the 2010 season De Reuver was down and out, disappointed with life and depressed about his future. So deep was the depression that the Dutchman started taking anti-depressive tablets. The tablets might have helped for a short time, but in the long run they nearly ruined his career. I decided to sit down with a rider and person I really like and from the happy go lucky replies to my questions I get the feeling that the rider I always called the “Flying Dutchman” might be serious about making some waves in the MX1 class in 2011.

MXlarge: Marc, I talked to you in the middle of the season and I remember you feeling down. Can you tell me how you are feeling now?

De Reuver: Mentally I am back. I was taking those anti-depressive tablets because I was depressed and I took those things and at first they worked well, but then it was more dangerous than drugs, because it manipulates your mind. People were passing me on the track and I didn’t care, I just didn’t want to race because I was scared, very strange things happen to you.

MXlarge: What was the lowest point?

De Reuver: At Glen Helen, I don’t know what I was doing there, but it just didn’t matter anymore, but that was because of those pills.

MXlarge: When did you get off the pills?

De Reuver: I got off them on the Sunday night after Lommel. I was riding at Lommel and I was thinking what am I doing it, and then I stopped with those tablets and a week later I was second in the Keiheuvel behind Ramon, a week earlier he was lapping me in Lommel and in Keiheuvel I was battling with him. I felt it straight away that my mind was better.

MXlarge: With Ben Townley coming back, a rider you had a lot of battles with in the early part of your career, does that also motivate you?

De Reuver: You know I raced with Ben from 2000 until 2004, so why not. Everybody is talking about Ben and about Cairoli, about De Dycker, or Philippaerts. I want everyone to talk about me again, but not in a shit way like it’s been this year.

MXlarge: What were the worst things you heard said about you?

De Reuver: People have said I am past it. Many said Marc De Reuver is a closed book; he will never make it again. I only heard that from the people I don’t respect. I can imagine people thinking that, of course, but when you think it the second after you have to also think he has battled with the guys who are World Champions now.

MXlarge: You did make some very good results after you stopped with the anti-depressives didn’t you?

De Reuver: I finished the year on a high note. I mean from the time I stopped using the tablets I finished inside the top seven in every race apart from Fermo, but I was four months off the bike and top ten was possible there. I was happy with that. I won the European of Nations, people might not take that race serious, but Leok was also riding there and I beat him twice by half a minute. It felt good. I won a beach race two weekends ago in the South of Italy, beating Cairoli, I beat him twice. I passed him on the last corner.

MXlarge: What about 2011, what will you do?

De Reuver: I am going to ride for Van Beers Yamaha. We will do Dutch Championship, World Championship and any Belgian Championships that don’t clash with those other races.

MXlarge: Is it possible to win Grand Prix’s or place well on a privateer team?

De Reuver: You know Geoff; they don’t make bad bikes anymore. They don’t make a bad Japanese bike. That Suzuki I rode this year had more horsepower than the bike of Ramon, I know that for a fact, but they were faster, but you need how to use the power and they were a little faster. I don’t say the suspension is better, but engine wise my bike was better.

MXlarge: What is your goal for 2011?

De Reuver: I want to be Dutch Champion again and be back, I want to be back. I don’t need first place, but I want to be back.

MXlarge: When does your preparation start for next year?

De Reuver: I just had an operation on my pelvis, they took some bone out of my pelvis from 2009, and I still had to do that. My last race was Sunday and I can’t do anything for three weeks, then I start getting ready for next year. I go to Spain with me, myself and I.

MXlarge: You didn’t have a good 2010, that is clear, but does it surprise you that everyone says that De Reuver is finished when you are still the fastest MX1 rider in Holland. You did have some results also at the end of the season?

De Reuver: That is a strange thing. In MX1 I am far away the best rider in Holland, but it’s strange, if they don’t take riders outside Holland I lap everyone. It’s strange how people see that, I am still the National Champion in my own country.

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