The 2013 MX3 World Championship battle went all the way deep into the last moto of the season; in fact the race for gold wasn’t over till the chequered flag dropped.
Text : Harry van Hemmen
After a fierce battle with Czech Martin Michek in the very last moto at Senkvice, Slovakia the title went to Slovenian Klemen Gercar. “It was a fair battle and the best man won,” was Michek’s comment while he was fighting to keep his tears inside.
The small country of Slovenia never produced a motocross world champion but their fortunate son Klemen Gercar put an end to that. Ex-champion Matthias Walkner on the outcome of the MX3 title race: “The best man took the title, Klemen has been the most consistent this season.”
“It needs time to sink in,” said the freshly crowned champion Gercar. Arriving at Senkvice he led Michek by 13 points and then he lost 8 points in the first moto after disaster struck in the first corner.
“Yeah losing so many points was disappointing. I had a pretty good first start when someone hit me from the inside so I went wide and was hit by another and we went down hard with a couple of other riders.”
“Good thing I could pick up my bike and continue the race. I was pretty far down but in the qualification race on Saturday I had shown that I was able to race through the pack and come back from a bad start.”
“The second moto was the big battle with Martin as everyone could see. Both of us never gave in and we changed position nearly every lap. We were never more then a couple of meters apart. It was a good race and fair, we were touching a couple of times but that is normal, we were racing for the title.”
Going to the line for the decisive last moto were you under more pressure after having seen your lead on Michek drop from 13 to just 5 points in the first moto?
“I think I felt more pressure before the first race and started the second race with the intention to win it. The last race became a big battle with Martin and near the end also Bertuzzo threw some oil on the fire. Maybe I did not win the race with my efforts but it brought me the title.”
You have been in the mx scene for several years, I remember the excitement it brought when you won your first MX3 on home ground!
“In 2012 I won my Slovenian home MX3 in Orehova Vas and repeated it this year. It is really awesome to win in front of my people. In this year’s last Orehova Vas moto I threw away a lot of points when I crashed on the last lap. I had been slowing down 3-4 seconds per lap in the last stage of the moto and then, going really slow, I did not want to make a mistake but fell and dropped from first to fourth.”
“Everybody makes mistakes, it would have been serious if I had lost the title today by coming short a couple of points but that did not happen.”
Gercar is one of those kids who tried riding a motocross bike, immediately got hooked and that led to his world title in 2013. “My father took me to a race, he never raced himself, we went to the mini bikes during the interval and I never wanted to let it go.”
Was there a plan for Sunday’s races, I mean Michek won’t give up easily and you knew it.
“My confidence really was high after Saturday’s qualification race as I made a very bad start, almost last, but managed to improve a lot of places on the opening laps. I came round in ninth and put my head down to finished in second so that was a boost and gave me a good spot at the gate for Sunday.”
“I tried to keep my head cool and not think about the championship. It ain’t over until the finish flag waves. I go out to try and win each race I do.”
Matterley, England was a good Gercar performance where you won the opening race; in race two it looked like you went for security rather than going to the limit in an attempt to win also that one.
“Yeah I was strong in moto one after some fights at the beginning. In the second moto I took the lead and moved away. But I was struggling to find the good lines so two riders passed me and I tried to stay with them.”
“Maybe in my head I knew I did not have to push 110% as my competitors for the title were behind me. It felt more like extend the points lead and do not make mistakes.”
Is that the difference between Klemen Gercar in 2012 and this year?
“Definitely! I have improved, I am so much more consistent this season. My new trainer Nenad Sipek from Croatia has really made his contribution so I ride stronger. This is my second year with Ladi Exner’s Ufo Racing Team and they did a really great job. This year I felt more confident with the bike thanks to better suspension.”
Your career so far has been with ups and downs, these last two years you grew to be a lot steadier.
“It sure has been with ups and downs. I was almost forced to retire form racing as I am not from a rich family and money was tight. In 2007 I won the European Junior championship, in 2008 the European and then I went to Gariboldi.”
“I was third behind Charlier and Herlings in the European MX2 in 2009 and then I went to Silver action, in the pre-season I had an accident and since then nothing seemed to turn right. In 2011 I was a privateer again racing in Italy and then went with Ladi.”
What was your best race this year?
“Ah I have to say this one because I won, but in fact England was a better score with a first and a third place. I had very strong races in England after a very long summer break. I picked up 3 points more than Michek; the following race in Czech Republic, his home race, I lost 2 to Martin so we had the 13 points gap going to today’s final at Senkvice.”
And you worst race?
“Must have been the first Ukraine round, I held the red plate since the Bulgaria MX3 race and that brings a bit pressure. I travelled a lot before this third round in the series to sort out some bike problems. Then the bikes arrived Saturday at 5 in the morning after being held up at the Ukraine border. But yeah that felt my worst MX3 this year although I finished third overall.”
Who did you consider your strongest competitor?
“At the beginning it was Gert Krestinov when he won Holland and decided to do the full MX3 season but later he could not repeat that. In the second round in Bulgaria Matthias Walkner showed he was in great form with a double victory. And Martin was close every race, he had some minor ones but you know he is always fast. So the main guys for the title were me, Matthias and Martin.”
And now MX3 is history, will you miss it?
It was a nice championship; I have been involved for many years as we raced the European championship together with MX3. It is a tough class, more than what people think. But it is like it is. There were rumors flying but I stayed out of the discussion that MX3 would be discontinued; I was focused on myself and my racing.”
And what will Klemen Gercar race next year?
“Yeah that is the big question. Ladi and his team will not go to MX1 so I need to find a new team because that is where I would like to go. I hope my title will open some doors. I do not come from a rich family and I do not have big sponsors so I must prove with my talent that I have the potential to do well.”
Long after the last race and handing out of the FIM medals it was nice to see Gercar and Michek partying in an almost empty paddock with the Fontanesi family and followers. They must have had a heavy head the following morning …