“I needed to change my way of riding”
En bref
I.O.
- Ian Olthof’s father was an enduro rider. A classic story: they watched the Dakar Rally on television together when he was a kid, and that’s where it all began. He later took up motocross and enduro, representing the Netherlands in the European Championship and even the ISDE.
- Competing in the Dakar has always been a goal for the rider from Hellendoorn. He focused on earning successes with the family car business, so he could afford to live his dream. “I always say that we need to make money with four wheels business, to spend it on two wheels!” He also has the support of the Dutch company Eurol, which notably sponsors the Van den Brink family.
- Only ten months passed since his decision to switch to rally-raid. He had to get back into the rhythm, having stopped riding TT bikes for eight years after a serious crash. He started with the Tuareg Rallye but crashed in the dunes during his first attempt. He then gained experience competing in the South African Safari Rally and Rallye du Maroc, earning his Dakar qualification. To prepare, he pushed everything to the limit, including intense trainings (combining motorcycling, gym, crossfit…) without sleeping for more than 24 hours. Long road sections won't scare him!
- Ian lives thirty minutes from Henk Hellegers and the HT Rally Raid team, with whom he has chosen to compete. This enthusiast about the history of his sport and vintage motorcycles will race with a brand-new bike: the Honda CRF 450 RX Rally recently introduced to the market by the Japanese manufacturer.
Ambition
I.O.: “As a child, we used to watch the Dakar on RTL 7. When it was late in the evening, my parents had to get me out of bed because I didn’t want to miss the races! I had an enduro career and the main goal was always to go to the Dakar, but it was difficult because of the money. Now that our family business is running well, it’s time to go! I really enjoy rally-raid. It’s a different world compared to motocross and enduro. It lasts more days, and mentally you have to be strong and stay focused for 5 or 6 hours. I had to get used to that, because when you ride for one or two hours at high speed, you’re done, so I needed to change that way of riding! Of course, I would like to get some good results on a few days, but I need to focus on finishing. It’s a bit difficult because when you have some good days, you start to look at the results, but the people around me tell me to think about the finish. I promised my wife that I would stop when I finish the race, and if I don’t, I’ll come back again the next year to cross the finish line.”
