Evgeny Bobryshev is no stranger to the British Motocross scene having won the 2010 Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship in the MX1 class. The Russian MXGP star has, for many years, been competing for the HRC Honda squad but returns this year to contest the British Championship for the Lombard Express with SRD Engineering Suzuki UK team.

We caught up with ‘Bobby’, as he’s affectionately known, in preparation for the opening round of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship at the 2018 British Motocross Festival next weekend to see how things are going…

Bobby, you were always a very popular rider in the UK – how does it feel to be back here?

EB: “I’ve enjoyed coming back to the UK. I like to be here, I like to be racing here, I have a lot of fans here and I know a lot of people. I really enjoy the atmosphere at the races in the UK. Coming back to race the British Championship this year brings back good memories for me from 2010. I enjoy a lot of the tracks, I’m excited to get racing, to meet all the people again and just to spend some time in England.”

You were still getting great results in GPs, but it wasn’t easy getting a ride – can you tell us the situation now?

EB: “I’m now racing MXGP for the BOS Suspension team. I’m just happy that we could make a deal happen; unfortunately it did all come together really late..  like really late! Despite that we are doing our best to get the results and performances we are looking for. Right now, for sure we are a step behind, but we are working and improving every weekend. We are slowly moving in the right direction and everything is coming together better and better. But overall, I’m just happy to be racing where I belong – at the GP’s. I’m certain that if we keep working like we are the story will be completely different in a months’ time.”

What are your goals for 2018?

EB:  “My goals for 2018 are to get on the podium and be as consistent as I can.”

As a young rider you came over to Europe to race from a young age, not knowing the language or anything – can you tell us about that?

EB: “My first season in Europe on my own was in 2004 and I was racing on a KTM. I didn’t know the language or anything, but luckily I had a good team around me. My team mate was a South African racer called Shannon Terreblanche – we got on really well and I was spending lots of time with him, so he helped me learn English.
I remember one month I was really struggling and couldn’t explain anything on my mind, and then just one month later I was able to explain things and talk better. It took me maybe three months to learn English properly! But for sure as a young kid it was stressful when the time came when I had to stay with team in Europe not knowing any of the languages or anything. I remember I didn’t really know what to expect, but I knew my goals and what I needed to do. I got through all those difficult moments and overcame the problems just because I had a goal in my head, I said to myself ‘whatever comes, comes. I just have to deal with it.”

What do you think to the British Motocross Festival?

EB: “I’m looking forward to the British Motocross Festival. It will now be the first round of the British championship, so I’m excited to race against those guys and see how I compare. I’ve been racing with Tommy and Graeme in the GP’s so I have rough idea of how they race.”

“But I’m also looking forward to watching some of the youth riders and checking out all the other activities going on. It should be a fun weekend! I just hope the weather is nice for us!”

What would your advice be to young riders trying to get through the ranks to turn pro?

EB: “For the young kids I would say to set yourself a goal and stick to that goal. Decide what you want for the future and what you want from yourself and always work towards that. For example, in my case when I came to Europe and I was in my first season racing GP’s my goal was simply top ten, when I made that, the next step was top five and then after that it was podiums and so on. You must set your mission and just go for it.”

What’s the best advice anyone has ever given you regarding racing? And the worst?

EB: “It’s hard to say. Over the years I’ve had lots of good advice from many people. But I remember when I first came over I didn’t really have anybody by my side helping out and giving advice. I did a lot of it by myself, working things out on my own. But before that, when I was racing 85’s, my father would always tell me to stay calm when I needed to and that was always a big help.”

What do you think to the Culham track? How much do you like racing there?

EB: “I really enjoy Culham. Its suits my style, it’s a fast, natural track with not so many tight and slow corners. It’s got high speed, wide open corners, and that’s what I really like. There’s a few nice jumps but mainly it’s a natural layout, there’s always lots of lines and that makes for some good racing and options for passes, which makes it interesting not only for the riders but for the spectators also.”

Why is the UK so special to you and how do you feel going into this year?

EB: “I just enjoy being here and seeing the fans. When they go crazy as they do here in the UK, it makes you smile and it gets you really excited! I like the tracks, there are good events and good racing. When you enjoy racing at a certain track it makes everything easier you know, you feel like you have more flow on the bike, like you are just playing, and that in turn makes you race better with the other riders and I think the public really enjoy that as well.”

You’ve had some real ups and downs, but how do you keep motivated?

EB: “Sometimes it’s not easy to keep yourself motivated. But I think that’s one of the good things about my character, I can keep myself focused and motivated. For sure sometimes you have huge downs and big upsets but its part of the life. You have to keep your head up and always look forward. Like I say, it may be a tough time but you have to fight and push through it and whatever comes you just have to deal with it. Life is hard sometimes, but I’ve learned to just fight through those moments.”

What is a typical Bobby week and how do you train?

EB: “My week depends on the time of year. In the winter I have a completely different schedule. But in the season if I race on Saturday and Sunday then I have Monday as a little recovery day and I do a little cycling and some running, I chill a little bit and start organising and preparing everything for the next race. On Tuesday and Wednesday in the morning I will do some warm up training on the cycle or running and then in the afternoon I will go and ride. Thursday I will either go swimming or go to the gym. Friday I will go for a little cycle for half an hour before I head off to the races.  For sure training hard is necessary but you also have to think about yourself and your body. You have to combine the hard training and a good amount of recovery time before the races. You have to take good care of your body. Its like a car you know, you change the oils and the tyres regularly to keep it in good condition, it’s the same with your body.”

To see Bobryshev and all of the stars of the Maxxis ACU British Motocross Championship in action head down to the British Motocross Festival at Culham, Oxford on March 30 – April 2. For more details visit: www.rhlactivities.com