Martha Hucker interviews Anneke Beerten

Anneke Beerten is the top-ranked female four-cross rider in 2009’s hotly-contested UCI World Cup. Martha Hucker caught up with her via email to get the inside line on how her season’s going and how things are shaping up for the World Champs, and what it’s really like commentating for Freecaster with Rob Warner.

Hey Anneke, congrats on being the current UCI World Cup 4x leader. How’s 2009 been going for you?
So far so good…. Starting the World Cup season with a win in South Africa was great and gave me some good confidence. All the fast girls that took the year before off for the BMX olympics were back racing. After that, all the other World Cups went good with solid results and another win in Mont Sainte Anne, Canada.

What’s your riding background, and how did you get to the point where you are racing just fourcross?
From the moment I was able to ride a bike a just didn’t stop paddling…My first BMX race was at the age of 4, when I was 16 I swapped my BMX bike for a DH bike, raced downhill a couple of years and then stared doing 4-cross. At one point 4-cross was going well and I was riding for the Specialized factory team when they gave me a change just to focus on 4-cross for one season… and in that season I won my first World Cup (2005) in 4-cross. So that was a good choice!

What does your training programme involve? And will you get a break after Schladming, or do you ride all year?
At this moment I am preparing for the World Championships and training is pretty intense. But after Schladming I will have a break and some time off. It’s nice to be off the bike for a couple of weeks. It makes the hunger bigger to get back on it and get ready for a new season.

Tell us about riding for Supension Center, the team with not one but two very fast female riders. Is it a big change for you from past seasons?
Yes, it has been a big change, but for sure a good change. The team is great, no stress or pressure but a lot of fun. We all get a long very well and Emmeline Ragot is just a great person to hang out with. We always motivate each other in every thing we do!

Fourcross certainly has some dramatic moments, and things can get a bit rough on course between the riders. Does it stay on track or is there some post-race tension sometimes too?
From the moment we get on the gate the fight is on and we give each other not an inch of space. But as soon as you cross the finish line you know you’re job is done and we get back to normal :) All the girls get along well.

What else are you into besides mountain biking, and what do you do when you’re not racing?
Last winter I bought a new Pitbike and did my first MX races ever. It was one of the best things I ever did in my time off. It was heaps of fun, beating some guys was even more fun :) Other then that I just like to chill out and hang out with my friends and family.

It’s been great having you doing commentating on Freecaster and giving viewers a good insight into who’s who and what’s happening in the women’s DH field. But what’s it actually like being in that box with Rob Warner?
It is hilarious !!! I found out that commentating is very difficult and me and Rob are always super nervous just before we are getting live on air. Rob just cracks me open with all the funny stuff he say’s, its a good ab work out being in the commentating booth with him!

Do you have any words of wisdom for any riders thinking about getting into 4x?
Don’t think, just do it!!!

Cheers Anneke and good luck for the Worlds! See you there…

Older: Emmeline Ragot wins Canadian Open – In Pictures

Fresher: Martha Hucker asks Darcy Turenne about the 2010 Vixa

Published on 20/08/2009 by Martha Hucker.