In Lommel, Belgium, we spoke with two long-time acquaintances of Pierre: multiple Belgian champion Jaak van Velthoven and Pierre’s old training buddy Eric Haverbeke.
For the interview with Jaak, we visited the internationally famous GP circuit of MAC Lommel, where he became president after his career and is still active. For the occasion he had brought along his old, refurbished Yamaha factory motorcycle from the early 1970s; a real collector’s item!
Eric loved motocross from an early age and after he started riding himself soon became an upcoming talent. In his early days he received valuable tips from Pierre during motorcycle training and for a time they both followed Henk van Hulst’s tough physical training sessions in the woods of Waalre.
Both Jaak and Eric have not been riding for quite some time now, but their love for the sport has not changed. Like many riders, Jaak and Eric eventually had to stop because of physical condition or injuries. It is becoming more and more clear that the fact that Pierre is still riding at 76 is pretty exceptional!
