Antti Pyrhönen - ten years at the MXoN
Thursday 09 August: Antti Pyrhönen has been active in the world motocross championships over the last 12 years and a third place in MX3 is still possible this season, as he is only a handful of points behind. Harry van Hemmen writes for Youthstream.
Antti has been Finland’s best rider for the main part of his long
career and he has been once again selected for Finland’s 2012 Monster
Energy FIM MXoN Team.
Tomi Konttinen, Chief Coach of the Finnish Motorcycling Federation (SML): "Antti Pyrhönen has been selected for the MXoN Team Finland
and will race his 10th Motocross of Nations in Lommel, Belgium on 30
September. Harri Kullas is unable to participate in the MXoN due
to an injury, so the other riders for the team will be confirmed soon.”
Antti Pyrhönen: "This year will be the tenth time that I am
selected to represent my country. That is a great honor, it shows that
after so many years racing motocross, I am still one of the best riders
in Finland. Being selected ten times for the MXoN makes me extremely
proud.Our best results with the Finnish team were two third places, one
in Spain in 2002 and another one in Belgium in 2003. I assume that my
teammate Ludde Söderberg will be selected as well. Our third rider
should be Harri Kullas, but if he is not fit on time, Santtu Tiainen
could replace him.
With four motos to go in the MX3, my goal is to go for a bronze medal in MX3. In 2009 I
took the holeshot in most races with an awesome working Honda. This year
we have worked very hard on the bike, but the engine was never 100%.”
For every racer it is hard to give up what you love doing, what more
or less fills your life 24/7. Every day of my life is about motocross
and that makes you selfish. I am now 33, it is really a big issue to quit. It will be
very tough for me to start what others call a normal life. Of course a
new working life will be a next challenge to turn also into a success. I
have some alternatives, but my dream is to stay involved in motocross.”
It feels like a struggle to step down and fill that hole in your daily
life, if you can find a new challenge then it will make it easier. Let’s
say it feels like I will continue at least one more year the life I
live today. This is my life and I do not want to give it up … yet!
Antti in action (Croatia) - Roman Borak image
