Team Yoshimura Van Zon won the 8 Hours of Francorchamps in Belgium with their two riders Werner Daemen and Olivier Depoortere.
The Suzuki was too fast for the Metiss, from the Team Birh Metiss.
Twowheels was present at Francorchamps and visited the Belgian winner, Werner Daemen.
Werner, congratulations with your victory, you are racing endurance worldwide but also IDM?Yes, I am present at some different championships, but generally I am racing in the IDM.
It’s the International German Championship.
Together with the British championship this is the highest championship in Europe.
The Top 15 riders are all prof.
riders and this time I am under contract with Suzuki.
This year they sended me to Germany to win some races and try to win the tittle, it looks good for me on the moment.
A Belgian pilot racing in Germany on this level,is it hard to reach? Yes, it is.
We don’t have very good support in Belgium so you have to fight and fight to get good results.
Only when I was 32 years old I was able to get a really good motorbike and I became a top pilot.
Why don’t we get good support? We don’t have many riders or talent?I think we have many riders and talent.
Today about 70 teams came to ride the Endurance.
In the motorsportschool in Belgium we are having about 50.
000 riders on the track days yearly.
I think we need more attention from the press.
We are having so many talent like Xavier Simeon for example.
And what about Germany? Is it really easier to ride, find support?Yes, for me it is also one of the reasons why I ride in Germany.
I ride in Germany and receive my monthly pay cheque like every citizen in Germany.
They really like to win races and they go for it.
And we receive much support from the press and they are working with a good structure what we don’t have in Belgium.
Who is talented for you on a high level?Xavier Simeon can become World Champion, Didier Van Keymeulen, Vincent Lonbois, Olivier Depoortere and so many others.
We are having real talent in Belgium.
If you will ask me, Xavier Simeon is really readdy to go to World Superbike!What about your other work, you are instructor?We are having the motorsportschool and our ambition is to give the riders their first safe steps on a racetrack.
This is the main reason for the motorsporschool and we have the Werner Daemen Racing School for more experienced riders.
Finaly, what do you suggest to promote the motor sport?We need more attention from the press in bringing the good news from our riders and not only the crashes.
our motorcycle importers need to give more support for racing and we need to be more proud about ourselves!Thank you Werner!