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Charles Halcomb / videos / photos / blog

Sep 22

Albee interview!!posted in Motocross on Sep 22nd 2010 at 11:11am.



    Jimmy Albertson has been flying the U.S. flag in the MX1 (450) class this year over in Europe. It’s never easy to live in a foreign country, much less race in it. However, Albertson has been doing just that. It has been a huge undertaking for the likable kid from Oklahoma, and he has struggled with the European lifestyle. While cruising the Fermo pits, we caught up with Jimmy to talk about his year in Europe.

MXA: How has the season been going?
    Jimmy: Oh man, it’s been rough! I just jumped into this whole thing and I didn’t realize what I was up against. It’s not just the racing over here; it’s getting used to living. It’s a whole different world. It has taken me time to get adapted to it. I’ve had injuries this year and that hasn’t helped. The bottom line is that it’s mentally tough. Going into the first GP I had already been in Europe for four months, and I was really homesick. I didn’t look at Europe at all like it was my new home. I was counting down the days until I went back to America. That’s never the way you want to start off a season. Throughout the season I’ve had some injuries, and it’s been a bummer. Now it’s time to go home, but I’ve met so many nice people. I have a girlfriend over here now, and I don’t feel like I’m away from home anymore. I feel like I can call Europe my second home. The season didn’t go the way I liked, but I’ve learned so much this year even as far as being a person. I wouldn’t take this experience back for anything. 

    "When you travel in Europe all of the countries are pretty much just as small as some states, but they have completely different cultures. That would be like crossing from California to Arizona and finding out that the people don’t even speak the same language as you.”

Where have you been living in Europe?
    I lived in Spain for one month, Italy for two months, and then in Belgium for the rest of the time. It’s hard to explain what it’s like living in these different countries. Just talking with U.S. riders that have been racing over here before me, they said the biggest thing was adapting to the lifestyle. I didn’t think much of it, because I have lived away from my parents since I was 15 years old. It wasn’t a big deal to me, but what I didn’t realize was that anywhere in America feels like home to me. You go from one state to another and nothing really changes. When you travel in Europe all of the countries are pretty much just as small as some states, but they have completely different cultures. That would be like crossing from California to Arizona and finding out that the people don’t even speak the same language as you. It just takes a little while to get used to, and I’m finally happy to be over here. Hopefully I can continue next year over in Europe.



Do you have any potential offers for 2011?
    I’d love to be back with Honda, but I’m not sure what’s going on. For me, I find Europe to be my second home now. I don’t mind being over here. Really it comes down to finding the best opportunity for me. We’ll see what happens.

Please compare the tracks between the Nationals and the GP series.
    The Italian GP in Fermo is much like an American track. It is smooth and has some good jumps on it. Most of the GP tracks are rough and gnarly. It’s like everything is slowed down, almost like the racing is halfway between enduro and motocross. Some of the tracks are so rutted out and nasty. They will go two days without prepping the track. I remember my first GP that was really nasty. When I did the parade lap before the second moto I thought to myself, ‘This is insane! How can they expect us to race around this track?’ [laughter]. It just takes a while to get used to, and you can’t override these tracks. In America you can ride wide open and be aggressive, but in Europe you must take your time and use your head while you’re riding. Antonio Cairoli is so good racing these tracks because he plans out his track. He uses different lines. I think that’s why a lot of these European riders are successful in America, but they aren’t as successful as they are in Europe simply because in the U.S. the racing is so fast. It might seem easier, but often the easier the track is the harder it is to do well. American racing is wide open. You go for broke. In Europe you must plan out the track. 



Which racing series has the best competition?
    Between the series, as far as competition goes, it’s very tough. I think everyone will see at the Motocross des Nations that the racing is very close. 

    “The fans in Europe simply love the sport of motocross and wish that they could do it. They look at the professional racers as superstars.”

The biggest difference between an AMA National and an FIM Grand Prix is the spectator participation. In Fermo the crowd was going nuts! Why doesn’t that happen in the U.S.?
    I don’t think it happens in the U.S. because everyone has the opportunity to ride. Fans in America are also racers. These guys in Europe don’t have the money to buy bikes and ride, because it’s just so expensive. In the U.S. you can buy a bike for a couple thousand dollars, go to your local track, and ride. In Europe you have to buy a membership and jump through hoops in order to race. The fans in Europe simply love the sport of motocross and wish that they could do it. They look at the professional racers as superstars. In America I think that people look at the pro’s as athletes that share a common passion. They are the same guys that tell their buddies, ‘Oh, I can do that jump.’ Many people would rather ride at their local track or in the desert than attend a National. That’s just the way that it is.



I know that you’re close friends with Trey Canard. Have you spoken with him yet about winning the 250 outdoor title?
    Oh yeah! I spoke with him last Sunday morning from Italy. He was stoked on the championship! It’s a shame that Christophe Pourcel got hurt like that, but that’s racing. Trey was hurt last year early in the season, but I bet he would have been a championship contender at the end of the season. That’s how it goes. Trey fell down in the first moto, but he never gave up. That’s what happens when you don’t give up. I’m so proud of him, especially after what he’s been through the past couple of years. He won the Supercross title in his rookie year, and he set the bar real high. Me and his other close friends knew that he had it in him, but it took a little while for things to click for him. I couldn’t be happier for him right now. 
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