Fantic Factory rider Glenn Coldenhoff sure knows how to ride the sand. His blistering victories at places like Redbud, Arnhem, Hyvinkää, Kegums, Assen, Mantova prove that. Having joined the Grand Prix ranks in 2008, he has done a staggering 232 GPs in his career and has been in the premier class now for a decade.

Coldenhoff will turn 34 this week and while he is the oldest rider in the class, it’s clear from his performance on the weekend, he isn’t close to being called over the hill or an old man. Still determined to reach some career goals, the always friendly and likeable Dutchman can probably carry on for another two or three years and with so many factory rides in the MXGP paddock, he is one of the very few riders who has won a Grand Prix in recent times, so his options are many.

We caught up with him as he landed at Schiphol airport after his victory in the Hawkstone Park International last weekend and as always, “The Hoff” was kind enough to answer our questions and also give us a little insight on his love of the AMA supercross championship.

MXlarge: Congratulations. I thought you had only won the last two years, but I heard on your gatedrop interview that its three years. What is it with you and Hawkstone Park?

Coldenhoff: I don’t know, obviously I love this track. It’s a really nice layout, it’s a huge track, over two-minute lap times. It is always a little muddy and the ruts are deep and those are conditions that suit me really well. I would say growing up in those conditions is a big help. I always feel good there and results are always good.

MXlarge: It is very hard to get information about Hawkstone as they have no live stream and results come through slowly sometimes, so can you run me through your three races quickly?

Coldenhoff: Yes, the first moto, I pulled the holeshot and I was leading the whole moto and Febvre was pushing really hard behind me. He tried to pass me a few times and I was struggling with arm-pump pretty bad, but I was able to hold him off. He was definitely faster in that first moto. In the second moto, I messed up my start and I was in fourth place and straight away went to second and I was behind Maxime (Renaux). In the end, I felt I was faster in that moto, but it was very one lined and I waited a bit and then lapped riders (appeared) and stuff and on the last lap, I was still very, very close, but I wasn’t able to make the pass. The Superfinal, I hit the gate and my holeshot device popped out and I was again fourth. I was lucky, as the 250’s and the 450’s, they started separate (MX2 started first, followed by the 450s), and I was on the far outside, and I railed the outside line very well. I was behind Febvre and tried to make a pass quickly, while we were still fighting with the 250 guys. From memory, in the first lap I passed Febvre, because I think he hit neutral and then on the first lap I was around fifth (behind the MX2 riders), and I worked my way up to second and that Kawasaki guy, Valin, he was riding really well, had really good speed and I had to push a bit to catch him and I made that happen and passed and from there I just controlled the race and didn’t take any risks.

MXLarge: You mention that your bike was a bit of a problem last year and its better now. Can you explain what is better and what was wrong with-it last year?

Coldenhoff: I feel engine wise there is a big improvement, they did an amazing job on the bike and now we have a lot of power and its very usable. Straight away I liked it when we started riding (this winter) with this new engine and there are a couple of things that have changed, that I cannot speak about. The experience from last year definitely helped, they improved the bike big time.

MXLarge: Obviously with Fantic being based in Italy and Yamaha is based in Japan, so does it make a big difference when Fantic are so close and you can deal better with them for changes, or not really?

Coldenhoff: I think so, yes, in a way. I feel like, they had a year to work on this bike and the result is good, from last year and it’s built on a good way. We don’t have any problems, which is good.

MXlarge: We have spoken before about your age and while you are getting up there, this MXGP class, everyone is bloody old. Its like the MXGP class is turning into the veterans class and it is pretty much the same guys from the last decade, yourself (33), Romain (33), Jeffrey (30), Seewer (31), even Tim is going to be 29 this year and he is the young one. On one side that is a bit worrying, that there are not a lot of younger guys coming through to join that group. I mean we have Lucas now; he is very young, and we had Jorge, but outside of that, there isn’t a lot of youth coming through to challenge you guys. What do you think?

Coldenhoff: Yes, sure it is (a bit worrying), it should be the opposite, because everyone above 23 years old has to come into the big bike class. Like you said, the names are the same for a while now and if I look to myself, I hope it stayed like this.

MXLarge: It is a lot different now than in the 70s, 80s or 90s, where maybe fitness methods are better now, eating is maybe better now. I did speak to Romain a little while ago and he said how he has to work really hard on his speed now, as he gets older, because it doesn’t come as easy at his age. Do you have that also?

Coldenhoff: Yes, I do, and I think that is normal, we get slower as we get old, and I have to also do that. It is similar and its normal and you just become slower and you need to work on the intensity. I got really sick in January and I didn’t do a lot on the bike in January, maybe seven days on the bike and that was it, so I am a bit behind at the moment. I still need to get into the season a bit, but I am not stressed about it and the bike is good and I am fit, and I can also lean back on my experience a bit as we get into the season.

MXLarge: You have been with Louis (Vosters) now a handful of years, but there are so many factory teams in the paddock, like Triumph, or Ducati. Are you happy where you are, or would you maybe like to try something different in the final years of your career?

Coldenhoff: It is too early to say something about that. It all depends on the results this year I believe, and I am really happy now with the team, they are really good and made big steps, but we will see how it goes. Triumph will have Haarup, and I don’t know if they want two riders and Ducati, which is interesting, but, as for now, I am happy where I am at, and we see how it turns out.

MXlarge: I saw on your social media, I don’t know if you do that yourself, or somebody else does it, but I saw some stuff on there about Malcolm Stewart winning last weekend. You are clearly into the supercross, but do you have a favourite there?

Coldenhoff: Yes, I have always liked the Stewarts, first James and now Malcolm. When I was watching the races yesterday morning, before I went to Hawkstone Park, it’s a family thing and I feel like Mookie deserves it and he was always in the shadows of his brother. The story there, in his home race, there is nothing like that, winning in front of your home fans, it is a unique feeling and if you are able to experience this, as a motocross athlete, it was really nice to see. He was super-fast in the whoops and that is the Stewart thing.

Bavo Swijgers image