Making his HRC GP debut Jeffrey Herlings crossed the finish line to win the opening GP of the season in Argentina last weekend, a sensational performance, considering his short time on the Honda machine.

The debut win by the Dutchman got me thinking back 25 years ago, when another rider, who made his debut on a new brand also won the opening Grand Prix of the season. Similar stories you might say, and the outcome back in 2001 was the start of another championship era for the GOAT of Grand Prix racing, Stefan Everts.

Everts, coming back from two years of injury and a rough season on Husqvarna in 2000, arrived at the Bellpuig circuit in Spain, for the opening GP of that season and was very much the underdog. Everts was making his GP debut for Yamaha and there were huge question marks, if he would ever be the same again. To say the Yamaha was a monster of a bike and very much something he would have to get used to, although Andrea Bartolini had won the 1999 450 title on a similar machine.

In 2001, Everts was a four-time world champion, having won titles in 1991, 1995, 1996 and 1997, but in 1999 and 2000, he would miss most of both seasons due to injuries, both amazingly enough picked up in the Beaucaire pre-season international.

I was already a big Everts fan coming into 2001 and was excited, but apprehensive how he would do. Two years more or less out injured and Smets in amazing form, it just seemed like a tough assignment. Very similar in fact to the situation for Herlings last weekend in Argentina.

I decided to give The Goat a call and ask him about that day in Bellpuig but also ask him about the performance of Herlings last weekend. As always, Everts was honest and clear in his message of those two days.

MXlarge: That 2001 Grand Prix at Bellpuig, where you pretty much came back from being broken as a racer and won, beating defending champion, Joel Smets. How was it going into that race, because you had been out injured for two years and Joel was really in great form and the champion?

Everts: Yes, coming back from two years of injuries, which wasn’t easy for my confidence. I did my winter prep rather well and I had the last knee surgery in August, so we started riding in around November. The period I had, wasn’t super long on the bike and I hadn’t raced the whole 2000 season. Jumping on the Yamaha was a big thing, but everything went quite well as far as preparation goes. I felt good, but you never know where you are and Joel Smets was the reigning world champion and he looked strong and had a lot of confidence. I was like, lets go. Suddenly I win that Grand Prix in Bellpuig. In that season, we just did one moto, and I was happy about that because my fitness was good, but maybe not good enough for two motos. Winning there was of course a big confidence shot and it was important for me.

MXLarge: That race, it was your first race back, and first on the Yamaha, but from memory, you had it under control and it wasn’t a difficult win for you?

Everts: It wasn’t difficult on the track, but mentally, it was very difficult. The win was mentally tough. My riding was good, but not at the top. Smets the favourite went down early, and I knew this is my chance and I took the win.

MXLarge: You often seemed to have the measure of Joel didn’t you. I mean he started late, racing at 17 or something and he didn’t have your talent, but you generally had his number in his career didn’t you, I mental edge over him?

Everts: You know, he could have started 10 years earlier and he still wouldn’t have not had more talent. He didn’t have the same talent because he started late, that is something you have, or you don’t have. There were moments for sure I had his measure, but starting that year, I didn’t think I had that edge, but later, when I got on top, I was ahead of him, better than him. Sounds cocky, but that is how I felt.

MXlarge: I remember the two years you got injured, but I cannot remember if you were on the Husky both years of injuries.

Everts: No, the first year I was still on Honda, and I did my knee at Beaucaire, and I did the last three GPs that year and then in 2000 I jumped on the Husqvarna. In Beaucaire I broke my arm and also injured my knee again. I did try and race the Husky at Grobbendonk, but that was a big disaster.

MXLarge: I think it was easy to forget, that was your first Yamaha Grand Prix, and you win it, similar to what Jeffrey did on the Honda last weekend. How was that racing the Yamaha at a GP for the first time and winning?

Everts: You know, getting used to the Yamaha was easy after riding the Husqvarna (which wasn’t a good bike at all at the time), but that Yamaha was a prototype the first couple of years, it was a really big bike, a monster of a bike. I felt okay on it, but if I sit on it now (Everts has his bikes in his collection), I wonder how I rode with that thing, because it was so big. In 2003, we got a new version, from the prototype to a production bike and that 2003 bike was just like a normal bike and I straight away rode two seconds a lap quicker, but that 2001 bike, it was very big. If you compare the competition back then, in the 500 class, it was a good bike. If you went racing with that 2001 Yamaha, you would struggle now.

MXLarge: It is amazing the evolution of the sport. When you think about when you were racing, there were like two or three real factory teams and now there are like seven or eight factory teams in both classes and real factory teams.

Everts: Yes, over the past 20 years, a lot of things have changed, that is for sure. We have a lot of teams, a lot of new brands, like Triumph and Ducati, at least new brands in motocross. Back in 2001, Beta wasn’t there, Fantic wasn’t there. It just got better.

MXlarge: Tell me, speaking of Jeffrey and I know you and him are not the best of mates, and had problems in the past, but that performance in Argentina last week was pretty special. I sometimes watch him and wonder if we have ever seen anyone like him. Just so ruthless and like a bull on the bike. What did you make of that performance and his move to Honda?

Everts: I mean, starting with the change to Honda, so late in your career, when you have been so good with KTM. I think they took good care of him, the number of times they made his contract open and gave him a new contract, on that side, KTM was really respectful to him. To make the change now, is it the money that counts, that is the most important thing for Jeffrey. Honda has always been a great bike and if I speak for myself, that was also my dream, to race for Honda, but I am coming from the era of the 1980s, when Honda was far ahead of everybody. It is a strange move, but maybe Jeffrey wanted to ride a different bike in a different team and a new motivation. He might want some more championships, but in Argentina, he looked good, he didn’t need to adapt to the bike too much. I saw he did 100 hours on the bike already and he was riding all day long and that is him, that is how we know Jeffrey, he is a bull on the bike.

MXlarge: After Lierop, and he beat Romain, who is also a very good sand rider, I thought, he is going to win Argentina. I just though to win at Lierop, which isn’t easy if you are not comfortable on the bike. What did you expect from him in Argentina?

Everts: I thought he would struggle a bit more, but when I saw the track in Argentina, I thought this will give Jeffrey an advantage, because it was slightly sandy and okay on Sunday it was harder and rough, but it was good for Jeffrey. He had to fight for it, Vialle, who impressed me a lot, he was strong and surprised me the most, even more than Jeffrey. Jeffrey is the fittest of all of them and we saw that when he passed Febvre and Vialle late in the races and that allowed him to win the two motos. The rest of the field is fast, and I think when the tracks are not physically harder, it will be tougher for him, but he is a killer hey.