MXP Chatter With Cole Thompson Presented By Kimpex Canada

As we sit here on the eve of the opening round of the 2024 Monster Energy Supercross Series in Anaheim, the excitement is continuing to build. In just two sleeps, the gate will drop and eyes from all over the World will be focused on Angel Stadium. Thankfully, as Canadians we will have three riders to cheer for on Saturday evening as Cole Thompson, Guillaume St-Cyr, and Julien Benek will be lining up in the 250SX West class. Of these three riders, Thompson is the most well-known and has the best shot at finishing inside the Top 10. It’s been a successful few months for Thompson as he has not only travelled the Globe racing in the WSX Championships, and the Australian SX Series, but he’s also found himself on the podium several times. We caught up with Cole as he was getting ready to do one final test ride in California prior to the opening round in Anaheim.

Hey Cole! How are things going?

CT: Everything is good Palms! I arrived in California last night and we were supposed to break in my race bike today. However, it rained today so that will have to wait until tomorrow. But, everything is good, and I feel more prepared than I’ve ever felt heading into Anaheim 1.

Obviously, this isn’t your first rodeo as you’ve been racing Supercross for a long time. Does part of that feeling of being better prepared simply come from the fact that you have so much experience?

Yeah maybe, that makes sense. I have been at it a long time and I have a good idea of what to expect as far as track conditions and dealing with the nerves of racing the opening round. There is a lot of hype heading into this weekend and every rider is excited to get going. But, at the end of the day, it’s a long series and you just can’t focus on one race.

This is your second season with the Heartbeat Hot Sauce Solitaire Yamaha Team, and your first with the new 2024 YZ250F. How has the testing been going and are you happy with the new bike?

I love the new bike and so far the testing has been great. The team is great, and they’ve been working really hard to get everything ready. We’re in a good spot and I hope we can go out and have a great series.

You raced the older model YZ250F all through the fall in the WSX Series as well as in Australia, so you’re very familiar with that package. What is it about the new Yamaha that you like so much?

It’s hard to pin point just one thing as the entire bike just feel better. I love the new chassis and the way it turns. The new bike feels lighter and easier to throw around on a SX track. I spent some time riding the new YZ450F before my back injury last summer and liked it right away. So, that made going back to the older model YZ250F a little challenging in Abu Dhabi and Australia. But, it all worked out and now that I’m full time on the new bike, things have been going really well.  

It sounds as though you’re in a really good spot heading into Anaheim 1?

For sure, like I said I feel better prepared than I ever have. I’m healthy, fit, my bike and my team are awesome. So, now it’s time to go racing, and battle with those factory guys.

You mentioned your back injury a few moments ago. I think anyone who has had back issues knows just how scary and debilitating they can be. How were you able to cope with that injury, and it is feeling 100% now?

Yes, it was a pretty scary injury to go through and I hope I never have to go through that again. There were some dark times as it felt like it was never going to get better. Also, with turning 30 and getting older, having those back issues made me start to reflect on my career, and wonder if I still had it in me to continue racing. I’m making a living doing this right now, but it’s not like I’m getting rich racing dirt bikes. So, when I was down and out with my back I it made me wonder if going racing again was worth it.

Injuries are obviously a part of this sport, and everyone has to deal with them at some point. But, you’re right, once you’re 30, continuing with racing is a decision that can’t be taken lightly. You have to really want to do it! And, it only gets worse as you get older.

It was a difficult time for sure. But, once the pain started to go away, and the movement and flexibility began to come back, the first thing that I wanted to do was go riding.

Funny how that works. So, you had signed with the ClubMX Yamaha Team to race all of the WSX rounds, but you were only able to race the final round in Abu Dhabi. You’re first race back after your injury was the opening round of the Triple Crown Series SXTour at Gopher Dunes, where you rode a Thor GASGAS bike. How did that one race deal come about?

At the time I wasn’t sure if I was going to be going back to Australia as the Serco Yamaha Team had lost some funding. But, I knew I needed to do some racing to get back into shape, and then I got a call from the GASGAS Team asking if I wanted to race Gopher Dunes, and maybe the entire SX Series for them. I said yes and they got me Eve Brodeur’s bike to ride the week before Gopher Dunes. I felt good on the bike and I was excited to get back to racing, especially in front the home crowd. But then, once I arrived at Gopher Dunes the team gave me a different bike to race so that was a little strange. I was also pretty rusty and out of race shape, so as you can imagine, I struggled all day. Then, I found out that the team in Australia had received some funding, so a few days later I flew down to race the opening round.

So, you went from not racing to racing a GASGAS to flying half way across the world to race a Yamaha for one weekend?

Pretty much! I just went to Australia for one weekend and then flew right back home. It was tough and I don’t know how I finished so well at the opening round in Australia. I felt so out of shape and rusty, it was bad. I just told myself to try and get a decent start and put in as many fast laps as possible. In the end, it worked out and the team agreed to bring me back for the final two rounds. Once I got back home after that first race in Australia, I put in some serious work both on, and off of the bike. A month later when I went to Abu Dhabi and back to Australia, I felt 100% better.

Well, that’s good. Everyone loves a comeback story and it sounds like this was one of them. I mean, your results in Australia were excellent as you were on the podium both nights in Melbourne.

Thank you! I felt great in that final weekend in Melbourne. I really liked the track and I was able to find some good speed on it. It was tough racing on the Friday night for one team, and racing for another team the next night. You know what it’s like to have to use different gear, different bike, it takes a little while to get used to things. But, it all worked out and it was another great experience.

It sounds as though you’re really appreciating this time in your life. The racing, the travelling, it’s not easy by any means, but you sound like you’re enjoying the process.

For sure I am! I feel very fortunate to still be doing this at a high-level. I’ve learned to love the travelling and seeing new countries, and I still have a lot of fire in me to try and do well. Things are really good Palms!

Well, that is good to hear. You mentioned that you want to go into this weekend and battle with the factory guys. The 250SX West class is stacked as always, but you should be right in there battling for top five finishes.

That is the plan. We had some good races going last year so hopefully we can build on that this year. We’re in a better spot with the new bike, the team is working hard, with all of the racing and training I did in the off-season, I feel 100% ready. We just have to drop the gate and see what happens.

Thank you for doing this Cole. Enjoy these final two days of calm before all hell breaks loose on Saturday. Good luck, and we’ll all be cheering for you.

CT: Thank you! You know I’ll be trying my best. Happy New Year to everyone back in Canada!