If you are a huge fan of motorcycle racing, you must recognize Calvin Vlaanderen. In case you don't, you should know about him. He is a South African-Dutch professional motocross racer who has been competing in the FIM World Championships since 2014.
Starting his career in the MX2 class, the young biker advanced to MXGP in 2020 and has now earned many accomplishments under his name. So, let's learn more about his achievements and other important information about Calvin Vlaanderen in this short biography.
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Has A Twin Brother
The pro rider was born to his mother, Debbie Vlaanderen Lederle, and father, Paul Vlaanderen, in Port Elisabeth, South Africa. He was welcomed into the world along with his identical twin brother, Damon Vlaanderen, on June 24, 1996. Moreover, he also has an older sister, Tasmyn Vlaanderen, who works as a cabin crew at Emirates Airlines.
When Calvin was two years old, his family moved to the legislative capital of South Africa, Cape Town. At the age of four, Calvin Vlaanderen's father, Paul, bought him and his brother a PW50, and the twins started riding at a park near their house. Then, they soon moved on to small club motocross races in Cape Town. When the boys were on 125cc bikes, Paul told them that if they wanted to make a career out of it, they had to move to Europe.
Calvin Vlaanderen has a twin brother, Damon Vlaanderen, and an older sister, Tasmyn Vlaanderen. Image Source: Paul Vlaanderen's Facebook.
Being the sporty one, the MXGP star decided to give it a try and left his home country and settled in the Netherlands. Meanwhile, the other twin, Damon, who was always the smart one as they were growing up, chose to continue with school and go to college. Speaking of which, Calvin has not revealed his schooling and major to the public yet. Hopefully, he will disclose the information regarding his education in the near future.
How Did Calvin Gain Fame?
As already mentioned, the sportsman began riding and racing at a very young age. He became the South African champion in the 50cc, 85cc, Pro mini Class, and 125cc in 2003, 2007, 2010, and 2011, respectively. He also raced in the FIM Junior Motocross World Championship 125cc for three years. Then, in 2011, he started participating in the FIM Europe Motocross Championships.
After going pro, Vlaanderen started racing in the FIM World Championship and showed promising results in every race. He caught the attention of many when he became the unexpected winner at the MXGP of Sardegna of the 2022 MXGP World Championship in May. It was his first-ever MXGP class win, with his last GP victory being in Indonesia when he was in the MX2 class and rode Honda. We hope to see him win more GPs in the days ahead.
Was Hit In The Eye By A Rock
During training on the bike for the 2020 season, the biker had a crash and hurt his hip, which required a few stitches. Due to this, he had to sit out the last few rounds of the season. The same year, he sustained a torn ACL in the middle of the season, for which he underwent surgery to fix it.
Those weren't the only times Calvin seriously injured himself. In 2018, during the first Motocross of Nations race, he began experiencing an issue in his right eye, which deteriorated as the laps went by. Apparently, he was hit in the eye by a rock which resulted in bleeding inside his eye. Upon being evaluated by the medical staff after making his way back to the HRC awning, his injury was deemed serious, and he was declared unfit for the next race.
Calvin Vlaanderen Net Worth And Career
The Port Elizabeth native became an FIM pro in 2014 and has been actively competing in the MXGP World Championships ever since. He must have accumulated a massive amount of money from his career throughout the years. Likewise, Calvin Vlaanderen's net worth must also be a significant sum.
In 2014, the racing athlete got an opportunity to try the MX2 Motocross series and made his professional debut with two GP races in Germany and the Czech Republic. Since then, he raced in the MX2 class in the FIM World Championships with KTM bikes until 2017 and then with Honda motorcycles until 2019. Furthermore, he won the 1st position in the MX2 class at the MXGP of Indonesia in 2018.
Calvin left the MX2 class and switched his team to the Gebben Van Venroy Yamaha Racing team in 2020. He made his MXGP class debut at the MXGP of Great Britain, finishing in the 23rd position. Then, he finished 1st place in the MXGP class for the first time at the MXGP of Sardegna in 2022.
Since the estimated annual pay of a motocross rider is $85,000, the sportsman's salary as a professional MXGP racer is most likely to be within the range. In addition, he must earn a lot from his endorsement deals, team races, and other promotional activities. Talking of which, his sponsors include 100% Moto, Ethika Europe, Albek, Cadence Nutrition, and many more. Hence, Calvin Vlaanderen's net worth must be immense.
Likewise, Thomas Kjer Olsen is another MXGP rider with an impressive net worth.
Is Calvin Vlaanderen Dating Anyone?
Unfortunately, the 1996-born motocross star appears to keep his love life pretty private, making it hard to comment on the topic. However, he revealed that he had a lover without disclosing her name in an interview back in 2018. Furthermore, he has a picture of himself with a gorgeous girl named Romy on his social media handles. Could she be Calvin Vlaanderen's girlfriend?
Hopefully, Calvin will reveal the name of his partner and more about his dating life and relationships in the coming days. Nonetheless, all in all, he seems to be living a great life with his family and close ones. He must also enjoy a comfortable life thanks to his hard-earned wealth, which is highly likely to increase in the days ahead.
We wish Calvin Vlaanderen all the best in all his future endeavors.
Trivia And Facts
- Vlaanderen has over 40.8K followers on his Instagram account.
- His grandparents were born in the Netherlands but moved to South Africa after World War II.
- He and his twin started cycling at three.
