French Fan

This summer I followed the 250 class motocross championship, the action was so intense and the competition so fierce, the show was incredible. As the season past by, I came to know more and more about the different riders, one rider keeped my attention. Christophe Pourcel, even if he didn't win the championship, surprise me a lot with his smooth riding style, his lightning fast speed and his ease to pass other riders. Even Ryan Dungey didn't seem to pass other riders as easily as Pourcel. The more and more I learn about this rider the more I become a fan of him. For a guy that could have been paralyzed for life few years back and that came to race in the United States (while his mother language is French which is another thing to adapt to) far from his family and friends, I think he did a pretty good performance.

While looking at different picture of him, it reminds me another Frenchman, Jean-Michel Bayle. JMB, was as smooth on a race track, as agile and as fast plus both look the same (at a different age), it seem like the Frenchies have found a way to clone their racers. I just hope that the mechanical problems that Pourcel encountered won't ruin his chance to get a ride on the big bikes next year. It would be a waste of talent to leave him in the 250 class or even worst, to send him back to France.

Jean-Francois Jobidon
Via Email

Yeah, what a great outdoor series, in both 250 and 450 classes. I agree Pourcel is fascinating to watch, almost like he's riding on a different track the way he doubles bumps and makes creative lines. He also has a great story of coming back from injury. I talked to him a little bit before the outdoor season and he seemed very calm and like he was having fun, and happy to be doing what he's doing.

The French did actually perfect cloning their racers, but scrapped that program because the riders were all riding the exact same lines on the practice tracks and could never learn how to pass. As much as Christophe looks like Bayle both in and out of a helmet, he's not a clone. -Pete Peterson