Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127746
INTERVJEW 125cc World Motocross Champion Alessandro Puzar By Stefano Spadav8CChia lessandro puzar's. 1995 season has had a lot of ups and downs. He started the season very fit and put in strong showings in the early rounds. Inexplicably, during the middle the season Puzar seemed to lose his edge, and this allowed his main rival, Alessio Chiodi, to gain in points. Puzar's midseason slump made for a truly grand finale in Reil, Germany, with the leading pair separa ted by only two points - Chiodi ahead. But Puzar seemed to bear the pressure better, even to profit from it, and the Italian put together a pair of solid rides to land just three points ahead of Chiodi at day's end. It was an up when he needed it most and was as high as puzar had been since winning the 250cc world title in 1990. Laidies and gentlemen, t!;le new 125cc World Champion... Let's start with the basics. When were you born and where are you living now? I was born on November 19, 1968, in Ceva (Italy) during the World Championship and I now live in (manager Corrado) Maddii's house, although I spend some time in my house in Monte Carlo. How did you meet your manager Corrado Maddii? At the end of 1994 I decided I would stop motorcycle racing, but he phoned me and asked me to race for him. I had been thinking about it for a week, then I tried the Honda motorcycles he offered me and I became sure I could do something good. Nowadays it isn't easy to find a sponsor, and you kind of had a bad year in 1994. How did you manage to find one for this year? My sponsors are the same as in 1994. I had made a special agreement with them - I would race for nothing and they would only have to pay me if I won the world championship. They trusted me and that trust paid off. Was it harder to win the championship in 1990 or this year? Of course, this year. I wanted to demonstrate to those people who thought I was at the end of my career that it wasn't true. I tried to keep myself concentrated and not to let the psychological pressures defeat me. This world title has certainly been the most desired and deeply felt for me. During the first competitions you were at your best, then in the middle of the season, after the San Marino GP, you seemed less intense. What happened? There were two reasons. This year I started my training ve.ry early, and by the middle of the season I had a kind of physical falling-off. Then in San Marino and Castelnau de Levis (France) the ground is very hard and dusty and I am not at my best on such tracks. Will you remain with the Maddii team next year? • Yes, because I got on very well both with Maddii and my mechanic. Did you receive any offers from other teams? A 12 No, because even before winning the world championship I had openly told in some interview that I wouldn't leave my present team, even if I won. Since they knew this, they didn't make any attempt to convince me. Which class are you going to ride in next year? It's early to say, but I'm thinking about riding a 500. These days I'm training with a Honda 500 to contend the MX des Nations, after which I would probably try the Husqvarna 4T. Then I'll make up my mind. It would be a further incentive for me to ride a 500 after winning the world title with a 125 and a 250. And I say to you in advance that if I won the 500cc world championship I would give up racing, because I would be completely satisfied. Since you mention giving up racing, what are you going to do after you quit motocross? I love my sport, so I would like to remain in this circle - maybe to work for the firms that have trusted in me, being the image man for them, and I would