Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

MXI Title Contender Mickael Pichon and enjoy life. When I am having a hard time in training. I think about my kids. It gives me a lot of motivation." The 2004 season was a difficult one for Pichon. A silly crash at the Gaildorf circuit in Germany in 2003 left Pichon with a seriously damaged knee. He worked hard in the offseason. but coming into '04 he wasn't up to par. With hardly any time on the bike. Pichon looked rattled as he tried to compete with the more experienced four-stroke riders. He had to race the Honda 450 four-stroke for the first time in his life. and it took him some time to get acquainted with it. "On some tracks. like the deep sand. I struggled last year:' Pichon said. "I know I will be stronger this year. and that will be bad news for the others. I made a lot of mistakes early last year. and against somebody like Stefan [Everts]. it's difficult to come back. In the beginning of the year. I made too many mistakes. We also have a new bike. I had not ridden Honda for many years. and the fourstroke was new for me. It took some time to adapt to that. I was also coming off a big knee injury. I really didn't have too much in my favor." Capping off his bad luck in 2004. the two-time World Motocross Champion crashed hard at the German Grand Prix. It was an accident that gave him time to think about his all-out style. and it also let him understand that the 450 machines are much harder to ride than the nimble 250 two-strokes. "My crash in Teutchenthal was really a bad situation for me; I know I got lucky in that crash. I missed some serious training after that crash. The worst thing was this was a scary track. I even had trouble sleeping. thinking about the crash. and I think' was very lucky. I was thinking about guys like Pit Beirer. It pushed me to slow down a little and think about my kids. Sometimes I have to be careful." Pichon knows that he lost the 2004 championship due to silly mistakes. and that the Stefan Everts rule (that you win a World Championship on your worst days) is true to some extent. although Pichon also knows about winning championships with complete domination. as he did against Chad Reed in 200 I. "I agree with him [Everts]. but then again. it's best just to have good days. Normally. if you are a top guy. the bad 62 MARCH 23, 2005 • CYCLE NEWS days should not be too bad. Last year I had bad days. but normally this has never happen in my career. Last year was really a terrible year for me. I had the bike problem in Bellpuig. where I got stuck in the mud and had to DNF. That was just bad luck. The crash in Germany was my fault - , was not mentally riding to my limit. I was pushing too hard trying to make up for my poor opening races. It was all due to my poor preseason preparation." Back in 200 I. Pichon was so dominant that nobody could really match his speed on a regular basis. He won a magnificent 10 of 14 races. and backed that up the following year with I I wins from 12 starts. only losing the Grand Prix of Germany after his fellow Frenchman Frederic Bolley took him out in a first-comer spill. Since those two seasons. though. Pichon has found the going tough. winning the opening three races of 2003. before Everts. Smets and company found a way to beat him. Since the third round of 2003. Pichon has won races. but not with the same determination of those two magical seasons of '0 I and '02. Pichon knows that he has work to do. but he also knows that he is hungrier than ever and is looking to add to his 34 GP wins. "I think it is good to not always be the best. It's good to build up again. Some guys can be at the top for a long time. I have a lot of respect for Stefan. He has been on the top for a long time. but he made different choices than me. He stayed in Europe and won World Championships. but I went to America and won there. He always. since 15 years. he has been doing the same thing. He finishes the season in September. starts in March. It's a little different from the way I wanted to do it. Even when I was winning two years ago. I was still doing a lot of Supercross races in the off-season. I have raced all year. I was doing like 40 races. I love Supercross. and I was also the only European guy who could race Supercross. so I was getting good money. If the promoter of Bercy wanted me. then he had to pay for it. I was making good money. I was the only guy who could match the American-based riders. It's difficult to say no to money. and I raced maybe too much. Compared to Stefan or the other GP riders. I can earn a lot of money doing the Supercross races in Europe." With his body now telling him he is no longer the young wisp that came into the Grand Prix scene some 12 years ago. and with two small children. Pichon is beginning to look at different ways to enjoy his life. Having raced his whole life. it's time to rest and look at extending his career. "I will have to stop doing all those off-season races. 2005 will be the first year that I will not do any of the offseason 5upercross races - because of the children. because my body is needing more rest in the off-season. I need to rest. My knee is not good; my hip is not good. I need to give my body time to heal. I have been racing since I was I5 years old. I have always raced for 12 months; the only time I stopped was because I was injured. I am going to be 29 soon. and I need to make some choices. If , want to race another five years. then I need to slow down and rest my body." Pichon is looking forward to the moment the best Grand Prix riders head to Zolder. Belgium. and begin another season. He knows the pitfalls of expecting too much. When he looks at his rivals. though. he can't help but smile and feel confident. '" think this year is going to be pretty good. Ifeel if Ican keep working like I am now. I can be okay. I don't think Stefan [Everts] will be slower. I think he will be okay; he will want to show that he is still fast. After Mantova. I was not impressed with Townley. I expected a lot from him. maybe he is not ready yet. I know you cannot always go good in your first race. The first race of the year is a difficult time for the riders. We all have to find our place. I am not really thinking about Townley. His first year on the bigger bike. it's going to be tough. He has to stay on the bike. When you ride on the bigger bike. it's hard to stay on it you come from a smaller bike. Stefan and Ramon will be good and. of course. Dosh] Coppins also. Josh has been about the same for about three of four years. He rode good when he was in the Suzuki team with me; he also rode well when he first rode Honda. He is not far off the pace of Everts and me. but he is not close enough either. He does not have the talent. On some tracks you don't need the talent; on some tracks you need the strength. less technique. We know that sometimes riders like Josh can be faster than us. but not often enough." As for the championship calendar and the way the series has been set up. Pichon finds that it will suit him. It will also give him the chance to take that elusive third World Motocross Championship and stop the Everts domination. While Pichon knows that Everts is a great rider. he does not look at the record books. "For me. the 2005 series will be good. The riders asked for 15 rounds. we got 17 rounds. At least with so many races. it gives you the chance to recover if you do have a bad round. Iwill do the French Championship rounds also. but this year there are only five rounds. A few Internationals early in the year. so not so big a big season. I'm looking for the championship. I am more hungry and I love to win. I love to get better. to work to improve. Stefan Everts is good. You can learn things from him. but his riding style is very different to mine. Sometimes when I follow him. I am surprised by what he can do. but I think he does the same with me. There are parts of a track where I am stronger. but sometimes when I am fighting with the bike. he is riding smooth. I have more speed than him; I think I have always had more speed than him. I have maybe a little more advantage than him in jumping. but he is also good in the jumps. I have more corner speed than him. He would probably say the opposite. I have always been faster than him since I have been back in Europe. but he has still beaten me. It's good for me to have such a good rider to beat. It makes my challenge great - better than somebody like Josh. He [Coppins] is a good rider. but he is not Everts." eN

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