10 Exclusive 2014 Thierry Michaud interview

page 10 Exclusive - 2014 Thierry Michaud interview

I hear a story that you jumped into the water in Scotland at the end of the day ?

No, no this was Gilles Burgat, not me. When Gilles Burgat in 81, I don’t know if he jumped or if someone push him. Fortunately it was not me .

The 1987 Scottish Six Days Paddock

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com photo Trials Journal

Did you enjoy the Scottish ?

For me I really love the Scottish. Really its ……I have a strange relations with the Scottish because I come from the South of France, the Cote d Azur and there is nothing the same as Scotland. The weather, the sections, the wet conditions or the dry conditions, the rocks. There is absolutely nothing. Everything is different where I live to Scotland.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

Photos above and below are from the 1983 Japanese Scottish book

And the first time I come to Scotland I discover overall and incredible country and another world for me and I discover a very interesting spirit because for me I like to recognise a section and how it works and I have to understand were to go exactly. It was really the spirit of trials sport for me. It was the basic trials spirit of trials sport. You recognise a section and you look at a section and after you have to just ride with your own feeling and as more precise and more smooth as possible and then its totally, for me, it is the truth of the trials sport.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

This is the Scottish, it's quite straight, it's easy to understand, you have many rocks and you have to have much balance. It’s a really balance sport there and for me it’s the spirit of the trial. You need experience to have a good result in Scotland but it was quite a good and I still have a good feeling with everything in Scotland.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

How did you cope with the bad weather, the rain and the cold in Scotland ?

It’s a question of getting used to this. In the 80’s we have the beginning of the World Championship. We have trials beginning in England, Belgium and Ireland. Riding in the muddy conditions in Ireland and so and so. Then we use to ride several weeks in these conditions.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

We used to ride in Scandinavia in September with the wet conditions and you know when you are a rider you are still making and you then have experience of these conditions. When I was young I used to ride and had to adapt my situation. It's difficult for me to explain. I will try, you are doing well where you are used to doing this thing many times. At that time I was riding many times in the wet conditions. Then I become a good ride in these conditions.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

It was very cold in Scotland and you are from a warm place on the mediteranean, how did you cope ?

When you are in good physical condition and you have a strong temper it's ok ha ha. Now it would be much more difficult for me. I don't have a physical condition and my temper is not as strong as I had many years ago.

2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com

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