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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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1981 SSDT Fort William car park. Gilles Burgat, no 249 sitting next to Charles Coutard. In the blue jumper is Comerford's Jock Wilson. Photo by the wonderful Colin Boniface.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat Photo Colin Boniface
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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Eddy was the rider that I had to think about and worry about the most. Around the time just before the Scottish, this was a big turning point for Eddy. Eddy decided not to go to the Scottish and he had all of the problems surrounding the tyres he was riding with, me and my team were riding with Michelin and all of the riders were riding with Michelin, but he was riding with the Dunlop tyre and at the beginning of the season he was sure he had the best tyre but in a very short period of time he soon learnt along with everybody else that the Michelin was by far the best tyre and he was stuck with his Dunlop because he had a contract with them.
Thank you to Eddy Lejeune for these 2 photos. This was his first serious Honda Trial bike photoed around the same time he visited Gilles. You can see it is displaying the Dunlop sticker.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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For sure at this time there was a big difference in tyre but this made a huge difference in his head and he lost a lot of confidence about this, worry about his tyres and not being very good and he has lost the World Championship. I think before I had actually ridden a single trial, there was a big difference between the two tyres, but I think he could have been World Champion with a Dunlop if he had more confidence. Eddy lost all his confidence during the summertime and afterwards when he went to Sweden and Finland he was a completely different rider who had no confidence and had nothing. He was no good.
Photos from the 1981 World Championship. Credit Frank Oudin.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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Did you do anything to celebrate at the time of your win in Czechoslovakia?
No, not really in Czechoslovakia, we had a party in Germany because this was the end of the Championship when people could relax. With a party in Germany my parents came, you see in Czechoslovakia my win was a surprise and there was only me there, with my mechanic it would have been a quiet party, but in Germany was completely different, they had organised a party after the race to celebrate the end of the season and it was a good time. It was lots of fun.
No, not really in Czechoslovakia, we had a party in Germany because this was the end of the Championship when people could relax. With a party in Germany my parents came, you see in Czechoslovakia my win was a surprise and there was only me there, with my mechanic it would have been a quiet party, but in Germany was completely different, they had organised a party after the race to celebrate the end of the season and it was a good time. It was lots of fun.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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Did you do lots of practicing with Eddy?
Well, you know he came here just at the start of the summer in 1981, he came on his vacation with all of the family to my home here, Eric and his parents and the mechanic. I think this was a big mistake for him because he came here and was riding my sections here, it can be very slippery and so if you're not confident and you don't know how the ground moves and slips, he was very good when it was very slippery when it was like mud, but here it was slippery on loose rocks and dust, very very slippery and so this lost him a lot of confidence, when he came here it was certainly a mistake for him.
Well, you know he came here just at the start of the summer in 1981, he came on his vacation with all of the family to my home here, Eric and his parents and the mechanic. I think this was a big mistake for him because he came here and was riding my sections here, it can be very slippery and so if you're not confident and you don't know how the ground moves and slips, he was very good when it was very slippery when it was like mud, but here it was slippery on loose rocks and dust, very very slippery and so this lost him a lot of confidence, when he came here it was certainly a mistake for him.
Thank you to Eddy Lejeune for these photos. These photos were taken a couple of years later, but show the strong family following that Eddy had when he was riding and still today.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
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So at this time you are completing the sections and Eddy was having a difficult time, you are here in the hills around your house, did that help with your conference?
Yes yes for sure. It's only natural. Also, at this time our results are going up every time I was riding. I was getting better results and as a result I was getting more confidence and at the same time Eddy's results were not that' good and it was hitting his confidence and he was losing confidence. He was an amazing rider, but this year I got lucky.
Yes yes for sure. It's only natural. Also, at this time our results are going up every time I was riding. I was getting better results and as a result I was getting more confidence and at the same time Eddy's results were not that' good and it was hitting his confidence and he was losing confidence. He was an amazing rider, but this year I got lucky.