After this I decided to step back from GasGas and Paxau only because I was given a great opportunity. I finished with them but I had not finished with trial. I worked for one year with Eddy as his minder.
You can see that my finger is hurt in the photo above. I was oiling the chain of Eddy's bike and Eddy walked up and span the wheel pulling my finger between the chain and teeth. Ahhh man. He cut me and I had to get treatment in hospital. I remember that clearly, Eddy gave me these gloves from that time.
1989 and team Montesa with riders Eddy Lejeune, Pascal Couturier and Gabino Renales.
This was Eddy Lejeune's last year in trial and at this point Eddy was at the end of his career, he'd had enough and was looking forward to a long break from what he'd been doing now for almost 10 years. The ground hog lengthy trips away from home and his declining results, for Eddy were nothing more than disappointing.
From left to right - Javier Ullate (Now Moto GP mechanic), Gabino Renales, minder Albert Callis, mechanic Paco Mateo (All life Montesa mechanic) and 3 times Japanese Trial Champion, the French rider Pascal Couturier.
This was Eddy Lejeune's last year in trial and at this point Eddy was at the end of his career, he'd had enough and was looking forward to a long break from what he'd been doing now for almost 10 years. The ground hog lengthy trips away from home and his declining results, for Eddy were nothing more than disappointing.
From left to right - Javier Ullate (Now Moto GP mechanic), Gabino Renales, minder Albert Callis, mechanic Paco Mateo (All life Montesa mechanic) and 3 times Japanese Trial Champion, the French rider Pascal Couturier.
I got the position as minder for Eddy when Gabino Renales called me and said that Eddy needed an experienced minder for the next year. He had been using his brother before, but now they were involved with the business and family and there was no way they could do this. Eddy is a great person, very intelligent and super clear and we bonded very easily. At this time, Juvanteny was with the federation and he was at this time fed up with the bikes. He didn't like the Montesa and you know what you like from the past if you have been riding. This bike was taller and longer than the rest.
1989 Austrian World Trial . Team mate Pascal Couturier
He is so clever and a great person. I was married and I was working for Montesa and minding and then Eddy crashed and hurt his hand in maybe Austria. I remember being at one indoor trial in Madrid during this year and the first lap was incredible bad and I looked at Eddy and I say to him “Hey you are done”. He looked at me and said “Me done ? We are going to win this race”. It was incredible, really incredible. He found great strength and in the mind also and really picked himself up. He concentrated so hard and he won this event and he took his gloves off and handed them to me and said “Hey Albert, you have these, remember this”. Eddy is a leader, they are great leaders in their heart. Is like Tarres also and they know when they have an opportunity to win and very often when they have the right frame of mind they can dig deep and pull a win out from nothing .They know that they can always win.
March 1989 and whilst in the UK for the World round at Bainbridge, Team Montesa called into see Mick and Gill Andrews. Eddy Lejeune took advantage of Mick's practice ground, Bracken rocks at the back of his house.
This is the big difference between them and normal riders. The most dangerous situation when you are an opponent of Tarres is when the opening lap is bad. I mean it is dangerous for the other competitors because then Tarres find something within himself and the 2nd lap is absolutely terrific. And Eddy was like this. I remember Eddy sitting down and relaxing at halftime at some trial and he was just sitting looking at all the other bikes and he was concentrating and talking aloud as he was walking through the sections one by one in his mind.Yes this one's good, this one's good, this one's good and then he was concentrating his head on the problems in the most difficult sections. Then he would conquer them and jump up 4 places for the end result. This was a Champion at work. He is so strong.
1989 and on the road with team Montesa. The stop here sign was at Belfast port. The majority of the photos beneath were taken during the journey to the UK and onwards to Ireland. The bottom right photo was taken at the 1989 Barcelona Indoor trial.
These photos include Montesa Trial manager Miquel Cirera, then trial mechanic and now moto GP Mechanic Javier Ullate, Pascal Couturier with his wife, Montesa mechanic Paco Mateo, Manuel Soler, Albert Callis, the now Vertigo's Xavi Vilalta, Jordi Tarres, FIM president Oriol Mauri and Federation secretary Ignacio Vernada.
These photos include Montesa Trial manager Miquel Cirera, then trial mechanic and now moto GP Mechanic Javier Ullate, Pascal Couturier with his wife, Montesa mechanic Paco Mateo, Manuel Soler, Albert Callis, the now Vertigo's Xavi Vilalta, Jordi Tarres, FIM president Oriol Mauri and Federation secretary Ignacio Vernada.
Manuel Soler was the manager of the federation at this time and he was nicknamed the "monster". There was a really cool story. There was managed training by the Spanish federation which included Tarres, Gabino, Codina. They were doing this section and manuel was sitting on a rock and critiquing the riders trying to get a clean. He was saying to me "This is clearly a zero section" and suddenly he jumped up on a bike and where the new riders including champions couldn't get the clean, Manuel went straight through and got zero. His career was finished years ago but still was better here. This was 1986. He's the Monster ha ha .
1989 and Team Montesa bikes in storage