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22 - A detailed career interview with 3 x World motorcycle Trials Champion Yrjö Vesterinen |
A detailed career interview with 3 x World motorcycle Trials Champion Yrjö Vesterinen
So you put a lot of pressure on yourself, this is contrary to another great Finish trials rider, Tommi Ahvala. He told me that he didn't put any pressure on himself and his family who work with him very closely didn't put any pressure on him and that he would roll up and just ride as well as he could on the day.
I have to say that Tommi has told me the same, but that to me sounds like something is missing from that story. To me that sounds completely unrealistic that you can just go and hope for the best and enjoy yourself. Tommi's father was a great dynamo in the family and I know that he was a great motivator of Tommi. I remember a discussion I had on the ferry when I was traveling to a World round in Sweden.
I have to say that Tommi has told me the same, but that to me sounds like something is missing from that story. To me that sounds completely unrealistic that you can just go and hope for the best and enjoy yourself. Tommi's father was a great dynamo in the family and I know that he was a great motivator of Tommi. I remember a discussion I had on the ferry when I was traveling to a World round in Sweden.
It would be great to see some of the riding gear that you still have .
A detailed career interview with 3 x World motorcycle Trials Champion Yrjö Vesterinen
I think it was a discussion I had with Tommi's family and the rest of the Finish riders. Tommi was an up-and-coming rider at the time. There was a conversation that we had in the cafeteria and I have been testing the rear suspension on my bike and I must have mentioned that and the fact that I was making some real progress with it and the fact that I was learning how the rear suspension was actually working and the ins and outs of the mechanism the forces on the rear suspension, how they work. Tommi's dad then said to me, “OK, then let's hear you out”. I replied by saying to be truthful I can't really tell you about it he said why not I said well I'm still working on it and I'm a professional with Bultaco and that's what I'm paid to do. This is business. I said that I had a lead that I am following which sounds like a genuine lead, he said to me all that is terrible, so you don't want to help the up-and-coming Finish riders. I replied by saying “No, I think you are barking up the wrong tree, I don't think he was pleased with my answer but I said I think you need to practice on the bike and you should worry about the back suspension at some later stage, sometimes when you do something as a professional you cannot please everybody. I have made what I thought was a major breakthrough and I cannot just tell it in a cafeteria, all this is what you just have to do, it is a major step forward.
I recognise the guy on the right. I'm sure I've seen him at the Telford show !!
A detailed career interview with 3 x World motorcycle Trials Champion Yrjö Vesterinen
You were thinking that this is a terrible thing for you to do because this could help Tommi but I knew at this time that Tommi’s success did not depend on a conversation in a cafeteria, it's not dependent on that, it's dependant on other things. I was not being unfair not letting them have all of the latest information. I have the bike on the trailer and you could see that the backend was modified, somebody would ask me about it and they would expect an explanation but I cannot give it to them other than a bland answer.