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page 3 Exclusive - 2014 Thierry Michaud interview |
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When you were 17, you were crazy about the trials this true ?
Yes, me I was loving trial and not especially motorcycle sport. I was a fan of rally cars but I was not really loving motocross enduro or road racing. You know I was a trial rider. I was just a trial rider in my mind. I did not love speed. I did not love something noisy, aggressive. I was not excited by the aggression of the motorcycle sport. I like the spirit of the motorcycle sport, climbing, thinking, minding, the section and trying to discover the new thing. It's easy really, the spoil of the trial sport fan, I preferred more than the two wheels motor sports of others. I was a trials rider, a motorcycle rider. I was first of all a trial rider.
When you leave school did you ever have a normal job before you join motorcycle sport ?
Me, this is a special situation because when I was a World Championship rider on the SWM for my first year I had a contract and they say we pay you for the three first events and if you have a good result we will continue to pay you to go ride for the rest of the World Championship. We will pay you for two Grand Prix, in Canada and the United States. The trial in Canada and the United States in 1982 was exactly at the same time, it was in June.
Yes, me I was loving trial and not especially motorcycle sport. I was a fan of rally cars but I was not really loving motocross enduro or road racing. You know I was a trial rider. I was just a trial rider in my mind. I did not love speed. I did not love something noisy, aggressive. I was not excited by the aggression of the motorcycle sport. I like the spirit of the motorcycle sport, climbing, thinking, minding, the section and trying to discover the new thing. It's easy really, the spoil of the trial sport fan, I preferred more than the two wheels motor sports of others. I was a trials rider, a motorcycle rider. I was first of all a trial rider.
When you leave school did you ever have a normal job before you join motorcycle sport ?
Me, this is a special situation because when I was a World Championship rider on the SWM for my first year I had a contract and they say we pay you for the three first events and if you have a good result we will continue to pay you to go ride for the rest of the World Championship. We will pay you for two Grand Prix, in Canada and the United States. The trial in Canada and the United States in 1982 was exactly at the same time, it was in June.
No 5 -Thierry Michaud at the 1983 AMA U.S.A World Round at Red River, Bulcher, Texas. Photo insomnia cured 2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com
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No 5 -Thierry Michaud at the 1983 AMA U.S.A World Round at Red River, Bulcher, Texas. Photo insomnia cured 2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com
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It was exactly at the same time as the final exam of my school. The final exam of school. I arrive at the end of the first event of the 82 World Championship quite well. I was 5th, number 5. Just before to go the United States and to Canada and then SWM asked me to go to there and pay for that and this, it start a very great fighting demonstration with my parents and finally my parents overall my father accept to let me go to Canada and the United States because they feel that this is a great opportunity for me to go there. This … I have a great result in Canada and the United States and I finish 5th in the World Championship and I make quite good money and this is why I say I go straight from the school to the new job. I have been paid and I was making good money and being a trial rider. In my first year in the World Championship I finished 5th. I have been suddenly a professional trial rider.
No 5 -Thierry Michaud at the 1983 AMA U.S.A World Round at Red River, Bulcher, Texas. Photo insomnia cured 2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com
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No 5 -Thierry Michaud at the 1983 AMA U.S.A World Round at Red River, Bulcher, Texas. Photo insomnia cured 2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com
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So you go straight from school to SWM ?
Yes, I was riding on SWM during when I was a student. I was going every few days to school, it was quite difficult to find a good compromise. Then there was the balance. I was quite good at school and now I can say very good because to finish 5th in the first year of the World Championship was incredible. I didn't like to say that about me, but it was quite incredible. Before we have to wait untill 18 years old to be in the World Championship then I was awaiting to have the correct age to have a driving licence and then I was great to have this result in the first year. The truth is that it was great to have 5th in the first time of the World Championship. When I decide to stop at school I was quite convinced I could make a career as a professional rider. That’s if I don’t have accident because you can still have an accident but It's quite safe, quite a safe sport. Accident is very rare.
What was your first lucky break when someone saw you and said lets help Thierry ?
I don’t have a precise time. It was a different situation. Because my brother was riding quite well when I was young I had already a name, but I needed to make my own name, you know what I mean? My name with my brother at the national level I already had a famous name because my brother was one of the best French riders and Michaud was a name that everyone knew. I was the little brother and this I recognise that this helped me. One day when I was quite young, about 16 in the 80’s exactly one year after Bernie Schrieber my favourite rider becomes World Champion. He has been World Champion in 79. In 1980 I was make a practice and Bernie Schrieber and Bernie Schrieber was not so far from me. He look at me and he told me I can be a good trial rider.
Yes, I was riding on SWM during when I was a student. I was going every few days to school, it was quite difficult to find a good compromise. Then there was the balance. I was quite good at school and now I can say very good because to finish 5th in the first year of the World Championship was incredible. I didn't like to say that about me, but it was quite incredible. Before we have to wait untill 18 years old to be in the World Championship then I was awaiting to have the correct age to have a driving licence and then I was great to have this result in the first year. The truth is that it was great to have 5th in the first time of the World Championship. When I decide to stop at school I was quite convinced I could make a career as a professional rider. That’s if I don’t have accident because you can still have an accident but It's quite safe, quite a safe sport. Accident is very rare.
What was your first lucky break when someone saw you and said lets help Thierry ?
I don’t have a precise time. It was a different situation. Because my brother was riding quite well when I was young I had already a name, but I needed to make my own name, you know what I mean? My name with my brother at the national level I already had a famous name because my brother was one of the best French riders and Michaud was a name that everyone knew. I was the little brother and this I recognise that this helped me. One day when I was quite young, about 16 in the 80’s exactly one year after Bernie Schrieber my favourite rider becomes World Champion. He has been World Champion in 79. In 1980 I was make a practice and Bernie Schrieber and Bernie Schrieber was not so far from me. He look at me and he told me I can be a good trial rider.
2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com photo Len weed
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2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com photo G Mauri
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2014 Thierry Michaud interview www.retrotrials.com photo solo moto
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When your favourite rider a World Champion tell you that you know it’s a dream ha ha. I think it was quite fair for Bernie Schreiber to say that. It was quite a good original result. I believed that when SWM asked me to ride for them and believed in me this was a good and the factory was the best at the time in the World. They lose Giles Burgat and they give me all of the best mechanical conditions I feel that the mechanics in the factory were believing in me. First of all it was all or national result, you know or the French. Because the French market was very important, it is still very important and important at that time and they were believing in me for the French Championship, perhaps not for the World. After, when I was with Fantic, I discover the boss of Fantic and he believe in me to be World Champion. I have different levels of this condition, to feel that these person around you believe in you.
What age were you when you started to beat Fred?
I think it was in the first year of the World Championship in 1982 and then I as 19, I was 19 and he was 23, maybe a little more. It was at the first year I had the 250, the big engine, because I was riding a 125 SWM until 18 years old. It was a very good school in my mind and when I ride the big bike the first time I beat not everyone but quite a lot. This was quite a difficult situation in the family because of this. After it became a normal situation and he accept it and I accept it also and it was in 82 my first year with the big bike. In 1981 before, I was not in the same category as him and it was difficult to compare the situation. In 1982 it was my first year in the great category, in the French and the World Championship on the big bike and so and so.
What age were you when you started to beat Fred?
I think it was in the first year of the World Championship in 1982 and then I as 19, I was 19 and he was 23, maybe a little more. It was at the first year I had the 250, the big engine, because I was riding a 125 SWM until 18 years old. It was a very good school in my mind and when I ride the big bike the first time I beat not everyone but quite a lot. This was quite a difficult situation in the family because of this. After it became a normal situation and he accept it and I accept it also and it was in 82 my first year with the big bike. In 1981 before, I was not in the same category as him and it was difficult to compare the situation. In 1982 it was my first year in the great category, in the French and the World Championship on the big bike and so and so.
Your parents must have been worried about you not doing the mathematics and just riding the trial ?
Yes, this is true to leave and do sport especially a sport like the trial which was a small sport it was quite difficult for my parents. They recognise now and have reappraised the situation because 35 years to accept that one person can make money and means for a sport accept footballer or at tennis, it was dangerous you know. They were quite anxious you know because you just need a physical problem like an accident, so and so and everything stops, but the time was different. 35 years ago it was easier to find another job. It was a different era.
Yes, this is true to leave and do sport especially a sport like the trial which was a small sport it was quite difficult for my parents. They recognise now and have reappraised the situation because 35 years to accept that one person can make money and means for a sport accept footballer or at tennis, it was dangerous you know. They were quite anxious you know because you just need a physical problem like an accident, so and so and everything stops, but the time was different. 35 years ago it was easier to find another job. It was a different era.