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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Gilles was off ...and I was running, trying to keep up.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
I was just discovering what this was all about at this level and I was trying to work my way up from the level I was at, but you know I was learning and at the beginning it was very hard for me and I was not getting good results, but I was there for improving my riding and at the end of the second part of the year I was doing better and have some good results.
Did you discover that there was a big step up in the severity of the sections in the World Championships from the French Nationals you’d been riding?
Yes, yes, for sure. It was harder and also it was a big event for me because it was just amazing to be riding with the World Stars who you knew about at this time. Like Bernie Schreiber and Charles Coutard. I remember that these were the stars of the trial sport and to ride with them were just great and I was a little star struck.
Did you discover that there was a big step up in the severity of the sections in the World Championships from the French Nationals you’d been riding?
Yes, yes, for sure. It was harder and also it was a big event for me because it was just amazing to be riding with the World Stars who you knew about at this time. Like Bernie Schreiber and Charles Coutard. I remember that these were the stars of the trial sport and to ride with them were just great and I was a little star struck.
Gilles with his mentor Charles Coutard and Vrjo Vesterinan. SWM Pernod team photo.
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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Who were the riders back in 1977 that you looked up to at that time?
It was mainly Charles Coutard. So between 1977 and 1980, I were just riding in some French National trials and just local trials to here. Every weekend my parents were driving me to the South of France and to other regions.
Would they take you to the North of France to ride there as well?
Well, mostly the trial in France is in the South East of the country, there is a few races on the West Coast but not much, it is mostly here, so really back in those years in the first couple of years I wouldn't have ridden at all up in the North of France. I would have been riding between here and Nice and Leon and there are a lot of trials at Nimes. So my parents for this time really helped me out a lot, but as soon as I was 18 I was able to drive myself to the trials.
It was mainly Charles Coutard. So between 1977 and 1980, I were just riding in some French National trials and just local trials to here. Every weekend my parents were driving me to the South of France and to other regions.
Would they take you to the North of France to ride there as well?
Well, mostly the trial in France is in the South East of the country, there is a few races on the West Coast but not much, it is mostly here, so really back in those years in the first couple of years I wouldn't have ridden at all up in the North of France. I would have been riding between here and Nice and Leon and there are a lot of trials at Nimes. So my parents for this time really helped me out a lot, but as soon as I was 18 I was able to drive myself to the trials.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
This was the winter of 79 and the start of 1980, but I really started to drive myself without my parents and go with friends. The first friend that I really started to go to trials with on our own was Christian Desnoyers and using his van. At the time, he was going out with my sister and so he was living most of the time here and he was a good trial rider.
Gilles with Christian Desnoyers and Nicolas Desnoyers.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat . Photo Trials Journal
He was French Champion, so we were practicing together and we were driving together to the races in his little Toyota box van. About a year later I got myself a Volkswagen van, it was just a van, not a campervan, because you know at this time it was fashionable, you have a nice van and have some nice seats and fit a sunroof and have a nice stereo ha ha. We would have some good music playing ha ha ha
Gilles and Christian Desnoyes, next to a young Thierry Michaud enjoying a Pernod sponsorship event.
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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Gilles points over the valley to the area he grew up in and to the hills where he learnt to ride.
An Exclusive Interview with 1981 World Trials Champion Gilles Burgat
Were you practicing a lot back in 1980?
Yes yes, I was practicing every day. You know I quit school when I was 16, my dad always told me that when I was 16, I came home from school and I threw my bags on the floor. At this time you have to be 16 to be able to quit school and my father told me I had to work hard until this time but on this last day I came home and I was finished there. I went to a trial school in Les deus Alpes with my cousin who was riding a little bit.
Yes yes, I was practicing every day. You know I quit school when I was 16, my dad always told me that when I was 16, I came home from school and I threw my bags on the floor. At this time you have to be 16 to be able to quit school and my father told me I had to work hard until this time but on this last day I came home and I was finished there. I went to a trial school in Les deus Alpes with my cousin who was riding a little bit.