One moment I would be asked to do the minder and the next moment they would say Albert please can you help with the management of the team and you can work on both sides.
Gabino and Paxau with an early prototype GasGas Halley PXC 325
Following the initial failure of the GasGas prototype to generate interest, the relaunch of the new model, created by Paxau took place at the end of 1986 in a small restaurant next door to the initial factory and Remoto store in the town of Salt, near Girona. This photo was taken at this launch.
Naturally, you can see the 3 camps all separated in the photo. From left to right
Team GasGas - Narcis Casas, Xevi Pugimont (14 years old), Josep Maria Pibernat
Team Km.2 - Albert Casanona and Jose Rodreguez (aka Puma)
Team Paxau - Andreu Codina, Albert Callis, Gabino Renales and Josep Paxau.
Naturally, you can see the 3 camps all separated in the photo. From left to right
Team GasGas - Narcis Casas, Xevi Pugimont (14 years old), Josep Maria Pibernat
Team Km.2 - Albert Casanona and Jose Rodreguez (aka Puma)
Team Paxau - Andreu Codina, Albert Callis, Gabino Renales and Josep Paxau.
During the first year of Gabi, the new GasGas, I travelled to every World Championship round with Gabi as manager and backpacker/minder. This was a good refreshing time for Gabi as he was now with a company that was prepared and had the ability to send him to all of the competitions around the World. Previously he was riding for a relatively small under financed companies like JJ Cobas and Mecatecno.
This the slide from the first ever studio photo of the 1986 Halley 325, the first ever GasGas motorcycle.
So how did this new start-up firm called Gas Gas find the confidence to suddenly send Gabino to all of the World rounds?
I think you have to remember who developed Gas Gas and think about the energy within the company. The company was very instant, everything that happens within the company was immediate.
I think you have to remember who developed Gas Gas and think about the energy within the company. The company was very instant, everything that happens within the company was immediate.
Albert's 1986 GasGas Halley was the 3rd GasGas ever built. The first was for Paxau, the 2nd for Gabino. They had their bikes actually before GasGas did.
The photos were taken at Albert's house in Torello, that he has spoken about. The initial 3 bikes were produced with black handlebars only later did they change. The red exhaust and cylinder were a total copy and modelled directly from the Sonauto Yamaha bikes that had similar colourings.
Paxau and Piber are always flat out working and talking about work and the energy from them just transmitted to everybody who was working around them, it was an incredible time, the energy would arrive on other people, on someone like Gabby, who is chilled out 1000 percent, but when he joined Gas Gas the energy from the creators of the firm and the developers transmitted on to Gabby and change him completely, as a result he jumped up and at the level of energy that he showed in his riding and him in his efforts, was a reflection of the company and the progress the Scompany was making and the energy within the company, the energy was incredibly positive for his mind.
In reality Albert was the 3rd member of the first GasGas team. However, instead of competing at the same level he managed and assisted Gabino providing feedback to Paxau. This photo was taken in June 1987 at Falcade, Italy.