This year, I went to the 'Opale Coast' , in real, not behind my TV.
A competition outside the box, for the race, the huge crowd, the rider's number, and just the insame number of journalist.
This moment was too beautiful, so I thought, I NEED to show more, and more things that TV don't, about behind the scene with some riders.
For this, I choose two riders, in good position in the championship, capable to win or to break, bur more than other, two friends, who couldn't "blockpassed themselves" for nothing in the world.
Two Juniors, Paolo Maschio and Joey Nuques, having victories, podiums and some holeshots, very promissing for this week-end !
One of them, his a son of a crazy champion, and the other one, a nephew of a world champion, these two young guys, two really different profils, but also, the same sens of humour, the same determination to win and, the most important, the same way to have fun on their bike.
Joey, I knew him thanks the knight (famous french parody tv show), who's his father, Serge. I met him during the French Enduro Championship and when I move to the "Landes", in South West, I had the occasion to discover his sidekick , Paolo Maschio.
The first thing that struck me, is... the simplicity. Serge, always ready to tell incredible of road stories at the back of the pickup - Where Radio Paddock is all about - the two friends are training together, do some tests, but keep the fun part of riding, like Paolo's father always says " Don't forget to have fun !"
This word kept in my head, and it's one of the reason that a like this duo, as you (should) know, I used to be a ride educator, and.. not a lot of parents share the same way to thing about the training, even if the kids never did some competition...What a plaisir for my ears, should be a good begining for more stories, wasn't false, because we were in December 2022, I liked to thing that I was right.
The new schedule of the Touquet 2023 is long for the Juniors, their race was relegate to the Sunday morning, and so, they have to stay on side a lot of time until the race.
We start, on Thursday, by the control, with Paolo, a Kawa, even stock on, everyone know, it's load. Fortunately, some commissaires knows the issu, and took care of Paolo, sound level controled, and validated, run smoothly.
Luckily, for our two friends, real modern version of Laurel and Hardy, the belly less, there are registrated for the "Red Bull Sand Session" on Friday Morning, which is gonna be a good opportunity for them to have advice from two Red Bull athlete, Antoine Meo and Camille Chapelière.
When Paolo arrived, he called me, and bring me to Joey's bike, Serge, the one and only prankster, pasted a little sticker with the 29 number crossed out, bloody red, seems to say that Paolo his the target to cut down this week-end, good atmosphere here.
First rounds of tires in the sand, with training bike, not too bad, waves and jump are ok, only one part of the circuit is used, just to be sure don't use the right trajectory who could be used during the race on sunday.
The big Joey's legs, and the big Paolo's heart worked well on the waves. After, it's the debrief avec a physical trainer, who worked with Johann Zarco, with good advices. But our two happy junior are object of frustration, a little bit too disperse for our guest speaker, who's gonna opposed fun and high sport level. Obselete speech when we see, two days after, our two young disipate friend go on the podium. There is no only one true, one pedagogie either.
Sunday morning, 8am.
Serge drop off the bike at the "parc fermé", Yannick came to do the same, and there's already some tensions at the entrance of the "parc fermé" with some parents who are not ok with some commisaires who took the decisions that they are not allowed to go inside the parc with their kids... Their favorite quote " give some power for one day to people who never had some, and look what they done with..." no more doubt, we are are the the French Championship.
First line, the bikes are ready, so go back to the camping car of the Maschio's familly. Paolo get ready quietly, like his father, not a source of stress, and will arrive in advance, his mother alredy worried a bit about the time.
Pepper on his hands, a little bit a cardio, and fish to wake up himself with some bike, and "yallah" let's go for the start line.
Juniors, espoirs and quads can't ride in the city, their "parc fermé" were close to the beach, here we took off the bike by pushing them outside the parc.
Less than 100meter, behind the 4x4, and the young riders went to the start line, only one line, one start, because "just" 170 riders in this category.
Start is on, but this time, Paolo will loose the holeshot to Adrien Petit, who's gonna win after 1h30 of a quasi perfect race with a huge rythm.
Behind, our 2 young protagonist gonna friendly fight to finaly finished second ans third, thanks to some mecanic issue for Tanel Baieux, currenthly laeder of the Championship, and also some mecanix issue for Quentin Prugièere and Elwann Van de Wouw.
Only Joey gonna stau in the same lap as Adrien and Paolo will be overtaken just before the finish line.
What a incredible turn of event ! Joey become the French Champion, Paolo finshed one the Third step of the podium, what a victory for these two buddy who wanted to finish well on this last send race at the Touquet !
Two young boys evolved in family team, simple, with a vision of fun and the desire to perform well. Efficient this way !
Two young boys well-mannered, respectful, funny, and the last is the more important.
A big thanks, to Serge, Yannick, Rachel and Sandrine, congrats to you, it what sush a pleasure to spend some time with you and your boys !
Ultimate victory for Paolo, he went to took of the red cross stickers after the podium, Serge confided me " I knew he's gonna be a rock this Paolo, Banzaï !"
RP
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