FSBK – Meeting with Stephane Duterne, driver in the French Superbike Championship –

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Meeting with Stephane Duterne, driver in the French Superbike Championship

FSBK - Meeting with Stephane Duterne, driver in the French Superbike Championship -

A few days before the opening of the 2008 French Superbike season, Stephane Duterne, pilot of the Pentax Duterne Racing team, has recovered as never before: after a delicate season on MV Agusta, the Reims rider intends to hoist his R1 to the forefront. !

From this Friday March 28 at Le Mans, French speed fans will once again be able to admire the hexagonal elite! Among them is, in the premier category, the French 1000 Stocksport 2004 champion: Stephane Duterne.

After a year 2007 marked by the lack of competitiveness and reliability of his MV Agusta F4 1000 R, the sympathetic rider returns with a knife between his teeth: riding his Yamaha YZF R1 prepared by the Sky Moto dealership in Marne, Stephane Duterne will try wrest the crown from Guillaume Dietrich, Gwen Giabbani, Erwan Nigon, Denis Bouan and the others…

French Superbike Championship:
what changes in 2008

  • 2 rounds per race in Supersport and Superbike

  • Only the Superbike category will compete in the Superpole (session separating the top eight of the second timed practice session)

  • Same tire allowance as in 2007 (12 in Superbike and 10 in Supersport) but for two races now !

  • Appearance of the Challenge Top Twin Unlimited category, reserved for twin cylinders from 650 cc

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    It must be said that the French Championship is slowly taking off, thanks to the quality of its field and its organization more and more modeled on international models (see the 2008 calendar and the box "What changes in 2008 ").

    Eager to prove that the past year was only a mistake, the native of Reims (51) put all the chances on his side: reconnecting with the brand that brought him the title in 2004, Stephane knew s ” Surrounding big names in motorcycle racing and highly motivated people.

    Between the unconditional support of the Sky Moto dealership, the recognition of Yamaha Motor France, the support of its main sponsor Pentax, the technical support provided by the talented Eric Delcamps and the engine preparation simmered by Brancquart Competition, the 30-year-old rider s ‘is clearly given the means to achieve its ambitions: the title of champion of France Superbike !

    The cost of preparation
    Brembo radial brakes + radial master cylinder 400 euros
    Brembo discs 500 euros per pair
    Willy Hubert Poly Fairings 400 euros each
    2D data acquisition 4,500 euros
    PVM rims 2,500 euros per pair
    H2O Performances radiator 2,200 euros
    Engine case protection B 150 euros
    Airmax screen Around 100 euros
    Yamaha carbon parts accessories 800 euros
    Delcamps shock absorber 1,500 euros
    Fork preparation Delcamps 300 euros
    Branquart Competition engine preparation 1,200 euros
    Injection and preparation kit 3000 euros
    Housing harness kit (YEC-Yamaha) 700 euros
    Complete titanium line Termignoni 2,500 euros
    Valter Moto adjustable plates 400 euros
    Valter Moto handlebars 250 euros
    ACT Spider 350 euros
    Total (excluding purchase cost of the motorcycle and consumables) 21,750 euros

    Add to that an eloquent track record (read our box "Stephane Duterne in a few dates"), unfailing motivation, several promising test sessions (especially in Spain) and a well-functioning team: all the assets seem to be in place for the vice champion of France 2006 will tease the best…

    Stephane Duterne in a few dates

    2007 :

  • Substitute driver for Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT)

  • Official MV Agusta driver in the French Championship

    2006 :

  • 2nd in the French Superbike Championship (Suzuki)

  • Replacement at SERT

  • 4 World Supersport races

    2005 :

  • Holder on SERT motorcycle n ° 2 (injury at the start of the season)

    2004 : Champion of France Stocksport (Yamaha)

  • 3rd in the final classification of the endurance world championship (Yam 38)

  • 3rd in the Bol d’Or (Team Kawasaki France) and winner of the Endurance Master

  • 2 World Superbike races (Team Zongshen of China): 10th and 11th in the final at Magny-Cours

    2000 : Winner of the French Open 250 championship at Le Vigeant

    1998 : 4th in the French 125 Open championship

  • vice champion of France 125 national

    1996 : 3rd in the Cagiva Mito Cup

  • 4th in 125 Promosport

    1992 : 3rd in the French Espoir 50 cc championship

    1991 : Debut in 50 cc

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    Site: Stephane, you started the competition in 1991 with the "MBK Mob Shop" cup. What was the trigger ?
    Stephane Duterne : In fact, the motorcycle was well anchored in my family. My father was in charge of the organization of cross country races in the region, then he worked for the Federation within the framework of the 50 cc speed committee. So I quickly found myself in the world of competition and I wanted to try out moped races: after a year, I became the official Derbi rider and I finished 3rd in the France championship. Then, I started riding in 1994 and in 1998 I finished 4th in the French 125 championship, all without too much money: it was my father and I who managed the preparation of the machine and the rest..

    M.-N.C. : Difficult conditions which have forced you to stop competing in 2000…
    S. D. : Yes, in 2000 my parents and I could no longer keep up, especially financially! I was only able to compete in two races: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, which I finished 14th, and a 250 Open race where I entered with an Aprilia that I had rented. Result: I take pole and I win! Subsequently, I got into 4-stroke thanks to Thierry Rogier, to whom I owe a lot, until obtaining the title in Stocksport 1000 in 2004, which allowed me to run the WSBK heats at Magny- Course: there, I finished 10th and 11th in honorable lap times.

    2008 French Superbike Championship calendar

    • 1. Le Mans (72) : Saturday 29 and Sunday 30 March

    • 2. Nogaro (32) : Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 April

    • 3. The Vigeant (86) : Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 May

    • 4. Ledenon (30) : Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 June

    • 5. Albi (81) : Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 July

    • 6. Magny-Cours (58) : Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 July

    • 7. Ledenon (30) : Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 September

    M.-N.C. : With such promising results, proposals must have poured in ?
    S. D. : Yes and no, because you will always find people to put your performance into perspective: it’s the French syndrome! What’s more, I got injured at Le Mans even though I had signed a contract with SERT and I spent a month in the hospital! I come out even stronger in my head, but I could not participate in any race … In 2006, I still suffer from my injuries and it is only from mid-season that I can compete against David Muscat: I win at Le Vigeant and I finish second in the championship.

    M.-N.C. : This result logically places you as a favorite for the 2007 title, but you abandon an ultra competitive Suzuki for an older MV Agusta, which has everything to prove … Why ?
    S. D. : In fact, I had no real proposals from Suzuki and MV offered me this F4 1000 R with all the technical and logistical support behind it. After that, what you have to see is that in the European Championship, it is a machine which won races and which constantly had the best top speeds. The problem is, I never got the follow-up I expected and the bike turned out to be unreliable, even though its engine was running pretty well. The problem is that in Italy the people who followed me did not do anything to improve things: the truth is that I hold a certain grudge of this episode…

    M.-N.C. : A little parenthesis to conclude the chapter on Italian cars: David Muscat who cannot register with a Ducati 1098 R at 35,000 euros, what inspires you ?
    S. D. : This is a false problem. The FFM regulation stipulates that motorcycles must not exceed 22,700 euros. It’s not to penalize anyone, it’s just to keep costs down in the category. What is more, it is very difficult to establish a fair settlement when the price of a production machine goes from single to double depending on the brand! However, I find it regrettable that a driver like David Muscat does not come to animate the championship this season, simply for a matter of regulation….

    M.-N.C. : This year you’re leaving with a Yamaha R1. What are your first impressions of the machine and what are your ambitions ?
    S. D. : In 2008, I am leaving with my team and the financial support of Pentax which will allow me to have the technical means and the budget to fight ahead. Suddenly, I will take the opportunity to have Philippe Le Gallo run in my structure, so that he can benefit from our experience and our organization: this will also help to professionalize the team and increase its recognition in the community. The preparation of the two machines will be similar: Brancquart for the engine / injection, Delcamps suspensions, etc. (see our table "The cost of preparation"). Now, I had excellent tests in Almeria with interesting lap times and I felt very good with the machine: I understood why last year, a lot of riders were fast with a Yam! It’s a great machine that benefits from a really well-tuned chassis / engine balance. What’s more, the suspensions work very well and thanks to all the work done on the engine, we output around 190 hp at the crankshaft. In these conditions, the objective is the title !

    M.-N.C. : Once the title is in your pocket, how do you see the rest ?
    S. D. : At the end of the season, I would like to ride WSBK again at Magny-Cours (as a guest driver), and why not participate in a few Endurance races. In the years to come, my goal would be to identify and support a young French driver thanks to the experience and achievements of the team and help him climb the ranks to the world stage. It would be of great interest to me to create a kind of "channel" which would help young talented drivers to break into the world. Today, the costs that are asked of a pilot are too high to be borne by a young person who is just starting out, without experience and without means: it is at this level that I would like to invest myself in the future.

    Lucid and determined, Stephane Duterne has serious assets to shine in a French Superbike championship at an ever higher level: first verdict on Sunday March 30 … on Site, of course !

    Alexandre BARDIN – Photos PHOTOPRESS and DR

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