MotoGP – Jean-Michel Bayle clarifies his role with Johann Zarco to help him on the KTM – KTM occasions

Jean-Michel Bayle clarifies his role with Johann Zarco to help him on the KTM

MotoGP - Jean-Michel Bayle clarifies his role with Johann Zarco to help him on the KTM - KTM occasions

Former French rider Jean-Michel Bayle makes a first assessment after three MotoGP races alongside Johann Zarco in the official KTM team. "JMB" puts all its expertise and rigor at the service of the talented double Moto2 world champion to help him flourish on the RC16. Champion’s words.

"Priority to performance on the track and not to speech", slice Jean-Michel Bayle to explain his silence around his news: "sorry if you do not have too many comments from me in the press, but I keep the line of conduct that I have always had ", he says on .

  • MNC LiveJean-Michel Bayle will coach Johann Zarco from the 2019 French GP 
  • MNC of June 21, 2019:

The former motocross star in the 90s, world and US titles, has not changed his approach: work, focus and effort, then effort, work and focus. Not a surprise, finally, that Zarco since the GP of France: the two like first "to do" before "to say".

At 50, "JMB" however takes up a complicated challenge: helping his 28-year-old compatriot to tame the young and reluctant KTM RC16, after two successful years on the Yamaha. But Bayle is a man of challenges: he proved it by going to beat the American crossmen at home, then by starting again from zero in speed Grands Prix..

This spectacular reconversion, never attempted since at such a high level, has earned him several notable blows, including three pole positions: at the 1995 Argentine GP in 250 cc, then in the Czech Republic (1996) and in Italy (1998) on a Yamaha 500 cc 2-stroke, demanding motorcycle if any !

Bayle, also part of the Modenas team on the GP500 "KR3", also has two victories at the Bol d’Or (2002 and 2003) and a success at the 24H Motos du Mans (2002) to his rich track record. In short, a talented "jack of all trades" in the noble sense of the term !

"Help Johann to overcome his difficulties"

This ability to overcome obstacles is precious for Johann Zarco, in lack of benchmarks in the official KTM team: the n ° 5 aspired to take the reins of the Austrian project to pull it up … but he finds himself at the back of peloton while his teammate Pol Espargaro collects the Top 10.

MotoGP - Jean-Michel Bayle clarifies his role with Johann Zarco to help him on the KTM - KTM occasions

Admittedly, "Polito" enters its third year with the RC16 and draws from it an experience all the more valuable as the Spaniard has developed the bike according to his riding style, unlike that – more sunk – of "Zarco -corico ". 

But the raw observation is so far clear: Espargaro offered KTM its best result in MotoGP (6th in France) and occupies a flattering 9th place overall. Zarco, him, sails between the 13th and the 17th place with only one entry in the Top 10 in Catalonia, where the falls of eleven pilots favored his performance..

  • Catalan GP MotoGP 2019 : 

“The MotoGP category is the pinnacle of motorcycle competition, the level has never been so homogeneous with many very competitive motorcycles, even motorcycles from past years are sometimes more efficient than their new models”, analyzes Jean-Michel Bayle at which it has not escaped that a certain Fabio Quartararo makes more sparks than Rossi and Viñales on their official M1 !

"In this context, it is not surprising to see pilots having difficulty adapting with their motorcycles and Johann is one of them," said the former French champion after three races spent alongside Cannes, in addition to the days of ” private and official tests: the, and . 

"Not a sport of …!" 

"JMB" expressed a real admiration in front of the MotoGP which approach at more than 340 km / h the formidable braking of San Donato at Mugello … even if this GP of Italy earned Johann to finish last, following his choice of soft rear tire against the advice of his team…

"It’s still not a sport of …! More than 340 before braking at turn 1 of Mugello in Italy", enthuses Jean-Michel Bayle who specifies that his mission is "to help Johann pass these stages ". We suspect that this 17th place in Tuscany was particularly hard to digest…

"Global vision"

"The message is getting through well and Johann is working on his side to make this adaptation a success," nevertheless describes the French coach, who is also an ambassador for Honda. Bayle’s role consists in particular in helping Zarco to accept the fact of not being today in a situation to play in front and to keep the distance necessary to carry out his mission..

"It helps me to have a global vision and it helps me not to destroy myself", develops Johann Zarco, who appreciates this support when "the impression occurs that everything we do is useless".

"It’s good that you want to win he said to me", continues the Cannes, "don’t forget it, but put it aside for later".

"No motorcycle for one rider"

Uncompromising and perfectionist by nature, Jean-Michel Bayle is not the type to hide behind material excuses to justify poor performances. However, Zarco’s new coach fully endorses his colt in his wish to make the KTM less exclusive.

 MotoGP - Jean-Michel Bayle clarifies his role with Johann Zarco to help him on the KTM - KTM occasions

"A technical precision anyway: no manufacturer wants and does not make a motorcycle for a single rider, the goal is to make a high-performance motorcycle that will be able to win with any rider on its handlebars", assures Bayle in response to those who accuse Zarco of wanting to transform the RC16 instead of imitating the way of doing Pol Espargaro.

"The range of settings of a MotoGP is large enough to be able to adapt the settings according to the preferences of the riders and their driving", recalls Jean-Michel Bayle, in the form of a call of the foot to KTM which seems rather to think that it’s up to the rider to adapt to his bike. 

From where certain points of conflict between the will of change expressed by Joahnn and a form of stubbornness of the Austrian manufacturer, which defends mordicus its solutions like its trellis frame and its suspensions "house" WP whereas all the other MotoGP use a chassis perimeter and Ohlins suspensions.

  • MNC of June 24, 2019 : MotoGP Dutch GP times

"Johann must continue to work to succeed in understanding and adapting his bike in order to be able to feel comfortable and be able to get the last second of performance. I am delighted to be by his side and to help him in this challenge", concludes the new advisor of n ° 5, who will follow closely this weekend in Assen.

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