Tourist Trophy – Fabrice Miguet Foundation LE MIG: our champion is always present! –

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Fabrice Miguet Foundation LE MIG: our champion is always present !

Tourist Trophy - Fabrice Miguet Foundation LE MIG: our champion is always present! -

Fabrice Miguet has passed away for a year now, but the spirit of MIG remains thanks to the foundation that bears his name. Asked by Site, its president Michel Ducret presents the many projects in progress: a statue in Chambois, the restoration of motorcycles, the sponsorship of young pilots, etc..

Site: Fabrice Miguet would he have celebrated his half-century on July 29 or was he mocking his age ?
"Grand" Michel Ducret, president of the Fabrice Miguet Foundation "LE MIG": Yes, Fabrice had even scheduled two parties! One with us for his 50th birthday: we had to go to Paris for a weekend to meet up with friends because he needed those "rock’n’roll" moments, as he often said. The second party was to be with his parents since his mother was celebrating her 80th birthday this year. He had planned to book a party room in the area…

MNC: 80% of the funds were raised for the statue. How to participate to make ends meet? On or via the official website ?
G. M. D.: When the association was created in September 2018, we put a website online to showcase upcoming projects and various actions, such as holding stands all over France, selling various items on behalf of the MIG, etc. . Regarding the statue project, we have received donations from everywhere. The commune of Chambois supports us fully since MIG was the child of the village and all those who knew him enjoyed following him in his shopping. Then we launched a Leetchi kitty with the aim of finalizing this project which will allow to have a place for the world of motorcycles to gather in the event of the loss of a loved one, to organize a gathering with a concentration in the commune of Chambois where MIG is based today. We want to share the fascinating life of Fabrice, who rode his motorcycles with little money all over the world. We invite all those who wish to contribute to this monument by making a donation, however small it may be. We also run a Facebook page which is followed by many people: .

MNC: Who are Mendanha Vânia and Mendanha Nuno Mendanha, ? 
G. M. D.: First, we had two quotes made in France for this statue, but the results were not up to par – and neither were the prices. We did not recognize his face, so after research and through a friend of the MIG of Portuguese origin, we met the Mendanha family, sculptors very famous in Portugal for their many buildings. We visited them this summer bringing them the ZX-10R from MIG which will serve as a model..

Tourist Trophy - Fabrice Miguet Foundation LE MIG: our champion is always present! -

MNC: Did you agree on a delivery date? Are you on time, or already a little "behind schedule", as Le Mig said? ?!
G. M. D.: It takes six months of manufacture. We are behind on the planned advance concerning the administrative procedures, the building permit, etc. But we do hope that his parents, who are over 80 years old, will participate in the inauguration we were hoping for in 2020..

MNC: Where is the museum project in his Oat house? ?
G. M. D.: We are going to have to rename this project because the house of Avoine would require too much work to become a museum. It will rather be a place of exhibition of the motorcycles which marked the life of the MIG, its prize list, its personal effects. It will also be a place where we can meet to have a drink and eat together, like the barbecue we organized at the end of July. MIG was very attached to this house and he had the idea to do the same for those old days. With the agreement of his parents, we will therefore keep this house to showcase the passion for MIG. And organize discovery days, why not ?

MNC: How do you maintain the memory of Mig ?
G. M. D.: In several ways. First of all, we have a team of mechanic mates from MIG who are working to refurbish motorcycles like the Voxan, ZX-10R and other models that have marked its history. By the way, we would like to find a 250 KR1, because it was his first racing machine, in 1991. Thanks to Foundation memberships (20 euros, we reached 300 members this month) and sales of boxes of wine, T-shirts, fleeces and more, we are going to release a grant for next year to help young pilots in the region. The MIG was always ready to help young riders by giving them important advice on racing … We will try to display its colors on the motorcycles by sponsoring them. Finally, we like to hold stands during races and motorcycle festivals because it also allows people to discover this modern-day myth that lived only for its passion, with few means and above all without fuss..

Tourist Trophy - Fabrice Miguet Foundation LE MIG: our champion is always present! -

MNC: A meeting was held on August 11 to honor his memory. What was the mood ?
G. M. D.: Yes, we got together with his parents, his family, because we wanted to commemorate this sad first date of the MIG accident. A little more than 150 people were present, it was a very emotional moment which proves that our champion is always present in our heads. This ceremony ended with a drink in the Chambois room where everyone was able to remember the stories they lived with them..

MNC: What are the best memories ?
G. M. D.: There are hundreds of anecdotes about his journey! There are those who have followed him for the past ten years as he was starting to be known in the motorcycle world, and those who supported him when he started in ’91, with his first motorcycle bought by his parents. MIG always had stories to tell us when it came home from shopping. I think that the one that marked him the most is his first participation in the Tourist Trophy in 1999. We left four in a truck filled with straw to put under the tent, tearing off, as he liked. His first participation in Macau was a highlight for him. He told us about it for a long time. He fell in love with Ireland, with this convivial and festive spirit that was very similar to him.

  • Farewell Road Racer Hero :

MNC: Finally, where did he get his famous greeting, "Boujou" ?
G. M. D.: "Boujou" is a typically Norman expression, rather from Haute-Normandie, but his papa Gaby balances it on us even today when we leave him: there is no need to look further where it comes from !

Interview by Matthieu BRETILLE

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