Sport – Chauchot, the sun of Dijon! –

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Chauchot, the sun of Dijon !

Sport - Chauchot, the sun of Dijon! -

The 4th round of the Challenge des Monos took place for the first time on the splendid Dijon-Prenois circuit. After free practice in the rain, the competitors competed in the sun until the victory of Jean-Charles Chauchot.

From the start, it is the regional of the stage Jean-Charles Chauchot (n ° 46) who signs the pole position in 1’33 "359, very well ahead of his" runner-up "Michaël Viravongsa (n ° 66) in 1 ’36 "084. Note that with this time, Chauchot would also have taken pole in the Ducati Cup, disputed the same day at Prenois (1’34 "740). The third fastest time was taken by the young Sebastien Boulay (n ° 76), who demonstrated a real potential. A number to watch closely at the end of the season !

Power speaks to Prenois, it is notorious … It is therefore no surprise that we only find in 3rd row the first Monosport, Manuel Pintor (n ° 9) in 1’38 "688, 9th scratch time Behind is Yvan Lacrampe (n ° 40) in 13th position and 1’40 "173, followed by Pascal Pouaher (n ° 32) in 1’40" 180.

A few retirements just before the race lead to a last minute overhaul of the starting grid, to the chagrin of Benoît Lacoste (Moto-Net Mobile n ° 25), first non-qualified, who sees himself successively not starting, starting, then not starting … On the front row we find Jean-Charles Chauchot (n ° 46), Michaël Viravongsa (n ° 66), Sebastien Boulay (n ° 76) who will unfortunately give up on the warm-up lap due to mechanical boredom and Yan Cornic (n ° 194), all in the Prototypes category. In the second row are Ronald Rivière (n ° 68), Yannick Darre (n ° 11), Flavien Mouliner (n ° 91) and Manu Pintor (n ° 9, Monosport), while Pascal Dimarco (Moto-Net Mobile n ° 95) starts from the last row.

The race takes place over eleven laps. From the first turns, Jean-Charles Chauchot was titillated by Michaël Viravongsa but he managed to take off until a final victory, with more than 13 seconds ahead of his second…

The battle then took place between the next three from the first line and a little further between Manu Pintor, Yannick Darre, Flavien Moulinier and Christophe Pelletier (n ° 4), joined a little later by Pascal Pouhaer (n ° 32, Monosport ).

It was then Manu Pintor who created the surprise on his Monosport by managing to contain the Prototypes, not letting them go when they were overtaken and then regaining the advantage from the 8th lap..

In the end, Jean-Charles Chauchot therefore won ahead of Yan Cornic, Michaël Viravongsa and Ronald Rivière, the last three finishing in the same half second..

On the Monosports side, Manu Pintor (5th scratch) wins the race ahead of Pascal Pouhaer (7th scratch) and Frederic Juillot (10th scratch).

The next race will take place at Le Vigeant on September 26, with a distinguished guest within Team Moto-Net: Evelyne Roques, winner of the Women’s Speed ​​Trophy in 1993 and 2nd in the Dream Cup this year (read), who will take the helm of the MNM n ° 95 of Pascal Di Marco !

Until then, the Challenge des Monos will participate in a demonstration organized as part of an endurance race in Pau-Arnos on August 21 and 22.

Éric MICHEL and Manu PINTOR

Would the mayonnaise take ?
by Pascal Di Marco, MNM n ° 95

After the big disappointment of Croix-en-Ternois during the last round of the Challenge des Monos (read), a sort of miracle occurred: the Moto-Net Team is complete, the MNM’s are ready, the pilots also and the height of luxury, we were able to drive a few hours in Carole the previous week. Unbelievable, no ?

Busy weekend ahead…

Friday, 6 a.m.. After a short night (yes, in fact, the 25 was not quite ready !!!), direction Burgundy and its ex-F1 circuit: Dijon-Prenois. Needless to say, I dread the circuit very much. Some discussions with the insiders returned the verdict: ultra-fast, endless straight line, lots of bends … Everything I hate a priori, because it’s not to say, but the faster you drive, the more you hurts when you fall … Unstoppable logic, pit in the stomach.

But hey, I put it into perspective. After all, I’m not supposed to ride, because I registered too late. I had to be sure that the bike was running after the engine overhaul imposed by a teasing rod which decided to bother me in Croix. But at least the 25 will roll, and then I have a chance anyway. It only takes six defections for me to get a place and three are already asked before the weekend. My first podium in a way: I’m third on the waiting list.

Arrived on site at ten o’clock, the installation ritual is carried out gently and we release the Hospitality Moto-Net: a brand new awning. What a luxury compared to Ledenon! Already three rounds, all the same, when you think about it…

The time to greet the small family of the Challenge, to play a little intoxicating, to make plans on the comet and hop, on the way for a first session … in the rain, it starts badly! Except for the 25, where the pilot enjoys the difficult conditions. For my part, I am lagging behind but still manage to pass a few competitors who like the attack even less than me. !

More than fast !!!

At least the rain allows you to memorize the circuit without asking any questions. Indeed, the straight line is very long. Indeed, the turns are fast. Indeed, the ball digs in the stomach … in the dry, that’s for sure, I’ll make oil! And then, since it is raining, the competitors do not push the mechanics to its limits, no one breaks, so no space is freed up. I’m starting to get over it. On the way back, I see one that has the banana of great days. You surprise me, if it rains, Benoît has the potential to get in the points, I’m sure of it.

Between the two sessions, we play the traditional "pleuvra pleuvra pas" with Charly (n ° 96), and I taunt him a little by wishing for a few drops: my only chance to smoke it. Then comes the start of the second free session, under the sun.

And there … I don’t really know if it is possible to share these feelings, but I’m going to try anyway … Suddenly, on the first lap, I dropped everything in my little head. Caught between the fear of speed and the intoxication of sensations, I decided to indulge myself in sensations, by obscuring just enough my instinct for self-preservation. And since 25 was with me, it was that much easier. Happiness, big! That of overcoming your fear, and especially that of discovering this feeling of driving fast.

Tour of the circuit using an on-board keyboard

Short circuit tour with on-board keyboard: departure from the pits. Arrived in 5th, take the brakes and change to 4 to jump into the first right. Immediate go-around on the angle, swing the motorcycle to the left while keeping throttle. Still on the throttle, I give up my hand to re-stick to the right rope before starting a braking / change of angle / downshifting to 3 for the left blind in descent which jumps in the face. No time to think, full throttle in the descent, flash passage of 4, downshift to 3 and late braking (the strongest) to negotiate the right uphill. Re-fourth gear and plunged into the double left blind at low revs on torque. No time to go get the second rope as the handle is already fully blocked for the sinuous bizarre that conditions the straight line. A big right with a nice bump on the traj ‘, which seriously moves the bike, another right which pretends to close and then the last one, very reassuring because from the track we can see the favorable slope: no hesitation , all the way to the bottom. At the very beginning of the straight line, there is a large drop in which the 4th gear regulates, then passage of the 5 at the entrance to the pits. Afterwards, we rest all the straight line, and at 100 m, take the brakes and off we go for a round of the merry-go-round. Average speed: between 130 and 140 km / h. It is enormous ! The monos take more than 180 at the end of the straight line. Better to have the oil level well !

On the first laps, we are necessarily a little shy, but after five or six passages it starts to become the explosion. I saw myself putting more and more angle at high speed, until I put the slider down to full four when entering a straight line.

End of the session with the shared joy of the two MNMs to have for the first time had the sensation of driving for real! The total blast, we got away with a good part of the session, with overtaking and all and all. Communion.

At the debriefing, we are both happy and we feel ready for tomorrow’s qualifiers. My tires are stripped like I have never seen them before. I’m off to buy a train from the truck, with the idea of ​​mounting them between tomorrow’s two qualifying sessions. Tonight, I go to technical control just in case. And then at the end of the day, I learn with joy that I have my place at the start. It really is the icing on the cake. In fact, all the drivers on the waiting list will be driving. Thank you to the old people, and particularly to JR who did not "feel too much" (must say that he left a collarbone to Carole) for leaving their place without asking too much question, it’s really great the challenge !

On a little black cloud

Saturday, 8:30 a.m.. Yes, it’s very early … First qualifying under a mild sky. I haven’t slept enough (we hung out last night) but hey, it’s early, I’m in good shape. I start qualifying with my tires from the day before, knowing that they are badly worn and that they have been fitted since the start of the season. I tell myself that I should have changed them the day before anyway. Well, we’ll see.

Hey, it’s funny, it’s the first time that I’m leaving without worrying. Hell, it’s funny, I’m happy to go and ride and I’m not inhabited by existential questions in the pits. Not wanting the "condemned man’s last pee", not a dry mouth, just a smile. Either way, it’s an unexpected bonus to ride today so…

And hop, on the way to qualifying. So there my friends, it’s like yesterday in the power of ten. As much the day before I was driving a little instinctively, this morning, I have the impression that I understand a lot of things. The first is that you can drive fast without getting over it. You just have to relax and not ask questions. The second is that I am able to overtake a few competitors. In qualifying, this is the first time. The third is that I’m not getting passed around this time around. The fourth is that a qualifier can be managed, but that I learn to my detriment. I had a lot of trouble making a clear lap, either hampered in the winding by a driver who doses me in the straight line, or hampered by Mikeul returning to the pits when I felt I was at my best tower. This is the first time (and surely the last) that I rotten this one. Okay, he was in slow motion, left arm up, and so ?

One minute from the end, I go out in my turn, exhausted. I gave everything, I am happy with the sensations even more fantastic than the day before, but I am disappointed not to have been able to manage my qualifying. I’m sure I’m worth half a second more than my best lap.

So that, all the same, is really new. I qualified twenty-eighth and I lead the group "back of the grid", about a second behind the middle pack. In front of guys who normally drive faster than me. On a track I thought I hated. I exult, that’s saying a lot.

The black cloud is the 25 which misses the qualifying. ARG! But hey, he does not want to understand that he has not driven this season and that his lack of experience is sorely felt at this stage of the Challenge. Benoît, he has not yet had a single test that would have allowed him to gain feeling. A Ledenon sluggish engine, A Carole shock absorber stiff dead and Cross dislocated shoulder. How do you want to qualify on such a selective circuit with all this? Especially since I have the terrible advantage of a significantly higher power !

A story of blood sausage (black)

Between the two qualifiers, I go to change the tires to the Pirelli truck. The expert gauges the wear of Dunlops, and predicts a problem of too rigid suspensions. Either I’m on the heels, or the hydraulics are too tight.

Good … I loosen the fork and the shock absorber a bit, I refuel and on my way to the second qualifying. I had secretly performed the rain dance, in order to stay on my good morning result, but the pagan gods decided otherwise: it must be nice and warm.

First right: there I immediately understood that it will not go. I don’t feel the bike, I’m scared again, suddenly I hang on to the handles, I upset the bike on a curve, in short a disaster. I have the impression of riding on inner tubes. After three laps I stop at the pits to inspect the machine: the wheel axle is tight, the shock absorber is working, I have not punctured a tire. "STOOOOOP, stop your delirium, it’s all in your head. Now you leave, you find a wheel, and GAAAAAAZZZZ". Gemini cricket spoke.

Luckily, I ran into Jerôme Tartaud, much slower than me this morning, an old acquaintance of Ledenon. I’m going to take his wheel three turns, and I crack a clock in the fourth !

Except … except that in the straight line, a big clang-clang catches my attention. My side fairing attachment is broken and if I continue I will lose everything on the track. Not even a half turn … Disappointed (but also secretly relieved to have a good excuse), I stop at the edge of the track to look at my colleagues, hoping to still have my place in the race.

Small excerpt from the discussion with the track marshal:
Him: Yeah, I saw the first session this morning, it doesn’t give the impression of driving fast anyway the monos
Me: Ah, but do you know that Chauchot, with his 1’34, he is virtually qualified in pro-twin? Him : … … ….

Well, Chauchot is the undisputed leader of this event, he arrives, he does three laps, he takes the pole, he returns to the pits. Extraterrestrial in sight. But behind, it is fighting well between the 194 of the TTS and the 64 of Mikeul (personal message: Mikeul, keep your SZR next year, you are in a way invested with a mission, to demonstrate that this machine can win the Challenge ). And what about Ronald’s Butheor, Manu’s SZR and Pouaher’s Scarver (!!!), all at the forefront?…

I returned in slow motion a little annoyed, I got my chips shaken by the race management to have entered by the track rather than the bypass and I went to see the qualifying sheets to discover with pleasure that I qualified for the penultimate row, in my real place what … Big disappointment for Benoît, who although having taken a second longer than this morning is not qualified within 2 hundredths … Yet he had the impression of being the limit, slipping and all and all. Go figure. More work before the next one. Too bad, he’s the one who had to ride, it’s me who will do it.

I tinker with my fairing and will have it approved by the technical controllers, with the semblance of hope that they will refuse my repair to the Rilsan … Not even. Well, alea jacta est, Benoît will not ride then…

Like a soft endive

I really don’t want to dwell on the race. I was pitiful, there’s no other word. However, I got off to a good start, I passed 5 or 6 pilots before the first corner and I managed to hang on to the herd all the first lap. And then at the first pass in the straight line, I don’t really know what happened, I collapsed. Suddenly, my on-board tour looks more like this:

Departure from the stands. Arrived in 5th, licking the brakes and passage in 4 to get loose in the first right. A late go-around on the angle and gently tip the motorcycle to the left while cutting the throttle. Right on a gas net and I cut to pass two meters from the right rope before slowing down / downshifting to 3 to scare me in the blind left downhill which however does not come very quickly. The time to tell me that even if I’m dragging myself I’m scared, I put gas on the descent, I do not pass the 4, it is useless and braking of the sod too late to miss the right uphill and exit in outside of the vibrators. Re-fourth gear and plunged into the double left blind at low revs on torque. I accelerate slowly for the sinuous bizarre that conditions the straight line. A big right whose bump on the traj ‘has disappeared so much I drag myself, another right which closes badly and then the last one, super scary because from the track we can see that if we eat we will hurt ourselves very badly: no hesitation, slowly gently gently … At the very beginning of the straight line, big difference in level in which the 4th gear regulates, then passage of the five 50m after entering the pits. Afterwards, we rest all the straight line and in the 100m, licking the brakes and off we go again for a round of the merry-go-round. Average speed: I don’t even want to think about it. It is SUPER RIQUE! My mono takes over 160 at the end of the straight line. I don’t risk breaking !

In short, everyone comes back to me right away, including guys who drove much slower than me in the first qualifying (Jerôme, you smoked me even more than at Ledenon) and I’m still fighting with Philippe Picard Destelan, the one -the same that taught me to brake in Carole … Except that today, he crosses the finish line 2 thousandths before me.

I didn‘t drive, I drove like a soft endive. And overcooked on top of that. Whip me !

Besides, Eric and Benoît are not fooled, they saw me dragging myself lamentably to the left of the descent … I am ashamed, I betrayed mine. I hate myself.

Come on, a little optimism !

We comfort each other as best we can. I can find a few excuses for myself: I shouldn’t have changed my tires, I should have slept two more hours, we should have left on Thursday evening rather than Friday morning at 6 a.m. Nah but it’s true, what…

That said, more seriously, I still made progress. On the one hand because I temporarily conquered my fear, on the other hand because I experienced new and fantastic riding sensations. And finally because the motorcycle worked !

No, all that to say that I do not regret, but then not at all this ordeal. On the contrary, I feel that I come out stronger and richer from an additional experience.

See you soon for Carole! She is a distinguished guest who will tell you about Le Vigeant, because to be honest, by then I will be an even happier man….

Pascal DI MARCO

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