Since the arrival of Sébastien Poirier at the head of the French Motorcycling Federation, the strategy of FFM has taken a new direction with regard to supporting young French hopefuls, and one of its consequences can be seen by observing the French Vitesse Espoir team which will line up again this year in the JuniorGP championship, in the European category. Talent Cup.
From now on, no more money given to pilots in the simple hope that they will make good use of it, but also no more expensive team in national colors put together from scratch: today, we manage resources as best we can, and, above all, we accompanied.
One of the results of this strategy is therefore theFrench Vitesse Espoir team, which will become more experienced in one of the steps of the staircase that leads to MotoGP, and is composed for 2024 of Matteo Roman, Enzo Bellon et Benjamin Caillet.
It is not a classic team strictly speaking, since the three riders will ride in three teams under different colors, but rather, like the VR46 Riders Academy, a “moral” team receiving advice and training.
For advice, it's the experienced Alexis Masbou who supervises the work with Alain Bronec, sometimes accompanied by Johann zarco, the ambassador of the French Speed Line of the FFM.
For training, these are varied, always like the VR46 Riders Academy, combining speed circuits, off-road tracks and physical work. The French Espoir Team from the Speed sector of the FFM, for example, traveled to the Spanish sun to an intensive training course on the Rocco Ranch Flat Track track on January 23 and 24, with the Mini-OGP and OGP Collectives. Participants rode similar motorcycles, focusing on learning sliding techniques, body mobility and confrontation exercises. The days were punctuated by driving sessions, in-depth debriefings and physical exercises aimed at helping the groups progress for the championships of this new 2024 season.
This course also covered essential aspects such as physical preparation and nutrition, thus offering young Espoirs the opportunity to acquire the right reflexes in terms of sports training and driving techniques from an early age. An intense training program supervised by coaches Alexis Masbou, Jean-Dominique Brechon, Alain Bronec, Head of the Speed Sector, and Pascal Finot, Deputy National Technical Director.
Federal aid is now aligned exactly with the recipe initiated with the success we are experiencing through Valentino Rossi. Afterwards, it's up to the drivers to seize their chance (because they have it) and demonstrate all their talent...
To get to know the three selected for 2024 better, Alexis Masbou presents them to us on video.
