The last weekend, Valentine Debise made the history of the FSBK, the French speed championship, by entering the opening round at Le Mans in two categories and winning the four events concerned (See here)!
This practice, now completely abandoned, was common in Grand Prix racing at the time of the Continental Circus, with drivers then seeking entry bonuses as much as notoriety.
According to the research of our picky friends on the forum Pit-Lane.Biz, French Rachel Nicotte would be the last driver to have participated in a Grand Prix in two categories, in this case at the 1990 French Grand Prix.
Why, 30 years later, Valentine Debise is he resuscitating this practice so forgotten that it was thought to be prohibited? We asked the question to the French rider with a diverse background, ranging from 250cc Grands Prix to MotoAmerica, including the French championship and endurance…
Valentine Debise : " For what ? Because it always means more to me, when I was a kid or even now, to watch the races of the time and see the guys enter two categories and manage to win them. At the time, it was commonplace: I spoke about it with Jacky Hutteau recently and he explained to me that he himself had done that and that it was going very well. Besides, when I went to race in the USA, I had already done that in a championship other than MotoAmerica and it went well. So, it had been on my mind for some time and when I signed my contract for the German Superbike championship, I offered them to also do the 600. At first, they weren't very keen but after harassing them every day, they gave in and agreed to give me a motorbike. But from the start, they were terrified of my abilities to do the 1000 and the 600 jointly, because no one does it. We pilots have become real idiots, because to race we need our luxury, our hotel, our assigned masseuse, our mental coach, our swimming pool when it's hot, etc., and as soon as something doesn't happen not normally, we use it as an excuse. So this year, I wanted to experience a little of what the elders experienced, and frankly, it's just fun! Doing two categories is a constant challenge because you have to change your riding, modify your points of reference and remember the objective of the session depending on the bike you are on. It's a job that is super interesting and, in the end, I see that riding from one motorcycle to another, it opens my mind, and I learn or I see things that are obvious whereas They weren't, because by staying stuck in your usual routine, there are obvious things in terms of driving that you don't see. Now, I realize it and it's cool because I'm progressing even faster than before. Plus, I ride twice as much as I did before, so it's just fun! »
So, even if we knew it for a while, your answer formalizes your participation in the German IDM championship in 1000 and 600. But the question that we asked then, and to which you can now answer, is to know how it happens materially, in terms of timing, but also physically…
“In the French championship, the luck I have is that there is a race between the 600 and 1000 rounds. So that means that, roughly speaking, I finish the 600, I go to the podium, that's fine that there's no press conference or anything, then I go back to my box, and from that moment on, I have 25 minutes before leaving. The first objective is then to eat and drink, and once I have eaten well and drank water, I close my eyes for a few minutes in the box or in the truck before leaving.
Physically, I think it will really depend on the circuits. For example at Le Mans, I know that it pulls a little on the forearms with the 1000 while it's quite easy with the 600. In Pau, I have zero worries, like Nogaro, while in Lédenon it pulls not bad on the legs. So sometimes you have to adapt your riding and understand why I suffer from certain muscles, but when I do test days, I ride a lot more than that! So I know how to ride a lot, but afterwards, what's different is the adrenaline rush before races which, despite everything, doesn't take physical juice but takes mental juice. So that's what we have to manage, because I'm really ready for the physical side. I don't know what the other pilots do for training but I try to do a little extreme things when I have the opportunity at home. Afterwards, of course the last race is a little harder than the rest, but it's a challenge and I like to surpass myself. »
When you say that you do more kilometers when you do test days, are you referring to your other activity which is testing Michelin tires?
" Yes. When we do tests with teams, we don't drive a lot, in quotes, because we're always making adjustments, whereas when I do tire tests, it depends on the circuit but it's a minimum 100 laps per day. A race at Le Mans is 17 laps, so times four it’s only 68 laps… That’s okay! But once again, between a day of testing and a day of racing, it's really the mental side that will make the difference because the intensity on the bike is approximately the same. »
Participating in four races is one thing, but winning them is another! We're going to need a little explanation... Why didn't anyone come and snatch a victory from Valentin Debise?
" For what ? Frankly, I don't know anything about it. I thought about it a lot when I got home. I try to improve my riding all the time: This is the main objective of why I do sports and motorcycles. Afterwards, it's true that this winter, I didn't talk about it too much, but I broke my ankle and as a result I was left for two months without being able to do anything. I lost a little time in my training but I quickly returned to my level and, in a short time, I passed a small milestone that I had wanted to pass for two years: a small technical point that I succeeded in to manage as I wanted. So I progressed. Afterwards, I don't think that I have progressed as much compared to last year, because for example, last year, we finished the races together with Mathieu Ginès or at best I gave him a second or two. So we were really, really on the same level.
In fact, despite my injury, I rode a lot during the winter and I think the others rode less than me. I think that's it, which would mean that after this race at Le Mans, and with the pre-Mans endurance tests in which they are participating, the others will have driven a little more when we arrive at Nogaro and things will return to order. We'll see. If it happens, in Nogaro, I will be above the rest again. I don't know and we will have the answer when the time comes. »
