Caught in the frenetic rhythm of his activities in the USA while he still lives in France, Valentine Debise no longer has, or no longer takes, the time to write communicated after each of his races in the MotoAmerica championship.
However, after a weekend in Pittsburgh where the former Moto2 rider experienced both the best and the worst, we checked in with him, not only to find out what happened, but also to get a idea of his future.
During this interview, VD53 praised the efficiency of the services of the French Motorcycling Federation…
Valentin, for readers who joined us recently, can you briefly describe what your current activities are?
Valentine Debise: “As for 3 years, I race in the same M4 Suzuki Ecstar team, in 600cc Supersport in the MotoAmerica championship, formerly AMA. This year I got hurt at Daytona during a prep race and missed the next 2 championship race weekends. On my return, I won the first race I did before having a lot of podiums, including a second victory last weekend during the first race in Pittsburgh. For the moment, I have moved up to 2rd place in the general classification, after missing 3 race weekends, so 2 races.”
So a good comeback since your big crash at Daytona (see here), except that you suffered a bad fall during the 2nd race in Pittsburgh. What happened ?
“It had rained during the night and in the morning on the circuit. The drainage, a bit like at Silverstone, was not ideal and there was a dirty stretch of track. I had spotted this delicate area on the trajectory and I was passing by, but at one point, in a fight, I shifted slightly and rolled over this task. I then lost the rear during deceleration.”
The fall was severe since you lost consciousness. Did you sense it when you lost control of the bike, or was it another fall “like any other”?
“The problem is that when the fall is linked to a track problem, you don't expect it. These are therefore falls which surprise a little more than, for example, when you lose the front following a slightly too limited entry into turns. In this case, we feel it coming because we are over-attacking. But no, I didn’t expect that.”
Hence, probably, the relative seriousness of this fall...
“Gravity, no. I think the bike sent me to the ground and I fell badly. With inertia, I hit the helmet on the ground and I was stunned. It was just the force of the impact on the ground that rang a bit.”
Do you already know if you are in a position to return to the championship, or not?
“There are two races left, one next weekend in New Jersey, New York, and the finale which will be at Barber. I don't know yet if I'm going to run at the next one. I'm waiting to do exams on Monday. Last year, I was lucky that the team doctor had me do a baseline with a neurologist to see how my brain reacted. This is a test that can be done anywhere in France. So I'm going to do the same test again and we will compare the new one, so after a head trauma, compared to the old one, when I was in good shape. We'll see where I stand because the problem with the brain is that we can sometimes have a lack of energy that we don't necessarily feel. It is therefore strongly recommended to rest instead of getting back on a motorbike, at the risk of having another fall which could make the situation even worse than it already is.”
It is in this type of situation that, like the last time after Daytona, you particularly appreciate the efficiency of the FFM services…
" Yes quite ! It’s true that the FFM has done a hell of a job regarding insurance. We know, it's a subject that they have taken to heart for years and which is particularly important when flying abroad. In France, with the medical system in place and the insurance we have, hospitals treat anyone immediately. In the United States, it's not the same story. When you have to enter a hospital when you are injured, the first thing they ask, even if you have to be treated immediately and you are bleeding, is to fill out some papers, to do photocopies of identity documents, and to check that you will be able to pay. Once they are sure that we will be able to pay, then they take care of us. In my case, like other drivers who drive in the United States with FFM insurance, I give them the telephone numbers which are on the back of my license, and the 2 times this has happened to me, they call and the problem is resolved in 2 minutes. I am then taken care of and everything goes well. The two times this happened to me, I also had to use repatriations, and there, the same: the person in charge of contacts with the hospital and organizing my repatriation was able to carry out everything very quickly and easily. The first time, this person even called me back to make sure everything was okay. So I am very satisfied, and even proud, to have support like that behind me. We must not forget that we are practicing a risky sport and it is very important to be sure that we will be well looked after in the event of a problem.”
So FFM license compulsory for all French drivers who race internationally…
“Frankly, I even advised my American teammates to find out if it was possible for them to take an FFM license. I don't know if it's possible, but it shows my confidence level. Personally, I have an FFM FIM license and the MotoAmerica championship is FIM approved, so there may be a possibility. They have a little trouble believing it, so they didn't inquire. But they are wrong because to give an idea, if I want to be insured to the tune of €100 to race in the USA, I would have to pay €000 per year. With my FFM license, I am covered for around €10, although I pay less than €000. The price is therefore ridiculous compared to the advantages offered by this license.”
That’s high praise… Are you financially helped by the FFM?
“No, because I am not competing in a world championship or a European championship. But that doesn’t stop me from thanking them, because they deserve it.”
Let's get back to the sport itself. What are your plans for next year?
“My team wants to keep me, but I spent 3 years with them in Supersport. We get along really well, but I think for me, it's time to move up to 1000cc. Whether it will be with them or with someone else, I don't know yet. But I had a season that went pretty well, I'm consistent, I do my job seriously and I'm not bad in any conditions. So I talk with 2 or 3 people and there is no reason why I cannot find a 1000cc team with a good bike.”
Seen from Europe, it is difficult to realize the impact of the MotoAmerica championship in the United States. Is it developing well?
“You should know that Dorna is involved in MotoAmerica. It therefore brings its know-how to the organization of the championship, just like the FIM. The race pattern is now exactly the same as in MotoGP. There are pre-race shows, with driver presentations, interviews, inside stories, and the races are broadcast live, as are the podiums and press conferences on Facebook so everyone can watch them . The level of broadcasts is very high, and that is therefore very positive.
On the other hand, the negative point is that the TV rights have belonged to Bein Sport for 2 years. But it's primarily a football channel, not motorsport, and so people who want to watch us have to take out a subscription, which is quite expensive, just to watch MotoAmerica. So that blocks the general public. But from what I've heard, the TV provider could change soon and the races could move to a free channel. If we achieve that, with the same image quality, I think the championship will explode. It's like that in the USA: from one year to the next, it can explode! I really hope that this will be the case, because if we generate a lot more views, we will also generate a lot more partnerships.”
Photo credit: Brian J. Nelson
