Retrospective: Jacques Collot, the greatest of all French drivers 2/2

The story of Jacques Collot is barely believable. Between resistance against the German invader, caving, archeology and of course, motorcycle sports, the Vesulian pilot had a busy life. Yesterday, we looked back at his early years, before parting with the tragic Blamont disaster. You can find this part by clicking on this highlighted sentence.

After this sad November 11, 1950, Jacques returned to the circuits, more determined than before. He is one of the main leaders of the French championship, and races in both 350cc and 500cc. His 1950 and 1951 seasons were rich in victories, including one at the legendary Circuit des Remparts in Angoulême, in the premier category. In 1952, at the age of 29, he became even more involved. Thanks to a full season, he became French Inters 500cc champion, his first title, a feat he repeated in 1953, then 1954.

The 1955 campaign got off to a great start, with five consecutive top three finishes. At the Grand Prix of Genoa, Italy, he delivered a historic performance. On the grid, the officials Gilera et MV Agusta, just that. Free Free yourself, future 500cc world champion, is there. From the start, he transcends himself. Against all expectations, he is playing for victory with a much inferior Norton. The Italians return to the straights, but Collot's acrobatics on the winding allow him to stay in contact. In front of a stunned audience, the Collot show never ends.

Photo: Pascal Collot

He brakes much later than everyone else in order to erase his top speed deficit, which still amounts to 20 km/h. As incredible as it may seem, Jacques overcomes the Italians at home. The organizers are fuming, and are slow to publish the official results. While the Franc-Comtois generously sprinkles his victory, the locals inspect his motorcycle in search of the slightest flaw. These checks continue into the night! A disrespectful situation, but not as much as the final verdict.

Too proud, they decide to give the cup to the first Italian! Faced with this injustice, Jacques goes to find those responsible, and inflicts on them a snub of which only the French have the secret; “your corridors are a joke” (your runners are funny) does he insult the director of Gilera, with this “Hispanic Italian” approximate according to his own words. According to Jacques himself, the message was received… Certainly the most beautiful French victory over Italy since the Battle of Menton in 1940.

If age begins to make itself felt, its level does not drop, quite the contrary. He won the French championships like pearls, in both 350cc and 500cc. Unfortunately, we never saw him at the highest level; although it was called a "world championship", it must be understood that at the time, it was only a European championship and there is no doubt that Collot could have been part of the elite with equal machines. It was only after the end of the 1958 season that he slowed down, following a double. At the beginning of the 1960s, he definitively stopped his piloting activity. The blonde with blue eyes left us in 2003, at the age of 80, in the village of Neurey-Lès-La-Demie, near Vesoul.

Little known today, Collot is quite simply one of our most beautiful heroes. Greatness doesn't stop at the prize list, and in his case, it goes beyond the simple framework of sport. A good pilot, yes, but an even better man who made an entire region proud. We must also pay tribute to his family, who did everything possible to make his legend known. This shows great respect for history.