La Sunday Ride, which will take place on the weekend of May 18/19 on the Paul Ricard circuit, allows a speed motorcycle enthusiast almost everything: see a thousand racing motorcycles, possibly touch them and talk to their owners, rub shoulders and chat with high-level drivers, champions, and even illustrious world champions. You already know that…
But when among the latter you have access to one of them who has been titled in disciplines as different as Cross, Supermoto, Supersport and Endurance, a bit like the American pilots of the good time, you can only take the opportunity to ask him a few questions to try to understand what good stuff man is made of.
This is obviously what we did with Stéphane Chambon, who answered us very kindly in his southern accent. Thanks to him !
Stéphane Chambon is:
– French Motocross 250 Champion (1988)
– 5 times French Supermoto champion (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993 and 1994)
– French Supersport & Superbike Champion (1996)
– World Supersport Champion (1999)
– Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2004
– 4 victories at the Guidon d’Or
You have a very brilliant record in 2 completely different disciplines all the same. Are different qualities needed to shine there, or are those needed in one also useful in the other?
Stéphane Chambon : “Obviously in speed it still goes much faster than in Supermotard and the two categories are completely different of course, but we will say that what brought me speed is always being on the edge sliding at Supermotard level. At speed, it slips much less. It slides easily when braking of course, but afterward, when accelerating, it's all good because the 600 wasn't really very powerful. In Supermoto, there are also a lot of fights, very close to each other drivers. In speed too, but hey, 100 km/h faster, therefore with more margin.
So no, it's above all, I would say, sliding, mastering sliding in a Supermotard, it brings a little safety at speed, because with the Supermotard motorcycle you can afford to arrive quickly and slide in a turn, and if you move forward a little bit, with your foot, you catch up, because it goes much slower than a speed bike.”
Yes, we don’t do that too much, putting our foot down to catch up quickly (laughs)…
“No, but it can happen to slide slightly in front, and then slightly drift from the rear when you are really attacking on a timed lap. At that moment, we are still on the razor's edge with a speed bike. So there, suddenly, the Supermotard is useful a little bit.”
Do your best memories come from Supermotard or speed?
“Ah… I have them in two different disciplines. Fighting with Koinski and Jean-Michel Bayle in Supermotard, and having had victories and a Golden Guidon against these pilots, it was a crazy joy. And then quickly, well yes, to be world champion already, but above all to win grand prizes and rounds, because at the time we only had one round whereas now they have two in World supersport.
But I would say that I have just as good memories and that the sensations of victory are the same, whether in Supermoto or in speed. In fact, I think it's mainly that as long as there's a good fight with another driver, and at the end there's victory, it's also good in Supermoto and in speed (laughs.”
Today, what kind of competition does Stéphane Chambon follow, as an enthusiast?
“Well, the problem with Supermoto is, apart from perhaps the websites where you have to find the races, it's much easier to follow Superbike, Supersport and MotoGP on TV than Supermotard , Unfortunately. So today I'm more interested in watching speed racing in general, Supersport, Superbike and MotoGP, than Supermoto. And the Supermotard has still changed a lot compared to my time when there was a lot of sliding, drifting when braking and accelerating. Today, motorcycles have progressed, tires have progressed, and then I think they are looking for efficiency more than we did at the time. Well, we managed to go very fast while sliding too, eh, but that's changed a lot and it's much less spectacular to see than in our time, so I'm a little less the Supermoto. »
So you will be present for the first time at the SRC. What do you expect from it?
“Above all, having a good weekend with the public and the other invited drivers, Christian Sarron, Giacomo Agostini, Didier de Radigues who I know a little. And afterwards, I know that there is a parade (for the anniversary of the beautiful Ducati 916), and Jean-Pierre (Bonato) told me that it was slow, no need to go very quickly. There you have it, sharing the weekend with all these wonderful people, whether it's the other drivers or the public. Afterwards, on the other hand, I know that I am not going to race, because I have done well in my career. Before Supermoto, there was Motocross and Supercross, so I have a very tired knee and no more discs in my back. I also have a problem with my right forearm and as soon as I do 2 or 3 laps of a circuit, it makes it difficult for me to deaccelerate and brake. So, I won't go shopping, that's for sure. I won't have fun playing with fire and anyway I have no more leather, no more speed boots. I gave all that to my nephew (Matéo Pédeneau) when he started and he wore me out (laughs), and I really don't want to ride a bike that was given to me. lying on the ground, nor hurting me. So I'm just going there to have a good recreational weekend with all these beautiful people and see a lot of beautiful old racing motorcycles.”
Special thanks Stéphane Chambon who we will have the pleasure of meeting at the Sunday Ride Classsic, the weekend after the French Grand Prix.
Opening photo credit: Etienne Maurin
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