Taking advantage of the forced break for MotoGP drivers and much less extensive sporting news, we offer you a gallery of the main French-speaking personalities of the paddock who, each, represents one of the countless cogs essential to the sumptuous spectacle that is the Grands Prix.
We often hear about the Spanish armada or the Italian troops, but you will discover that the French-speaking colony, rather numerous and very united, has no reason to be ashamed of the comparison.
In the light or more in the shadows, verbose or more discreet, each of these men shared with us with pleasure their world and their news, always with the same passion as a common denominator.
Little by little, you will be able to know a little better who are, and what is going on today, for example Claude Michy, Piero Taramasso, Hervé Poncharal, Eric Mahe, Nicolas Goubert, Bernard Ansiau, Guy Coulon, Christophe Bourguignon, Florian Ferracci, Christophe Léonce, Jacques Roca, Marc van der Straten, Miodrag Kotur, Alain Bronec, Jacques Hutteau, Michel Turco, David Dumain, Michaël Rivoire, and many others.
This long series of interviews collected during the last GP in Valencia was first broadcast on the official MotoGP.com website in a refined version, before being accessible here in their raw version.
So, when the MotoGP Grands Prix resume, you will be almost unbeatable on the French-speaking part of a particularly cosmopolitan paddock...
What is your year of birth?
1974
How did young David Dumain develop a passion for motor sports?
“Contrary to what one might think, it didn't come from my family environment at all: no one rode motorcycles in my family! But I lived in Vesoul and Stéphane Peterhansel's notoriety radiated throughout the region. My classmates had mopeds and I bought one, then a 125cc cross bike. I then did journalism and I was interested in working in the motorcycle press. I finally got there, and the circle was complete. »
What are the main points of your career?
“My goal has always been to be a journalist. It was very important to me. So I went to the IPJ, the Paris Institute of Journalism, after passing the competition. I had failed several times elsewhere but I got this one. So I went to Paris for two years and then took a competitive exam to work for the Team. I stayed there for several months before moving to France Football, but I wasn't really interested in it and I accepted an offer from Moto Revue to join the editorial team. In fact, apart from the fact that I was practicing it, I didn't know much about motorcycling, but after a few months I became a tester, where I broke a few machines. Almost two years later, we then founded a very beautiful magazine called l'Intégral. At Moto Revue, I made friends with Thierry Tracan and we started racing together in Supermotard after doing a driving course with Sarron in Mérignac. So we did quite a bit of Supermotard racing then we both moved up to speed, into endurance, where we did the Bol d'Or together. So the competition came after work, and I spent all my time and money there. For 10 years, I was editor-in-chief of the Integral published by Larivière and, during that time, I did endurance races. Then, Moto Journal offered me the position of editor-in-chief but it was conditional on the fact that I stopped competing. So I stopped the competition because, at the time, it was a weekly and it was very demanding, especially since I was almost the youngest facing incredibly talented people in all fields, journalists, photographers, model makers, but sometimes with difficult characters. So I had to put all my energy into it! It lasted 10 years but quite quickly I wanted to compete again. We made a bet with Zef Enault and Laurent Cochet, and we entered a 30-year-old RC20 in the 24 Heures Motos. I managed to convince my management to let me compete again and, ultimately, I did more than ever! It was my only relief because I had to stay in the office while all my teams went to the Grands Prix, or to do tests or reports. But journalism has always remained my priority. »
“After 10 years of Moto Journal, I stopped because there was no longer a development budget in the written press: when you are editor-in-chief and you have no budget to develop projects, it’s very difficult! So I stopped complaining and took charge of myself by creating my company. I continued to work in the written press with Moto Heroes and for a few years I had been working a little bit with AB Matériaux and with Eurosport for freelance work, so I created an audiovisual media on social networks after having imagined one the economic model with my partner. Sans Concession was born, a show which takes place in dealerships all over France, since proximity is what has always interested me and led me to journalism. »
“Finally, I was lucky enough to be selected to comment on the Grands Prix on Canal +. »
Throughout this journey, what were the most difficult moments?
“In 2014, I had a serious accident during the 24 Heures Motos at Le Mans. I had just won the 24 Hours of Barcelona three months before, and it was great, even if it's not at Le Mans level. I had my accident at the end of the straight and broke my vertebrae, which forced me to stop competing. But at 40, that's also what allowed me to think about what I was going to do and that's how I decided to stop Moto Journal to do my show. »
Conversely, were there any particularly strong moments that brought tears of joy to your eyes?
“Yes, there were two moments! The first was in 2004. I had always wondered whether moving from traditional journalism to very specialized motorcycle journalism was a good thing, because when you are a tester, you always take risks on the road and you think about it. We tell ourselves that in the end, if we get hurt, we will have been wrong... But the day we did the Bol d'Or with Kevin Schwantz and Moto Revue, then I told myself that I didn't care and that even if I hurt myself, I wouldn't have been wrong! Whatever happens, I won't be able to regret anything about this journey!
»
“The second moment was when we did the 24 hours with Moto Journal. There, I realized that we were right in terms of passion. It was very hard but it was a moment of a bit of bliss: I savored it like never before! »
“These are the two very beautiful moments that I have already had, and here, we are still experiencing a different adventure with Canal +. »
Can you take stock of this 2019 season?
“A little unexpectedly, we had an incredibly rich season. After around 25 years of Eurosport, we were a bit expected at the turn, so we had to be good and work a lot. We knew it would be a bit difficult for Johann Zarco at KTM but ultimately Fabio Quartararo arrived and, in a way, accompanied us in this new adventure. Even if it was a happy coincidence, we were lucky because we benefited from having Quartararo to follow. Overall, we were incredibly lucky because we still had Valentino Rossi on the track, a boy like Márquez, Jorge Lorenzo until the last race of this year, two French people on the grid: all this makes for an incredibly intense spectacle!
The bottom line is a lot of work. I have always been a hard worker, but there is a lot of direct work: I didn't know it very well but it requires a lot of energy. So that, plus the intensity of certain races, Fabio's performances, the Zarco soap opera and the exploits of Márquez, we had an extraordinary season. »
“I can't speak on behalf of Canal +, but I just know that they are happy with the bike. They are very happy, very interested and it thrills them.”
What are the prospects for 2020?
“What is certain is that Canal+ will cover MotoGP. The outcome has not yet been definitively drawn but I think they liked the way we covered it. Now I don't have any information yet, either on the system or on how we're going to handle things. The only thing I know is that it will be done beautifully, at least like we did this year. »
What is your daily means of transportation?
“I have been riding a Yamaha Tracer 900 every day for two and a half years now. It allows me to get around Paris efficiently. »
In the same series, find the exclusive interviews withHervé Poncharal, Claude Michy, Piero Taramasso, Christophe Bourguignon, Eric Mahé, Marc van der Straten, Nicolas Goubert, Guy Coulon, Christophe Leonce, Jacques Roca, Michelle Turco et Miodrag Kotur.
