What is your program for this season?
" I am going to make at least three stages of World
cup: Madrid, Houffalize and Gets. On the other hand, I do not know if I shall participate in both stages in Canada, it will depend on first results. I do not intend to go to Canada to make of the representation,
it is of use to nothing and it is too expensive ! We go to see but I shall review after Houffalize. "
What are your main clauses opponents in section of the world?
" I see Merida, they make a festival in section of
Switzerland and it is impressionant. I expect the worst in Madrid and Houffalize! I thus think that Dahle and Spitz is going to be big capacity with Marga Fullana. She will be at home in Madrid and I think that
she will indeed be even if it belongs to quits or double with her. Otherwise, I see Blatter, Sydor, Dunlap at the level of the international rides. It is about the forces in presence. "
And in cup of France ?
" It is necessary to follow Hélène Marcouyre, she
works widely better than last year. There are also the girls of Egobike with Sabrina Enaux who works well, there are a lot of people and it grows a little! "
Does the fact of having lost champion's title of France last year
motivate you more?
" Yes, I want to resume it because a title is a title.
People better realize champion's title of France. Last year, I win a stage of World cup but practically everybody forgot it, nobody speaks to me about it. On the other hand, we speak about my champion's title of
Europe. "
There are no more than five stages in section of the world, is
it a supplementary pressure?
" No, I have no pressure. We impose me no ride, I give
myself objectives and I choose my tests. Last year, I moreover made only three stages thus it changes nothing. "
And of what do you think of this evolution?
" In fact, I do not know too much what to think. It
too much has to be expensive. But, it is also the case for the teams because eight stages of World cup, it wants to say eight movements and it is all the same big budgets. It was indeed when there were eight
stages and five taken into account results, at least there were jokers. Today, we have no right for the error while nobody is shielded from a mechanical problem in MOUNTAIN BIKE. "
Lucie Garnier is only 15 years old, she represents the future
of the MOUNTAIN BIKE. How did you choose her to integrate the team?
" It is her brothers who came to knock at the door, I
knew them and they advertised well her ! I was seduced by the behavior because we cannot too much realize physical qualities at this age there. It does not want to say big thing, we have young people who are
going to work in younger child then we shall never revise them because they too much made it. On the other hand, it is the state of mind which pleased me well. "
Is she Sarthoise?
" She is Mayennaise but she has the Sarthe on the back! "
Did the regional side initiate ?
" Yes, because I would never have taken a young person
who lived in 300 km of the house, it does not interest me. It is necessary all the same of the nearness. I do not pull it but her club of Evron is very well for the young people. It is Franck Thomas who
supervises them and the young people do not make error for the training. "
And what is its potential ?
" It is hard to say it at the age. There are the other
things which return on-line of account as the head. It is above all the state of mind that it is necessary credit note by being high-level athlete, it is necessary to want it, it is always necessary to fight. It
is necessary to agree to be behind for then to be in front of and it is not evident for the young people. Some win everything in junior then later they do not agree to be any more on podia to senior, we do not
arrive as it there and there are years of transition. "
I like, I like not?
" I like the MOUNTAIN BIKE already, the sport. I like
to fight on a cycle. On the other hand at the extra-sports level, I have it, have a good laugh to fight, I less like. It is hard to convince people because they have difficulty in reporting of the supplied work.
Otherwise, I do not love the jealous persons and there is all the same not bad. They have the impression that Laurence Leboucher, world champion, has only to slam fingers to obtain all the budgets. In fact, we
are all in the same bad adventure and all the teams today are sad. The ideal would be to have a million francs of budget but I do not have it, I have hardly the quarter of it thus it is not the same matter. But
it is what would be needed to be professional. Today, we are amateurs even if we have results of pros. "
And if you had three wishes to be formulated?
" The first one would be that there are people
who did not make that to congratulate me but that they help me financially. In force, I am afraid of having it have a good laugh. I fight so that it succeeds but one day, it is going to break. The second is to
make a medal for the Olympic Games, it would be the top and the fulfillment of a prize list. Finally, the third is to have the health because it is the main thing I think. When we have her four members and when
everything works, we can make full of things and it is important. There are people who are in worse situations than we thus we do not have to complain too much, even if we would always like to have better!
"
Comment collected on May 12th, 2002 by Cycle 101
