We caught up with Sébastien Tortelli last year at the Arenacross and asked him about racing Ricky Carmichael in States!
This is what the blisteringly fast two-time world champion, Tortelli, had to say:
WHEN YOU WERE ON FORM YOU WERE PROBABLY THE FASTEST GUY IN THE WORLD, YOU COULD BEAT STEFAN EVERTS AND RICKY CARMICHAEL AND HAD AMAZING CORNER SPEED, WHAT WAS THE KEY TO THAT?!
Maybe a few crashes and a lot of work! I don’t know I think it’s perspective and confidence – having no doubts. I would say I was able to feel the bike and trust it and be able to go in the corner fast. I think it comes from training, you see today the guys ride a lot more standing up because they ride a lot more in the sand, so it’s a little bit different as far as techniques.
I think every generation has its plus. For me these guys training in Holland and Belgium in the sand, so the technique changes and tracks change too, we have more rutty tracks than before. Before we had hard-pack, rutty, different soils, now it looks like it’s pretty even all the way across. That’s the way it is, that’s the evolution. The tracks look more like we used to have in the USA so it’s good for competition.
WHEN YOU WENT TO AMERICA YOU OBVIOUSLY WENT AS WORLD CHAMPION IN 1999, AND I REMEMBER DAVID BAILEY AND DAVEY COOMBS SAYING ABOUT YOUR WORK ETHIC AND HOW YOU’D RAISED THE BAR AFTER YOU WON BOTH MOTOS AT GLEN HELEN. HOW DID THAT FEEL TO GO OVER THERE AND WIN STRAIGHT AWAY AND LEAD THE CHAMPIONSHIP?
The first year I would have had the championship if Doug Henry didn’t take me out and break my wrist, so that was a disappointment. But I think every generation has a guy that raises the bar and that’s what I think we see with Herlings. He came to the GPs when everything was settled down and Cairoli was at the front and then he was able to bring the youth in and push it to a higher level, but then everybody wakes up and catches up.
The sport is always in evolution and progresses and progresses, if you are not riding you are losing time and losing speed, you have to be on the bike. Injuries are the worst nightmare of every rider because on top of not riding you are losing the speed you should be gaining every year.
RICKY CARMICHAEL CAME IN AND DOMINATED THE 250 CLASS IN AMERICA, OBVIOUSLY YOU HAD HIS SPEED (OUTDOORS) BUT YOU KEPT GETTING INJURED, DID YOU EVER WISH YOU COULD HAVE RACED HIM IN THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP?
I mean, I think you have to separate both worlds. I went into his theatre, where he had his background and his habits so on top of racing him I had to find myself there, it’s a higher work and challenge.
But I am the one who made the choice to go race him! I could have stayed in Europe and raced Stefan for a couple more years and be a world champion again but that was not my goal, my goal was also to be a works rider also at supercross and I had to commit to go to the US and race on their turf, that’s the way it is, it’s the extra challenge. More guys did it, Chad did it, a lot of good guys did it.
I think at the time the highest level for me was the US, today you can consider the world championship the highest level for motocross, so it’s a rider’s choice and a rider’s decision for his career. At that time I thought my way to do it was the only way.
CARMICHAEL CAME IN AND DID IT HIS WAY WITH THE INTENSITY, DID YOU CHANGE ANYTHING TO TRY AND MATCH HIM OR DID YOU STICK WITH YOUR PROGRAMME?
No actually I am the one that changed his intensity! (Smiles) He was a little small and a little fat until I started beating him on the big bike and that kind of changed when Aldon Baker came into play to raise his intensity.
I have to give hims props on that one because he was able to change his way of life to compete on the highest level and you have to have respect for him, he changed all his habits to beat me and be there and fight. What can I say, he made the right choice.
WAS THAT FRUSTRATING AT THAT TIME? I THINK YOU LED THE 250 OUTDOORS CHAMPIONSHIP THREE YEARS IN A ROW, EVEN AGAINST RICKY, BUT INJURIES OR BIKE ISSUES ALWAYS SEEMS TO GIVE HIM THAT EDGE AND MOMENTUM?
Yeah I would say a little more injures because at that level we were really pushing really hard. That was for sure for me some of the issue and then on top that bike problems that happened also and I lost good points to him on that side. I ran out of gas also so a few things like that, I passed him, pulled away then ran out of gas and gave him a 20 points lead when I was supposed to gain points so that was rough but that’s racing, what can I say. To this day I regret that I did not win a US championship but I had to move on.
HOW WOULD YOU COMPARE RICKY CARMICHAEL AND STEFAN EVERTS IN TERMS OF A RIVAL AND A CHALLENGE?
For me it was harder to ride against RC because we are very similar, the same type of guys, the same attitude and work ethic where Stefan is more relaxed and his riding style was more relaxed. Stefan had a great work attitude also but not the same style so when you fight against yourself (RC), it’s harder!
DID YOU FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COME BACK TO THE GPS THEN FROM AMERICA?
No, the GP’s made a great improvement in organisation and professionalism and I think the motocross scene is the GPs and the supercross scene in the US. I think we now have a very clear two worlds. The best in motocross is GP and the best in supercross is the USA.
Interview: Jonathan McCready
