by Steve Cox
5 Minutes with... Clement Desalle
Wednesday, August 18, 2010 | 4:00 PM
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PrintTeka Suzuki’s Clement Desalle came over on an off-weekend to race the Unadilla National last weekend – and he nearly won! Riding on a bike that was mostly not familiar to him, in his first visit to Unadilla, he went 2-2 for second overall, beating James Stewart in moto one for the second spot, and then duking it out with Ryan Dungey in moto two for the win. Dungey ended up getting the best of him, but we caught up with Desalle about his weekend and his plans for the future.
Clement Desalle: I just wanted to do my best, like last year. It was good. I had a podium today, but that’s still second, you know? It was possible to be first...
Does it really bother you that you couldn’t pull off the win?
Yeah, sure, because I could’ve won, but [on the positive side], I didn’t have any crashes, and it was fun to be on my bike today, so it was really good.
It looked like you were basically riding an American factory bike, rather than your customary GP bike. Why was that?
We brought my suspension, but it didn’t work on the bike because of the front wheel is so much different. It didn’t work with my suspension, so I had to use the suspension from here, and it was a lot different. The fork was a lot different.
Did you have less feeling from the front end or something?
No, it was more traction, but I’m not used to it, and over jumps when you scrub, to come back was more difficult.
Plus, if you have more traction in the front, scrubbing has to be harder on the face of the jump, too, isn’t it?
Yeah, yeah, exactly...
You said in the press conference that you’d like to come race over here. Everybody always asks this when you want to race in America, but what about supercross?
I like supercross. I like that type of racing, but I would just have to get to training on supercross again, because it’s much different, but I’m open to coming over here. I really like it.
So, it’s like, you race dirt bikes, and you know how to ride them, so you should be fine, huh?
[Laughs] Yeah...
Clement Desalle nearly won the Unadilla National on unfamiliar equipment.
Photo: Steve Cox
You go to Brazil from here for the next round of the World Championship. So that’s going to be similar to this, isn’t it? Isn’t it very hard-packed there?
Yeah, I fly Monday night. But whether it’s similar to this, I don’t know. I’ve never been there before. We’ll see.
The two tracks you’ve raced in America are both some of our more hard-packed tracks. Did you do that on purpose? Did you pick the tracks that are most like the GP tracks?
Hard for you, yeah, but [Unadilla] had really good traction for me! In Europe, the tracks are much more hard-packed. It’s different. So, for me, it’s really good traction here! [Laughs]
Most of our tracks are more deeply disked, like Glen Helen was on Saturday...
Yeah, but even that track was not so deep. It was good there. I like riding that. I like the tracks here.
Do you think you might have a real chance of coming and racing here next year?
I don’t know, really, but it would have to be a yellow bike. For next year, I mean, it would have to be a yellow bike, so we’ll have to see...
Roger Decoster is from Belgium and all... You know... That could help, right?
[Laughs] Yeah, we’ll see, you know? I would like to, but it’s not so easy sometimes... We’ll see. I’m open.
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Wow, it was really impressive, on a bike he have never ridden. It seems that the GP riders are more hardcore, not superstars. Not afraid at getting hurt, just want´s to race, no matter what. Thinking of our GP at Glen Helen
I really enjoyed watching Desalle race. Nice to see someone not pull over when Stewart in applying pressure like most of the AMA guys. He also really tested Dungey which almost nobody has done all year.
Nice job, Clement. I'm not sure if that's a fair statement, though, YZF450. AMA riders are employees of the teams they ride for; it really isn't up to them, and teams, I'm sure, were wary of sending riders/building different bikes for a GP race at the very beginning of our own championship.
RC, Reed, Alessi, Dungey have all done great on that bike... Not that they are not great riders but look how Reed and Alessi have struggled since they left. DeCoster has got the bike to have and this guy jumping on it helps prove how good it is. The new Yami (life long Yami guy) is not working this year or we would have seen more from Josh Grant, and might have seen a better day from Bubba.
This guy hauls! Might as well coin a nickname now, He'll be here soon.
genEric, thats a good point. But I feel it is more the team as a whole than the bike. A rider can set a bike up pretty close where they want it given enough time. But that team seems to create winners. Kinda like Pro Circut in the 450 class.. Desalle was alot of fun to watch, real aggressive but clean too. C'mon over Clement, we want you here.
For those that havent been following the sport for too long, Suzuki was NOT the team to ride for really until RC got there, and they had to step up their game to meet RC's expectations. Glad to see all of that hard work paying off BIG TIME for RD and his crew. Way to go guys!!! And I agree with genEric, Alessi's biggest (and last, mark my words) chance to win a championship was with Suzuki. However, he and his dad left such a bad taste in the mouth of Suzuki personnel that RD said that there was "no way" that he would have re-signed Alessi. Good job Tony!!!
Hate to ruin the fun for you Braamp450, but I'm guessing CD463 will be his nickname. That would be f-ing original
You meant to say 250, bd. His nickname is MX Panda.
He comes over here on unfamiliar equipment and beats 90% of our best riders. James comes back and pulls off the track 2nd moto, because of his equipment that he has been riding for the last 2 months!
I definitely have to agree with generic, no one looks comfortable on the new YZ450. Bash Stewart all you want (I myself am an RV2 guy) but he could put 2 or more seconds a lap on anybody in SuperCross and he could barely pull away from his own teammate in the few supercross races he did, he did not look right. Now on the other hand like josh hill maybe the really agrees with him, so its a double edged sword. I personally tink if Stewart would of had the opportunity to stay with Kawi that they would be the doinant team in both series. Stewart helped build and design the modern day KXF and he knew how to throw that bike around. Just my 2cents
On another note all the guys Clement could just come over and start putting a whooping on all of our guys is saying alot. He had a good race thats a fact but I think by the end of a full season he would be in the top 10. Same with Kyle Regal hes had quite a few good races beating factory guys but to just jump up and say give him a factory ride, I dont buy it, atleast not yet... Remember a guy named Gavin Graycik? Had some great privateer rides and was given a shot at JGR and couldn't put it together, I know he had other issues too though, family wise.
I agree BD200, Clement keeps it clean and yet very agressive, MadKaw youre $.02 makes "cents" to me" lol.... I think just seeing a new guy up in the mix is a hoot! When's Poto coming back????? and will Stewart be back for two more 30 min.+2 lap motos on another real motocross track come next week at the "WICK"????
How come he didn't run a number? DIdn't he earn enough points last year with the 3rd at Washougal? I'm really tired of the current number system! No offense, but Langston, Brown are not the top 10 fastest dudes anymore.
super_fro_daddy, I think It's good that the top guys get to keep their number (for marketing reasons), but agree if you're out of the top twenty give it up to someone who deserves it.....
I believe past National champions get a permanent number and as long as they earn points in a year they get to keep it. Larocco gave his up and Dungey took it. McGrath gave his up and Villopoto took it.
if JS7, Villo, and Reed where there 2nd would not of happened. sorry he is a great rider but, think of next year Canard, Wiemer, CP. make it a top 7 on a good day
Cairoli would have won both motos for sure, he constantly beats Desalle in Europe and there is no way Dungey would beat him. ANyway Desalle did a great job with a motorcycle that was not his and it doesn't matter that Reed and Villopoto were not there. Villopoto is stronger but Desalle against Reed...I don't know indeed. One thing is sure: if these guys of the National come to Europe, just Dungey, Reed and Vollopoto would do well and win races, the others would be way behind....and Cairoli would be first anyway.
manes you say theres no way dungey could beat cairoli? i might be wrong here but i'm pretty sure dungey won the Mxon in italy last year and beat everyone(inculding cairoli)
nikyd - well that depends how you look at it. cairoli won the first moto, Desalle crashed after a jump trying to pass Dungey. In the second MX1 moto Cairoli were gone after the start and Reed on the second straight.
no sef, i think bd200 meant team suzuki is like the pro circuit of the 450 class.. and i doubt carioli would have won that day. hed be a top 5 guy here
No sef, I meant what I said. Makita Suzuki has been dominating, they are the Pro Circut of the 450 class. There, I think I worded that better.. YZF450, what are you talking about. Cairoli wouldnt beat noone ..
Gotcha, bd. It could have been taken either way, I guess. Cairoli would (and does) beat plenty of people, but other than Dungey's first pro moto EVER on a 450, IN Italy (first trip abroad), there's NO basis for saying "Cairoli would have won both motos for sure," and in fact, he hasn't "constantly" beaten DeSalle ... the "MX Panda" has overalled a GP or two this year, beaten Cairoli at least a couple of times, and won a moto at GH. Unfortunately, no ONE race is going to prove it conclusively either way. I guess that's part of the intrigue of the two series. Regarding the National numbers, single digits are reserved for past champions, including Langston and Brown. Period.
Nikyd: Dungey has never beaten Cairoli! In Franciacorta Cairoli won the 1st race, Dungey placed third well behind the TAV (TONINO ALTA VELOCITA' = TONINO HIGH SPEED). In the third moto Cairoli was out at the first turn when he was knocked down by a possible sniper, otherwise Italy would have won that race, condisering that Weimer was not fast at all, with multiple crashes, while Tedesco was avarage and beaten badly by DP19. If people consider Pourcel a great talent, well, Cairoli is way ahead of him. (2006 Pourcel World Champion: he didn't even win half the motos Cairoli did, Cairoli's seasons was influenced badly by many start crashes and by bike problems. Look at 2007: he destroyed Pourcel). Cairoli is here what Stewart is in the USA. In my opinion only Stewart and Villopoto can beat Tonino.
I was really looking forward to this year's MXdN to put to temporarily squash the Cairoli v. Dungey thing. I can't believe that jersey color can result in a DNS- stupid is as stupid does. Isn't Cairoli coming here next year? Will he get that grill of his fixed? It looks like a battle of epic proportions going on in there.
Apparently my keystrokes were wasted on you, manes. You're going to base this comparison on a guy's first pro race on a 450, first time out of the U.S., in Cairoli's home country? And as for destroying Pourcel in '07 ... um ... Pourcel's season ended with life-threatening injuries in August of that year. You can be as sure as you want to be ... but that doesn't make it true.
Correction: DeSalle didn't win a moto at GH ... but he did finish ahead of Cairoli. Did he finish ahead of Dungey, manes? Hmmm.
In 2007 Cairoli destroyed Pourcel till the moment of Pourcel's incident, please go check the results to make sure of it. There was no way Pourcel could win that championship, Tonino was on another planet. This year Cairoli won the GH GP: in the first moto his bike was stuck in third and he was passed by Alessi but then, after getting used to the situation, he did like another motorsport legend, Ayrton Senna, he overtook Alessi and went on to win the moto. All of you American fans know how fast Alessi is on that track. OK, Desalle beat Cairoli 2-3 times this year...but he is way behind in points and if you saw all the GP's you would not compare the two riders. Please, if you have a chance, watch the Lommel Gp, a track considered by the experts as the toughest on earth: well, Tonino destroyed everybody, giving 30 seconds to the second rider in the second moto. Another thing: Franciacorta was the first Dungey's MX1 race, he did third, outclassed by Reed and Tonino, in the first moto and won the second with all the fastest guys out at the first lap. Cairoli in 2007 won the MX1 UK GP aboard a Yamaha 450 he had barely ridden the week before, just once if I am not wrong. Is he a champion or not? I just wanna say that, in my opinion, only Stewart and Villopoto can be stronger that Tonino, not considering Ricky4 who is still the best, even if retired.
Manes, I stopped reading when you brought up Alessi and how fast he is at Glen Helen as any point of reference for Cairoli vs. Dungey. Maybe you didn't notice where Townley was that moto at GH? Or pay attention to what Alessi did the next week or every week since? If anything, what Townley did shows more how Dungey vs. Cairoli would stack up. .... Now I'll finish the rest of your post.
wow, as if 2007 has anything to do with 2010. Langston won the 450's here in the U.S. if you are confused as to what an absurd frame of reference THAT is. This is a waste of time. Hopefully, Cairoli will be at the MXoN so you can see for yourself how things actually stack up....in 2010.
I also paid attention to what Alessi did at the first National race...after GH he lost himself because ha has been over-training, that's another thing. You didn't get my comparison between Cairoli's win at the MX1 UK GP and Dungey's win in Franciacorta, year 2007 against year 2009, 2 years of difference, what's that Langston matter about? Alessi has always been fast at GH, that's reality and Townley was fresh in that second moto, being out early in the first one, then it was a on-off race for him, nothing to lose. Anyway, he is welcome anytime back in Europe, I am sure Tonino would not be afraid of Ben. It's reality that Dungey has been beating riders who can't finish a full moto keeping a steady pace, he knows that and of course he takes advantage of it, Stewart himself said that, I am not coming up with anything new I think. And your motos are shorter. I think European riders are physically better prepared, as they have longer and tougher motos, on more difficult tracks. Metcalfe, Hahn, Reagal and company would not make a podium in Europe, at least in their first appearance there. Cairoli won't be in USA this year, due to a stupid problem of our Federation, but I am sure next year he will be at the Des Nations stronger than ever. Dungey is advised, nobody can stop the TAV.
Desalle is #2 in the World. Kind of fitting he finished #2 here. Cairoli is 80+ points ahead of him in the championship though much like Dungey here and just like here some big top guys have been struggling with injury this season (like every season). Desalle is fast but like he said, he was just happy not to fall. His consistency is getting better. Falls have cost him more than one good finish this year in the GP's (and cost him a good second moto at Washougal last year). Teka signing Desalle and not resigning De Dycker last year looks like brilliance in hind sight.
You continue to make comparisons based on speculation, manes. You're talking about a race where Cairoli was older than Dungey is now and at a time when he'd been in GPs for FIVE years! And who did he beat that day in '07? Do any of those riders have credentials racing against any of Dungey's competition? And how'd "Tonino" do at MXdN that year? As well as Dungey in his first des Nations? (You know the answer to that one, don't you?) I'm not trying to put Cairoli down, but I am saying that your claims are based on uneven comparisons.
Manes, I love the GP's and all but I just can't wrap my brain around some of that stuff. Taking in to account track prep, lower dB levels in Europe (horsepower essentially), smaller starting grids, 5 minute longer moto's in climates that are between 70-80 Fahrenheit, no production rule, live feeds in each pit stall to (possibly) track your riders battle and so forth for strategy and some stuff just can't be compared. If it was 98 degrees in New York I highly doubt Desalle would have finished second. Not from speed but just from not being acclimatised (I hope you speak fluent English). Conversely that's probably one of the reason's we're (American's) so strong in Europe. We're used to higher temps and they still run 30 minute moto's at the des Nations. I wish they'd run 35 minute moto's in NON U.S. based des Nations(Their turf their rules is only fair in my eyes). Though this year I have applauded the organizers and tracks for leaving the tracks alone once the first gate drops (for the most part, The Wall needed to be resurfaced after the first two moto's and they did it).
Manes, whose meds did you get into? "Tonino" is great just not great enough to stand up to your glowing amplification of his abilities against Dungey. "If only my country would allow me to put a KTM logo on my jersey, I could race and show Dungey my greatness". HAHA what is that anyway? Imagine the pig-headedness on both sides over a logo. On both sides, is KTM (or Yamaha) not all over the bike and pants and helmet? And for the Italian Federation.....it's a logo!!!!! So instead send a team with no shot. Their motto should be "no logo, no shot". Ummmm, next year they are going to allow the logo? Why would it change next year?
I love it, Alessi over-trained and Stewart under-trained. I guess Dungey(Goldilocks?) got it just right.
StephenB ... the Wall? Come on, man. It's Screw U!
That is a crazy situation with the Italian team, isn't it?
StephenB. Desalle isnt no.2 in the world until you count the US. As much as you dont like it. The US is part of the world. And MANES. the Euro riders are nowhere near as perpared as the US riders. It is alot hotter here, all summer. Ask Pourcel if it wasnt for the break in the Nationals he may have lost the points lead. And the tracks here are just as rough. Dennis Stapelton raced both series in his career, and he said"FIM tracks are very cookie-cutter. The AMA tracks are all different, you get a feel for all regions of the country. And the AMA tracks are considerably tougher". He also says, "With the exception of a Dutch sand track, the FIM tracks arent as rough as AMA tracks..The layouts arent at all unique, they follow a track formula where they are almost the same", And the GP's arent that much longer, 35 minutes plus 1 lap. Compared the 30 minutes plus 2 laps. Not a big difference to me..
Came in here to say what bd200 said. Suzuki is now like the Pro Circuit of the 450 class. So many riders of late have had there best seasons with Suzuki.
bd200, how can you say that European riders are nowhere as prepared as the US riders? You must not know what you are talking about. The summer here reaches 105 degrees, wher Cairoli lives it's an oven! We have two motos of 35 minutes + 2 laps if you are not up to date, before they were 45 minutes. Pourcel is in difficulty because of the weather? How come he was much faster last year? I actually hope Canard would win the championship and anyway Cairoli, his words, has never been afraid of Pourcel, everbody knows he is better. What? In the World championship there is just a tough track? The person who said that should be ashamed of himself! Us tracks are faster, yes they are, but our race tracks are tougher, more difficult, they are left untouched from the start to the end of the week end, a thing that it's not done in USA, Carmichael himself used to complain about that. How can't you get my comparison between Dungey's and Cairoli's first MX1 race? And please remembere that 2010 is the first year of Cairoli as a full factory rider!! He won 3 championships in a "private" supported team from Rome, with his motorcyles who were granted by the Yamaha dealer Celestini, against KTM, Suzuki Geboers, Kawa De Groot etc...Would Dungey be able to do that? Who knows...Go back to the Lommel race of 3-4 weeks ago, probably the toughest race track: Cairoli won both motos beating the Belgians, in the second moto he had a 30 second advantage on the second rider classified. Think about it!
NExt year you'll have Musquin, who is much faster than Pourcel, he is the new Bayle, good luck with him!
At this point, I HIGHLY doubt Musquin is as fast as Pourcel. Last year he battled with Rui Goncalves. Cairoli's and Dungey's first MX1 motos were under VERY different circumstances (as I explained above). As for "factory rides," the system is much different in Europe. You're coming to this "decisive conclusion" based on a comparison that has too many variables, manes. Not buying it. And since "Tonino" doesn't seem interested in coming to America (and top U.S riders haven't been interested in contesting a GP series since the early '80s), we may never have the answer you're trying so hard to provide. (And you're not biased, of course, being from Italy and all.)
manes, last summer in the US was one of the coolest summers on record. And where Cairolli lives isnt where they race every weekend. The "smooth track concept" w2as given up on in the AMA after 2008 season. And one of your ownGP riders Tyla Rattrey even said the US tracks are harder, tougher and more difficult to master(his words) than the GP tracks. And so did Tommy Searle, so take it up with them. And we all know that it is hotter accross the US in the summer than it is in Europe.