He is one of the fastest and most technically-gifted riders to grace FIM and AMA competition this century, but many people forget that Christophe Pourcel is only 26 years old. The multi-champion came back into the spotlight with some eye-catching Lucas Oil Pro Motocross 250 Class results on the Valli Yamaha this summer and was among the pack at the Supercross Paris-Lille from within the Bud Racing Kawasaki set-up. So what is CP377 doing now, and what will the future hold for the eternally unpredictable and enigmatic racer? We grabbed ten minutes with him as the Stade Pierre Mauroy was shutting down early Sunday evening.
Racer X: What happened this weekend? You were fast in the first half of Saturday but after the crash in the main it affected your speed in the races for the rest of the program.
Christophe Pourcel: Bercy is special, and it is nice to see the fans and stuff, but it made no sense to take big risks when there are other races to come. I wish I could have battled all weekend with those guys, but it kind of depended on the track, which was pretty soft and it was tricky today [Sunday]. Yesterday went okay—I wouldn't say it went well. The first laps of the first heat was not really me, but I managed to end up second, which was decent. We had a good race with Malcolm [Stewart] ahead of the others. I had that crash at the start of the second moto and hit a neutral afterwards; I scared myself with that one and didn't want to get hurt like I did two years ago [Pourcel needed an operation on his spleen after a crash at the 2012 Bercy in Paris]. I took it down a level. I had less speed. I was working with the new Bud Racing bike and couldn't figure out my start. We tried everything, and the team knows that if I get the start then I can keep the pace but if I am at the back…there were so many ruts and it was risky. I have another race next week [Genova SX in Italy], and I want to be racing for UFO, and all my sponsors are from Italy, so it is important for me to be there.
You had a good reception from the capacity crowd on Saturday. These guys haven’t seen you race since you were taken away from Bercy in bad shape two years ago.
Like I said to somebody else, I don't really know the fans here. I mean, I know some of them, but I don't have much communication. There are people who have bad opinions of me, and I just shut that out. It means you also lose some of the good comments and feedback. It is not easy. I feel that in France there are people who are bad to me, and the percentage is perhaps higher than in the US. There are French fans who are still not happy when I win in the US. Marvin [Musquin] and I are friends, and if he wins a race I’m happy for him—it’s good—but they still find a way to say bad things about their own riders. It is not cool. You know, we have some good support in France, and I’ve tried with French people, but some don't want to change their minds.
This summer you looked to be back. You appeared content and often quite fast on the Yamaha. How important was the AMA 250MX campaign for getting you back to racing?
I’ve won a lot in racing—a world title, a few times in the US also—and I could have had more, but that is the way it is, but it is more than a lot of people racing now. It was my decision to come back, and I was there to enjoy myself. I was happy to do it. I did a couple of good things [results]. I think it wasn’t a very good season for me, but from the outside it was decent. I didn’t feel comfortable all year on the bike, but Yamaha tried everything with me. My style is very special, and I think I needed something different.
Getting on a Kawasaki again now, has that given you a bit more confidence because you have such an affinity with the technology and the brand?
Yeah. Every time I get on a Kawi it feels easy for me. I’ve been back on it for only two weeks, and I don't think we have the start device and everything set up quite right yet. I think the most important thing for me is to look for those holeshots like I had in the GPs, and when I am in front I can get the pace and ride smooth and stay there.
And you’re using Öhlins suspension?
Yeah, I think Öhlins is pretty good. I would say that they don't have a lot of experience for supercross, but they might work [soon] with Chad Reed. He knows everything, and if he chooses that suspension, then it should be good. I know that for outdoors, at least, Öhlins is very good.
I know you don't worry too much about what people think, but it must have been nice to return this summer and proved the critics who say you are washed-up that you still have something to give and can be competitive.
Every year is the same thing: “You’re done.” And it is not only me that gets this. It is always fun to prove them wrong, but like I said, I didn’t do as well as I wanted to. This year was about myself, and I was sad because I couldn't keep up. I had the speed, but when it got rough, then the bike would move too much for me. I would not take the extra risk to do it because I felt it was too much. So they [the critics] really put you down, and you think ”Can I really do this?” I won again, but I wasn’t happy, you know? I couldn’t get that second moto done. I was tight for no reason despite the fact that I was more ready than I had been in 2009. I had to let those guys go, and it was not fun. I know the speed I have, and I showed it during practice. Now that I am 26, I need to find a bike that can suit me, and I’m not going back to the 250MX Championship to finish fifth [again]. I almost won twice, but there was not much point for me [in nearly achieving success]. I was not in this for money. It is for fun, and if I am at the front, then I’m taking good money. I’ve already won things and I’ve made good money, so that is not the point.
So what’s the plan for 2015?
I was talking to Kawi and I wanted to go to the 450 team, but they chose Wil Hahn. It was hard for me to accept, but they made their decision, and I told them I understood and that they had to move on. For me now it is about sticking with the bike I like. If I feel I have a bike I can win with, then I will go for it. If someone gets hurt or a team needs me to fill in for the supercross, I’m not sure I can be where I want to be. There is no point in me riding just to be a top-ten guy. So for the moment I’m not riding the supercross [championship]. I have a few contacts for the nationals and we’ll see. If I don’t race supercross then I will probably do what I did this year, except I want to do a lot better. I don't want to fight against the bike. I want to have fun.
Finally, as a guy who has crossed the Atlantic both ways in recent years and won, what’s your opinion on [Ryan] Villopoto in Grand Prix, and how do you think he will do?
A one-year contract—I came over in 2012 on something similar, so I have experience in this—is a lot to take because those guys are fast. That top five: Gautier [Paulin], [Clement] Desalle, and Antonio [Cairoli] and a few others…they go very good and they know all the tracks. It is not easy to beat all of those guys, and Antonio is just amazing. After eight titles now. I don't think he is going to let that guy beat him. I’ve raced with Antonio a lot and he has a lot of confidence and that’s why he wins.