After a stressful 250SX East Region heat race where he finished ninth, Tom Vialle had to make sure things did not go south in the supercross finale main event. While he only needed an 11th or better no matter where his title rival Haiden Deegan finished, Vialle's 18th gate pick in the main event presented a chance for chaos off the start. He needed a clutch start, badly, and he did it, getting a great jump, and although he went wide, he positioned himself comfortably in the top ten, which was exactly where he needed to be. Luckily, it was an uneventful main event for Vialle, and his eighth-place finish brought home the title, even though Deegan won the race. The two-time MX2 FIM Motocross World Champion leaned on his experience and brought home the title in just his second season of racing Monster Energy AMA Supercross. Vialle then spoke to the media in a solo post-race press conference.
Tom Vialle, 250 East Champion. Tom, I want to talk to them about what's happened and how quickly you have made this ascent to championship in America. It hasn't been an easy road and I talked to Stephan LeGrand from LeBigUSA and he says there's a phrase in French, I won't attempt it in French, but it roughly translates as one year to learn one year to win. You lived up to that. Have you heard that before? Was that your goal to learn for one year and then win the championship in the second year?
Tom Vialle: I don't know. I mean, that's pretty amazing to do, of course, if you can learn one year and then win the second year. But, to be honest, I didn't really expect… my goal was to be consistent during the off-season and of course, try to fight for the win. But I mean, I don't know, after I won Daytona and two in a row in Birmingham, I just felt, “Okay, I got that.” Like, I'm pretty close, I can fight for the title, and I made it to the end. So, it's pretty amazing, to be honest. I felt great all season, way better than last year. I was struggling a lot last year and I feel like going to the supercross this year, I was enjoying it more.
Can you walk us through some of the emotions of the struggle in the heat? Then the less than optimal gate pick and your great start in the feature. What was that roller coaster like for you?
Actually, I had a good day in the practice in the afternoon. I felt great and I had a bad start in the heat race and the track was really muddy. We went first on the track and it was really wet, really slippery, muddy. So, I was like struggling a lot and I was I think eight or nine. So it was pretty bad and I couldn't really pass anyone on the race. So, I was like, okay the track is a little bit sketchy and I was eight or nine. So, I think 18 overall for the gate pick is pretty bad. I was far outside, and I don't know, like at the 30 second boardl, I was like, ok, I need that start. I need to have a good start and I actually had a great start. I was into fifth or sixth maybe. And then I've seen, I've seen on lap two, I think Haiden was first. So, I was like, okay I cannot do any mistake. So, I was kind of stressed little bit the whole moto. I was kind of okay. I can't do any mistakes. We managed to do eight, I think so. No, it was a good race.
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We kind of noticed that you and Haiden Deegan kind of had words both at press day yesterday and also during practice today. Could you kind of talk about what was happening between you?
Yeah, I mean, I kind of knew like Haiden tried to mess with me already from press but I kind of understand it. I mean, in this position, I would maybe do the same to be honest. He's still young and he's riding good. Especially today he rode good all day and he tried a little bit to mess with me, but I cannot really be angry at him because maybe I would do the same, you know. Like when you're chasing so hard all year for that title, I can understand, to be honest, messing with me.
So, two-time MX2 World Champion, that's a very, very hard series to win. That's a very competitive series. I'm interested to know a comparison. It's a shorter series here [in supercross]. You've got a lot of these kind of breaks and a completely different discipline. But how much or how does it compare to winning an MX2 title? And then going into the scenario tonight, there's a lot of pressure. Do you draw on that MX two championship experience?
I think so, yeah. That's helped me a little bit tonight, but I would say this title was harder than the one in, in MX2. I feel like it's only my second year on supercross. So, I feel like I still have a lot to learn and I'm actually learning every day I feel like, so, I feel like in, in GP, I was kind of in control, I knew what I was doing a little bit more. In outdoor I feel a little bit more safe and it's actually a championship with 20 races. So, this is way shorter and you cannot do any mistakes. And it was hard today to be honest, a little bit harder I would say than my 250 title in Europe.
| Position | Rider | Hometown | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Tom Vialle | Avignon, France  | 172 |
| 2 |  Haiden Deegan | Temecula, CA  | 168 |
| 3 |  Coty Schock | Dover, DE | 132 |
| 4 |  Pierce Brown | Sandy, UT | 131 |
| 5 |  Max Anstie | Newbury, England, United Kingdom  | 125 |
I think you impressed a lot of us with the improvement you made this year as opposed to last year. Can we expect to see that same level of improvement outdoors?
I think so, to be honest. I don't know why last year when I start outdoors, I was struggling a lot and I started a little bit riding outdoor a few weeks ago, I kind of focus on supercross. I didn't really ride a lot but I rode a few days and I feel way better than last year, so I'm pretty excited for outdoor. I don't know why, since Des Nations last year I actually rode pretty good there and I feel way better. The setting of the bike are pretty good actually. So I, I'm pretty excited to be at a, actually in two weeks in, in Para and I really think I would be way better than last year.
We got to ask RJ and I wanna ask you the same thing, what is your plan now for 450s? What was it you would like to do because you have a year to defend.
I don't know, to be honest, I didn't really think about it, like I just try to do each championship. I don't know, I heard like the rules change, I think. So, if I don't win next year, I can still race 250 I think, but if I win two in a row—that's of course the goal—I will move to a 450 full time in 2026.
We've been hearing about some of the other MXGP guys might want to come over. Guys like Kay de Wolf, the Coenen brothers…have any of those guys reached out to you and kind of asked you about your thoughts about them coming over?
Yeah, actually not everyone, but I'm still in contact with a lot of guys over in Europe. And I heard a lot of 250 guys want to come over here in the U.S. and race supercross. And I really think it's pretty cool, but to be honest, it has been hard. I was pretty good the last three years in 250 in Europe, I won in the last three years two championships. And I feel like I was, I'm not gonna say faster than those guys, but I was pretty comfortable and winning a lot of GP and I feel like I came here and it was tough, especially last year, I had a lot of up and downs and a lot of life to be honest. Like after the race, after the supercross [races], I was like, “Did I make the right choice to come here or should I…” I mean, it was tough to be honest and I'm pretty happy this year is going good and my motivation I would say is a little bit better than last year, for sure. But I actually, yeah, a lot of guys wanna come. So, if they wanna come, that will be great.
How motivated you are going into Pro Motocross knowing that you can take a jump like you did here in supercross.
Yeah, I actually feel way more relaxed right now. That title is done, and I actually won it in my second year. So, I feel like, “Okay, we can really focus,” and I really want to prove something in outdoor. Like I felt great. I had a great winter working with, with Chase [Sexton], Levi [Kitchen], and Peter [Park], my trainer. So, my body feels good and that's really gonna help me in the outdoor and I'm sure like the riding is better than last year. So, I'm pretty excited. I really wanna ride better than what I did last year, obviously it wasn't that great. I wanna do it way better this year.
When you think back to Detroit, the way that the season started for you, I think it was 18th position. Was this even a realistic possibility at that point considering how short the season is?
No, I would say after after the crash, I was like, “Okay, this is done,” but actually, Austin Forkner crashed in the second race and we all came back pretty close in the points in the championships. And after Daytona, I think in the third race, I was already like, maybe four or five points behind the first guy. So I was really surprised and it turned out pretty good for everyone. Actually, I think Haiden was in the same position as me. We were all back to like only four or five points to the leader. So, it was pretty crazy after Dayton and then the championships was on after that.
A two-time MX2 World Champion, 250 supercross champion. Did you expect it to come so quick? And what has been the hardest thing that you've had to deal with since coming to the States and riding supercross?
That was my goal. That's actually why, I was thinking about it a little bit earlier. Like in 2022 I won my title in Europe. And I think at this moment, I still didn't know if I was coming here in 2022. I decide right after the last supercross, I was like, okay, I was watching the supercross on my laptop every night and I was like, “Okay, I wanna do that.” That's really my goal for the next years and we're only two years later and I already won the title. So, it's pretty amazing, to be honest. I've been watching my whole life since I'm a kid, supercross. And to actually have won the title in the second year is pretty amazing. And I don't know if I would have expect to win that, that early. But that was really my goal.
