Webb: "The Margin Was a Lot Closer Than I Feel Like I Thought It Was Going to Be"

Racer X: Fifth time [in Paris] is a charm. You got it done. Congratulations. You were good all weekend, man. And, look Jet did win five of the six, but you were really good.
Cooper Webb: No, for sure. It was overall an awesome weekend. I was very consistent, obviously, like I said on the podium, we saw who still is the fastest guy [Jett Lawrence]. But I was able to lead today, I think I led like eight laps which was good. The margin was a lot closer than I feel like I thought it was going to be so. I'm happy. Great, great weekend to finally win. Like you said, it's been my fifth time and we've been on the podium before here but never quite won. So it's cool that I can put my name up on the trophy with everybody.

I'm no riding expert, watching you battle him [Jett] though, I felt like you were getting too worried about protecting your lines as opposed to racing and that made easier for him. Did you agree?
One hundred percent. I get protective and that's where, to me, this race is all about that, right? I'll learn and go on at Anaheim or AUS [AUS-X Open] and say “Hey, I can afford to open my lines back up. He's not going to dive bomb you, he's going to pass you in different areas.” So, I agree. I was definitely being very protective. But we've done plenty of laps at the test track and that's the stuff that you learn by racing, right? I'm excited to get back to Florida and put in some work and see where we stack up in two weeks at AUS. But then again, you know, long term wise, we’ve got eight weeks and I'm very happy with where I'm at.

He did that quad this morning and you did it in the second main. I'm sure you heard that he was doing it. You kind of messed it up a couple of times. So, how was it?
I mean, it was a big jump! I'm not gonna lie. He made it look easy but it was everything the 450  had and like one lap, I barely made it and I just kind of was like…man. It was fast though, like they were saying it was about half a second and it was like a to win, you're gonna have to jump it. So I did it in the second main a few times. But then that last one [main], I was just like, you know, what, he can have it. It's one of those things that he's so great at, pulling those little things out. You know, day two, he waited. I even saw it on track walk. I'm like, man, I think you could quad that.

It looked like to me he was going and again, I’m no riding coach, but he was going more to the right, he was drifting and then he was getting a bit more straight. You were cutting it closer. I don't know.
No, you're right! We're working on it. We were looking and that's what I did. But he's jumping a 100 foot quad, two inches from a hay bail and ruts. [Laughs] And you're right, but, got to grow some balls to get there. But no, it's all good. It was good racing. We battled all weekend and yeah, I think we're in a much better spot than we were the last two here, for sure.

Always pick that inside gate for you. That's kind of, that was your strategy. I mean, he got you most of the time, but I was wondering if you were going to change that because he was getting you.
It was just safe. I mean that two gate was, I think the best gate. But as we know, the Hondas are very good off the start. So I think it was more just a safety thing, especially today knowing my goal was to win the King of Paris. If I could get twos across the board, then that was going to do it. But with that being said, I didn't really want to take a chance of maybe not getting the wheel [on the inside] and then getting pushed out or something like that. So just kind of the safe bet. This start is definitely weird. I kind of struggled with it all weekend. Yeah just the gate, right? I don't know how to explain it. It's like a triangle. Like you're riding over the bar and then it drops and the grates a lot different than the U.S. So, I mean, I definitely struggled with my starts compared to the U.S., but I got better today and, but that far inside, I don't think you were going to ever holeshot, but you could come out pretty much second no matter what.

You told us on the PulpMX Show, you haven't really touched your bike. How was it this weekend?
Yeah, we haven't touched anything. I think we opened up the fork and for this today as it [dirt] got harder and, yeah, I'm happy, man.

A lot of racing. Everybody, I talked to Malcolm [Stewart], even Jett was like, “I'm so tired.”
It's a lot of laps, but I think that's good, right? We had the two sprint races and then the long one. So I think it's a good thing. It is a lot of laps. I think today is hard with, you go to bed late, but it's part of it. You got to strap up the work boots on and get after it and we're going to bed as the winner.

Paris Supercross King of Paris and Prince of Paris overall results.