2019 Paris Supercross | Kickstart
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2019 PARIS SUPERCROSS | COMPLETE COVERAGE
For over 30 years racers have flocked to France for one of the biggest events of the offseason. It’s gone by a few names and been held at three different venues, but the motto of “100-percent race 100-percent freestyle 200-percent show” continues to ring true. We made the trip over this past weekend for the 2019 Paris Supercross and watched two nights of exceptional racing at the Paris La Defense Arena, so much so that it’ll take us a little while to fully recap the action with features and interviews that will land on the site in the next few days. Since this race isn’t as competitive as say, Anaheim One, it’s common for riders to race mostly stock bikes with only necessary bolt-on parts so this edition of Kickstart won’t be loaded with technical factory goods like usual.
Justin Barcia
Sometime late in the summer we heard that Justin Barcia had requested a stock YZ450F to do his preseason work from Yamaha, as he felt his high-revving riding style would be better with the standard engine setting than it is with the more powerful Monster Energy Yamaha Factory racing package. It sounds like a less than stellar finish at the Monster Energy Cup is what got his wish granted and for the past few weeks, his testing time at the California practice track has been on a bike outfitted with KYB suspension setup for SX, a Pro Circuit exhaust system, and small things like spec Dunlop tires and Vortex sprockets. Yeah, even the transmission in Barcia’s bike is standard issue stock and he only used two clutches over the weekend. The race in Paris was seen as a test of Barcia and the bike, his opportunity to prove what he wants is right, and the results make it hard to argue against his thinking.
It didn’t start out great, though. During Saturday’s free practice and timed qualifying, Barcia’s name was never listed near the top of the board. It turned out that he didn’t know which jump was the finish line and the simple mistake that caused some stress because he let off at the wrong spots. Things got better when the night’s racing started, and he improved each outing with 3-2-1 finishes. His win in the night’s finale was the most import result of the weekend, because he managed the 15-minute race without issue while main rivals Stewart and Ferrandis went down at the start. The consistency was key when compared to the rest of the pack and because nearly everyone experienced some sort of issue on Saturday, Barcia was well ahead in the King of Paris overall rankings.
Getting through Sunday without issue was all Barcia needed to do to confirm KoP honors for the third time, but he still managed to bang bars along the way. A long pursuit of Dylan Ferrandis for the lead in SX1 Sprint Two led to a close pass in a hairpin turn that forced the French rider into a mistake. Barcia’s efforts went unanswered, though, because the battle allowed Malcolm Stewart to slip in and snatch away the win with a pass in the final laps. As nice as an individual race win would have been on Sunday, it wasn’t necessary for the overall, which Barcia claimed with a third-place in the SX1 Finale.
With how much happened in 2019, it’s easy to forget that Barcia won Anaheim One. Now in his late 20s, he’s is nearing the time when speculation of retirement starts to intensify. The thought crossed his mind a few years ago when he left JGRMX, but that’s no longer the case and he has exact goals for 2020. A top-three overall in the SX championship would bring an automatic extension to his Yamaha contract, which is plenty of motivation. Could the stock bike be the key to it all?
Malcolm Stewart
Malcolm Stewart was the fastest rider of the weekend. That’s not speculation; it’s fact. The SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider was the only one in the SX1 field to win multiple races (Saturday’s SX1 Sprint 2, Sunday’s SX1 Sprint 2 and SX1 Finale), he logged the best lap in Sunday’s Super Pole, and was the top qualifier in Sunday afternoon’s single session. We’ve all made mention of how quick Stewart can be at any given time and it looks like he’s figured out how to make it happen with regularity.
But the biggest takeaway about Stewart from the six motos were on his race craft and fitness, two things he’s lacked in the past. We’ve watched him fall victim to Barcia’s block passes more times than we can remember (our GoPro footage their battle at Geneva in 2017 is still on YouTube under the TWMX channel), but over the weekend in Paris Stewart outsmarted the aggressor with planned-out passes and protection of the inside line to prevent retaliation. Sunday’s SX1 Finale was probably the single best races Stewart has done, because he got up front early, didn’t appear fazed by Ferrandis on his rear fender, and pulled clear of the pack in the final moments. No mistakes, no fading, no weird interference from other riders.
Overseas races are an important part of Stewart’s program. When he struggled to get rides with teams in the US, he used them as a way to stay on people’s minds (think back to the Seven-backed bikes he had around 2014) and to pay for the next year. Fans are always around his pit area and he makes time with as many people as possible, be it with a photo or autograph. So, it should come as no surprise that he’ll be in Geneva in just a few weeks’ time.
Dylan Ferrandis
We have a much larger feature about Dylan Ferrandis at the French event later in the week, so this will be kept short as to not be repetitive. The Monster Energy/Star Racing/Yamaha rider was the first confirmed competitor of the event earlier this year, right after he won the 250 SX West Coast title, and much of the attention through the weekend was directed towards him. For a rider that is often left alone in the United States, the steady presence of supporters and responsibilities made it difficult to focus on the task at hand so he took refuge from the chaos by staying close to the Yamaha motorhome with his inner circle. When it was time to face the public in his role as rider to beat, he did so with speedy laps in qualifying, come from behind charges after early incidents, and one very popular race win on Saturday night.
Every French person in the stadium seemed happy about Ferrandis’ win in Saturday’s SX1 Sprint One, except for him. He made it very clear that he did not mean to run into early leader Justin Hill, that a mistake forced him to enter the turn too quickly, and he took no pride in winning a race that way. The two competitors discussed the crash as soon as the race was over and there was no hint of hard feelings.
Ferrandis was on a Yamaha YZ450F for the weekend and he made mention that he was excited about the chance to ride the big bike, because he will advance to the premier class full-time in 2021. If that’s through a new part of Star Racing or in the factory Yamaha effort remains to be determined…
Jeremy Martin
When Jeremy Martin’s name was on the early announcement for the Paris Supercross earlier this year, it was seen as a lofty goal after more than a year away with injury. The GEICO Honda rider told us he nearly turned down the invite because it came when he was still not at full strength, but he made it happen with a month of Supercross testing between the Tomac ranch in Colorado and the Honda track in California. Aboard a modestly modified CRF450R (suspension, clutch, Yoshimura exhaust), Martin was often the first rider over the holeshot stripe in the weekend’s races and diced it up with everyone for positions on the track. There was no sense of easing into the action.
His ride in Sunday’s SX1 Sprint 1 was proof that he still has what it takes to win races. Another good start put him at the front and he brushed off pressure from second-place Justin Hill in the quick sprint to claim the win, his first since injury. “I know it’s just Paris, but there are some good guys here,” he reflected on the success and his second-place overall finish in Sunday night’s program. He could have fared much better in the combined Saturday-Sunday standings if not for a suspension setting change that did not work out the way he anticipated, but it was one of the many things he’s learned about racing the 450.
It’s fair to wonder where Martin will rank when he returns to the regular scene in 2020, but if the Paris Supercross is any indication, he should be close to where he left off. I mean, he battled with Dylan Ferrandis for position and ran a similar pace, and that’s the defending 250 West Coast champion. Martin told us he intends to race the East Coast swing of SX in 2020, so don’t be shocked if he’s in the mix for the title come late April.
Chad Reed
There’s a lot to talk about with Chad Reed. The fan-favorite veteran has no certain plans past the first part of 2020, so these three confirmed international events (Paris, Auckland, Melbourne) are an interesting way he can retrace his roots before lining up at Anaheim One in January. Think about it: he grew up racing in Australia, made his name known in Supercross circles when he bumped into McGrath at Bercy, and then came to the US.
Reed told us that he had barely ridden between the Monster Energy Cup and the trip to Europe, so the goal was to improve on each outing and get back into the groove. His pace during Saturday’s qualifying was somewhat of a surprise, as his fourth-place rank put him ahead of guys that are in the prime of their careers, while his Super Pole lap on Sunday was a reminder of his technical skill on the bike because he didn’t appear to put a wheel wrong anywhere on the track during the 39-second run. A sixth-place finish in SX1 Sprint One on Saturday night was Reed’s best result, but he battled for every place in the running order and had a very good duel with Dylan Ferrandis in Saturday’s SX1 Sprint Two.
A run-in with Thomas Ramette at the start of Sunday’s SX1 Sprint Two brought an early end to Reed’s weekend, as the crash took on a toll on his ribs and he mentioned some discomfort. With another race just days away and a long travel path (France-Doha-Auckland), we felt no surprise when mechanic Ben Schiermeyer had the borrowed CRF450R in pieces before the rest of the field lined up for the next race.
Joey Savatgy
When Joey Savatgy booked his three-race tour in the early summer months, there was little concern that he’d travel abroad without a signed contract for 2020. Yet that’s exactly what happened. There had been long talks with the JGRMX team for the future and all signs, including a recent two-week test in North Carolina and confirmed support for with a mechanic and parts for France/New Zealand/Australia, indicated they’d get approval from Suzuki at some point but Savatgy left the United States without a completely done deal. After some stressful moments and an appearance for Just1 at the EICMA Show in Italy, Suzuki executives and JGRMX presented the final contract for Savatgy to sign just before he mounted the bike for Friday’s shakedown practice session.
Savatgy had plenty of positive things to say about his new bike, especially its cornering prowess and power to chassis traits, but admitted that he listened too much to other people and the public perception of the Suzuki before he rode it. As for the lack of an electric start, he stated, “If you do everything right, you should only have to start the bike once before the race.” Fair enough. His riding on Saturday was an indication of how quickly he got comfortable on the RM-Z450, as a pair of second-place scores offset the one 10th place result and kept him third overall on the night. Sunday wasn’t as great, due to a tumble at the end of the long whoop pad in the SX1 Finale, but he remounted and finished the race as a way to gain insight on the bike.
On Sunday Savatgy started his long trip from France to New Zealand by way of Dubai for this weekend’s race in Auckland and another chance to rack up results on the RM-Z. Expect the bike to have a few more parts and pieces during SX Open and AUS-X Open, but it won’t be the full-blown race-spec he’ll be aboard at Anaheim One.
Justin Hill
The weekend served as Justin Hill’s debut with the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda crew and everything thing from the parts on his bike to the gear on his body was different than what he had in 2018. So yeah, there was a lot for Hill to learn over the course of the weekend. He looked comfortable on the CRF450R and logged the fastest lap time in Saturday’s Super Pole segment, a feat that was made more impressive when he told us that a mechanical problem forced the team to pull the race-spec engine that brought out of the bike and put the stock unit back in. Hill carried that speed into the night’s SX1 Sprint 1 race and led up to the run-in with Ferrandis, which he brushed it off as a racing incident and viewed it as a lose-lose situation because a retaliatory move would have infuriated the French fans.
Sunday was solid with a pursuit of Jeremy Martin in SX1 Sprint 1 and second-place result, a fifth-place finish in SX1 Sprint 2, and a long duel with teammate Vince Friese in the SX1 Finale that ended with Hill in sixth place in the moto and fifth place for the night. But it was obvious that he expected much more of himself, especially since he was near the front of the field at numerous times, and he saw his sixth-place overall result as a sort of failure. Hill will be at the Geneva Supercross and will use it as another chance to prove his speed before the gate drops in 2020.
Vince Friese
Some may be surprised by Vince Friese’s recent run of results, but the SmarTop/Bullfrog Spas/MotoConcepts/Honda rider is quick to point out that he’s been building for the past year. And he’s right, because a look at the stats from the 2018 Paris Supercross to now shows steady improvement that has him set for a career-best season in 2020. Friese was a last-minute addition to the event, hired to fill the void left by Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing’s Zach Osborne, and his 5-4-4 motos and second-place overall rank on Saturday night put him roughly were Osborne likely would have been.
Because the team didn’t have enough time to transport a full race bike to France, Friese was on a borrowed CRF450R that was outfitted with parts he and his mechanic brought along in their luggage. Seriously, the guy did a lot with a little in France. Sunday’s 7-11-5 finishes kept Friese from being in podium contention, but he ended the weekend ranked fifth overall and with plenty of confidence to carry through the rest of the offseason.
Ben LaMay
We have a much bigger interview with LaMay that will land on the site in the next day or two, so this segment will be kept brief. LaMay is one of those riders that made a name for himself in Europe by racing in the smaller series that run throughout the region so he’s familiar with the long travel, the borrowed bikes, the different dirt or track designs, and the late-night schedules (Saturday night at the La Defense Arena wrapped up after midnight). It’s an unlikely career path for a guy that grew up in Alaska and worked his way through the amateur to professional ranks, but he appreciates every opportunity.
By all measures, LaMay’s weekend in Paris was good. He made it through all six motos without issue and dueled with the fast French riders for 10-9-12-15-12-13 finishes and 11th overall, but he didn’t seem to have the same free time as others because he was often helping with the mechanical duties for the CRF450R. He’ll be on the entry list at Geneva in what could be the last race of his foreseeable future.
The French Delegation
The Paris Supercross is the crown jewel of the French SX Tour, a series that runs through the region’s arenas with a talented roster that includes Cedric Soubeyras, Fabien Izoird, Thomas Ramette, Nicolas Aubin, Maxime Desprey, Gaetan Le Hir, Florent Richier, Adrien Escoffier, and others. Some of those names have lined up for SX Main Events in the United States and have held their own against racers you’re more familiar with, so if you need a series to follow in the offseason months, keep an eye on the French SX Tour. The series will continue over the next few weeks with rounds in Barcelona, Lyon, Geneva, and Amneville, some of which should have a live stream feed.
