News - '2008 WSBK French round : the report
10/09/2008

A full year of waiting, four months of preparation. As always, as the date comes near, the pressure increases. The challenge is high : concretize the time spent in my workshop in very few hours on the circuit. This year again, I could only go at Magny-Cours on Saturday. The day before, I sorted my artworks in my portfolios to be able to "draw" as fast as possible.
I spent a very busy summer. Just after I came back from the French Grand Prix, I went on working and seached to optimize my working sessions. So, I achieved my plan, and a little bit more. I had a lot ofpleasure when doing this series of watercolours and I worked until the Friday night.

Saturday morning, early waking up (6:00 a.m.), I dressed up and left home towards the South. After the difficulties known these last two years, I was looking forward to holding my pass. At 10:30 a.m., it's done. I start my sign hunt. I first met Pier-Francesco Chili. Then, a few minutes after the end of the morning practise session, I met some others riders thanks to a good location : Jonathan Rea, Régis Laconi, Michel Fabrizio... My experience (alredy five years) makes things easier but I must admit that I've been especially lucky this year.

Troy Bayliss was a top priority. This meeting was probably the last occasion to see him. Just before the afternoon session, he's coming to his pit on his moped. He says me "no" with his head. I show him the watercolours and signs it very quickly. I didn't see him later.

The case of Garry McCoy is different. When I learnt last winter that I would contend the World Supersport championship, I got a new hope of getting two watercolours of the previous years signed and I decided to make two more. A few weeks ago, Garry McCoy got seriously injured and was forced to stop racing this year. I gave up one more time the idea of meeting him. 5:30 p.m., I've been waiting for Yukio Kagayama near a truck for about thirty minutes when, suddenly, here he comes. When I say "he", I mean Garry McCoy. I'm alone, he isn't in a hurry. We talk for a while and one of his friends took a photograph.



Yes, this day at Magny-Cours was great, as much as my first week-end in 2003. I got my signs despite the riders availability reduced by the practise sessions. Thanks to these watercolours, I will be able to make eignt new profiles about World Superbike and Supersport riders, until the end of the year. After I will update the other ones at the beginning of 2009.
21 - Troy Bayliss (Ducati) - WSBK (update)
10/16/2008
88 - Andrew Pitt (Honda) - WSSP (new)
10/23/2008
76 - Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) - WSBK (new)
11/06/2008
65 - Jonathan Rea (Honda) - WSSP (new)
11/13/2008
84 - Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) - WSBK (new)
11/20/2008
36 - Gregorio Lavilla (Honda) - WSBK (new)
11/27/2008
57 - Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) - WSBK (new)
12/04/2008
9 - Chris Walker (Honda) - WSBK (new)
12/11/2008
24 - Garry McCoy (Triumph) - WSSP (new)
12/18/2008
23 - Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) - WSBK (new)
12/24/2008

Now, I'm going to start a new winter tests session with an entire desire. Then, it will be MotoGP time again. For World Superbike, rendezvous in one year with an always more attractive entry list : Noriyuki Haga on Ducati, Ben Spies and Tom Sykes with Yamaha, Aprilia's comeback with Max Biaggi and BMW entering in contention.

Related item :
- '2007 WSBK French round : the report (10/11/2007)

[ ©  Mon petit atelier 2008]
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