On The Pegs January 2019 - Volume 4 - Issue 1 | Page 78

On The Pegs
Are you still a Red Bull athlete?
The RedBull Trials program is still alive and kicking. The
shows compliment what I’m working on at GasGas too so I’ll
continue as long as there are opportunities. At one point in
my career I was performing at nearly 40 events a year! Now
with family, work and other obligations we are not doing as
many demos but we still get out there for some cool events.
This year we were contracted by RedBull for MotoGP, AirRac-
es, KC66 Foundation and Air Shows just to name a few.
Tell us more about the GasGas Trials team.
The National Mototrials team manager position keeps me
pretty busy throughout the season. I start off by selecting
the riders and negotiating deals. Once contracts are signed I
arrange for bike and gear shipments and produce hero cards.
I work directly with riders on parts orders and logistics to
compete in the US series. I personally pack the team sprinter
with all our supplies (tents, tools, parts, etc), drive to all the
rounds and setup the pit display. Over the weekend I do
whatever I can to assist the riders. Sometimes I’m changing
tires and pressure washing bikes and other times I’m out on
the course practicing and offering advice. It’s plenty of work
but its great to be around the Trials scene and be part of the
sport I deeply care about.
You had two riders, Daniel Blanc-Gonnet and Alex Nie-
derer, who competed at the top of the Pro class.
Yes, Daniel and Ales are both class acts and are fighting for
the runner-up spot in the NATC series. They are both riding
very well, they’re motivated and excited about the sport and
being part of the GasGas squad. This battle between the two
teammates has been fun to watch because there is no clear
advantage to either rider. Both guys are capable of very spec-
tacular rides but also still make some unnecessary mistakes.
Pat is on a completely other level. His skills right now are
unbeatable in the US and he is riding better than any other
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