After their brilliant win at the last 24 Hours of Le Mans last April, team GMT 94 is doing their best to score a victory at the next Bol d’Or. With Sébastien Gimbert, William Costes and David Checa riding the Yamaha 1000R1, that dream can come true!

"A failure would mean not being competitive," says Christophe Guyot, creator and team manager. "We are working towards more competitiveness, we keep on improving to develop the material that is given to us but we also want to enhance the human factor, both the riders and all the team members. These are the values we share with all of our partners and, more particularly, the département 94, the Mutuelle des Motards and the GEMA (Groupement des Mutuelles d’Assurance).

Our Yamaha is very good at performing in the original version so the alterations we have made, along with the development of Pirelli tyres, make us confident about the race. The Yamaha is so reliable that our riders can start attacking from the start of the race. We will not be giving any rider orders...and this is what I really like about current endurance races. That is what makes the difference too: it’s all about people, riders who can prove their talent, their intelligence as well as their tenacity.

We are doing everything to make our people win. That is why Yamaha is such an important partner, where team spirit is a determining factor, together with common objectives. So we are remaining open to any private team who would ask us for advice and we also welcome Yamaha users to share their ideas.

Just for information, we do not have a reserve rider. It is a very difficult place as you are coming for a race and you have to stay spectating. I used to be a rider myself so I take the part of the reserve rider for testing parts, run them in or validate our options on the bike - which other riders in the team do not like to do during practice sessions for such an important race as the Bol d’Or. Of course, we are taking risks: we could be more vulnerable in case of hardship but we want to privilege performance and a healthy team spirit.

Do not forget statistics have comforted us in our choices :- since 2000, we have participated in 37 endurance races, we have had 33 finishes, of which we had 22 podiums and 8 victories.

We are aware that any good balance remains fragile. So our first target is to be and remain competitive. We want to be on pole position again, get the lap record, the distance record and winning the Bol d’Or would be the best way to conclude the 2005 season."
 

BOL d'OR EUROSPORT BROADCAST SCHEDULE (subject to last-minute changes)

Can you believe how quickly this year has gone! It’s September already and there are just 2 Endurance races to go.

I’m sort of glad because this year was a re-build year. After the last few months, I feel at home again on a bike and at the circuits. So I feel like it’s time to say, let’s start again!

I did believe I could win the Endurance World Championship this year. But… at the start of the season, I thought I was ready then I got some type of Pneumonia and felt like crap for a month or so. The Phase One team also had a few things go against them as well. Having said that, everyone has tried very hard and it has been a lot of fun. We have pushed the Phase One Yamaha faster and further than the previous season. At the moment, there is an offer to stay with the team for next year. More on that later!

Everyone is getting ready for the final battle down in the ‘Coliseum’ of motorcycle racing, Vallelunga, Rome. The circuit itself has been under construction as the circuit owners continually upgrade the complex. 2 additional straights have been added which I think will make for better racing. Vallelunga represents our ‘last chance’ to beat Suzuki. It’s also an opportunity to be on the podium for the first time this year! Man! I can’t believe that. In reality, we have had 3 chances so far. Suzuka was impossible unless 10 or 15 bikes crashed! It makes the championship look fairly small. Reality again… it is! I’m not sure where I will be next year but if it is in the Endurance World Championship, I hope the people responsible can fix what they have let fade away. There is a lot of talk still going on for the 2006 Endurance World Championship. Don’t people get sick of talking???

This year I’ve really enjoyed going to World Superbike races. It makes me feel like I was an Alien last year!  The Zongshen team just didn’t, or wouldn’t, fit in. And I thought I would be slightly competitive so I was stressed all year about that! This year I’ve made good friends, had lot’s of laughs and commentating is hilarious! It’s a paddock that I feel I can succeed in. Finding the right bike and team is the hard bit. I’m scheduled to commentate 2 more races, Lausitzring and the season finale, Magny Cour. I am eager to go to those races as I have meetings planned to discuss 2006.

Well, it’s that time of year for sure. The bottom line is I want to race in SBK. SBK is difficult for me because of what happened last year. My image is not good. I was only thinking today, it was May last year when I had my big crash at Monza and this year I am still noticing signs of recovery. James Haydon told me last year, it will take at least 12 months to recover. I thought ‘yeh right’! But, he was right. I spent the first 3 races of that Championship in one piece, for the next 8 races I couldn’t turn my head or feel much!
But, people don’t see that. That’s why, at the moment, I have no options for SBK. I do have opportunities in Supersport. I will know more about this at Lausitzring. If things don’t work out there, I am talking to people about Endurance for 2006. Whatever I do, I want to be competitive. I do love the Endurance paddock and would be happy there, even though it’s bloody hard work! I can’t say a lot at the moment even though I would love to! But…I can’t!
I will say there are 3 options.
Well, that’s about all for now. My next race is the Bol D’or 24 Hour race which is on the 17th & 18th of September. This is with Team Deletang Yamaha and those Michelin tyres! Hopefully we will get the good ones!

Take it easy wherever you are and stay tuned for the comical commentary from Lausitzring SBK!


Warwick.

UPDATE ON THE NEXT BIG THING - WILLIAM DUNLOP

Last weekend William Dunlop Racing travelled to the Dundalk Road Races, where William was looking for a win. He would be racing in four events that weekend the 125’s, 250’s, 600's and in the Grand Final.

William was on the RS Performance 250 for his first session of Saturday practice, and was on the pace throughout, ending up third behind Darren Burns and Ryan Farquhar.
Next came the 600's - the bike was going well but William struggled with the Solitude Motor Yamaha over the bumpy circuit. He finished the session fifth, a position he was pleased with, along with sponsor Davie Glover who made it to the Dundalk track just in time to see the 600 practice session.
For his last outing of the day William was on his 125 Durnien.com Honda. William set the early pace but Marc Curtain took pole with William second and Yarno Holland third. Williams team are still trying to find the gremlins in his bike.
William said later “I’m happy with today. I qualified well in all of my races and I feel confident for tomorrow and although my 125 is not going right the team is working really hard to try and solve the problem.”

William’s first race on Sunday was the 125’s - the conditions were good and William was in high spirits. Marc Curtain was the favourite to win and off the line got the better start but William kept with him and tried to get close enough to make a move but with the bike still giving him problems, William dropped away from Marc. William finished twenty seconds behind the leader.

Next came the 250’s and William had his eye on Farquhar. Although he made a good start William was swamped with bikes and was fifth into the first road end. On the first lap he managed to pass all but one - Ryan Farquhar. William stayed with him for a few laps but Farquhar pulled away and William got another second place.

William faced some tough competition in the Supersport race and at the start he was left behind by the leaders -as he had cold tyres - and was in ninth place. He fought his way back up the race order and finished a fantastic third behind Darren Burns.
After the 250/350 Classic race the meeting was cancelled due to heavy rain and time limitations.

William said “Today went really well for me, I’m happy with the results I got, although I would have liked to have won the 125’s. My team is working hard on the bike and we should get it sorted.”

Monday and Tuesday 22-23 August – Nevers Magny Cours.

The circuit was organising true-to-life test days for the next Bol d’Or candidates. Most of the entrants had turned up for battle, getting ready and matching their performance. Pirelli had sent their Superbike crew with two fitters and two engineers. You could choose any tyre! This is the way the Italian manufacturer wants to show their will to get into the Bol d’Or lists of honours.
The GMT 94 team had all come to Magny Cours for giving a last perfecting touch to their organisation and for even more pit stop practice.

1’43’’00 for David Checa. 1’43’’6 for William Costes and 1’43’’7 for Sébastien Gimbert. Such lap average is extremely good omen for the race. One big second faster than last year! Just remember: in 2004 our best qualification time was 1’43’’3. Now, with a brand new qualification tyre, David Checa burst the absolute lap record on an endurance bike with a stunning 1’42’’2 – This would have placed him 10th on the grid in World … Superbike!

Of course we are aware any competitor can find better settings and performance before the Bol. We mustn’t forget the sky could fall in at any time so nothing can be taken for granted! But we don’t want to live with that sort of fear. So we are enjoying the present moment. We are savouring our season. We have joined the World Superbike Championship and managed to get to the superpole in each of the rounds, we’ve scored points in Moto GP (once again a big “thank you” to Hervé Poncharal Tech3 and Yamaha !); we’ve had some success in the French open too and a victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. So a very good year indeed.

The two test days have taught us a lot : we’ve tested new, even better performing tyres. Our Yamaha is particularly agile and swift on the very technical Magny-Cours circuit. We had good fun too. William Costes summed it up by saying: “...the best bike I’ve ever ridden!". David added: “...the Pirelli is good, Pirelli is just great!”. Sébastien Gimbert could only complete about 20 laps as he had tests to finish with the development bike – and was amazed by the behaviour of the endurance Yamaha. “...the chassis is incredibly flexible and easy to handle - I’m having great fun!”. The smiles on the riders’ faces have actually boosted the team. They are focusing better on their desire to win the next Bol d’Or.

They are craving for a win but they also want to be fast and competitive. They simply want to be there…
See you on 17 September!

Christophe