Chris' Stuff: Double interview: Pela Renet and Bodo Schmidt

Pela Renet's lanky frame looked even more imposing for the fact that he was mounted atop the highest step of a world championship podium. He waved to acknowledge the cheering crowd, then turned his attention to the man who had walked up to the podium. A keen observer would have noticed that the handshake was firm and sincere, lingering longer than just a cursory gesture of congratulations. The look that passed between them was one of genuine mutual appreciation and respect, and it was clear that, just for an instant, the moment was shared solely between the two men who had done the most to make it happen, to the exclusion of all else.

Like every momentous event, good or bad, many separate strands of history went into making this moment. This story has elements of drama and disappointment, determination and sacrifice, in short, many of the elements that make for a good movie script. It is a story about bull-headed determination to overcome the odds, that simply begs the telling of it. The scene for our tale is the MX3 motocross world championships. In the world of Grand Prix motocross, far and away the majority of media attention is focused on the premier series that consists of MX1 - and MX2 classes. The MX3 class, home to the booming open class bikes, often suffers for a lack of coverage of recognition, but this does not mean that the battles at the front are any less severe, or the achievements of the participants any less notable.

Having said that, all the world loves a winner, and though the bulk of the MX3 class may ply their trade in a relative cloud of anonymity, the championship front men do, to a certain extent, generate the column inches in the motoring press. In the last few weeks, Pierre Alexandre Renet took hold of the red number plate that denotes him as championship leader, and has emerged as a clear favourite in the 2009 world championship title race. This was an as opportune time as any, we thought, to gather him and team manager Bodo Schmidt together and get the low-down of the road that led them here.

PELA RENET

When Pela Renet mentions his own name in his lilting French, it sounds almost musical. The "Renet" comes out as "Waynay", and it is a treat to listen to the friendly young man as he reflects on history and contemplates the future. The name on his birth certificate says Pierre-Alexandre, but the double-barreled mouthful falls clumsy on the tongue, and thus it was contracted simply to "Pela". With a length that can be measured in yards, he certainly stands out, and it is fair to say that it is easy to recognize him on the bike by the fact that his outstretched foot arrives in corners before his front wheel does.

The 24 year old Frenchman is no newcomer to world championship racing, having participated in his first GP in 2003. There have been a number of racing highlights along the way, most notably his second place in the 2006 Bercy Supercross, and climbing onto the second step of the podium with his French teammates at the 2007 Motocross of Nations at Budds Creek in the USA. Yet somehow, maybe because of the proliferation of French talent at the top level of motocross racing, he has largely fallen through the media net, not garnering the exposure that his performances may have warranted. His run to the lead of the MX3 world standings has brought a change however, and suddenly, Pela is the flavour of the month again.

The phone barely rang twice before the familiar "allo?" confirmed the presence of our subject at the other end of the line. After the exchange of pleasantries, we got stuck into the Q&A session, and asked Pela how it felt to be the leader of a world championship series. "It feels great," he said, but remained modest and realistic throughout. "It is far too easy to celebrate yet. There are still five races left before the end of the championship, and anything can still happen. I will not change my strategy at all, and we concentrate on each race to get the maximum out of each event." Hindsight is always perfect, yet Pela is insistent that a top overall result was always his goal. "When we decided to participate in the MX3 class, the goal was always a top 3 finish, and in my heart of hearts, I wanted to go all out for victory, since that would be the result we needed to return to the MX1 class with some credibility."

Since the MX1 - MX3 matter came up, we took time to dwell on this for a moment. Why did the team choose to go to the MX3 class, and not remain in the MX1 class? "It was something we thought about carefully," he responds. "I missed most of last year's MX1 season through injury, so I did not have much opportunity to produce good results in the class. The team lost a major sponsor at a late stage, and because of a combination of factors, including budgetary considerations and the prospect of top results, Bodo and I decided to enter for the MX3 championship instead." The mention of his team manager brings about a torrent of praise. "I really owe a lot to Bodo. He lost a major sponsor and went though a difficult time, but he continued for me so that we could prove to the world that even though we had difficulties, we are not dead yet. Sponsors were had to come by this year, and he has covered the shortfall in the bu dget out of his own pocket."

This year brought with it Pela's first GP victory, and the tally has since risen to 3. What kind of emotions does that bring with it? "It is just incredible to stand on the top step and to hear La Marseillaise being played. It was a special moment, not just for me, but also for Bodo, the mechanics Julien and Anatoly, and the whole team who have sacrificed so much to make this happen." Looking forward to the rest of the season, Pela is guardedly optimistic. "Two of the races still to come are in France, and I would expect to have an advantage there, since one of them is my favourite track. I know Schwedt in Germany, but the tracks in Finland and Denmark are unknown to me." Dwelling upon the strengths and weaknesses of the opposition, he is complimentary. "Of course the biggest danger is from (Alex) Salvini, who is only 11 points behind me. He is fast, but maybe sometimes to fast for his own good, which makes him prone to crashing. Antti Pyrhon en and Julien Vanni are 62 points behind, which is quite a way, but it is still too early to discount them. Pyrhonen is strong on sandy tracks, and the races in Germany, Finland and Denmark could favour him. For my part I will concentrate on doing the best that I can at every race, and try to avoid any major mistakes."

We remark on the inordinate number of French riders at the top of the pile in motocross racing in all classes. "Maybe the French people are just super talented!" he quips. "I think it has to do with good trainers in France and the involvement of people who know a lot about motocross. The Equipe de France project of the French Federation identifies talented young riders and gives the training - and other support to bring them to a top level. I was a member of the Equipe de France squad for two years when I was still riding in the European Championships, and it certainly helped me a lot. The national championships in France are also strong, and this helps to improve the level of racing."

Looking forward, Pela is clear as to where he wants to be headed: "The MX1 class is the top class in the world championships, and I definitely want to return there. Like most French riders, I have dreams about racing in the USA, but it is may be too late for me to make this major change now. I think the MX1 series is very competitive with a deep level of talent, and I hope to get the opportunity of racing MX1 in 2010. My focus now, however is to first finish this season and complete the job that I have started."

BODO SCHMIDT

With a no-nonsense, businesslike demeanour, chiseled features as if he has just finished his last race, shorn hair, square-rimmed glasses and a near-military bearing, Bodo Schmidt cuts an imposing figure. Those who just meet him might be pardoned for being somewhat intimidated, yet there is much more to the man than the exterior conveys. Being involved in motorcycling and motorcycle racing for a long period of time, he has experienced his share of ups and downs. Tall trees always catch the most wind, the saying goes, and in his many years of involvement in racing, Bodo has certainly had his share of being the subject of ignorance-driven rumour-mongering.

Get to know him, however, and another picture emerges. How many of his detractors know that he was a former top road racer himself, with a best finish in the TT Formula 1 class of second behind a certain Mr Carl Fogarty? Or that he on occasion arranged, from hundreds of kilometres away, for his shop to be opened at 1 in the morning to lend a bike and engines to a rider that he had never even hear of before? Who knows of his subdued rage as he was liberated of a near-new sports car by some fake gendarmes on a French motorway*, or his genuine heartache as he sent off an SMS to inform his contacts that the injuries to his star rider Avo Leok were irreversible and that the big Estonian would be confined to a wheelchair for life? Did his detractors ever see his unadulterated joy when he takes his wife and young children, whom he dotes upon, on a bicycle outride through the forest? Such is the measure of the man that Bodo lets the s lings and arrows pass by him, and simply gets on wit his business.

With a passion for motorcycles and a successful racing career behind him, it was no great wonder that Bodo ended up in the motorcycle industry. Situated in an idyllic setting in Schmelz, Germany, he has been a successful motorcycle dealer for more than 25 years, and he currently distributes Triumph, Suzuki and KTM motorcycles from his impressive headquarters. The race bug has never left him, however, and Bodo has supported motocross riders for an uninterrupted period spanning many, many years. Each of the famous Leok Racing clan, Avo, Tanel, Aigar and Martin, has at one stage or another enjoyed support from him, and his current stable includes the sons of former motorcycle road racing world champion Jon Ekerold.

It is Bodo's activities in the motocross world championships, however, that has put him at the sharp end of many barbs. Admittedly, the team's 2008 season is one best consigned to memory's trash basket. Top contender Pela Renet missed most of the season through injury, and Marvin van Daele could scarcely turn a wheel throughout the year due to a mysterious viral ailment. Although he had no riders on the track, the team's expenses continued to accumulate, and when negotiations with his main sponsor ground to a halt at a crucial time, Bodo had a tough decision to make. Renet was still under contract to him, and if he were to withdraw from racing, which financial prudence dictated he should in all probability do, the talented Frenchman would be left high and dry. After much soul-searching, the two decided to have a run at the MX3 world championships, and the current results certainly bear out the faith that Bodo has placed in his rider.

Bodo is clear about the fact that it was not easy to get to this position. "Our main sponsor negotiations fell flat in October last year," he explained. "Although it may seem like a long time before the season begins, in racing terms it is a very late stage to discover that a main sponsor will not be continuing. The financial crisis hit the industry hard, and we received very little official support, certainly far less than in the past. I had to make a decision, and in the end I decided that, hard as it may be, I would not let Pela down at this late stage. Apart from him, I had the mechanics in my employ, and I was not going to simply retrench them if there were any opportunity to continue. This is not how I am."

Asked as to what led them to opt for the MX3 class, he pauses for a while to formulate his thoughts. "With almost no support, we could not hope to compete against full factory set-ups in the MX1 class with any realistic hope of top results. I think there is no shame in taking a step back in order to get a better run-up to the top. We knew that we could be top contenders in the MX3 class, and this would have a number of benefits - Pela could rebuild his confidence after a tough year, and we could prove to potential sponsors again that we can produce top level results."

It is clear that both Bodo and his rider expected to be near the front of the class. Did the season thus far pan out as they had expected? "I must honestly say that I did not reckon with how strong Julien Vanni would start his season. He came out with guns blazing, and I must make it clear that both Pela and I take no pleasure at the fact that Julien suffered an injury. He is an honest competitor and a friend of Pela, and we would far rather have fought a tough battle against a fit rider. Injuries are part and parcel of racing, though, and Pela himself has suffered his share of misfortune, with a broken femur in November 2007 and a broken thumb in 2008. Pela struggled a bit at the beginning of the year, but this turned around like magic when we got involved with the suspension gurus at Goby racing. Their suspension modifications brought instant results, and we gained a good few seconds per lap."

Like his ward, Bodo is realistic about the rest of the season: "There is still a lot of work to do and catastrophe to be avoided. We are aiming for consistent results and to be on or near the podium at each race. We want to avoid any possibility of mechanical failure, and will rebuild the bike completely after every 3 races." To those used to the budgets of factory teams, where truckloads of spares are thrown at the bikes after every race, this may seem like a bit iffy. Bear in mind, though, that due to the relatively low loadings on the bigger engines, open class bikes can often run for a whole season without a major rebuild. Also spare a thought for the fact that, without official support, Bodo has to reach for his back pocket every time something needs to be done on the bikes. Still, he is leaving nothing to chance, and will go all out to give his rider all the ammunition that he needs to rake in the title.

Bodo shares his rider's vision for the future. "I'd like to stay with Pela and move to the MX1 class next year," he says. "We are already in talks with a number of potential sponsors, two of them majors, and I am also tentatively talking to some top level riders. If we do win the title this year, it will help us a lot in securing the deals that we need to make it happen."

It takes a special man to race at the front of in any class of world championship level motorsports. It takes a special man also to give of himself and sacrifice without question to help another. By a lucky confluence of circumstances, the paths of these two men intersected, and no one would begrudge them the ultimate success that now seems to tantalizingly close.

* The Audi finally found its way back to Bodo, after being in the spotlights of the entire police force of Paris. The car had an interesting time whilst out of his possession, being the thieves' vehicle of choice to cart them to cash dispenser blow-ups. The vehicle was traced back to a drug dealer, and was finally returned to its rightful (and blameless) owner.

Websites:
Pela Renet
Bodo Schmidt

A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP LEADER DESERVES A BIT OF MARKETING