24th Paris Bercy Supercross - November 10/11/12th, 2006

Bercy Prepares for a Good One!

The Paris-Bercy Supercross, the longest-running, and still main SX event in Europe,  prepares for another exciting edition of his Nations-inspired, unique format.

For four years Bercy has been focusing on the MX2 class and the racing has indeed been incredible ever since, with top Open class stars such as David Vuillemin, Mickael Pichon or Sebastien Tortelli accepting the challenge of younger, 250F specialists from all over the world.

Bercy will invite 6 American, 6 “Rest of the World” and 6 French riders which will be joined by another 6 riders straight from the SX Tour National race that opens every night. 

On top of the individual race for King of Bercy honors and the biggest purse in MX2 racing, the results from the top 3 finishers of each Team will determine which “Nation” will be joining 4 Team USA plates already screwed on the prestigious OCD-designed Trophy.

The riders line-up won’t be finalized until after the US Open but some big names are already in.

David Vuillemin, the “King of the Kings of Bercy”, is back in the House!  “Winning Bercy on the 250F was actually harder in some ways than when I beat McGrath on our regular bikes there! I know it won’t be easy but I will prepare well with my new Team, MDK, on a Honda, and hopefully show who the Boss (still) is in Bercy!”

Also leading Team France will of course be Christophe Pourcel, the 2006 MX2 World Champion. “Cri” has only raced Bercy once, as a Junior, but he is confident on his SX ability. “I have a SX track that I practise a lot on, and I will arrive to Bercy straight from California with parts developed with Kawasaki and Pro Circuit there, so I know I’ll be on good SX equipment”, said the youngest Pourcel (Sebastien, his older brother, will also be members of Team France, along with Benjamin Coisy and two others).

Team Rest of the World leader will be no other than Yamaha DeCarli’s Antonio Cairoli, Pourcel’s top rival during the hard-fought 2006 MX2 GP season. Although he has less SX experience than the other top Bercy contenders, the former World champion sure has the style for SX and is eager to confront himself against some serious competition : “I have raced SX in Italy before, and the promoter has arranged some SX training in South of France with Didier Vuillemin so I might go there and come prepared for SX…It would be sweet for sure to beat Christophe in Paris after having lost the MX2 championship to him! ”, said the likeable Antonio.

Other “Foreign Legion” racers will include Kawasaki Australia’s Dan Reardon, Honda Canada’s Jean-Sebastien Roy,  MD Racing’s Alexandre Rouis, French SX1 champion, while the promoter is waiting for confirmations from new KTM USA rider Martin Davalos, KTM Germany’s Markus Schiffer, KTM Australia’s Ryan Marmont, KTM silver Action’s Rui Goncalves, Yamaha Brazil Antonio Balbi and a few others to complete the Rest of the world list…

Team USA’s natural leader, 2-time King Andrew Short, is unfortunately hurt, so Team KTM Mike Alessi will become the most experienced top US rider in Bercy and is ready for the challenge. “I have always raced hard and given my best in Bercy, coming “short”, so to speak, twice! This race is important to me and I want to become King this time, hopefully helping Team USA to keep the Trophy in the process”, said the 2006 AMA Lites’MX runner-up.

American Honda’s newest recruit, Tommy Hahn, will fill in for Andrew Short and Team Factory Connection will send two of its best members.

If recovered from his injury, Jeff Alessi will be in. Josh Hansen, Mike Brown, Jason Lawrence, Zach Osbourne, to name a few, are on the promoter’s short list to complete the US list.

The SX Tour, to be credited with a renewal of young French SX talent, always gives intense racing to the Bercy sold-out crowd. 2006 leaders of the SX Tour series are Kawasaki’s Marvin Musquin, KTM France’s Kounsith Vongsana, and Maxime Lesage, on a Honda.

Bercy will also feature, for the first time, an 85cc race.

The top 10 of the French 85cc SX championship will participate on the actual track (altered if necessary) for championship points.

Two top young 85cc European specialists will be invited to keep the international flavour of the Event.

But Bercy, famous for its loud, colourful, fastuous Opening Ceremonies, is as much a Show as it is a Race. It once held the first European Freestyle Event, the Vans Big Air, and has always kept love of FMX… quality FMX. This year’s sessions will include top international freestylers straight from the biggest contests, the X-Games and X-Fighters!

2006’s revelation, Swiss Mat Rebeaud, will lead a group of fantastic jumpers, including Spain’s Dani Torres, Japan’s Aigo Sato, the King of Whips, America’s Ronnie Renner, and France’s Remi Bizouard.

At Bercy, Freestylers are… free, free to express their art in front of a concerned crowd.

No contest, no judging headaches, just free sessions, each rider spends more time on the ramp, is more relaxed, for the crowd’s most intense pleasure. 

Each night, Session 1 will be focusing on whips, Session 2 on tricks, Session 3 (that closes the program) on tricks and flips…

DJ Vas, from Kojak fame, will supply his unique musical atmosphere during the sessions.

Almost a quarter century old, Bercy will once again rock in 2006!

Website link: www.organisation-lariviere.com/site/accueil.php