Thierry Michaud -a Frenchman Who Adores The SSDT

Thursday, March 24 2011

Ex triple World Champion and Frenchman Thierry Michaud can count himself amongst an elite group of riders who have recorded three Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) victories in a row, and remains the only ever foreign rider to have won this epic event more than once. Michaud’s winning run came in the mid eighties during a period when this classic event was attended by all the World’s best riders, and during what is often regarded as one of the golden eras of a competition that will celebrate its centenary this May.
"As a young boy from the South of France, I grew up thinking of the SSDT as a mythical wonder, as Scotland to me back then seemed like a land so far away. I always dreamed of riding in the SSDT one day, and because of this I followed the history of this great event each year." Michaud explained with passion. "I think when Yrjo Vesterinen won the SSDT in 1980, it was an important moment for the trial as now the event had a new appeal and importance for the foreign riders."
Thierry rode his first SSDT in 1982 after having watched his friend Gilles Burgat conquer the Scottish Highlands a year earlier. "When I saw Gilles win I thought to myself, now I want to win this special trial and here my dream began again, but this time I believed it could actually come true. For factories like Fantic the SSDT was now the second World championship, so all the teams and riders wanted to come to Fort William to win this special trophy.”
With real emotion in his voice, Michaud continues. “During my first Scottish we had snow, and although it was a tough week, I was riding well and in the top five going into the last day. The final day was a disaster, but still I finished tenth and was the best newcomer, which was my first big result for SWM. I shared a room with Bernie Schreiber that year who won the SSDT, so I got to see how he won it from the inside.”
Michaud was to put his newfound knowledge to good use when he returned twelve months later to finish as a close runner up to Toni Gorgot. In 1984 Thierry came to Scotland with one goal, and that was to win. “All week I was fighting with Eddy (Lejeune), but in the end my dream came true. I have special memories of that victory, and of being very proud as I went up to collect the trophy at the presentation. I will always remember the atmosphere in the hall that night as much as I remember the actual trial.” 1984 would be the last time the SSDT was won on a twin shock machine.
The likeable Frenchman was to enjoy two more such occasions over the next two years, as he twice beat Steve Saunders to the top spot on his new mono-shock Fantic. “When I beat Eddy I think the British people supported me, but when I was fighting with Steve it was a different story. Perhaps my winning speech in 1985 will be remembered for me telling the story about the ‘bad’ observers, as I was young and a little stupid back then.” Michaud continued. “In 1986 the weather was terrible, I cried when I put my bike under the water at Callart on the last day, as I thought my victory had gone, but in the end I won again to complete my hat-trick.”
“The SSDT is the most important trial, and our sport owes much to this event.” Confirmed Thierry. “Without the SSDT the passion of trial would not live on. These sections can only be found in Scotland, and they are the real spirit of trials. The SSDT is the history, the future and the present of our sport all in one unique competition. I am proud to have been a winner of this incredible event, and in my opinion you are not a real trials rider until you ride the SSDT.”
Michaud ended strongly. “I have incredible respect for what the motor club has achieved. They were responsible for the birth of trials and they are still responsible for this great competition one hundred years later. I hope I can be there during this special week, as I love the SSDT and I love Scotland too, as the land is like no other place in the World.”
Marking its centenary, the 2011 Scottish Six Days Trial will take place in and and around Fort William between Monday 2nd and Saturday 7th May – for more details please visit www.ssdt.org
Click here to view the provisional 2011 SSDT entry list [EL]
Click here to view images [1] [2] [3]
Images by kind permission of Eric Kitchen
High Resolution copyright free versions for media – editorial use available on request.

100 YEARS OF THE SCOTTISH SIX DAY TRIAL
The event actually originated as a five-day reliability trial back in July 1909, before being extended to a six-day competition a year later. However the start of the Scottish Six Day Trial (SSDT) proper as organised by the then newly formed Edinburgh and District Motor Club began in 1911. In those early years the trial started and finished in Edinburgh with the route taking the riders to John O’Groats and back over the course of the week. Fort William was introduced as the hub for the event in 1938, although the start and finish remained in Edinburgh, which continued to be the case until all links with the Scottish city were cut in 1977. Today the SSDT consists of six different daily routes that total approximately five hundred miles, which begin and end in Fort William each day.
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