Words by: Dan Lamb – Photo by: Hoppenworld
The French have been invading Monster Energy Supercross with top tier talent for decades, and the French presence is as strong as ever with top tier former World Champions like Rockstar Energy / Husqvarna’s Christophe Pourcel and Red Bull / KTM’s Marvin Musquin contesting the 450SX class. Enter the European Supercross Champion from 2011, 2012 and 2014, BUD Racing / Kawasaki’s Cedric Soubeyras, into the Eastern Regional 250SX Championship fighting for top tens, and now the French can fly their brand of red white and blue in both classes.
After narrowly losing the Arenacross UK Championship in a wild finale that can only be described as a demolition derby meets AX, Cedric jumped the pond to try and put his name into an American team manager’s line of sight in the hopes of getting a deal to race here in the US full time. Cedric has contested a random race here or there in the US, but this time he is coming at it wide open.
Since arriving here for the 2016 Daytona SX, Cedric has finished twelfth, thirteenth and finally broke into the top ten with a ninth last weekend in Detroit. Top ten is always the first goal for any main event guy, so now that that’s out of the way, expect to see the #201 working towards the top five.
After his ninth in Detroit, MotoXAddicts’ Chase Yocom introduced himself to Cedric and talked to him about his night in Detroit and his long term goal of moving to the US full time.
Check out the video of demolition derby meets Arenacross UK staring #120 Soubeyras, Coulon and Ramette.
Cedric, it’s pretty cool seeing you over here in the United States racing. Ninth place in the main event tonight. How was it for you out there?
It was pretty good. From the practice, I was feeling alright on my BUD Racing / Kawasaki bike. I expected to be in the top ten from a long time. I went here to be in the top ten. Now I finished 9th. I worked so hard during the final, because I knew I had to keep this position in the top ten and it’s what I got. I even pushed to be maybe 8 or 7, but 9 was pretty good. In the last lap I say, “Okay, if I try for more and I fell off, I would be mad,” so 9 is good.
 :
Just hang on, right? (laughs)
Yeah, exactly.
What did you think of the track tonight? The track looked very technical, especially the whoops. What did you think?
Overall, the track was good for me, because it was looking a little bit like France and Europe.
Arenacross style a little bit?
Yes, Arenacross style a little bit. The ground was hard and the whoops were really tough. Even if they looked small, the second section was hard to keep a good rhythm in them. I’m good in the whoops normally, but it was so hard for me to keep the rhythm in the second section. I’m really happy about myself on the track, and now I’m going to keep working. There is still four races to go for me, and I want to be in the top ten again.
It seemed like right towards the end of the whoops there was one that was a different size—more peaked out—that stopped everyone’s momentum.
Yeah, we could go so fast for the first six or seven whoops, but the last three were incredible. You couldn’t keep your speed in them. I even saw in the 450’s it was a problem—not for just the last guy, it was everybody. I saw maybe Justin Brayton was the fastest in the whoops today. He was incredibly fast in them. I was looking at him because, when he comes to Europe, he has all the time good rhythm. He’s really fast. I’ll keep working, and it will work to be in the top ten again, I think.
Now that you’re racing in America, where are you staying and training at? Are you hanging out with the other French riders like Marvin Musquin and Christophe Pourcel, or are you doing your own thing?
I stay at my friends house in Clermont, Florida, next to Marvin and Christophe. Actually I train at Christophe’s house and tracks with Marvin and him during the week sometimes. It’s fun to find them, because we spent so much time together when we were young—and with Arnaud Tonus. We spend all our young races together, and it’s great feeling to be here with them. I try my best to follow them. They are incredible fast for me. I have to see them, take the best from them and try my best in the race.
How much different is it for you racing in America compared to at home in Europe?
The tracks are much bigger—a lot. Actually, when I go to Europe, I race to win. Here, I race to get top ten. It’s a big difference. For sure when I’m out of the gate, my goal is to be first in the first turn, but there are many factory riders, many good riders. I know that I can’t, but I try my best to be in that position.
We’ve seen guys like Ryan Villopoto go from the US to the GP’s and struggle, so it’s just one of those things. There’s a learning curve for every level from one series to the next. You have to get here and learn it.
Villopoto went in the GP season, and the GP season is completely different. The racing is different. The riders around are different. Actually, even the weather, and tracks are not graded like here. It was hard for him, but for me, indoors in France in Supercross is smaller. Even when we go to Lille, there is many American guys there they are a bit faster, but we don’t have a gap like today. Today we have a really big gap. When I race against Malcolm Stewart in the practice, I’m like three seconds slower. In France, I have a smaller gap.
Even the food is quite a bit different. Have you found any good French restaurants in Clermont? (laughs)
Yeah, actually! The best restaurant I’ve found is at Marvin Musquin’s house. (laughs) Mathilde—Marvin’s wife—is inviting us, and we are very happy because we know we are going to get proper French food and really good cooking. I could never thank them enough. I really appreciate them, and I really appreciate Marvin from a young age. We were best friends, we went skiing together, so it’s a real good feeling to be here with him.
What’s the main goal for you now over here? Are you hoping to come to America and race full time here?
Actually, I don’t know, ’cause you know…
You gotta go where the money’s at, for sure.
Yeah, exactly. I’m here, but I have to pay by myself. It’s really hard for me. It’s a friend of mine that’s being my mechanic. He’s not even a mechanic in France, so it’s really hard for them. If someone offered me the opportunity to ride outdoors or for Supercross next year, for sure I would take it because in France it’s going down, so I want to try my best to be in the best place ever in the world to race. It’s what I want to do, and even when I have to pay for it myself, I’m doing it. That’s why if it happened, I would take my chances.
Well, it’s nice to have another fast Frenchman over here, and congrats on the good night. We look forward to seeing you in Indianapolis.
Thank you, and thank you to having me. I have one week rest and back to work.
