ONE PHOTO & ONE STORY: CHRISTOPHE POURCEL

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By John Basher

Christophe Pourcel is one of the most elusive and private riders I’ve ever met. Guarded and quiet, the Frenchman first burst onto the U.S. scene in 2007 for a three-race 250 West Supercross stint aboard a Pro Circuit Kawasaki KX250F. He finished 1st, 2nd, and 21st. It was apparent that Pourcel knew his way around a Supercross track, but he did little to bolster his image. He evaded the media, instead letting his results do the talking. Still, people wanted to know about the reclusive rider from Marseilles, France. That didn’t matter to Christophe. He left as fast as he arrived in America. After all, he had a 250 World Championship title to defend.

On August 22, 2007, Pourcel was involved in a horrifying crash at the Grand Prix of Northern Ireland. He suffered a broken back, which resulted in partial paralysis for quite some time. Christophe fought through the debilitating injury, although the substantial layoff from racing kept him out of the public eye. That will happen to any injured rider, but Pourcel’s name seemingly evaporated into thin air. However, Christophe had signed a deal with Mitch Payton’s Pro Circuit effort in 2007 that was structured for multiple seasons. Pourcel couldn’t race in 2008, but he was healthy enough to compete in 2009. He rewarded Pro Circuit with back-to-back 250 East titles in 2009-’10, and finished inside the top three outdoors both years.

Then Christophe Pourcel hit a snag in the system. He was supposed to be a shining star in the 450 class, but he couldn’t land a ride. Was it due to politics? A poor attitude? Money? Rumor had it that Pourcel was headed to the Kawasaki factory 450 team, but that didn’t pan out when Jake Weimer got the ride instead. As a result, Pourcel had nowhere to go. Instead of taking a sub-par ride, he stuck to his guns and sat on the sidelines for the 2011 Supercross series. Christophe rode motos at his Groveland, Florida, property on a borrowed Kawasaki KX450F courtesy of Mitch Payton while his competitors were racing in stadiums around the country.

I’ll go on record by saying that Christophe Pourcel is a great human being. Sure, he ducks the media and doesn’t have the best reputation, but it’s unfair to say that Pourcel is a jerk. He’s not. Forgive me for using this analogy, especially for a French rider, but Christophe is like a fine wine. He’s gotten better with age. His quirkiness and dry sense of humor are lost on a lot of people. That’s too bad. Even so, I was a bit worried on a spring day in 2011 as Dennis Stapleton and I pulled up to his compound in Florida. Pourcel’s then-manager, Russ Stratton, gave me specific orders on what I could and couldn’t do. I was guaranteed an interview, but wasn’t allowed inside Christophe’s house unless invited. I could shoot photos of Pourcel riding, but not photos of his house. I was a bundle of nerves as I pulled the rental car up to the Pourcel estate.

“CHRISTOPHE SAID, ‘YOU NEED PHOTOS FOR THIS MAGAZINE STORY, YEAH? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO DO?’ IT WAS A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DREAM SCENARIO. I POINTED TO SEVERAL SPOTS ON THE TRACK I THOUGH HE LOOKED ESPECIALLY COMFORTABLE RIDING. HE CRACKED A SMILE. ‘SO YOU’RE SAYING THAT I DON’T LOOK GOOD ANYWHERE ELSE ON THE TRACK?’ POURCEL LAUGHED AS HE RODE AWAY.”

Christophe greeted me the way he always does. With a devilish smile he said, “What are you doing here? You’re not supposed to be here.” I muffled a response, “But Russ Stratton said…” He cut me off, cracked a smile, and invited Dennis and I inside. At that point I didn’t know what to do. “But Russ Stratton said…” Christophe cackled. “I know what Russ said. Come on in, but don’t touch anything.” Dennis and I looked at each other, shrugged our shoulders, and went inside.

It took an hour before we gained Pourcel’s trust. We chatted for a while before I could pin him down for an interview. He opened up and spoke freely about his career up to that point, the devastating injury, failing to get a ride, and why he preferred Florida over anywhere else in the world. It was an enlightening experience.

After that Pourcel geared up and did a moto on his sandy outdoor track. He was fluid and stylish as ever, having not missed a beat despite skipping the Supercross series. After loosening up, Christophe pounded out laps on his Supercross track. Dennis and I wondered how the Frenchman would have finished in his first 450 Supercross season. He looked just as good as Ryan Dungey and Ryan Villopoto.

Christophe pulled off the track and rode over to us. He said, “You need photos for this magazine story, yeah? What would you like me to do?” It was a photographer’s dream scenario. I pointed to several spots on the track I thought he looked especially comfortable riding. He cracked a smile. “So you’re saying that I don’t look good anywhere else on the track?” Pourcel laughed as he rode away. The whole shoot lasted half an hour. It was a great time.

Can you believe that Christophe Pourcel has yet to ride the AMA 450 Supercross series? That’s about to change, as he’ll line up in 2016 as part of the Rockstar Husqvarna effort. I can’t wait to see what he can do. After all, it’s five years in the making. Better yet, I’m anxious to see what he says on the podium after winning his first 450 Supercross main.