The second thing rather shocking of this week end, is to see contrast with the level of riding of the preceding editions, this year the level was power 3! Impossible also not to evoke the mass of spectator who is joined together this weekend, and let us not even speak about the registered number of riders which transformed organization and the timing of the q
ualifications of Saturday into a true nightmare! Qualifications were not easy neither to organize, neither to ride, nor to look at as so much things were make. It was hard to supervise all riders and young wolves which wanted to show what they were able to. This is not always obvious, and that has to create a little frustration for some people but Pessac is victim of its own success! Nevertheless the spectacle offered to the public was more than exceptional. In qualification amateur on the park, we had right at all or almost!
Riders were super technical and super clean, whip maniacs with the image of local rider Arnaud Merigeau (Pessac), or some Junior Mirra with large blows of flipwhips on the volcano and perfect flair in curve. This year the whip having become a routine and the fashion was with the flair on the park. Grégory Masson (Morlai) carries logically in front of Thierry François (Vallabrix) and Pierre Blonbel (Brive). Nothing to repeat, the final was sumptuous and raises more than assured! 
In dirt amateur it was the same one. This year the bumps made by Patrick “Patoche” Guimez and all the crew were quite conceited, thus operating a small natural selection among the applicants. 
The qualifications were difficult for the riders which discovered the bumps, moreover the temperature was rather fresh but fortunately the sun was quite present! As on the park, the spectacle was here, in particular during the final. We had right to all the panoply or almost, containing 360°, superman, whip, flip, 720° And like always of the more or less painful releasing in frontflip, double whip and of the attempt of a 360° backflip on the enormous first double of 7 m length! Nobody were there to apparently laugh. As last year Sebastien Huruguen (Medoc) carries in front of Mathieu Chaventre (St-Nazaire) and Laurent Maunier (Pauvrières). 
This year it was also necessary to count on the girls to represent Bmx. The final crowns Julie Quet (St Gamas) in front of the reportrice Melanie Chaluleau (Paris) and Melody Collange (Naucelles). Gently but surely, French female BMX finds its place. Another great moment of the week end, is the amateurs of less than sixteen years which had turn over the park. In pants and the feather in the wind: a getup which does not pass unperceived! Maxence Pont (Gouesnou) gains the final in front of Lucien Lextreyr (Valence) and Damien Torres (Pessac).
One turns over outside to benefit from the spectacle offered by the Pro on these double truths of Dirt. There too, this is not obvious, the number of registered riders is incredible, much riders made displacement and only few elected will have the right to dispute the finale of Sunday. One will retain the arrival of Clement Remeau or of accustomed Jérémy Muller which does not qualify unfortunately for the final, so you can guess there was level! You should retained the young person of Mathis Bienaimé who is thrown into enormous frontflip on the first double twice, a tricks finally perfectly landed by Vincent Massardier who will finish 3rd. Certainly most known and most popular from abroad come to discover Pessac this year, Kye Forte who really give pleasure to the public with enormous 360° table as him only can do it on famous the first double. Stephan Renaud who rides like a man, but does not have is enough to preserve its title here at Pessac, finally gained by phenomenal Patrick Guimez who truly tore bumps! 
One will retain well on the performance of the young Yassin, Bibi more insane than ever with 3.6 whip and flip whip in series! Enormous as, the graduated 360° and others tailwhips of Pascal Baquet as have seldom sees in dirt! The quality of the spectacle in dirt was really exceptional this year thanks to the truly imposing bumps and the riders always more undertaking and precise! The finale Pro park was the “cherry on the cake”. This year there were not badly foreign, leaving some French riders on the bench despite there talent. With the menu, Jimmy Nanbelle a young 17 year old Belgian who is well sent himself in the air this week end, in particular in frontflip on the fun box, one finds also our preferred Dutch Barry Kohne, which gave its crown concerned with blow of alley oop downside whip in the mini.
One was quite glad to see some English, in particular Luke Towey, who’s by excellence a tech rider which will finish 6th Just behind the inimitable style of large Kye Forte. JB Peytavit hangs one 3rd place deserved well thanks to a quite consistent run, spiced by a bus exit after a grind in top of the wall! It is finally Maxime Charveron who is best representing French in this final with a beautiful second place with blow of downside whips or pedal grind 270° out in top the wall! As incredible was the level of Maxime, I think nobody could compete this week end with Mike Miller. Small but stylish, this young guy put everyone in agreement and the public in his pocket thanks to a style and a fluidity at any test. It was one of the most pleasant moments of this week end which to observe him turn over the park with a disconcerting ease! After a 360° whip in curve, its victory is definitively unanimous! The handing-over of the prices is occasion for all these riders to say itself goodbye in good mood. It would be said that Barry Kohne was not decided to leave, he rides the mini Braun until he finally returned Backflip to Fufanu! And here is that completes a magic week end as only Pessac can do it.
VU of Pessac has struck a great blow once again! We give you appointment next year for the 10th edition with full surprises!
Olivier Morineau
After doing a BMX 'zine for ten years (1987 - 1996) FATBMX made it on the internet. The year was 1998. Here to stay.