{"id":38037,"date":"2017-06-17T08:22:43","date_gmt":"2017-06-17T06:22:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.enduro.nl\/?p=38037"},"modified":"2017-06-17T08:22:43","modified_gmt":"2017-06-17T06:22:43","slug":"christophe-charlier-confessions-of-a-rookie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/38037\/christophe-charlier-confessions-of-a-rookie\/","title":{"rendered":"Christophe Charlier: Confessions of a Rookie"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"christophe.charlier_EWC<\/a><\/p>\n

A few weeks after the Italian Grand Prix, we spoke to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team\u2019s newcomer:\u00a0Christophe CHARLIER (F).<\/strong>\u00a0The Corsican gives us his take on his switch from MX to Enduro, tells us about his first three Grand Prix, and let\u2019s us in on his medium-term goals in\u00a0EnduroGP<\/strong>…<\/p>\n

Hi Christophe, Enduro fans haven\u2019t got to know you yet, tell us about yourself\u2026
\nChristophe CHARLIER:\u00a0<\/strong>\u201cHello! I was very young when I started my career as a Motocrosser! In 2007 I won my first National Junior Supercross title. Then I was European MX2 Champion in 2009 before starting my career in the world series the following year.
\nMy best season was 2013 when I finished 4th in the MX2 championship; during that year I was on the podium several times and won twice. Then I suffered a string of injuries, the first coming in 2015, where I injured my knee (cruciate ligament) despite a pole position and a podium in the Czech Republic. I was advised not to have an operation, so I continued to ride but my results suffered. The following winter I decided to finally undergo surgery, but it meant I arrived at the start of the 2016 World season in a lower physical condition. Then I broke my pelvis. Again, I continued to ride without having an operation and I scored some Top 10 results in MXGP but the injury then turned into a hernia and I had to stop, the pain was too intense! So it was after this season that I met\u00a0Fabio<\/strong>\u00a0(FARIOLI<\/strong>) and decided to try my luck in Enduro.\u00a0<\/em>“<\/p>\n

Why did you decide to try EnduroGP after several seasons in MXGP?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cAs I said, I met\u00a0Fabio<\/strong>\u00a0during the off-season. He let me do some testing and we quickly came to an agreement. I\u2019ve followed Enduro for a very long time, it is a discipline that I really appreciate and enjoy, and there are many places where I can practice at home in Corsica. So, as soon as I had the opportunity to test factory bikes, I took it! Especially when I was offered a deal with Rockstar Husqvarna…\u00a0<\/em>“<\/p>\n

\u00ab What else do I need to win? Experience! \u00bb<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

After three Grand Prix, what\u2019s your opinion of your debut?
\nC.C<\/strong>: “The first months were a bit complicated. I had great difficulty adapting to riding in the woods, judging the distances between trees and looking out for rocks. It’s not something we see in MX… but now I have a lot of fun with it. I made a lot of progress with my riding and my bike settings thanks to the advice of\u00a0Christophe MEYER<\/strong>\u00a0and\u00a0Antoine MEO<\/strong>. In addition, riding in the Italian Championship allows me to gain experience and confidence – that\u2019s what I need to try and fight for the win. At the very beginning of the season, from the middle of the race, I often had a dip in form – the effort exerted is totally different in Enduro than in Motocross. Now I have also improved on this point and I feel that I am faster, more consistent and more of a threat…\u00a0<\/em>“<\/p>\n

The season started in Finland, so your first race was in the cold, ice, and snow. Conditions you couldn\u2019t have dreamt of riding in?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cIt’s true that I was not given an easy start in my new discipline! It was a tough Grand Prix but I think I didn\u2019t get on too badly. It was a great experience, and in MX we were never able to ride in those conditions! Honestly, if we were to return there in the future, it would be a pleasure for me. And next time I’ll be better prepared…<\/em>\u00a0“<\/p>\n

In Spoleto you were fighting for the podium on Saturday before injuring yourself on the Xtreme Test, where you were very fast. What did the weekend teach you?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cFrom the beginning of the day I knew I could set the fastest times through the Xtreme Test. But because I was fighting for the podium I wanted to gain a lot of advantage in the last XT, and I pushed too much, I took too much risk and I hurt myself. I learned that if you have the top time in a special test, you can win it by 3-4 seconds, you don\u2019t need to try and win it by 6 seconds for example, because that is where you will make mistakes. Always control and manage your efforts.\u00a0<\/em>“<\/p>\n

You are already close to your first podium, how much time are you giving yourself before you get a win?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cI have not really set a time limit for myself. Maybe I can get it soon if everything goes well but honestly, I do not put pressure on myself. It’s my very first year in Enduro, I’m here to learn first of all, so I\u2019m taking it easy and trying not to force things…<\/em>“<\/p>\n

\u00ab Corsica, It\u2019s paradise for Enduro riding\u2026 \u00bb<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

You are from Corsica, are you allowed to train on such a picturesque island?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cLiving in Corsica is great; it is paradise for Enduro! At the moment we have no problems with environmentalists or even with the police. Besides, to be honest, the police come to watch the training! I have had policemen standing at the side of a special test and cheering for me, and taking photos with me afterwards! Corsica, geographically speaking, is amazing – you encounter all types of terrain. Personally, I train in Aullene, where there are two MX tracks and an Enduro special test, and I also train at my club in Ajaccio; the Racing Moto Club Corsica. I have an Enduro Test, an Xtreme, and even a Supercross track! In addition, since people know that I have switched to Enduro, I see more and more riders practicing this discipline in Corsica.<\/em>\u00a0“<\/p>\n

What do you like and dislike about Enduro?
\nC.C<\/strong>: \u201cTo be frank… I like it all! And the things which I like less, I force myself to work harder so I can appreciate them too. Of course, there are things I like more than others, like the Cross Test and sometimes the Xtremes. I did not think that I would be as fast in this type of special test, but I must admit that in Spain and Italy I surprised myself; I enjoyed the Xtremes there and I was also very fast.<\/em>“<\/p>\n

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
\nC.C<\/strong>: “In 5 years, I still see myself in Enduro\u2026 with some World Titles! Then I would really like to head to the Rallies. I would like to make a career like\u00a0Meo<\/strong>\u2019s for example, he did incredible things in Enduro with several titles and then went to ride in the Dakar. I\u2019d like to complete the set – MX, Enduro and Rally. Why not try SuperEnduro too? It’s a discipline that I like, and that would really help me to improve technically for\u00a0EnduroGP<\/strong>!\u00a0<\/em>”\n<\/p>\n

Christophe CHARLIER C.V<\/strong><\/p>\n

Surname:\u00a0<\/strong>CHARLIER
\nFirst name<\/strong>: Christophe
\nNickname<\/strong>: CC23
\nNationality<\/strong>: French
\nD.O.B<\/strong>: 20th July 1991
\nFrom<\/strong>: Ajaccio (Corsica)
\nBike<\/strong>: Husqvarna 350 FE
\nNumber<\/strong>: 23
\nResults<\/strong>:
\n2007: French Junior SuperCross Champion
\n2008: 8th \u00a0 in European MX2 Championship
\n2009: European MX2 Champion
\n2010: 12th in MX2 World Championship \u2013 Italian MX2 Champion
\n2011: 12th in MX2 World Championship
\n2012: 19th in MX2 World Championship
\n2013: 4th in MX2 World Championship
\n2014: 8th in MX2 World Championship \u2013 Italian MX2 Champion
\n2015: 16th in MXGP World Championship
\n2016: 16th in MXGP World Championship
\n2017: Debut in EnduroGP<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A few weeks after the Italian Grand Prix, we spoke to Rockstar Energy Husqvarna Factory Racing team\u2019s newcomer:\u00a0Christophe CHARLIER (F).\u00a0The Corsican gives us his take on his switch from MX to Enduro, tells us about his first three Grand Prix, and let\u2019s us in on his medium-term goals in\u00a0EnduroGP… Hi Christophe, Enduro fans haven\u2019t got…<\/p>\n

Lees meer “Christophe Charlier: Confessions of a Rookie”<\/span> »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-38037","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ekwk"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38037","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38037"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38037\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38037"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38037"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/enduro.nl\/wordpress-enduronlnewsite\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38037"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}