Mederic ‘Mede’ Dellannoy
It can be quite funny sometimes, in the travels of your life, how you make friends. I was in Marseille France for an FIM X-Trial round some three or four years ago, and I was looking for somewhere to eat. Alexandre Ferrer, the French Sherco rider, had noticed that I was looking a little lost and invited me to have something to eat with them before the competition started. Around the table, I soon got talking
– in my very broken French – to his minder Mederic Delannoy or ‘Mede’ as he is better known. He mentioned he had a secret passion for classic trials encouraged by his father. We would continue to speak whenever we met at the world championship rounds, and then he was on the podium at the
2017 Costa Brava Two Day Trial in Spain. He vowed to make the top step of the podium in 2018, and despite some strong competition he did just that. Here is the story of his adventure into the world of classic trials.
How long have you been interested in competing in motorcycle trials?
At the tender age of six years old, I was allowed to throw my young legs over the seat of a semi-automatic Honda 70XR by my father, Laurent. It was a dream come true to be riding on two wheels, borne out of a passion from my father for motorcycles. I can still remember those fun times shared between a father and son as such happy times. He had, at a very young age and like me, taken an interest in motorcycle trials many years ago and grown up with the sport.
Where was your first competition?
With my father, we had become involved with a club, and we had been taking the Honda 70XR along for me to enjoy my riding in a more controlled environment. It soon became apparent that the Honda was not the best machine to ride in the trials hazards and soon I would become the proud owner of a Gas Gas 80. In my mind, I was now a true trials rider riding a trials motorcycle; I was very happy, to say the least. My progress soon accelerated, and I became much more confident.
What were your interests in your younger days at school, were you into football?
Along with so many young people, I enjoyed the sport when I was going through the education process. I took an interest in Rugby because I loved the physical aspect of it, but in my own heart there was always only going to be one sport I wanted to participate in, and that was motorcycle trials.
Who was your sporting hero when you were growing up?
My hero was, and still is, Dougie Lampkin; we share the same birthday believe it or not. I was very privileged to see him riding during the height of his successful career; he was an incredible rider, so focussed and so professional. I think it was in 2001, when I was an official at the French FIM World Championship round at Ancelles, when he took a hefty fall. His late father, Martin, was instructing him to stand up like only Martin could: “Stand up, let’s go, be strong!” he shouted, motivating him to continue. Despite the pain from the fall, Dougie was back on the machine and eventually took the win. This is the spirit of a true champion.
From that day on, I became more inspired, and it boosted my confidence, knowing just what you had to do to succeed. I still have the highest respect for Dougie Lampkin.
We first noticed you when you started minding for Alexandre Ferrer. Why the move to minding?
I became the French Champion in the S2 Class in 2009 and also made the podium in the S1 Class riding a Beta. As I was now working, I had less time to train, which I needed to do to compete at the higher levels of riding. As I am very competitive by nature, I was getting frustrated with my results which were suffering because of the lack of training. I started to help my fellow French rider Cedric Tempier and then Steven Coquelin, and found that I could enjoy being a part of the higher level of riders without actually competing. I still wanted the same goals, to be the very best, and I felt this was the best way to achieve my ambitions but with a rider as part of a team. I have always been friends with Alexandre Ferrer since my childhood when we started riding motorcycles together when we were kids. It was a very natural progression to start to work for him, we have a very strong relationship, and that’s why, for me, it is an honour to help him achieve his ambitions in motorcycle trials.
And you train together?
Yes, we are both very competitive in the gym and in any form of training. Alex has had some challenging injuries in his career, but with my encouragement and by training together, we have been able to push the limits of one another.
What’s your full-time job?
Away from the motorcycle world, I am a truck driver in Aix en Provence, France. It’s a full-time job, but it’s straightforward for me to find the time to work and train with Alex. As you all know the commitment to be a full-time minder in the world of trials takes up so much time, but as we are such good friends it’s always a pleasure to work with him. In life, you can always be a truck driver, but the value of spending quality time with friends is so precious.
How much time does the minding take up during a year?
It’s been five years since I started with Alex. The majority of my spare time is dedicated to motorcycles. We spend so much time together, it’s more of a family relationship than work. Alex and I are like brothers. We train together, work on the machines together — yes, including the Fantic — and we socialise together. When he married, I was his Best Man, which I considered an absolute honour and yes, I will stand by his side for many more years to come.
Has the move for Alexandre into the Trial2 class been good for him?
Yes, it has been very beneficial for Alex. It has allowed him to remain as part of a factory team and keep him competitive. He became stale in TrialGP, but the new-found confidence in the Trial2 class has taken him back to the competitive nature of wanting to win. His move from the 300cc machine to the 250cc has been very challenging as he is physically such a big strong guy; in this class, you can give nothing away. The win in France this year in Trial2 was very rewarding.
Do you still compete in modern trials?
No, because I am part of the ‘modern’ scene all year with Alex while the classic scene is a much more relaxed atmosphere, despite being very competitive. I found it very interesting to see what I could achieve on the twin-shock Fantic. It’s hard work but very rewarding when you ‘clean’ a hazard on the classic machine as you have to put so much more effort in. Modern machines are so good that you can become lazy with your riding!
At what point did you start competing in classic trials?
My father has always been into motorcycle trials. He has ridden and owned many machines, including Bultaco and SWM, and a really nice Triumph Tiger Cub which he prepared and modified for trials.
It was around two or three years ago that I started to become more interested in the classic trials scene. I have ridden the Triumph on various occasions, and this is what gave me the idea to build my own classic trials machine.
Why a Fantic?
Not really for any other reason than the fact that many people told me that they were easier to find and possibly the one that can be the most competitive. I started to look around and tested a few, and then I found one at an excellent price and the project to build my machine began.
The purchase price for the Fantic was very good but, as the saying goes, ‘You get what you pay for’, and yes, it was in very poor condition.
Our ‘Mr Fantic’ man in France is Michel Achard. He has supported me all the way with my project build, and it was he who gave me the idea to install the 1989 305 engine into the 240 model chassis. My machine is great, shall we say.
Was the 2018 Costa Brava win your most prominent in the world of classic competitions?
What an event. The organisation, riders, everything was, by far, the highlight of my short classic trials-riding career. I want to thank everyone who made it such an incredible victory. I can now, at last, say that I beat Takahisa Fujinami, ‘Fujigas’ in a trial! It was beyond my wildest dreams. Happy days!
What is your favourite classic event?
I have to say Costa Brava because I won it, but you must also remember the Ventoux Trial Classic. These are legendary events, and I shall be inviting John Hulme to the Ventoux in the near future.
You seem to be quite a young rider of classic machines, what is the attraction?
As I have already said, I watch the modern trials all the time with Alex and, after a while, I need to see something new. For me, this is classic trial. New events, new riders and, of course, new machines.
My dream is to ride the Scottish Six Days Trial on my twinshock Fantic. Since I built this ‘new’ machine I want to ride it in the ‘Scottish’. My friends say I am crazy but please watch this space; living the dream.
Mederic ‘Mede’ Delannoy: see you in Scotland.