FIVE MINUTES
Jorge Casales
A very modest young man, eighteen-year-old Jorge Casales has just finished a really excellent year in his first season as a factory rider in the Gas Gas School of Champions team. The World Junior Champion also finished a very respectable fourth place in the Spanish National Championship. The more knowledgeable Spanish fans are already comparing him to Adam Raga due to his affinity to the ‘Gasser’ and his ability to keep winning titles. Jorge certainly still has his feet firmly on the ground though, and appreciates the difficult path that he must follow if he is to equal his elder’s success. What has changed for you since you became a factory Gas Gas rider? I have responsibilities that I did not have before; apart from that, everything is working perfectly You have signed for five years. Do you represent the present and future of the marque? I don’t think so. There are also some very good riders as good as or even better than me out there. I was lucky to have this opportunity and I profited from it. I asked for a five year contract and as you have already seen it’s the cornerstone of the School of Champions programme. I did have a very good year in 2012. This year in the National class I started very quietly and in the world championship I got the result that neither myself nor the factory were expecting.
“…I felt at home in the Spanish championship. Its rules are better
for me than the no-stop…”
You have said you got offers from other factories but you will remain with Gas Gas. What was the attraction? I have always loved the TXT Pro 300. It is light, stable and above all very reliable. Also the fact that I have been riding these machines since the age of six had a big influence. The Gas Gas is a machine that I adore everyday a little more. Year after year the evolutions are always positive. Your new team-mate is Adam Raga, an institution at Gas Gas. How is your relationship with him? Normal. Your new minder, David Darnes, was minding for Adam in 2012 He is an excellent minder but above all a great person. He is quick, able and a very good mechanic. You are originally from Vigo but as a factory rider you spend a lot of time in Barcelona. Has that changed you? Yes; the climate, the language, the riding conditions, the way of training, the food, everything is different. It was hard to begin with but Gas Gas looked after me very well and I really felt at home. I cannot thank them enough for that. In the end I think I have adapted very well as I have only one objective: progress in trials! Until now you have only had the aid of your parents and a personal sponsor. Yes, I owe it all to my parents and I dedicate my progress to them along with the local federation and Arjones Moto. These fellow Galicians have really helped as well. How did you manage leaving home? To live independently; was it difficult? I left very young. It wasn’t as if I left to study with all my fellow students around me. For me it was a challenge to practice an extreme sport. Cycle trials allowed me to escape; I never gave it a thought. Once the season has started I feel better. What is the daily routine of a pro rider? I get up every day at 8.00; I practice until 13.00 and then go home to the house I share with David. After this we do the maintenance and the setting up of the machine. At 18.00 I go to the gym. At the weekend I ride cycle trials. Like Raga you won all the junior titles: between 2008 and 2011 and you were the Spanish champion in the youngest, Cadet, Junior and TR2 classes Yes, my progression was pretty rapid. You won the World Junior title and after debuting in the TR1 National class last year you have become the fifth rider in the Spanish championship. You were even able to split the four ‘extra-terrestrials’ of Bou, Raga, Fajardo and Cabestany in one round, what do you need to do better to look for a podium or even a victory? Since the beginning of the season I felt at home in the Spanish championship. Its rules are better for me than the no-stop, of which I have still not fully mastered the technique to my satisfaction. I need some more years of experience, the hours spent on the machine and the training that goes with it! I also need to avoid injury, and hope that Gas Gas continues to believe in me and… that the force is with me!