Jérôme FARAILL : First question, how are you doing now, i saw an information that said that you were training young guns for Honda in Spain (?)..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Yeah well, these last couple years I had my own team and I helped a lot of riders since 2009, when I finished my career on the world championship. I’ve been being team owner for almost 10 years now. This 2019 I stop with the team, just because I needed to find a new path and do some changes. I still ride and race a lot in spain and I still being attached with Honda Spain doing some media and different things for days nowadays.

Jérôme FARAILL : If correct how did you find this deal (connexions..?)

Javi GARCIA VICO : I Always had a pretty good relationship with honda during my career, after the last two years with them at the MX1 championship, Honda Spain offered my a good program to help young riders and make them progress through my experience and knowledge, we had achieved pretty good results during the last 10 years.

Jérôme FARAILL : Do you propose some train camps in other countries..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : I have had some offers to do some camps and work all over Europe, but after a lot of years living in center of Europe, I just choosed to do some training camps and work back in my city in Barcelona.

Jérôme FARAILL : What is your main motivation when you train young riders or maybe some olders..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Attitude and character with motivation it’s what pumps me up and motivates me on the camps and training days. See all the riders progressing through the week and then see the results in the races is what keeps me going and going…

Jérôme FARAILL : Back in past.. About your Career : are you agree with that facts : you had 3 nice « parts – phases » during this one, in the 90’s (1994..), between 2001 and 2003 and 2006..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Yes, at the beginning it was pretty hard due the economic crisis, I come from a pretty humble, hard working family. So it was not easy, I was not called for a big results, I worked as a mechanic until I was 18 years old in a moto company. My first world championship race was Bellpuig 1994 and I did qualified with a stock bike and my dad as a mechanic. There was 140 riders battleing to get into the race through qualify, so for me that it was a big step. In 95 I did two European races, Spain and Portugal and I won the Spanish round in Jerez. After these results I was able to fund some money and do the whole championship later in 1996, I was my own mechanic and rider through the races, and a friend used to come with me to help me out traveling, Nowadays this couldn’t be done. Everything has changed a lot. After that I had a good relationship with Team RZ Yamaha and then I did the world championship 250 class with them. I was able to get into top 10 pretty often. Later on at MXoN in 1998 I did a pretty good race, I lead the race for a lot of laps after passing Doug Henry leading by 20 seconds, until the last lap where I had a small crash making me ending in second place. It was unbelievable for me because at that time Doug Henry was the AMA champion in 98. After these race I had a lot of programs and offers from different teams. I decided to sign with Team RZ and move to Italy for 1999 and 2000 with the help of Team Yamaha Rinaldi with some Factory support. I finished 7 in the overall standings in 1999, later on 2000 I had some good races but some mistakes keeps us far from where we belonged. For 2001 I had my own team with the help of Kees van der Ven, finishing in 4 and I was able to gain some experience in the sand so after that I moved to Holland. 2002 I ended up 3^rd in the world championship with Team Movistar Vico, my own team having some good battles with Smets, Everts, Bervoets, Bartolini… After that season, in 2003 I had the opportunity to be Factory rider for KTM Factory Team and ended up in 2^nd. Then I signed with Aprilia Factory Team for 2004 but it wasn’t what I expected. It was hard because at that point I was in my prime conditions, both mentally and physically. They ended up paying for two std Honda and I finished in 6 place in the championship. After everything they decided to stop the program which caused me to had to stay at home for a bit. Later on I signed with Repsol Movistar Honda Martin for the seasons 2005 and 2006 I was able to get some good results during the off season but just before starting the championship I had a pretty bad crash hurting my back which made me just race half of the championship where I was sitting in 10 overall. In 2006 I was in good conditions doing some good results in pre season, for me it was a pretty good year, but in South Africa I had a bad crash snapping my ankle while I was sitting on 7 in the standings made me end 12^th overall in the MX1. After this in I decided to quit my career in the world championship, it was a pretty hard decision for me after a lot of years. In 2007 I found a team to race the AMA Outdoor Nationals in the USA. The team was Moto XXX Honda and just before start the season I had a crash during a test where I ended up hurting my back and my ankle. I’d like to thank Carlos Rivera because he gave me some good advices and took care of everything while in the states. In 2008 and 2009 I did just a few races both motocross and supercross just to have fun and enjoy riding.

Jérôme FARAILL : Can you explain for us the fact that after 2003 you « disappeared from the MX Mondial’ Scene » to come back in 2006 because during these years you were very fast and popular..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well the only problem I had was in 2004 but we were able to find a way with the team. For me it was a big disappointment because I was expecting something different. After being able to get close to top 5 with a std Honda, during the negotiation problems with the team.

Jérôme FARAILL : You have the chance to have a home championship very dynamic, can you explain to us this fact..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : So here in Spain we always have been pretty fast on hardpack tracks, and the Spanish championship has been a good trampoline for some of us, we had good years with tv involved and sponsors. In total I have 15x Spanish championships and we took some things from the world championship to applied here, which made our own championship better overall.

Jérôme FARAILL : Do you consider that you are a Motocross Rider « and » a Supercross Rider or are you definitely a Motocross Rider..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well. I consider myself a pretty polyvalent rider, I have pretty good results in Supercross also against the American riders in Europe. They are different disciplines, and its not easy to do good in Motocross and Supercross at the same time,

Jérôme FARAILL : What is your opinion about the actual MXGP and MX2 championships, do you think that the speed is higher than before, is there more or less money for the riders to gain for you..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : I think the speed its pretty close between both, but nowadays with all the bike changes and information in how to train physically and bike riding, the championship is more close, there is not much difference between the first and the last and in the bikes. Now we have more factory teams and bikes, and the stb base from stock bikes are pretty good for developing. About the money I think when they took the contingency prices out it was a big mistake, because not all the riders have contracts with factory teams and sponsors.

Jérôme FARAILL : We all can see the return of the 2 strokes on the amateurs’ side, is that something cool for you..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Yeah for sure, for me I always loved the two smoke, I use to train with a Honda CR 250 sometimes now and the feelings are way different from four strokes and its super fun. The sound is awesome while riding and the cost of maintenance compared with the four strokes is way cheaper and interesting for the amateurs.

Jérôme FARAILL : About the social networking, is that something « natural » for you to be there on them or you consider like Marc de Reuver said to me that can be very « fake » and dangerous for the mind..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Marc is right, social media can make a good play in some riders mind nowadays, which can be a good or bad. In my opinion I see a lot of sci-fy. I experienced myself on the team, where some riders weren’t respecting the agreements and work of the team and sponsors. Nowadays the social media is far from the reality, what it counts is the results in the races, not what they make us to see or believe through all the different social media platforms.

Jérôme FARAILL : We saw many ex-MX riders continue their careers in Enduro, is this something you thought about at a moment of your career..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Yes, definitely I thought about it, I had some opportunities but I choosed to stay in Motocross, I had a pretty long career and at the end I was pretty tired. Also the enduro had some changes.

Jérôme FARAILL : Can you tell us whitch Riders are the best for you in Mondial and Pro Motocross, do you see some future talents..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Nowadays there is a lot of young bucks and talented riders. For example Jorge Prado who is changing the game a lot and doing pretty good results. I also like Vialle, Mitch Evans, Iker Larrañaga Ruben Fernandez. And in Pro Motocross Ty Masterpool, Forkner and some Amateur Stars like Max Vohland, Nick Romano or Jarret Frye, to name a few.

Jérôme FARAILL : Did you think at a moment to build your own Team in Mondial..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well I had my own Team in the world championship back in the 2001 and 2002 but as a rider, Team Repsol Movistar KTM. But as a owner I did think a lot about it, but nowadays you need a big basement to be able to manage a team in the world championship.

Jérôme FARAILL : What is your kind of mentality : « no regrets about the past, the past is the past » or you feel a lack of something inside you..?  

Javi GARCIA VICO : For me achieving all that I did, coming from where I came it was awesome, I always did my best inside and outside the track and being able to battle with riders and share podiums with Everts, McGrath, Smets, Bartolini.. was a mayor accomplishment. I will never forget this…

Jérôme FARAILL : How do you define « « Motocross »..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well. Motocross, Supercross, Dirtbikes, Training, Races, Effort, Success, for me.. It’s ME!

Jérôme FARAILL : We all can see many children of Champions start a career in Motocross, what is your opinion about this fact because « sometimes, we don’t know, but this option was maybe not in the mind of the kid »..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : I like this question. It’s true. As It happens In a lot of different sports.

Jérôme FARAILL : Spain is a country where top riders can ride during the inter season due to the very cool weather conditions, can we say that Spain is the « south California of Europe »..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Yes in terms of weather we have pretty nice weather during winter, but much of the tracks are way far off the so-cal tracks and industry. But it’s a nice country to do the Pre-Season.

Jérôme FARAILL : What is you opinion and vision about the design of the tracks in Mondial and US actually, which main changes do you see if we compare them from the beginning of 2000..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well the tracks are pretty much the same, nowadays the prep it more from Saturday to Sunday due more classes riding and I think in terms of security it has improved a lot lately. The only big change is the starting grit with the metal.

Jérôme FARAILL : This week-end GP’s are in Russia, can you tell us some of the best moments you have lived there in 2002..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well for me the Russian GP it’s gonna be always super special. I made History being the first Spanish rider to win a GP back in 2002.

Jérôme FARAILL : Do you think that to be a Top Rider in Ama Motocross was a possible option for you during your career..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : Well it was all about the opportunities, I had one during my career but at that moment I was pretty well surrounded by the team and sponsors so it was a tuff decision to take.

Jérôme FARAILL : What is the words you use everyday during training camps or in life (« Never give up..! »)..?

Javi GARCIA VICO : A quote I always use is. We are stronger than the pain.

(Exclusive Interview – Texte Copyright Exclusif (toute reproduction même partielle interdite) © 2019 Jérôme Faraill pour MXVOICE.RACING ©, Photos : Muchas Gracias Javi GARCIA VICO)

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