Interview with Eric Miquel: “I want the Top3 of Trial125”

Question: Hi Eric, congratulations on the victory in today’s qualifying, but there is a reaction you had during the Qualy where Poirot, one of your rivals today on the last stone and in front of where you were sitting, fell and your reaction was to go and see what had happened to him and worry about him. I know that, even if you are competitive, you like to win, you respect your rivals and that says a lot about you.
Eric Miquel: Yes, even though we are rivals, you always have that affection and respect for your rivals and you always like everyone to always want to win, as it happens to me, who goes for the victory. That’s why you don’t like them falling and you worry about them.

Q: Leaving this aside, which I think is important… Who is Eric Miquel?
EM: I was born in Castellá del Vallés 17 years ago and the love of trial comes to me since I was a child because of my father who practiced it and got us hooked on this world and here we continue to compete and do everything possible to do better every day.

Q: I remember seeing you as a child how you followed the trials watching your older brother Marc who was the one who ran, what did you think when you saw him run?
EM: I was happy to see him compete, but since he was small I saw it as something very far away but with the desire to grow and be able to compete. Little by little I was riding and every time I did new things I said: “damn, if I’m not so bad”, you get the feeling and you do it better and better and you think you’re ready to run trials.

Q: You know, to see the last few seasons you and Pablo Suarez racing, to fight for the titles that were decided almost in the last race, it’s been something impressive. Seeing your victories, Pablo’s, by one foot, by a five in the last area, has made me remember that this sport is fantastic and that it has been an honour to be able to tell it, to give the headline of the news to your duels and to be able to capture it in photos even above the TR1. What do you think of these championships, in which although you have always come second, they were intense and exciting?
EM: Heh heh, there’s a “love/hate” bite, in which I’m happy for him and he’s happy for me, in which he has beaten me by very little but in the end he was the one who took the title and he came out of each race in which he came second telling me “come on, I’ll win the next one”, And you win it, but then he wins you again.
We have such an even level that every day one or the other could win. But Pablo has that “point” that made me win all the championships.

EM: In TR2 it looks different, because there are races where you are at the top and a mistake takes you four places lower, there is a lot of equality and you have to go very well so as not to be left behind. Pablo is doing very well in the Nacional and that’s why he’s ahead of us.

In the World Championship there are also a lot of people who do well, it’s almost like the national one, you can be doing very well until the end and in two areas go off the podium – and it was prescient, since Eric reached zone 10 of the last lap leading and finished in fourth position in Gouveia the day after this interview.

EM: I’ve been racing world championship races for three years and he’s making his debut this year, it’s possible, yes, that I’ve got the point of not stopping the bike that he does, but he’s very good and learns quickly, ha ha ha.

EM: Very well, they treat me wonderfully, both in TRRS and in Mediser Trial TEam LEA, the treatment is great, they take care of me, they are aware of me and what I need to improve every day. To have a rider who is 7 times world champion who has also invented the bike with which I race and who has no secrets for him, who is Jordi Tarrés, and another who goes out of his way for you in all aspects so that I do not lack anything and who is with me in all the races such as Isidro Chávarri, It’s priceless, I’m very happy and comfortable here, it’s one of the best things that have happened to me.

EM: Sherco helped me in any way they could, and I’m very grateful to them, but the clutch on the Sherco dragged and I couldn’t get hold of it. At the end of the season we looked for other options, I tried the TRRS, I left the bike very happy and then the possibility of joining the Mediser Trial TEAM LEA Team was the straw that made me decide and I was happy and I was sad to leave Sherco, but now I am more happy here.

EM: I’m doing quite well, first tied with Aniol Gelabert and you can see that the effort is rewarded.

EM: In 2019 I would like to move to Trial2 next season, I think that by riding a 250 I will be able to do better things and I see myself with the desire and strength to do it, but for this year, in Trial125 I would be among the top three. In the National, to finish as high as possible and ahead of Pablo, would be a great feeling and get rid of a thorn in my side. I would be very proud to see that my work has been rewarded, although it will be difficult because I am doing so well.

EM: In principle I don’t think it is very good, their level is very high for this category, but I understand it because if they can’t do anything else and see Bou, Raga, Busto, Cabes or Fajardo unreachable, before retiring, the best thing to do is to continue feeling this sport and go down a category, even if they annoy those who arrive behind a little.

EM: I would like to thank Isidro the “kingpin” of the Mediser Trial Team LEA for all the support I have had from him in all aspects, as well as for the clothing and equipment with HEBO, to TRRS and Jordi Tarrés for having “invented” this superbike, and to my parents and family for making it possible for me to do trial.

EM: This is difficult, I train in the mornings when I can and in the afternoons at school, this week I have exams and I’m in Portugal running, I do my best to study and run. I’m 17 years old, I’m from 2001, and I’m a trial rider.

EM: Hehe, I do my best for people to enjoy and have fun in my fight against Pablo and thanks to you for the photos you take…