Current world record

March 18, 2017, one hell of a morning!

5h15 a.m. briefing by Marc and I with all the teams before getting on the snow groomers where I announced to everyone, following the tests with problems solved the day before, that it would be today…

5:45 a.m. at the foot of the KL track, the timing center where some of the teams descended from the groomers under a spectacle of desolation, the sale of the night to take away the mechanical padock. We fear the worst at the top.

6h15 at the summit at 2750m altitude with the second part of the teams where everyone takes up position (cameramen, photographers, piste service, technicians and manager). No damage, phew!…

At the same time, after going to the place of departure where some members of my team are busy setting up the start, I start to rent in my mental preparation linked to my breathing, I go back in the groomer because it It’s cold, very cold and the wind is present reminiscent of 2015 but without the sun because the sky is indeed cloudy.

My departure is scheduled around 7:30 am, normally it is at this time that the sun covers the whole of the track, so it will be a white day bringing a less joyful note energetically speaking to everyone.

This white day due to the clouds is a definite handicap to performance, I have to take it upon myself and evacuate this problem to focus only on the action.

7:30 am Marc asks me to come to the start. The bike is already in place and all the members of my team are at their posts, everything seems well oiled, which reassures me and allows me better concentration. Eyes freeze, I feel it and see it, here I am one last time alone facing my destiny, what I have been looking for so much in developing this project.

I focus on my breathing, I look at the horizon, I’m in my bubble.

7:40 am Marc speaks on the talkie announcing: Eric is in place, are you ready for the stopwatch?

A restrained yes.

Marc looks at me, no more sound comes out of the mouths, we now communicate by looking. I blink to say ok, I’m ready to go. I take 3 deep breaths blowing like an animal, Marc says: Attention 3, 2, 1 GO!

Here we go, the first part of the run to the rock is under total control, the second part was more tricky to maintain and increase speed. I got caught on the right side of the track and rolled on the pennants almost outside the track, I corrected my trajectory and found myself in the center of the track. The bottom of the track is a field of bumps, maintaining the optimal position to gain a few km/h is difficult.

When I got to the timing area between the cells the compression was so great that I was literally thrown over the side, I could even see my rear wheel reminding me strangely of the compression I experienced in Nicaragua on the volcano in 2002 just before the bike broke. I caught up, fought to stay on the bike and it did!

After about 1Km of braking I saw a scooter arrive with a tracker and Fred the mechanical engineer who announced: 227, 72 Eric!
I said:
Sorry!
I said:

Sorry!
227 
I couldn’t believe it myself…
I was very proud of myself and my team, 227.72Km/h, what a great end to my career!
The track would have been smoother on the fastest part, the 230’s were falling for sure! So the way is clear for anyone who wants to beat my record, it is beatable as it is…
But for the moment I am enjoying it with my teams…and I thank all the partner teams: the resort of Vars, the service of the slopes, the RM and of course the Billy company (Philippe, Simon, Louis) managing this magnificent Chabrières speed stadium.

eric barone la chute
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Crédit photo © : Richard BORD | Marc REBUTTINI | Olivier LEBLOND | Alban PERNET | TAM TAM | Eric BARONE