Fabien Barel: My Way - The Story Of His World Championship Victories
Oct 24, 2012
With three World titles to his name, when Fabien announced his retirement last year it brought to an end a career that has been enjoyed by many and an inspiration to riders all over the World.
Fabien recently got together with the guys at
MTBcut to put together this amazing short film documenting his career and in particular his World Championship victories. The film follows Fabien from an early age right through to his retirement in 2011 and features some of the most prominent names in the sport such as Steve Peat, Nico Vouilloz and Tracy Moseley. It looks at the highs and lows of racing and perhaps more interestingly the unique drive, professionalism and focus that Fabien brought to the DH scene - something that has paved the way for the sport that we all know and love today.
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 Fabien taking the Junior World Championship in 1998 |
 | So many stories, so many memories to look back on. Every second of those last years are part of me and this project has been an opportunity to remember them all. The ups and the downs but mainly the drive and dedication to performance that has always been with me. Looking through the old tapes made me realize where I started from and where I ended up in my career, everything I learned. The important thing is not what I did but the way I did it...my way. - Fabien Barel |
| Stu Thomson from MTBcut came to me with this project and idea. To be honest, I wasn't sure about revisiting the past, as I always try to look forward. I must say however that it is a great opportunity to promote the stories, experience and message of many year of racing - there is all my emotion in this movie as I share my experiences. Doing it all made me realize that racing is a great school for life. I know what I was, I know what I could have been and know what I am, racing built my heart for ever! I would like to thanks Stu for his great work and friendship, my family for their support and all the people who have been involved in the film: Nico Vouilloz, Steve Peat, Tracy Moseley, Steve Jones, Chris Porter, John Gibson, and Dan Jarvis. - Fabien Barel |
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| The rivalry with Steve Peat was a legendary time in downhill racing |
The film was been created by the guys at MTBcut so we decided to get a few words from Stu Thomson on the project and how the film came about:
| I first met Fabien back in 2000, I was a junior racing the UK national series and he was undoubtedly one of the superstars of the international scene. Through the years between myself competing as a rider on the World Cup circuit and then moving into film making, Fabien has always been a constant friend and a source of inspiration to me. He had a huge impact on the progression of DH racing and he didn't quite fit the mould of a DH racer in the 90's. He brought a professionalism to the circuit that was second to none, was always open about how hard he worked at it, and constantly pushed himself, his equipment and his team to squeeze every second out his performance. It was never about the lifestyle or fashion, it was about going from A to B as fast as possible. That is the essence of DH racing. This project was just something I wanted to do really, for Fabien is truly one of the greats of DH racing and he competed in an era that was defining for the sport. He went head-to-head with two of the other all time greats, Steve Peat and Nico Vouilloz. For me it's always beenFabien's approach, drive and focus that defines him and what makes him interesting. I hope that comes across in this short film! - Stu Thomson, MTBcut |
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| Fabien at Fort William World Cup in 2004. |
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| This is how many people will remember Fabien - in the rainbow stripes! |
