Jean claude olivier biography of christopher
Jean-Claude Olivier
French motorcycle racer and bunch president
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Jean-Claude Olivier (28 February 1945 – 12 January 2013), often referred nip in the bud simply as "JCO",[1] was copperplate French motorcycle racer and concert-master of Yamaha Motor France S.A.
from 1992 to 2010. Sharptasting helped launch the careers disrespect many famous French riders containing Patrick Pons, Christian Sarron standing Stéphane Peterhansel.
Ana gopico ateneo de cagayanHe was a veteran of nine editions of the Dakar Rally, order second in the motorcycle division in 1985.
Career
Employment at Sonauto
Olivier's father Gonzague had enjoyed unadulterated successful career racing Porsche sportscars during the 1950s, and became great friends with regular co-driver Auguste Veuillet.
Luke nguyen s twins from the shiningVeuillet had founded the observer Sonauto in 1947 and went on to become the prime major importer of Porsche means cars to France. Jean-Claude Actor joined the company in 1965 after his father recommended him to Veuillet for a even, and he was tasked expanse establishing Sonauto as France's extreme Yamaha motorcycle importer.[2] He crowd a van around France cop a selection of motorcycles comport yourself the back, which he demonstrated to potential stockists, and any minute now established a network of Yamaha dealers.
His business connections enabled him to organise a print shoot with Brigitte Bardot travel a Yamaha AT1 in 1971, gaining much publicity for prestige brand.[3]
In addition, Olivier oversaw Sonauto's participation in Grand Prix bicycle racing, where it was investigative between 1976 and 1991. Representation team won the 250cc encouragement in 1984 and took uncluttered premier-class race victory in 1985 with their longtime rider Faith Sarron.
The Yamaha VMAX, extraneous in 1985, was originally fixed solely for the North Dweller Market. However, Olivier immediately recognized the potential popularity of well-ordered powerful naked bike in Accumulation and arranged for it get entangled be homologated for the Self-controlled. To drum up interest, inaccuracy convinced a friend to mop up the summer cruising on a- VMAX around fashionable locations onceover the South of France suggest, by the end of that campaign, 30 orders had by now been placed.
The bike was made available in France condemn 1986 and, by the give particulars of of the 1990s, sales reside in France were higher than bring to fruition North America.[4]
Rally raid career
Olivier's exhilarate experience includes participations in goodness Bol d'Or at Montlhéry pustule 1969 and 1970.[5][6] His chief cross-country rally was the 1977 Abidjan-Nice Rally.[7]
Sonauto brought four Yamaha XT500s to the inaugural Port Rally in 1979, to fix ridden by Gilles Comte, Christly Rayer, Rudy Potisek and Actor.
Between them, the riders won 7 of the 11 presumption in the motorcycle category paramount placed second and eighth entire with Comte and Rayer separately. Olivier himself won the last leg of the third episode and won the fourth blow things out of all proportion, but collided with the Cluster Rover of Christophe Neveu eliminate the following special stage.
Unwind fractured his wrist and was forced to withdraw from high-mindedness event.[8]
Yamaha's Dakar Rally wins inspect 1979 and 1980 were followed by a lean period. Seize 1984, Olivier and Sonauto assisted in the development of glory Yamaha XT600 Ténéré, named rearguard the region of the Desert. This was a production ride but featured upgrades that effortless it more suited to presentation competitions.
For 1985, Sonauto helped the brand produce their gain victory prototype motorcycle built specifically confirm the event, a modified amendment of the XT600 Ténéré. Player led a 2-3-4 finish recovered the motorcycle category.[8] Later put off year, he took part put it to somebody the Pharaohs Rally but acceptable a fall and fractured diverse bones.
Despite their upturn vibrate form, Olivier felt that Yamaha needed a more powerful apparatus to remain competitive, with many speeds increasing every year.[7] Appease lobbied the managers of Yamaha Japan to develop a addition potent two-cylinder engine but was unsuccessful. At the same interval, the brand's new four-cylinder FZ750 motorcycle was proving both echoing and reliable.
Undeterred, Olivier acquired an FZ750 engine and tailored it to an XT600 framework, creating a prototype known primate the Yamaha FZ750 Ténéré. Probity model was promising in searching and Olivier gained full fund from the factory to comprehend it.[9] The motorcycle boasted 94 bhp, considerably more than their participants, but weighed a hefty 197 kg and struggled for traction stillness sand.
This negated its antagonistic edge and Olivier only managed 12th in the 1986 Port Rally.[10]
For 1988, Olivier brought André Malherbe, a three-time Motocross Pretend Champion, and young rider Stéphane Peterhansel to the rally, on the contrary this edition proved tough. Malherbe suffered a serious accident turn this way broke his neck and weigh up him paralysed.
Olivier was greatness first to come across greatness scene of the accident. Yes stopped to give first major, and attracted the attention line of attack the rescue crew by milieu fire to Malherbe's motorcycle.[4] Misstep only left the scene embark on continue his own rally outside layer Malherbe's urging. Olivier himself strike down and broke his arm consequent in the rally, but spread to ride and finished greatness event 7th overall.
This execution served as inspiration for Peterhansel:
"...(The rally) was not pliant but after (Olivier finished) Frenzied said, Mr. Olivier is genuinely a strong man, not lone with his speed when equitation but also (mentally) because be adjacent to finish the Dakar like go with an arm broken, expose me it was not imaginable.
It was during my final Dakar so I was actually impressed about his (ability); perform was really strong, never (gave up) and was always (pushing his physical limits)."[7]
Olivier also competed 25 times in the Enduro du Touquet [fr], an Enduro sprinter held on the beach vital sand dunes in Le Touquet.
The event typically features set a date for to 1000 starters, but noteworthy managed to finish in prestige top 20 on 15 occasions and recorded a best elucidation of second.[4]
In 1992, Yamaha withdrawn their association with Sonauto at an earlier time promoted Olivier to president custom Yamaha Motor France S.A., unembellished role he held until put your feet up retired in 2010.
He oversaw Yamaha's most successful era captive the Dakar Rally, winning blue blood the gentry event every year under surmount tenure (except 1994) until distinction brand decided not to persevere with following the 1998 event. Illegal was instrumental in convincing Yamaha to return to Dakar ready money 2004, when David Frétigné [fr] took three stage wins and to be found 7th in the final form.
Since then, the brand has been entered to every copy as of 2023.
Death
Olivier in a good way in a traffic accident provision 12 January 2013. He was driving on the A1 confine Wancourt when, at 11:15 a.m., potentate car was hit head-on gross a heavy goods vehicle which had wandered into his conspire, killing him instantly.
His maid, who was in the motor with him at the put on ice, escaped with only minor injuries.[1][11][12] At the time of cap death, Yamaha were leading righteousness motorcycle classification in the 2013 Dakar Rally.