Throwback Thursday: Mickael Pichon’s Last American Podium (1999)
Larry Lawrence | July 11, 2024
Frenchman was heading back to Europe, but had one last moment of U.S. glory at Glen Helen
Mitch Friedman
In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we wind back the clock 25 years to May of 1999 and the opening round of the AMA Mazda Trucks 250cc Motocross National Championship at Glen Helen Raceway Park. The rumors were already circulating that after five years of competing in America, that Mickael Pichon was seriously considering moving back home and once again contesting the Motocross World Championships. Turns out Pichon would only have a couple more races in the AMA Championships, but he had one last hurrah in store. Pichon raced his factory Honda CR250 to a 3-7 and that was good enough to earn the Frenchman a podium finish with third overall. This Mitch Friedman photo catches fans cheering for Pichon as he pulls up to the podium area after the final moto. He looks almost surprised at the warm reception he received from the American fans. Pichon would go on to earn two MX World Championships in the early 2000s.
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