Gilles Burgat

 

Born 16th November 1961 Gilles Burgat  was a former professional trials rider, He specialized in observed trials competitions, winning the FIM Trial World Championship held in 1981.

 

From a small town called Alberville in the commune of Savoie a region in the Rhône-Alpes south-eastern France. The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.

 

In  the1981 season Gilles won the World Championship at just 19 years of age the youngest champion in history and the Scottish Six Days Trial  the same year with Italian SWM  motorcycle

 

He is the brother in law of world  trial champion Bernie Schreiber who married his sister.

 

 

 

Since the age of eleven he was attracted to motorcycles when his parents gave him a moped. A year later in 1975  he rode for the first time in a trial and got his first victory.

 

Ever since then Gilles trained very hard , in 1978 he won the french Junior Championship on the SWM 125 Alpaca.

 

In 1979 he won his first state championship in the senior category.

 

The 1981 season was just amazing, starting with victory in the Scottish Six Day Trial and finishing with the title of World Champion before the final event of the championship in Germany.

 

In 1982 Gilles went to Fantic Motor but  was unable the world championship because of the emergence of a young Belgian Eddy Lejeune !  Eddy  went on to win the next three consecutive world titles. Gilles had 2 third places with Fantic in the world championships 1982 & 1983

 

In 1984 he won the first ever Trials Des Nations in Poland with Fantic and the French National team, Thierry Michaud, Fred Michaud & Phillipe Berlatier

 

Gilles move to Yamaha for 1985 & 1986 and again won the Trials Des Nations in this competition for 1985 & 1986

His best ride on the Yamaha at world round level was a second place at Stepping Stones in the United States. His best world championship with yamaha was 4th in 1985

 

For 1987 Gilles rode the Aprilia, his best ride on this bike at world round level was 8th at  Les Rousses in France. He came 15th in the 1987 world championship

 

French Junior Championship 1978

 

FIM World Trials Champion 1981

 

French National Trials Championp 1980 , 1981 , 1982

 

Scottish Six Day 1981

 

Trials Des Nations 1984 , 1985 , 1986