Gérard Jolivet, a speaker with an extraordinary background

In the heart of motorsport, different actors come into play to make us live the moments of races. Whether it is the track marshals, the organizers or the drivers, they are numerous.

Through this article we are going to make you discover some passionate people who make us live these moments in the most intense way possible, the speakers.

And particularly in this article we present you a speaker with an unusual background, who makes us live the races of the Tourism Endurance Trophy with passion: Gérard Jolivet.

Former motorcycle driver, Gérard Jolivet is the holder of the highest number of starts in the 24 Hours of Le Mans motorcycle race, with nearly 25 participations.

Legend of the Bol d'or and the 24h of Le Mans Gérard Jolivet started his career in 1977 with hill-climbing races but very quickly the young pilot became interested in track races, especially the Bol d'or.

This is how the French rider became a legend in the motorcycle paddock, whether on circuits such as Nogaro where he won his first Suzuki Cup victory in 1980 or during the 1982 Nurburgring 1000km race.

But it is in 2001 that he reached his peak, winning the Triumph Cup.

In 2007, he bids farewell to professional motorcycle riding.

But an event in 2009 will bring back the driver close to the world of motorsport.

In 2009, some journalists had the idea to have Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Jolivet, both record holders of the 24 hours of Le Mans in their respective disciplines, meet.

Gérard Jolivet asked his friend Bruno Vandestick for Pescarolo's number in order to prepare for the interview.

The event is then set up, Henri Pescarolo and Gérard Jolivet are ready as well as the journalists but Bruno Vandestick is missing.

Bruno arrives and says to me "Hi Gérard, when we called each other, I wasn't thinking about that" Gérard tells me.

But what did the speaker of Le Mans want?

In fact, Bruno asked Gérard to be the announcer with him, as the former motorcycle racer was very well known in the paddocks and could easily talk to the mechanics, the drivers and the teams.

Gérard hesitated for a few moments, thought about the fact that when he crossed the paddocks everyone recognized and appreciated him, then accepted the proposal of his friend, and from 2009 he was for four years the announcer at the 24h of Le Mans motorcycle.

It is after these years that he takes for passion to tell the race, and it was thanks to his son who runs then in motorsport that today the former pilot is now a speaker for the Tourist Endurance Trophy