Out of the Blue | Véronique Pellerin-Chainé | Brought to You by Schrader’s

Out of the Blue | Véronique Pellerin-Chainé | Brought to You by Schrader’s

By Jensen Amyotte

Name: Véronique Pellerin-Chainé

Date of Birth: June 1992

Hometown: Chesterville, QC

Occupation: Pastry Chef

Race Number: 817

Bike: KTM 250 XC-F

Race Club: FMSQ

Classes: Women Pro

Who/what inspired you to get into the sport of motocross and how long have you been racing/riding?  

My father was my principal inspiration. He raced motocross as a Pro in the 80’s and a lot of people in my family were riding motocross or off-road. Everyone in my family has tried a motorbike, it was just a matter of time before it was my turn. I started to ride when I was 5 years old. At the beginning I was just riding around on the farm with my oldest sister and my brother. At 16 years old, I started going to the FMSQ races with my uncle.

As a racer, are there any obstacles you feel a female racer has to deal with that maybe a male racer does not?

For myself, I feel that the girls have the down side for the support. The #1 guy will always have more support than the #1 girl. It’s kind of tough sometimes to find good support. 

Who is your all-time favourite rider and why? 

Laia Sanz is my favourite rider. She excels in multiples moto sports (trials, enduro, extreme enduro and rally). She also became one of the best in a man’s sport. She finished the Dakar Rally multiples times. She shows a lot of courage, tenacity and determination.  

What is your favourite track and why? 

If I think of off-road, the trails at my parent’s farm are just incredible. You can find everything on those trails: rocks, roots, hills, etc. We are pretty lucky to have those. On the MX side, I really like Ste-Élie Motosport MX track. Simon Homans has worked hard to build a very nice track. The ratio of jumps vs turns is perfect. Everyone from beginners to pros can have fun on this track. 

Do you have any pre-moto rituals?  

At the races, I work hard to eat a complete meal. Haha! It’s not easy with nerves and stress. I listen to music when I put my gear on and stretching. It helps to calm me down and helps me focus on my goal. I think about the start and the beginning of the race.  

Tell us about your 2022 race season.

My 2022 race season was pretty awesome. I won 7 of the 8 races in the Women Pro class at the FMSQ. That give me the championship. I had the chance to race against Lexi Pechout at the last race of the season. It was really nice to have a top competitor from the west side of Canada. I dug deep but at the checkered flag it wasn’t enough. But, at the end of that race I clinched the FMSQ AM overall championship. That overall combined all the classes of the Sunday morning races (men and women). I’ve won this championship for the second year in a row. I am really proud of those championships. 

I also tried something new, I have tried the Corduroy Enduro. That event got me out of my comfort zone. The race format and the trails are a lot different then what we are used to in cross-country. It was really fun to try something new and race against some of the best off-road racers. I gave everything I had and I finished 3rd in the Women’s Pro class. That race motivated me to work on my skills to be better in the rough stuff. 

What is the biggest lesson that motocross racing/off-road has taught you so far? 

Hard work pays off. 

If you ever have children will you give them the option to race as well?  

For sure, but it will be up to them to choose. I won’t put them on a bike until they ask for it. I want it to be their choice first and if they ask for something else, I will support them as well.  

If you could give 1 piece of advice to a female of any age who wants to start riding what would it be? 

I would tell her to just go for it. There is no good age to start riding. It’s not always easy, you need to ride and have fun doing it. The most important thing is to enjoy it! Do it for you, not for somebody else.  

What do you want to do in the future?

I would like to give back to the younger girls. Maybe give some moto schools, teach them the proper tools to succeed. I have worked hard to show that women can race and fight with men. I want the women’s pro class to continue growing and I want to see the next generation keep pushing to reduce the gap between men and women.  

Who would you like to thank?  

First, I would like to thank my boyfriend who is my physical coach, my riding coach, my mechanic and my #1 fan. Our life as been centred on this race gig for quite some time now. Also, I would like to thank my sponsors who really made a difference in the last years: KTM Canada, Kimpex, Leatt, Ja-Per-Formance, EVO Suspension, FPMX, TM Desingworks, Mika Metals, Ryno Power, Ogio, LiquiMoly, Works Connection and Muc Off.