It’s all the more interesting to talk about multi-day rallies because they, firstly, go longer than usual and, therefore, are richer in events, and, secondly, many interesting people take part in them, both behind the wheel and behind the scenes and while communicating with them you can find out a lot of curious things. Here is one insanely interesting couple who won the 2019 Peking to Paris rally on a replica of the legendary 1907 Contal Mototri and who we will talk today. In our «Interview» section we welcome Anton Gonnissen Sr and Herman Gelan Jr (Belgium).
— Hello, Mr. Gonnissen, Mr. Gelan! Frankly speaking, it is a great honor for us to communicate with your duo, because your achievement is unique from the point of view of the Peking to Paris rally, and we will probably begin with this topic. You made your journey from the East to the West onboard a 1907 motorbike. What was so difficult for you: the route, the duration of the rally or struggling your competitors?
A.G.: Good afternoon! It was surprising when you addressed to us but it is always a All of the above. Te route was very demanding, especially in Mongolia where the three wheels were always on the wrong rut. The duration made my hands completely numb because of the trembling of the Contal and some competitors were very dangerous in passing us.
H.G.: Yes, good afternoon! I am also thankful for the invitation. Well, I would agree with Anton about dangerous fellow competitors. Plus, it was the impact of the potholes. And, that’s it, probably.
— Thanks, we got it! And let’s right away move on to the topic which for obvious reasons we relate to in a conversation with foreign guests. You managed to drive through the territory of Russia and have a few stops there. Did you have stereotypes about our country? Which ones were proven and which were broken?
H.G.: The russia I saw is much more beautiful and greener than I imagined.
A.G.: Well, I had an advantage before Herman. I competed the P2P’13 also in a Bentley and none of the sterotypes of the Russians proved to be right, except for the landscapes. The people were the best part of the Russian experience, ever so happy!
— Having so many contrasting landscapes around should have a strong emotional impact and make you want to come back to these places. Did you have the same feeling when on the rally?
H.G.: That is one of the few drawbacks when you are in rally and you can’t take the time to stop to take in the environment, so, yes I often thought I have to come back here.
A.G.: As I mentioned, I knew what was coming from my 2013 rally so as far as the Contal allowed me to enjoy anything along the route, I enjoyed the landscapes fully.
— What was your greatest discovery and biggest disappointment during the Peking to Paris?
H.G.: Personally I was surprised that there is still wild nature to be found on our globe, and the main disappointment was not having a chance to stay there for a longer period of time.
A.G.: The greatest discovery was that Herman and I are like horses, we would continue till we dropped dead. There was no giving up possible. The biggest disappointment were some fellow competitors that made the Mongolian passage difficult and dangerous.
— Oh, yes, it is quite unpleasant, to say the least. But when you are in a team it is easier to overcome all that/ By the way, speaking about the team. You had quite a remarkable duo on the rally: one of you is a «Senior», the other is «Junior». How did you come to such a fusion and did you have any other options?
H.G.: I don’t think there were. Anton and I have known each other for years, when he talked about his plans I immediately said yes.
A.G.: It would be fair to add that we work together and we run together. Herman and I have competed in mountain running trails that last for 12 hours and more and we knew we could depend upon one another. My “Sr” is there because my son is also called Anton and Herman’s “Jr” is there because his father is also called Herman. As simple as that! (laughing).
— Well, the latter was rather obvious! And now let’s touch upon the following. Why a multiple-day rally? And did this factor influence the process of the preparation?
A.G.: Of course. It made it much more difficult to make the machine more resistant to long distancens without proper maintenance.
H.G.: I’d say that it also takes both man and machine to prepare for a multi-day event differently.
— Let us now speak about your unusual vehicle. Thanks to it you were one equipage of the kind on the participants lists. Why did you choose to ride a motorcycle?
H.G.: I was lucky from this point of view. Anton was already preparing his vehicle when he asked me as a co-pilot, so it was a nice coincidence for me.
A.G.: Yes, true, it all came from me. And there are there «because» about it. Because the story of Auguste Pons in 1907 was so gripping. Because I had done the 2013 P2P already in a Bentley. Because I love motorcycles, all kinds. Because it hadn’t been done before. Because the story was there to complete.
— What a poetic narrative, Mr Gonnissen, thank you! And the story had absolutely to be complete because a motorcycle similar with yours was the only vehicle that did not manage to get to the finish in Paris on the first very «Peking to Paris» in 1907. Did you feel scared or nervous, considering the whole story behind that very Contal Mototri from a hundred years ago?
A.G.: Very! The challenge was enormous, the dangers large. There were big shoes to be filled in 2013. If we succeeded we would be the first in the world. More men walked on the Moon than men drove from Peking to Paris on a tricycle.
H.G.: And for me there was no fear or stress, I rarely have them. Thing is that you make sure that you are well prepared and during the event you take a flexible aproach to the unexpected, so far this has always worked for me.
— A personal question to you, Mr Gonnissen. On your achievement list, as you have mentioned yourself, there is a record of taking part in «Peking to Paris» in 2013, but then you were onboard a 1950 Bentley MK VI Special. Can you tell us what the main difference is in driving a car and a motorcycle, especially, in such difficult conditions?
A.G.: Everything was different. No suspension, one cylinder, a saddle instead of a chair… What is NOT different on a Contal from a luxurious Bentley, after all? On top of all that the Contal is not equipped to take offroad sections… and there were a lot of them.
— It’s true, the difference is quite big! And here is one more thing. It’s clear that we mostly focus on Peking to Paris but we were wondering if there are any particular retro-rallies for motorcyclists, because they themselves are already exotic to the world of classic vehicles. Have you ever taken part in one of these?
A.G.: Not that I know of.
H.G.: I have no experience at all, that P2P was my very first race.
— At least, we tried. Mr Gelan, a personal question to you now. Before «Peking to Paris 2019» you had had no experience of participating in retro-rallies. How long ago did you cultivate your affection to vintage vehicles and was it hard to agree to go on such a hard challenge last year?
H.G.: As said, I gave my Yes to Anton within a second, I am always open to an adventure or challenge. Probably it was during the rally when I dveloped my passion to classic vehicles.
— And one more question to you right away. In your first rally you played a role of the co-pilot. How difficult was it for you to read the roadbook and communicate with your partner being in the so-called «suicide seat»?
H.G.: Well, the first 700m were challenging, then I just turned the knob in my head realizing that I have no control over my safety. I confidently put my fate in Anton’s hands, from then I could fully focus on the navigation. Of course, this was not easy and far from comfortable, but it worked.
— Thank you, Mr Gelan! And another thing. In Italy, where retro-automobiles are equal to a religion, rallies are held almost every single week. And how often do they take place in your country and which of them are the most remarkable?
H.G.: Again, this was my first rally so I have no experience in the rally environment. You’d better ask Anton (smiling).
A.G.: I just heard that The Zoute Grand Prix is the most known for oldtimers. But it is a fancy event without any adventourous ambitions… That is not my piece of cake.
— Have you got any awards for retro-rallies in your collection and in what event would you definitely like to take part?
H.G.: Having no previous rally experience, I, of course, have no awards, we will see what the future holds, I am open to everything.
A.G.: Wow, that is a question with a long anwer. I can put it like this: I drove about 70.000 kilometers with the Bentley in competitions in 19 countries… In my blog (p2p19contal.com — editor’s note) there is a list of all the competetions I have done in my life, including the marathons and trail runs. You will also find my 3 Paris/Dakars (car, truck, quad).
— One more question personally to you, if we may. You have rather an unusual name for Belgium, and so does your son, actually. Do you know, by chance, if you have Slavic routes in your family, including Russian, maybe?
A.G.: Gho… Maybe… Actually I have a Norwegian name. «Gonnissen» means ‘son of son of Gon’ and Gon stands for ‘brave’.
— Sound very interesting! By the way, during your speech at the award ceremony in 2019 you mentioned your wish to find the grave of Mr Augustin Pons, the first driver of that very 1907 Contal Mototri. Have you already managed to achieve this goal or the search is still in progress?
A.G.: No, not yet. But now I will set my mind to find it in the next year. Follow my blog, you will get the news first hand.
— Alright, we will try our best! And the last question, again, about the plans, and it’s to both of you. It is clear that at this stage it is almost impossible to say for sure (the entry lists for Peking to Paris 2021 were not revealed by the time the interview was being prepared — editor’s note), but are you planning on going from Beijing to Paris once again in the 8th edition?
H.G.: No, I have not planned, but who knows what the future holds.
A.G.: Yes, I am enlisted already with my wife in a Bentley, this time to enjoy Russia even more.
