For 39 years, the Riviere Du Loup Arenacross had been going strong in the scenic city on the southern banks of the St. Lawrence River. During those years, there have been many exciting moments, both on the track as well as off the track. The global list of great riders that have attended this race over the years is a who’s who of our sport. Ross Pederson, Jeff Hicks, Mike Jones, Ludovic Lucquin, Todd Dehoop, Carl Vaillancourt, JSR, Brian Deegan and Jeff Surwall are just a few of the names that have travelled to this cool city in Quebec to race the RDL AX. Every rider who has lined up at this historic race not only has multiple stories to tell about what happened on the track, but off of the track as well. You see, this race is also known for its nighttime festivities as each year race promoter Paul Thibault ensured that the riders had a good time away from the track. Sadly, this weekend was supposed to be the 2020 RDL AX, however due to the Covid-19 Virus the race had to be cancelled. So, to celebrate this iconic event we asked one of RDL AX’s fan favourites, Mike Treadwell for his Top 10 moments from this unforgettable race. Mike holds the record for the most appearances at the RDL AX so fans and the people of the city got to know him very well. As you will read in Mike’s slightly 18+ Top 10 moments, a good time was always had by all. Next year, this race will be back, and if you’re a young pro rider that wants a fun and competitive race to attend, the Riviere Du Loup AX is a must attend.
1. Team Work In ‘88:
In 1988, I won the team race with Jeff Hicks and I still have the gold ring to this day.
2. Goon Riding in the B Main:
After some really bad luck during the 125 Class qualifying in 1996, I believe, I ended up not making the A Main. Well, being the jackasses that they are, a few of my fellow riders bet me that I couldn’t win the B main while goon riding the entire race. Of course, I had to do it, and I led every lap and won the B Main. Every time I came around, Chris Pomeroy, Mike Jones and Keith Johnson were killing themselves laughing.
3. Bikes in the Bar:
I don’t remember the year but Paul Thibault (the RDL Promoter) had Mike Jones, Palms and myself bring our bikes into the bar (Le Jet) before the Miss AX competition that night. Well, before we went in we decided to rip our bikes around town real quick, and things got interesting quickly with the local police…I’ll leave it at that.
4. Climbing Trees:
Speaking of Le Jet, one night after the bar had closed, Keith Johnson decided he was going to climb a tree while we waited for a cab, and what do you know, the local police showed up again. I don’t know how but without speaking a bit of French he talked his way out of jail. That was impressive!
5. Three Wheel Fun:
One year, Paul T set up a team tricycle race at the bar and my teammate was my good old buddy Keith Johnson. The race consisted of one lap of the bar on the tricycle, then chug a beer, pass the bike to your teammate, then he does the same thing. We ended up doing 5-6 laps before the bikes broke, then we all just sat around laughing
6. Over The Top:
In 1994, I believe, Carl Vaillancourt, Keith and myself thought we were pretty tough and started an arm-wrestling tournament. I beat them both and then wanted a shot at Mike Jones. Boy, what a mistake. He almost broke my arm in half. Jones was the strongest guy I’ve ever been around.
7. A Long, Awaited Win:
I know it’s hard to believe but we actually did race in RDL. Winning the race in 2000 was a great memory for me. I finished on the podium there quite a few times but that was the only year I won.
8. Morgan Racing Fun:
2001 was another great year as I was riding for the Morgan Racing team. They had a long history of wins at the RDL AX and that year was special for a few reasons. Myself, Casey Johnson and Pedro Gonzalez were on the team and we swept the podium all weekend. It was Casey Johnson’s first time there and he was legendary at the bar during the Miss AX competition. He actually jumped on stage and started stripping to try to get the girls to do it!
9. Danger Deegan:
In 1993, Brian Deegan was hanging out with us at home in between Nationals and he came up with us to RDL. We all stayed at Vaillancourt’s house before and after the race and ended up having a great weekend. I wonder if Deegan still remembers his weekend in Quebec?
10. Lifelong Memories:
Honestly though, my best memory of this race is the fact that it was always a low-pressure atmosphere and we were all there to have fun. I remember just hanging with Palms, KJ, Vaillancourt Newf, Jonesy, and all the other guys that used to go there. Paul would always bring a bunch of riders to RDL each year, the racing was always fun and clean, considering it was an AX. It was one of those races that we all still talk about to this day. It’s like anyone who raced in RDL over the years is part of a cool fraternity.
