The FIM Magazine – Ride With Us – N°82

WITH US !R I D E

T H E F I M M A G A Z I N E

TONI BOUSEVEN CITIES - SEVEN VICTORIES

ICE GLADIATORSTHE ICE SPEEDWAY CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN!

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SwissClimateEngineering & Investment

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Publishing Director: Olivier Godallier

Chief Editor: Isabelle Larivière

Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme11, route Suisse – 1295 Mies – SuisseTel : +41-22 950 95 00 – Fax : +41-22 950 95 01@ : [email protected] Website: fim-live.com

Photos:Cover: Good-ShootG2F MediaEric MalherbeStan PerecEric MalherbeRiders for HealthNuno LarangeraSpeedway Club UniaOliver Franke / SportPlusBernard JonzierRoger Lohrer

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FIM Magazine n°82

Past issues available on request

The articles published in this magazine do not necessarily reflect the official position of the FIM.

The content of this publication is based on the best knowledge and information available at the time the articles were written.

The copying of articles and photos even partially is forbidden unless permission has been requested from the FIM in advance and reference is made to the source (© FIM).

4–5 Editorial

STANDINGS X-TRIAL

6–9 Bou Triumphs for sixth year in a row

FIM INSIDE

11 Environment

STANDINGS SUPERENDURO

12–13 A new format, but Blazusiak wins again

FIM INSIDE

14 Public Affairs

STANDINGS ICE GLADIATORS

16–20 The Ice Speedway circus comes to town!

RIDE SUPERBIKE

22–25 The Chase is on…

GALLERY

26–29 Motorcycles saving lives

RIDE MOTOGP

30–33 All change at the MotoGP Corral

RIDE MOTOCROSS

34–36 5 Reasons not to miss the FIM Motocross World Championship

FIM INSIDE

38–41 FIM Track Racing Youth Training Camp

FIM INSIDE

43 Women in Motorcycling

PADDOCK FREESTYLE

44–47 Unsung actors behind the scenes

VINTAGE

48–53 The Formula 750

55–58 ROAD BOOK MAY/JUNE/JULY

WITH US !R I DE

T H E F I M M A G A Z I N E

TONI BOUSEVEN CITIES - SEVEN VICTORIES

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FIVE QUESTIONS TO

1 What would you like to add to this short biography to help us get to know you better?

This biography accurately describes my professional career and in particular my experience both as a sports executive, and also as an industry manager. But to get to know me better, two additional aspects of my personality are obviously very important: I’m passionate about sport (and its values), and about riding my bike (every day).

I started practising sport when I was four years old and it has always been on my agenda: from Ice Hockey, to Soccer, Volleyball, Skiing, Tennis, Golf and ultimately Rugby, which I played for 20 years. Today, living in Switzerland, I still play Ice Hockey on a regular basis with a local team. Over the years, I’ve also been involved at club level in many different capacities. I’ve been the coach of a rugby team in the US (in a different culture, with different nationalities), the president of a Student Multi-Sports Association in France, and I have also acted in many volunteer positions along the line, including working for the development of sport with an event promoter.

I rode my first bike when I was 12 years old (a Suzuki 125 TS), and became a big fan of Rally Raids like the Dakar. With a close friend, I even talked about clubbing together to buy a 500 XT, or later on, an Africa Twin, to join this great adventure, but studying was the priority and we never got there. Still, I’ve now had my driving license since ’88, and I have always owned a motorcycle rather than a car. Today, I ride my bike every day, both to the FIM Headquarters and for leisure.

2 After a few months at the FIM, what are your first impressions?

My first impressions are obviously very positive. The FIM is a strong, solid and respected Sports Federation, with a sound governance base and an outstanding portfolio of attractive and exciting events. The FIM grew steadily under the management of my predecessor, Guy Maître, and it was his efforts that brought the federation to where it is now.

More specifically, the work accomplished in the past five years is even more striking. The FIM has gone through an extensive strategic planning exercise, which led to a renewed governance structure, more agile and in-line with today’s best practice in the Sports Management industry. And to be honest, it’s a luxury for me as I do not have to implement such a restructuring exercise and I shall be able to concentrate on other priorities.

By the same token, the FIM has also undertaken an extensive image and branding exercise, which has brought the FIM back to the forefront of the

Motorcycle Sports scene. Awareness of the FIM amongst riders and fans has grown tremendously, and the FIM Brand is now well established, which will also help the FIM Administration to implement its ambitious Strategic Plan.

3 What do you see as your biggest priorities at this point?

At this point though, I think my biggest priority is … to prioritise. (He smiles). The FIM Strategic Plan, and the FIM Vision for 2020, are extremely ambitious and cover a wide range of objectives. To fully implement such a plan requires a lot of focus and resources, and in today’s economic environment, it means that the FIM has to define a clear sequence of priorities.

That being said, and apart from the Key Objectives derived from this Strategic Plan, my priorities will also be to focus on our

main assets: the riders, the member national federations of the FIM (the FMNs), and our know-how.

According to its mission statement, the FIM’s mission is to be the global advocate for motorcyclists around the world. That means that the FIM is at the service of all motorcycle

riders. Yet, at a time when the FIM is very much engaged in the sports aspect of Motorcycling, it is less involved in the

Touring & Leisure part of motorcycling, unlike some of our national members. Sport is certainly the core element of the FIM’s visibility and legitimacy, don’t get me wrong, but I believe that the FIM needs to reach out to the “normal” riders … like me. The main potential for growth, both in terms of community reached and in terms of capacity to influence public policies, lies with these riders, who are the ones we are ultimately working for.

The second asset we need to focus on is obviously our FMNs. The FMNs are the link to the riders, and the ones developing and delivering motorcycling activities (competition, training, etc.) on a day-to-day basis in their countries. The FIM, as a leading International

Federation (IF), needs to deliver the appropriate dedicated services (administration, training,

regional representation, etc.) in order to support and help the development of the FMNs.

Which brings me to the third asset, our know-how. The sustainability of an IF, and its capacity to develop and to deliver the required services, is based on its ability to maintain and pass on its know-how. Like any IF, the FIM relies heavily on volunteers all around the world. Commission members & experts, officials, jury,

delegates, etc., are mainly volunteers and are spread around the globe. The FIM needs to build a strong network and processes to capture that expertise and to

pass it on through the generations. This is the concept behind the FIM Academy that was launched a few

months ago.

FOR THIS ISSUE OF “RIDE WITH US”, FIM PRESIDENT VITO IPPOLITO WANTS TO GIVE YOU AN EDITORIAL WITH A DIFFERENCE. IT IS THE NEW FIM CEO STÉPHANE DESPREZ WHO IS HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, A FEW MONTHS INTO HIS TENURE.

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4 How do you see the FIM in the medium and long term?

It’s always difficult to respond to such a question, and especially so when the FIM has already come a long way over the past 30 years.

From an institutional point of view, we would like to position the FIM as a strong and effective leader in the Motorcycle World. A leader that is a partner of all the major stakeholders (EU, UN, Manufacturers, Industry, Promoters etc.), is regularly consulted for opinions and expertise, and is seen as being in a position to influence public policies and important decisions. A leader that is also appreciated by its constituents (riders, FMNs and Continental Unions) for the quality of the service delivered. And finally, a leader that is recognised for the excellence of its officials, volunteers and staff.

From a motorcycling activity point of view, we shall strive to increase global participation in Motorcycling activities around the world. Our performance indicators in that regard will be the number of new sustainable FMNs and the number of nations participating in our events, the fact that our World Championships each take place on at least three continents (to avoid being too Eurocentric), the number of women, youth and also disabled people involved, and ultimately also the number of riders we are able to directly engage with through our FMNs.

From a health and safety standpoint, I see the FIM as being recognised for taking the lead on road safety issues, through the development of the FIM Institute, or through influence amongst various working groups like the UN Road Safety Collaboration. We would also like to focus on reducing the number of injuries at FIM events, and on developing homologation standards to ensure the availability of high-quality and safe products for use in FIM Events.

Last but not least, from a communication standpoint, and in order to underpin our positioning, I envision the FIM communi-cation platforms (website, Facebook page, twitter account, etc.) being the information portal needed for our Community: riders, FMNs, etc., in synergy with the promoters of the main FIM World Championships, who will still be the main media for each event.

5 What future do you think the motorcycle has in society?

As I said earlier, I’ve been riding bikes for 25 years, and I’ve always advocated the use of motorcycles as an alternative means of

transport. I’m a strong believer in the benefits of motorcycling and I see a bright future for the motorcycle in our society.

There is a strong opportunity for motorcycles to be used as an alternative to cars. For instance, motorcycles are relatively inexpensive compared to cars, which is one of the reasons for the enormous development and use of powered two-wheelers in countries like India, Indonesia and China. The FIM has an opportunity to actively promote the motorcycle as an inexpensive, safe form of entry-level motorised transport, as the solution to traffic and parking congestion, as a working vehicle for the purposes of delivering medical and other supplies to outlying and war-torn areas, and as an increasingly popular leisure and tourism activity.

As an example, a recent study conducted in Belgium has demonstrated the effect of the use of motorcycles on traffic. A group of researchers simulated the impact of the use of motorcycles on the fluidity of the traffic on a highly congested highway between Louvain and Brussels. They demonstrated that if only 10% of cars were replaced by motorcycles, the fluidity of the traffic would increase by 40%, and that 2 to 4% more cars could be accommodated. If one could assign a monetary value to the unnecessary time spent idle in this traffic, this study showed that ultimately, on the scale of Belgium, a 10% transition from cars to motorcycles would allow savings of 375,000€ per working day, or 82 million € over the year.

Another very good example is the work done by Riders for Health, an Associate Member of the FIM, which is using motorcycles to make sure that health workers in Africa have access to reliable transportation so they can reach the most isolated people with regular and predictable health care. In the Gambia for instance, with the help of the Gambian Government, Riders for Health has deployed 90 motorcycles. Indeed, in the Gambia, some villages can be located at distances of up to 120 km from their nearest health centre. Thanks to these motorcycles, outreach health workers based at these facilities can now spend 50% more days each week doing outreach work, reach three times more villages each week, and increase the frequency of health care visits and also increase the number of new villages reached. I believe this a practical preview of a great future for the motorcycle in society.

Interview conducted by Isabelle Larivière

STÉPHANE DESPREZ

BIOGRAPHYMr Desprez joined the FIM as Deputy CEO in October 2011 until early January 2012 when he took over from Guy Maître as CEO. Born in 1966 in Nancy (France), he is married and has three children.

Stéphane Desprez is a graduate of ENSAM Paris (MS Engineering) and of Purdue University (MBA Strategy & Finance) in West Lafayette (IN, USA). He is bilingual in French and English.

He started his professional career in France as a Consultant and Project Manager and then moved to Houston (Texas, USA), to take charge of the General Management of Pro-Metal, a US subsidiary of the Texas-based recycling firm CFF. He returned to France in 1999 to take up the position of Director of Operations with a sports event management company, for which he also acted as Tournament Director of the Air France Rugby

Sevens. He initiated a Rugby Sevens Tour project which was the precursor of the IRB Sevens Tour. In 2004, he joined the organising committee of the Rugby World Cup 2007 as Head of Planning, and then joined the Executive Committee as Director of Competition. Following two years of freelance assignments, Stéphane Desprez was appointed Secretary General of the Fédération Internationale de l’Aéronautique (FAI) in January 2010.

5

Of the starting line-up of eight regular contenders, five were from Spain: Toni Bou - Repsol Montesa, Albert Cabestany - Sherco, Adam Raga - Gas Gas, Jeroni Fajardo - Beta and Alfredo Gomez - Montesa.

Staple member of the troupe, Takahisa Fujinami - Repsol Montesa from Japan was the only non-European competitor, with Great Britain’s Michael Brown - Gas Gas and Loris Gubian - Gas Gas from France completing the initial line-up. Gomez,

however, chose to bow out early and was briefly replaced by eighteen-year-old Spanish rider, Pol Tarres - Jotagas in the penultimate round. After suffering a wrist injury, Tarres was then in turn replaced by Jack Challoner - Beta from Great Britain in the final round of the series.

From the outset of the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship, twenty-five-year-old Toni Bou - Respol Montesa, who had won the previous five series, was once again hot favourite to win the title and continue

SEVEN CITIES - SEVEN VICTORIESBOU TRIUMPHS FOR SIXTH YEAR IN A ROW

FOR THOSE SEEKING ACTION, EXCITEMENT AND ENTERTAINMENT, THE 2012 FIM X-TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP CERTAINLY DID NOT FAIL TO DELIVER. THIS YEAR’S CHAMPIONSHIP WAS ENACTED OVER SEVEN EVENTS, VISITING STADIUMS IN FRANCE, SWITZERLAND AND SPAIN. FRANCE HAD THE HONOUR OF HOSTING BOTH THE OPENING AND FINAL ROUND, AND ALSO ROUND THREE, OF THE SERIES.

© Good-Shoot

© Good-Shoot

6 FIM MAGAZINE .82 /// FEBRUARY.MARCH.APRIL 2012

/// S T A N D I N G S/// S T A N D I N G S

his domination of the sport for the sixth year in a row. As the campaign progressed, Bou never failed to impress and often looked to be riding in a league of his own. Bou eventually cleaned up by winning all seven rounds of the series to claim his sixth consecutive FIM X-Trial World Championship title, becoming the most successful indoor trials rider of all time.

With Bou riding out in front, the battle to become ‘the best of the rest’ was a familiar theme this season and in particular, the fight for second place between Bou’s compatriots Cabestany and Raga. We all remember how close this battle was last year with the rivals finishing the 2011 FIM X-Trial World Championship tied on points, and Cabestany being named runner up after collecting one more second place than Raga over the course of the series. This year’s battle was just as close, with the pair regularly tied on points and exchanging places in the championship standings, but ultimately it would be Cabestany who would finish in second place, three points ahead of Raga.

The 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship kicked off in the city of Strasbourg in mid-January, which proved to be far from unlucky for Spain’s leading trio. Bou charged to a relatively easy win at the Zenith de Strasbourg stadium, leaving it to Cabestany, Raga and Fujinami to scrap it out for the remaining podium places. Raga and Cabestany secured second and third spots to make it an all-Spanish rostrum, after Japan’s lone rider was pushed off the podium after losing out on a tie break with Cabestany, which was decided on qualification standings.

Little more than a week later, Geneva, the Swiss home city of the FIM, welcomed the riders for round two. Once again Bou was unstoppable and claimed an easy win at the Arena de Genève. Cabestany eventually took the runners-up spot after defeating Fujinami in a last section showdown. Raga was disappointed to finish fourth on this occasion, despite his promising start when he actually bettered Bou during qualification.

The following week, the championship returned to France, this time to the southern city of Marseille. The third round was held over two nights, with qualification taking place on Friday and the main event on Saturday. An exquisite Bou proved once again why he is head and

shoulders above his rivals. The unrelenting Catalan outclassed his challengers for the second night in a row, cruising to a comfortable victory five marks clear of runner-up Raga. Cabestany - Sherco completed the all-Spanish podium at the Palais des Sports arena, seven marks adrift of his slightly younger arch-rival and compatriot.

After an intense start that saw three rounds in as many weeks, the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship took a five-week pause in proceedings, giving its riders and teams the chance to take stock and refuel as the series approached its midpoint.

The action reconvened in early March in Madrid, Spain. Patriotic crowds at the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid witnessed their hero Toni Bou record his fourth straight win. However, Bou also came under real pressure for the first time of the season with Raga also feeling confident on home ground. Raga pushed Bou all the way, keeping the fight alive right until the final section of

the night. Once again Albert Cabestany - Sherco made it an all-Spanish podium by taking third spot in front of his home fans.

The following week, it was Cabestany’s turn to put Bou under pressure as the series headed to Majorca’s Velódromo Palma Arena for round five. Bou continued his domination, but only after a titanic battle with Cabestany. In what proved to be a low-scoring event Bou was kept true to the very last section by Cabestany, with just two marks separating the Spanish duo at the end of the evening. Fujinami prevented it being an all-Spanish podium on this occasion and collected the third place trophy.

Toni Bou was to be declared winner of the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship on at the penultimate round of the series, which was held at the Mediolanum Forum a Milano in Milan, Italy. It was Bou’s sixth successive victory of the campaign and it was another all-Spanish affair, with Bou’s compatriots joining him on the podium. This time Raga finished a close second and Cabestany in third.

Runner-up in 2011, Albert Cabestany took second place again this year.///

© Good-Shoot

FIM MAGAZINE .82 /// FEBRUARY.MARCH.APRIL 2012 7

S T A N D I N G S ///

Bou’s title-winning celebrations in Milan were diluted however, after he crashed in the final section of the evening and injured his back. This incident gave Raga the opportunity he needed to close his assault on Bou. The pair finished the night tied on ten marks apiece, which ultimately forced them into a tense dual-lane tie-break. Despite his bruises, Bou won the lane race and was named winner of round six, and more importantly, winner of the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship.

Milan did not provide the dream World title-winning moment that Bou was

looking for. So the rider returned for the seventh and final round two weeks later, recovered and fired up to end the season with clean sweep victory. Bou’s impressive and confident performance at the Palais Omnisports de Paris Bercy confirmed his status as this year’s true and worthy champion.

Whilst Bou’s win in Paris was perhaps no surprise, Fajardo taking the runner’s up spot certainly was a shock as he finished ahead of Fujinami who was third on the evening. Cabestany placed an off-form fourth, but this was enough to secure him

second in the series. It was a disappointing finale for Raga who missed out on a place in the final for the only time of the season, and thus had to settle for third spot in the final standings, once again behind his arch rival Cabestany.

Despite being second in Paris, Fajardo finished the series in fifth place overall, just behind fourth-placed Fujinami. However, it was a positive ending to what had been a very difficult season for Jeroni. This year the Spanish rider returned to the Italian factory team, Beta, after his brief stint with Ossa in 2011. This year, Fajardo failed to impress up until the very late stages of the season. The stresses of being the only rider tasked with re-adjusting to a new bike, coupled with a shoulder injury sustained during training just before the event in Madrid, seemed to take its toll on Fajardo.

Paris was full of further surprises with twenty-two-year-old wild card rider, Alexandre Ferrer - Sherco from France, breaking new ground by becoming the only wild card entrant of the season to qualify for the semi-final part of the competition. Ferrer qualified in fifth place, just one mark behind Raga and four marks clear of Fujinami, as his much more fancied compatriot Gubian - who finished

X-Trial is no fluke. Just check out the impact on Adam Raga's tyre!///

Japan's Takahisa Fujinami is always good for a place in the top five.///

© Good-Shoot

© Good-Shoot



sixth in the championship - failed to make it through to the main event for only the second time this year.

Ferrer was rewarded for his valiant efforts with sixth place on the night, which earned him five valuable championship points that in turn put him in ninth spot in the final series standings after his two wild card outings. This put Ferrer one place in front of Pol Tarres. Great Britain’s Michael Brown finished the series in seventh place, in front of Gomez who finished in eighth spot after ending his campaign two rounds early.

So once again Bou stole the show – winning in all seven cities that the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship visited, and remaining undefeated indoors for the second year in a row.

TONI BOU - STAYING AT THE TOP

Bou’s seven consecutive round victories in the 2012 X-Trial World Championship earned him his sixth successive FIM Indoor / X-Trial World Championship. This puts Bou one ahead of the previous record held by Great Britain’s Dougie Lampkin, who now acts as the Gas Gas Team Manager and won five FIM Indoor

Trial World Championships during his competitive career.

But just how more titles can Toni win? “For now, I don’t see any limits, I’m 25 years old, I’m young and I have a lot of motivation to continue. If there is no physical problem, I want to keep the pace”.

Just like last season, the result at the penultimate round secured Bou the title for

another year. Speaking after his triumph in Milan, Toni said: “I am very happy to win another championship. It is nice to go into the record books as the rider with the most indoor titles. This is a special moment.”

Bou, who has not been beaten indoors since 2010, proved to be untouchable throughout the 2012 season, with only his compatriots Cabestany and Raga capable of putting the twenty-five-year-old World Champion under any real pressure. His run of round wins now stretches to 15 in a row.

“It is a great number and I’m very happy to be able to keep this level,” Bou declared, going on to explain how he has achieved this incredible run: “The most important thing is to have motivation. Things go well, everything is going as planned and to be willing to compete is crucial.”

So just how tough has this year’s challenge been for Bou? “The difficulty has been high, except for perhaps the round in Majorca, and that is good. The more difficult it is, the more motivation I have to overcome each round and that is good for me to fight for the championship.”

Now looking ahead to the 2012 FIM Trial World Championship Bou reflected: “I am looking forward to it. The first race in the Spanish championship did not go very well and Adam Raga was very strong and won, so it seems that there will be a very close fight for the title this year.”

by Siobhan Turner - G2F Media

Jeroni Fajardo was never a real threat but still managed a solid fifth.///

Striking Indoor Trial gold again for the sixth time; Toni Bou!///

© Good-Shoot

© Good-Shoot



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ENVIRONMENTLET’S CELEBRATE WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY NEXT JUNE

The UN Environment Programme defines the Green Economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.

This year Brazil will host the World Environment Day promoted by UNEP every 5 June, and this year is dedicated to this subject “Green Economy: Does it include you?” a simple and interesting question that every member of this society should respond to.

As a member of this motorcycle community, it’s important that we answer this question because the Green Economy is also about equity and inclusiveness, both part of FIM values and vision, which we promote every year just as we celebrate World Environment Day. We invite you to join this celebration by promoting some environmental activities among your clubs,

associations and National Federations. There are many ways to celebrate such as painting contests, signing pledges, planting trees, cleaning activities.

World Environment Day is an annual event that is aimed at being the greatest and most widely celebrated global day for positive environmental action. World Environment Day activities take place all year round but culminate on 5 June every year, involving everyone from everywhere.

World Environment Day celebration began in 1972 and has grown to become the one of the main vehicles through which the

UN stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and encourages political attention and action.

Through World Environment Day, the UN Environment Programme is able to personalise environmental issues and enable everyone to realise not only their responsibility, but also their power to become agents for change in support of sustainable and equitable development.

Source UNEP

RE-SIGNING OF A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE FIM & UNEP

The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), one of our main contractual partners and an inspiring institution for the FIM, recently agreed to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) once again. This document reflects the joint commitment of both organisations, and as Mr Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director, said, the FIM and UNEP will work more closely together in the coming years.

UNEP is the leading organisation in the field of the environment within the United Nation system and has as a broad area of focus. Its global mandate covers the conservation, protection, enhancement and support of nature and natural resources, including biological diversity, worldwide.

Over the past two decades, UNEP has incorporated the concept of sustainability

into sport, and has called upon sportsmen and -women to be role models in society for a change in behaviour. Sporting institutions like the FIM are bodies that can inspire people and raise environmental awareness.

Among other things, the MOU includes:ØPromotion of regular dialogue and

meetings between the FIM and UNEPØTechnical adviceØDevelopment of strategies for

mitigating and compensating for footprint

ØPromotion of UNEP activities such as World Environment Day with sports stars.

The duration of this Memorandum is three years renewable.

by Kattia Hernandez

FIM INSIDE ///


No less than ten different nations were represented in the 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship, in which the finest Enduro riders from all across Europe took part alongside a couple of experienced riders from the United States. The series was held over three rounds, taking in Italy, Poland and Spain. The first two events were held in late 2011 before a much anticipated finale on

A NEW FORMAT, BUT BLAZUSIAK WINS AGAINTHE RECENTLY RENAMED FIM SUPERENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP (PREVIOUSLY KNOWN AS THE FIM INDOOR ENDURO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP) DELIVERED AN EXCITING NEW FORMAT FOR 2012 WITH THE FIM PROUDLY TAKING CONTROL OF BOTH THE MANAGEMENT AND THE PROMOTION OF THIS SPECTACULAR SERIES.

That many spectators cannot be wrong; FIM SuperEnduro is top sport!///

The name of the Championship may have changed but the name of the winner has been the same since 2010! On the podium, 2012 winner Taddy Blazusiak is flanked by Johnny Walker (2) and Joakim Ljunggren (3)./// ©

G2F Media

© G2F Media


/// S T A N D I N G S

5 February that gave SuperEnduro its first World Champion.

A clear favourite from the off was Poland’s Taddy Blazusiak - KTM. Blazusiak, who recently celebrated his twenty-ninth birthday, was the 2011 FIM World Indoor Enduro Champion and is widely regarded as the World’s best indoor enduro racer. This time, he again lived up to his reputation, winning all three events of the all-new 2012 series to become the first rider to claim the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship.

Among those determined to challenge Blazusiak were Joakim Ljunggren - Husaberg (Sweden) and Mika Ahola - HM Honda (Finland) - the two riders who placed behind the Polish champion in the 2011 FIM Indoor Enduro World Championship. Ljunggren went on to claim third place, behind British rookie Johnny Walker - KTM who was this year’s runner-up. Mika Ahola, however, tragically passed away in January, just a few weeks before the final round of the series.

Also taking part in this year’s title race were FIM Enduro World Championship regulars including FIM Junior Enduro World Champion Jeremy Joly - HM Honda (France), former World Champion Ivan Cervantes - Gas Gas (Spain), Rodrig Thain - HM Honda (France), Cristobal Guerrero - KTM (Spain), leading Italian rider Alex Salvini - Husqvarna, and Great Britain’s Dougie Lampkin - Gas Gas.

US racers Cody Webb - Beta and Ricky Dietrich - Husqvarna were among the remaining headline names competing in this year’s championship. Webb and Dietrich are both experienced indoor enduro racers and were determined to shake things up with their European rivals. However, the American duo failed to realise their ambition to pull off a podium finish in the 2012 series, and were eleventh and twenty-fifth respectively in the final championship point standings.

ROUND 1 - GENOA, ITALY

The action got underway at the Palafiera Genoa Exhibition Centre in Genoa, Italy, which hosted the opening round of the 2012 FIM SuperEnduro World Championship in November. Pre-race favourite, KTM’s Taddy Blazusiak dominated the event taking victory in each of the three SuperEnduro finals.

With Blazusiak riding in front, an exciting race for the remaining podium places developed behind him, and a number of riders made it into the top three over the event’s three finals.

After a steady opening race Husaberg’s Joakim Ljunggren improved during the course of the evening to secure second overall, followed closely by KTM’s Cristobal Guerrero who took third.

ROUND 2 - LODZ, POLAND

Fresh from an impressive start in Italy, Blazusiak continued his domination on home ground as the series visited Lodz, Poland for round two in December. The KTM rider raced to a second clean sweep victory after winning all three of the Polish event’s SuperEnduro finals.

The Polish event marked a special moment in Blazusiak’s successful career as it was the first time his native land has hosted an international indoor enduro event, which meant that he was able to showcase his talents in front of his home fans at the Atlas Arena for the first time.

Britain’s Jonny Walker – KTM greatly improved his opening round performances to claim second place in two out of the three SuperEnduro finals, and finish the event second overall. After coming second in the remaining final, Sweden’s Joakim Ljunggren – Husaberg settled for the third podium spot, behind his British rival.

ROUND 3 - BARCELONA, SPAIN

After an eight-week break, the series resumed when riders and teams headed to the Palau Sant Jordi arena in Barcelona, Spain where an exciting final round was acted out.

Britain’s Jonny Walker - KTM capped off a fantastic end to his year clinching second overall in the series by beating Sweden’s

Joakim Ljunggren – Husaberg who finished the series in third place.

Winning two of the night’s three SuperEnduro finals Blazusiak once again proved exactly why he is the world’s fastest indoor enduro rider by becoming the first to be crowned FIM SuperEnduro World Champion.

THE FINAL WORD

This goes to Taddy Blazusiak: “This has been an incredible season. I am so happy to have won the World championship, but this year has delivered so much more. The tracks at each round were really fun to race and we had some great battles. Racing in front of my home fans in Poland was an emotional night for me and then finally to clinch the title was an amazing feeling. Already I’m excited about returning to defend my title.”


Taddy Blazusiak races with number 111, that is three times number one, reflecting his achievements!///

© G2F Media



FIM VISIT TO AMA WASHINGTON OFFICES

Whilst in the USA for the UN work John Chatterton-Ross visited the Washington offices of AMA. The AMA has strengthened its staff in the US capital with the arrival of

former US Senator Wayne Allard. Senator Allard (a vet by profession) served two terms in the Senate and before that was a member of the House of Representatives.

The complexities of US legislation, both federal and state, are closely monitored by the AMA. They also use a sophisticated system of internet alerts to members to time any lobbying by their members for maximum effect. Whilst having the opportunity to talk through these issues with Senator Allard and Rick Podliska John was also given a tour of the US Capitol building and was able to spend a few minutes observing a debate taking place in the Senate. Our photograph shows the view from the AMA Washington office.

by John Chatterton-Ross

PUBLIC AFFAIRSFIM JOINS UNITED NATIONS ROAD SAFETY COLLABORATION

On 16th April in Washington DC the United Nations Road Safety Collaboration voted to accept FIM as a new member. Established in 2004 the Collaboration is an informal consultative mechanism committed to road safety efforts, in particular implementing the recommendations of the World Report on road traffic injury prevention. This adds a new dimension to existing FIM work with the UN authorities. It also marks another achievement of the FIM strategy plan.

Why has the FIM Board set this as an aim? The answer is that the FIM is a world body; this move will assist our work particularly in FIM Asia, FIM Latin America and FIM Africa. Currently 1.3 million

people die every year in road traffic collisions mainly in countries defined by the UN as middle and low income. This figure includes huge numbers of motorcycle riders and passengers. (Nobody knows the exact figure). Obviously FIM cannot solve this problem alone, but in partnership with other NGOs and governments we can use our knowledge and skills to help. – After all nobody else in the world knows more about motorcycling than motorcyclists themselves, in our sporting disciplines and amongst our road riders.

High ideals are not incompatible with practical programmes. (To quote the late Senator Robert Kennedy). One of the

leading members of the UN Collaboration is the AIP Foundation

(recipient of the first ever FIM Road Safety award in 2010). Their work in

supplying helmets in Vietnam has led to dramatic reductions in fatalities. This work is now being replicated in other countries.

Following the UN Road Safety Collaboration meetings in Washington the UN General Assembly met in New York on 19th April and reaffirmed its commitment to keep road safety as an international priority. The Assembly has asked the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki moon to report again to the sixty-eighth session to ensure this important issue is kept in the political discussion.

CAP AND CTL HELP FMB-BMB CELEBRATE THEIR CENTENARY.

In March the public policy and tourism commissions held meetings in Brussels. Hosted by the FMB-BMB at their offices in the Belgian capital the meeting added another event to the 100th year of our federation in Belgium.

Although Brussels is the focus for much FIM public policy work many members had never been before to the city that is also the home to many EU institutions. John Chatterton-Ross led an evening walking tour of the city taking in the various institutions. – Also some places in the city that back in the 1980s were

venues for meetings between FIM and other partners. These included the Place Luxembourg and the pension Le Cerf (the stag) which today is a trendy coffee bar. The beautiful stained glass window above the entrance still survives.

The Commissions also held one joint session in the two days of meetings. Jesper Christensen from Sweden demonstrated new technologies being developed to help riders. These include a new emergency calling system linked to a smart phone. Some ninety eight percent of Swedish people today don’t just own a mobile

phone – they own a smart phone. This makes the Swedish market the ideal place for testing these new technologies.

The AMA’s Rick Podliska, FIM’s John Chatterton-Ross, and former United States Senator Wayne Allard

who is the AMA’s vice president of government relations.///

/// FIM INSIDE


PUB

CHILLS AND THRILLS AT THE FIM ICE SPEEDWAY GLADIATORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

THE ICE SPEEDWAY CIRCUS COMES TO TOWN!

FOR THE 2012 SERIES, FIM RE-BRANDED THE ICE RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS AND LAUNCHED THE FIM ICE SPEEDWAY GLADIATORS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TO BE RUN OVER FOUR ROUNDS IN RUSSIA, THE NETHERLANDS AND SWEDEN, WITH EXTENSIVE COVERAGE ON THE FIM WEBSITE.

© Good-Shoot



Ice Speedway has a new and mysterious face but its superheroes are still familiar figures from the sport’s traditional fiefdoms. After qualifying meetings in Sanok, Poland; Lukhovitsy, Russia and St Johann in Austria, the line-up for the final series was ready to go into action. Not surprisingly, of the 14 racers, six, the maximum allowed for any one nation, were from Russia, with the other qualifiers hailing from Austria, Sweden, Finland, the Czech Republic and Germany. As organisers with no qualified riders, the Netherlands had a permanent wild card. Meetings were held over two days at each venue, but under the new formula the top eight scorers contest two semi-finals and one final on each day.

Top contenders for this year’s title were Russian Champion and current World Champion Daniil Ivanov, and seven-times gold-medal winner Nikolai Krasnikov, who was looking to extend that remarkable record to eight with technical support from new FIM Partner Motul.

Krasnagorsk in the outskirts of Moscow hosted the season’s curtain-raiser in early February, and with Europe having some of its coldest weather for some years, track conditions on the first day were

not ideal. Ivanov was top scorer with an unbeaten 21 points, but Krasnikov was the spectacular star of the evening as his customary poor gating forced him to produce some daring overtaking moves. Sunday’s afternoon meeting saw a similar scenario, with the holder’s poor gating again letting him down. He suffered an engine failure after passing Ivanov when the pair met in Heat 18, and it began to look as though his machine problems were back. Nicolai won the final, but he still left Moscow trailing the leader by five points.

Two weeks later the Gladiators were in Ufa, the capital of Bashkortostan. Having begun life as a fortress built on the orders of Ivan the Terrible in 1574, Ufa is now an oil-producing centre with a long tradition of ice speedway. The venue, Stadium Kadirov is dedicated to one of the city’s famous sons, Gabdrakhman ‘Gabby’ Kadirov, who won the first ever FIM World Championship in 1966. Kadirov, who died in 1993, was one of Russia’s most popular track racers and won five more FIM world titles during his career. It is also the home track of Nikolai Krasnikov and Dmitri Koltakov his protégé, currently in second and fourth places in the championship, and over 18,000 fans turned out over the two days to witness some very tough

racing. The first day was overshadowed by a spectacular accident. Ivanov fell whilst leading his semi-final, and Koltakov was unable to avoid him. Both were treated in hospital and whilst doctors cleared them to ride on the following day, their injuries undoubtedly affected their performances. Krasnikov duly won the second day’s final and secured a two point lead over his rival.

Assen in the north-east of the Netherlands is the spiritual home of Dutch motorcycle racing. The famous TT Circuit where MotoGP and Superbike rounds are regularly held is known to road-race fans the world over. Similarly, the town’s De Bonte Wever Stadium, venue for the third round of the 2012 FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship, is universally recognised by Ice Racing followers. Motorclub Assen, which was celebrating 40 years of Ice racing at this iconic venue, marked the anniversary by hosting the European Individual Final on behalf of UEM and the FIM World Championship on consecutive weekends in March.

The artificial ice track in Assen was in good shape and there was fresh drama as the Russians again vied with each other for individual glory. Ivanov was disqualified by

Ice Speedway Gladiators concentrating at the start of their heat.///

© Good-Shoot



Referee Gardell after he unceremoniously unseated Krasnikov in a desperate last bend charge in Heat 19, but then Krasnikov fell in the final, leaving Dmitri Khomitsevitch to take the winner’s flag.

On Day 2, he too incurred the wrath of the referee and was taken out of his semi-final after dislodging some straw bales in an over-enthusiastic manoeuvre. Going into the final event in Sweden, Krasnikov led by four points from Ivanov with Khomitsevitch third and Koltakov fourth.

It was some 13 years since Sweden had last hosted an Individual Final at this level, but the local officials in Uppsala were confident that their track would be a fitting venue for the series finale. Almost 12,000 spectators witnessed the racing and the historic eighth consecutive championship victory for Krasnikov. Having won the first

day’s event with a 21 point maximum, he had made sure of his title by Heat 16 on the second day. The Sunday afternoon Final saw a win by Sergei Kharachintsev who, at 20 years of age, is shaping up to be a possible successor to Super-Gladiator Krasnikov.

Although Russian riders continue to dominate this competition, there is real interest in the performances of other nations’ gladiatorial hopefuls. Traditional rival Sweden is finding it hard to unearth fresh talent to succeed ‘Posa’ Serenius and Stefan Svensson as they approach the end of their international careers, and

Ivanov (2) put Krasnikov (1) under enormeous pressure but in the end the Ice-Tsar prevailed.///

© Good-Shoot

© Good-Shoot



only Robert Henderson has emerged to date. Similarly the Czech Republic has relied heavily on the Klatovsky brothers and needs to find some younger talent if it is to enjoy again the level of success it experienced with the likes of Antonin Svab and Milan Spinka back in the 1970s.

Before the start of the season, Austrians Franz Zorn and Harald Simon appeared to have the best chance of challenging the Russian supremacy. However, Zorn had a disappointing start to the series in Krasnagorsk and returned to his home in Saalfelden to overhaul his engines, missing the Ufa round as a result. Consequently he was never close to adding to the two

bronze medals and one silver he has claimed in this event so far. Simon was on record as stating that his ambition for the year was to be the best of the non-Russians, and he got there by virtue of some consistent performances, helped perhaps by a spell riding for Kamensk Ural in the Russian Superleague.

With the prospect of more Krasnikov-trained riders emerging from Russia, competition at the top of Ice Speedway’s elite will be as close as ever. No doubt the western European nations will also be honing their skills in the hope of getting more of the limelight in this most spectacular of track racing disciplines.

Final Placings points

Nikolai Krasnikov (Russia) 148Daniil Ivanov (Russia) 136Dmitri Khomitsevitch (Russia) 134Dmitri Koltakov (Russia) 108Sergey Kharachintsev (Russia) 93Eduard Krysov (Russia) 90Harald Simon (Austria) 66Antti Aakko (Finland) 55Franz Zorn (Austria) 44Robert Henderson (Sweden) 43Grzegorz Knapp (Poland) 32Jan Klatovsky (Czech Rep) 25

Ice racing is all about acceleration and speed; no brakes!///

© Good-Shoot



RUSSIA TRIUMPHS AGAIN

The Team Championship was won by Russia for the 10th consecutive year. In snowy and windy conditions in Togliatti they dropped only one point over the two days of racing in front of some 14,000 spectators. That one point was dropped when Austria’s Harald Simon beat FIM World Individual champion Nikolai Krasnikov into third place in Heat 23. Austria were runners up, with the Czech Republic team in third place after a late revival of fortune. With the Klatovsky brothers in the thick of the action, Finland’s Antti Aakko was again one of the individual stars and top scored with 28 points, hampered only by an engine failure in Heat 30. He had little support, and the Finns could only manage a fourth place, but Aakko’s performance bodes well for the future.

DÉJÀ VU NIKOLAI?

The date: March 2011.The place: Inzell, Bavaria. Russia’s Nikolai Krasnikov has just won his seventh FIM World Individual Ice Race Championship and in his post-meeting interviews he is suggesting that he will retire from FIM competition. He claims that he has lost some of his motivation because of costly mechanical problems during the year.

On 24 and 25 December, when much of the rest of the world was celebrating Christmas, Nikolai was competing in the finals of the Russian Ice Race Championship in Novorsibirsk and renewing his duel with Daniil Ivanov, his closest rival for the title at both national and world level. Two weeks later in Togliatti, the two arch-rivals were tied on 41 points at the end of the programmed races. In a dramatic race-off for the title, Krasnikov fell whilst leading and gifted the championship to his opponent. Whether it was his frustration at the result or because his second place gave him an automatic nomination for the FIM World Championship, he rediscovered his motivation and decided to enter again in a bid to retain his title.

Fast forward to April 2012 and Krasnikov is holding a Press Conference in Ufa to confirm that the eighth title he has just won in Sweden will be his last, as he is retiring from international ice racing. He plans to continue racing in National meetings and to work for the development of young riders in his native Russia. Watch this space…

FINAL RESULT

1 Russia - 59 Ivanov 23 Krasnikov 18 Khomisvich 18

2 Austria - 44 Simon 27 Zorn 16 Leitner 1

3 Czech Republic - 37 A. Klatovsky 19 J. Klatovsky 18

4 Finland - 35 Aakko 28 Jarf 7

5 Sweden - 32 Henderson 21 Svensson 11

6 Germany - 29 Bauer 12 Niedermaier 11 Pletschacher 6

7 The Netherlands - 16 Stellingwerf 14 Schukken 1 Reitsma 1

by Graham Brodie

© Good-Shoot

© Good-Shoot



PUB

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“My bike helps me save lives every day.”Bubacarr Jallow, a health worker in the Gambia

But every day in Africa children still die...

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To find out how to help get more health workers on the road and save lives visit www.riders.org

10.03.19 mh Weise Key Collection advert:Layout 1 19/03/2010 18:08 Page 1

THE CHASE IS ONTHE 2012 FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GOT UNDER WAY AT AUSTRALIA’S PHILLIP ISLAND CIRCUIT, AND WITH IT, THE SCRAMBLE TO WREST THE TITLE FROM SPAIN’S CARLOS CHECA.

It’s a simple fact. Since the 2003 and 2004 seasons which saw two British riders, Neil Hodgson and James Toseland, take the title one after the other, Ducati has not managed to take home the rider’s title two years in a row. Still, Carlos Checa remains one of the favourites for 2012 after his clear victory at the end of a 2011 season he dominated more or less from the word go. But this year the rider from Catalonia is up against a complex challenge. One factor is the changes made to the FIM Superbike World Championship rules this winter. From now on, the 1200 twins will take their places on the grid with an extra

six kilos of ballast compared to the 1000 fours. This move was considered necessary to redress the balance. In 2011, Carlos Checa’s commanding performance astride his 1098R brought him a record-breaking number of points for a single season (505). So this year, the world champion Ducati will weigh in at 171 kilos versus 165 kilos for the four-cylinder bikes. And Checa’s challenge is not made any easier by the competition lining up to take him on. On his tail, he will have some serious contenders for the title, among them the evergreen Max Biaggi on his Aprilia RSV4. But the rider from Rome is not the only

one to pose a serious threat for the Spanish champion. On our short tour of the various manufacturers, we shall be getting a glimpse of some hot prospects.

DUCATI

Carlos Checa is the undisputed standard-bearer for the maker with the strongest presence in the Championship. With no less than seven 1098Rs taking the start, just over one out of every four bikes on the grid is a Ducati. But it won’t all be plain sailing for the firm this year. Not only did

© Eric Malherbe


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the official structure cease to exist at the start of last year, but the factory’s technical involvement with Team Althea is now an established fact. And the commercial launch of the Ducati 1199 Panigale is muddying the waters still further. For the first time in its history, which has been closely bound up with that of the World Superbike Championship, Ducati will be racing with bikes with an older design than those featured in the catalogue. This is surprising considering that the manufacturers rely on competition, especially the World Superbike Championship, to develop new lines. More puzzling still is the fact that this year Ducati will be bringing several 1199 Panigales into the Superbike paddock. It will be racing them in the 1000 Superstock category. We are therefore entitled to wonder whether the top Ducati riders Checa, Guintoli and Smrz will benefit from the same degree of development as in the past on their 1098R bikes, which will be dropped at the end of the year. This is a vital technical question as developments carried out during the season play a key role in the bikes’ performances and chances for a win.

Turning to the riders, we shall be watching carefully not just Carlos Checa but also France’s Sylvain Guintoli, who wrapped up his last season as one of the few riders able to keep pace with the Spaniard on the very technical circuit at Portomão. With three podiums to his credit and an impressive degree of regularity, the Frenchman is looking good. Also worth watching are the young Davide Giugliano and Maxime Berger, who have everything to prove and whose potential is now anything but hidden.

HONDA

While keeping its strategy pretty much under wraps, team Ten Kate spent the winter working on a Honda CBR 1000 RR with some fine-tuning by the manufacturer for 2012. This team, which has recruited 2009 FIM GP 250 World Champion Hiroshi Aoyama, has also renewed its contract with Northern Ireland’s Jonathan Rea for the fourth year running. Rea had a tough 2011 season fraught with injuries and technical problems. Since then, the

Four events in the season see Carlos Checa in the top three although he is not as dominant as last year.///

The Roman Emperor is on a mission: to conquer the 2012 Superbike throne.///

© Stan Perec


R I D E ///

Dutch structure has taken things in hand, tackling both the suspension and the electronics of the official Honda CBR 1000 RR. The solutions, adopted for the season’s last races paid off and even gave Rea a fresh taste of victory on Italy’s Imola circuit at the end of September. It remains to be seen whether these options will prove successful in the longer term, but Rea remains the team’s leader and one of the favourites for the title. Aoyama will have to get acquainted with a category that is still unfamiliar, and that can take a few races, as we have often observed.

SUZUKI

After years of good and loyal service, the Alstare team is bowing out of the Superbike scene, and Suzuki has not renewed its contract with Francis Batta of Belgium. Paul Denning, who fields Suzuki teams in MotoGP and the British Championship, has now stepped in to set up a Suzuki team in the FIM Superbike World Championship. While Suzuki was clearly directly involved with Alstare, it appears to be much less so with Crescent. Behind the scenes, Suzuki prefers not to talk about an official Suzuki team in Superbike. Another telling sign is the fact that Crescent has asked the Japanese firm Yoshimura to look after and tune the engines rather than going to the technical services of Suzuki’s Hammamatsu factory. However, we can be confident

in the technical resources and shared competition experience of the Crescent-Yoshimura combination. Paul Denning, who has signed up the experienced Jack Valentine as team leader, has also brought riders John Hopkins and Leon Camier on board. If you overlook his frequent physical mishaps, John Hopkins knows Denning and Suzuki like the back of his hand. A well tuned GSX-R is a very fast machine, and in the company of the very promising Leon Camier, the British outfit has the wherewithal to get in among the frontrunners.

KAWASAKI

For 2012, the green brand will be fielding the same riders and the same bikes (give or take the odd detail), but with a different team. Dropped at the end of the year, the outfit run by British specialist Paul Bird has been replaced by the discreet Spanish Motocard team structure run by Guim Roda. Having made a low-key entry into the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2006 with Joan Lascorz, this team quickly took over the management of the factory ZX-6R bikes. This year, they have been picked by the mother company to carry the Superbike programme. In marked contrast to the former British management, the Spanish structure will be directly supervised by Japanese staff. This arrangement seems to be paying dividends

already judging by the improvement in the performances of the two racing team riders, Britain’s Tom Sykes and Spain’s Joan Lascorz. One year after the first version of the ZX-10R took to the track, Kawasaki seems to be reaping some rewards for its hard work. Unfortunately, the young Spanish rider Joan Lascorz had a serious crash during the official testing session at Imola on Monday 2 April and suffered spinal injuries. He had an operation to relocate his vertebra and he is now continuing his recovery in Spain.

APRILIA

The Italian constructor is gearing up for what could be the Emperor’s last season. Now over 40, Max Biaggi of Italy will certainly be hanging up his leathers for good at the end of 2012. But before he does, he will be pulling out all the stops to win the laurels one last time and add yet another title to his outstanding record. The man from Rome still has a thirst for victory and he is determined to prove

From outsiders to contenders; Kawasaki and Tom Sykes are pushing the competition to the limit.///

© Eric Malherbe

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/// R I D E

that he has put behind him the jinx that forced him to drop out of the race for the title against Carlos Checa at the end of last season with a nasty injury to his foot. Everything is now back on track and the Championship’s most experienced rider can’t wait to show his mettle astride a bike whose punchy qualities are no secret and which earned Aprilia both the rider’s and the manufacturer’s titles in 2010. But for Max Biaggi, danger may be lurking within the fold. Aprilia has signed up Ireland’s Eugene Laverty to replace Leon Camier. In 2011, he finished his first season in the FIM Superbike World Championship in overall third place, equal on points with Maxi Biaggi himself. Both riders have what it takes to ride the Aprilia to the title, one on the back of his experience and the other fuelled by the fires of youth. By recruiting Laverty, Aprilia has made a canny move.

BMW

Up to now, the famous Bavarian maker has come away empty-handed. Not one win over three seasons in the FIM Superbike World Championship. It is certainly not the fault of the riders. After Ruben Xaus and twice world champion Troy Corser, Leon Haslam, runner-up in the World Championship in 2010, and Marco Melandri, runner-up in 2011, have taken up the gauntlet. Once again, the team management has changed hands, and the structure is currently run by Andrea Dosoli, former team manager of the official Yamaha team. As usual, BMW spared no expense to fine-tune its winter preparations. However, once in Australia, Marco Melandri was unable to hide his dismay at his lack of feeling for the bike and the amount of work that still needed doing to tune the S 1000 RR. This constantly evolving machine, hailed by the public and the press and winner of an array of championships, remains an enigma in the FIM Superbike World Championship. Criticised for its less than perfect electronics and dogged by chassis problems, the BMW has given its successive riders a fairly tough time. Will this year mark a breakthrough for the German manufacturer? One thing is certain, neither Melandri nor Haslam are in the FIM World Superbike Championship to make up the numbers. So BMW really needs to get some serious results this year.

by Eric Malherbe

FIM SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

THE YOUNGSTERS CLAMBER ABOARD

As the 2012 season gets under way, the FIM Supersport World Championship is looking very healthy. With thirty-two riders enrolled, fears that this championship might fade out as result of competition from the Moto2 category have been well and truly dispelled. And it is not just healthy but getting younger all the time. With the exception of Foret, Parkes, Sofuoglu (who is making a comeback after a season in Moto2) and the Italian Roccoli, most of the riders are young and have relatively little experience in this Championship. Take for example the infernal trio Lanusse, Day and Metcher who kept the crowds riveted in the 2011 Superstock 600. These talented lads may well upset a few apple carts in a World Championship where anything can happen. The teams too are seeing something of a shake-up. The Dutch outfit Ten Kate that has been quite a fixture in the past is only fielding one Honda CBR 600 this year in the hands of experienced rider Broc Parkes, who is still chasing his first title. The former Kawasaki rider from Australia is up against former Honda racer and twice FIM World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu from Turkey who will be racing astride a Kawasaki ZX-6R for the first time. This is now the official bike, managed by the Italian structure Lorenzini, while France’s Foret and Lanusse will be riding for the Czech team Intermoto, which has left Honda to join Kawasaki. This game of musical chairs may throw up a few surprises and the start of the season is sure to be action-packed. We are also expecting much of the PTR teams. The omnipresent Simon Buckmaster has set up no fewer than three separate structures and signed up six riders, among them Britain’s Sam Lowes, the American youngster Patrick Jacobsen, Ronan Quarmby of South Africa and Jules Cluzel of France. As the Championship’s latest recruit, with a contract signed in early February, the Frenchman should not take long to emerge as one of the FIM World Supersport Championship’s top riders. Jules Cluzel had a bad season in Moto2 in 2011, but in 2010 he won one Moto2 race and made the podium at two others. There is therefore no shortage of contenders for the FIM World Supersport Championship title. With a horde of hungry young wolves and a handful of experienced riders still hanging in there, this year’s FIM World Supersport Championship could well be a very intense affair.

Turkish delight! 2008 & 2010 FIM SuperSport World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu is back and in the lead.///

© Stan Perec


R I D E ///

‘People are counting on me,’ she says. ‘It is going to be something big, and knowing that I am going to be a part of it, it will be awesome’.

Just a few weeks earlier Violet had never even ridden a motorcycle before. She was nervous during her first lessons. Wobbling

as she weaved through cones. But her determination to learn and her desire to be able to do her job carried her through.

Violet was speaking at the launch of a brand new programme to help with the diagnosis of diseases like HIV. Violet now travels 200 kilometres each week on her

motorcycle in Eastern Province, Zambia as part of a programme run by Riders for Health.

Along with her six colleagues, Violet transports blood samples from rural clinics to laboratories so they can be tested quickly and accurately, and then she

MOTORCYCLES SAVING LIVESVIOLET HAS A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE. SHE IS STANDING NEXT TO HER BRAND NEW YAMAHA AG100 AND IS TALKING ABOUT HOW HER MOTORCYCLE WILL HELP HER IN HER NEW JOB.

Violet Ng’ambia with her motorcycle.///

© Riders for H

ealth

- Tom Oldham

/// GALLERY


delivers the results back to the clinics so they can be given to patients.

Since Violet and her colleagues began their work in 2009 they have helped to increase the number of samples being delivered by 50% and this is linked to a 254% growth in the number of samples tested.

In the past, samples had been delivered by public transport, or they were taken to laboratories by health centre staff. Tests and results were left waiting for weeks or months. Now, samples are testing within days and patients who need it can start treatment quickly.

Riders for Health is the official charity of the FIM and is supported by motorcyclists around the world. Delivering samples is just one of the ways that the organisation is using reliable motorcycles and ambulances to improve health care across Africa.

The co-founder and CEO of Riders for Health, Andrea Coleman, explains that ‘In Africa people die because of easily preventable and curable disease. Billions of dollars are spent on drugs to cure the diseases they have. But’, Andrea explains, ‘those drugs don’t reach the people, and preventive health doesn’t reach the people.’

Riders for Health uses reliable transport to help change that.

Founded by American grand prix racer, Randy Mamola and Andrea and Barry Coleman in the late 1980s, Riders for Health provides a practical solution to delivering health care, by making sure health workers have the reliable motorcycles or ambulances they need to reach people in remote villages.

In a visit to Somalia in 1988 Randy and Barry discovered that motorcycles that should have been delivering vaccinates to children in remote communities had broken down after just a few hundred kilometres because they were not maintained and because there was no system for providing replacement parts or fuel.

As people who loved motorcycles and who had experience in how they worked, they knew that this should not have been the case. The bikes were designed for rough terrain, if they were looked after properly they would be perfect for the job. A motorcycle is far more cost effective than a four-wheeled vehicle in mobilising a single health worker and they are able to reach villages well away from roads.

Without reliable transport health workers are forced to walk between villag-es and they are unable to reach the most

remote communities. For the women and children living there, this means that they will be forced to go without health care.

Andrea, Barry and Randy knew that in the modern world, this was not acceptable. With the support of the motorcycle community around the world, they began fundraising to create an organisation that would change this.

They began working with ministries of health and other health organisations to maintain their motorcycles and ambulances so that health workers can get out and about into villages delivering lifesaving health care. They set up networks of workshops and technicians who could maintain vehicles properly.

The technicians Riders for Health train are all local people and each month they travel to where the bikes are used. They also make sure the health workers who ride motorcycles are trained to ride safely. Riders for Health also train health workers to do basic daily checks on their vehicles, so the vehicles do not break down between visits from the technician.

From that first visit to Somalia in 1988, Riders for Health is now helping to get health workers on the road in eight countries in Africa. They are managing 1,300 vehicles and are helping 12 million to access health care.

Alvaro Bautista and Riders’ co-founder Randy Mamola meeting people while on the Experience Africa ride in Zambia.///

© Riders for H

ealth

- Mark Richardson

GALLERY ///


Riders for Health’s programme in the Gambia has made it the first country in Africa to secure reliable access to primary health care for its rural population. In April, UPS and Fleet Forum recognised this programme with the Best Transport Achievement Award at the Fleet Forum Annual Conference in Geneva.

Outreach health workers who have a reliable motorcycle can spend twice as long in the communities each week and can reach five times as many people. This means that they can reach more people and villages to so that all areas have access to health care.

If health workers can visit more villages and see more people they can monitor

disease more effectively and they can help people to prevent disease and stay healthy. They also offer an important link between villages and formal health care, which means people may be more likely to visit health centres when they are ill.

Tsepo Kotelo is a Health Assistant who is benefiting in just this way. Based at Likalaneng Health Centre in Maseru district in Lesotho, Tsepo has been a Health Assistant for four years. His job is to follow up on HIV and TB patients, and to conduct inspections of food, water and sanitation. Tsepo was trained and given a motorcycle in February 2008. His motorcycle is managed by Riders for Health and their technicians service the bike every month.

Before he received his motorcycle Tsepo tried to reach villages by foot. This meant he could not get to the more remote villages in his area. He used to be able to visit around three villages a week, now he can visit 20 because of his motorcycle.

One of the first things that Tsepo did with his new motorcycle, after he had been trained by Riders for Health, was to visit Ha Thaba-Bosiu, a village 80 kilometres away from the health centre with around 500 people living there.

When Tsepo arrived in Ha Thaba-Bosiu he found out that the village had never received any health care visits before. That night, when Tsepo went back to the health centre, he told the health staff and they organised a three day outreach health service and camped in the village to attend to any community members wishing to access health care.

Tsepo recognises that without his motorcycle this village might still have no health care visits. ‘I am able to do many activities in a day which I wasn’t able to do before,’ he explains.

Health workers like Tsepo have now joined Violet and her colleagues in Eastern Zambia on the road in Zambia. These 16 health workers are now delivering health care to remote communities.

This year, Riders for Health have also started working in Zambia’s Southern Province. Seventy-six health workers across four districts have been given motorcycles and have been trained how to ride them safely.

The impact that these motorcycles is being studied as part of a trial funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Stanford University will compare the difference between the four districts where Riders for Health is working, with four other districts.

In 2011, MotoGP rider Alvaro Bautista made a visit of his own to Zambia, to see how difficult it is for people to access health care. Alvaro joined a group of other motorcyclists to visit Southern Zambia as part of Experience Africa, a nine-day motorcycle tour through Zambia. Experience Africa aims to give people the chance to see the work of Riders for Health, as participants ride the same bikes health workers use across Africa to deliver health care.

A health worker travelling to the next appointment in Kenya.///

Taking place in November 2012, Riders for Health’s Experience Africa is a 1000km ride which makes a fascinating path through Zambia’s Southern Province.

Here you will really experience Africa. There will be gazelles and elephants. You will visit Victoria Falls and see the sun set over lake Kariba with new friends. But you will also ride to rural clinics and see firsthand the real problems for rural health workers and the people they are sworn to care for. You will be making a difference.

To find out how you can join the Experience Africa adventure in November 2012 visit www.riders-experience.org, or call +44 (0)1604 889569.

© Riders for H

ealth

- Tom Oldham

/// GALLERY


‘We visited a clinic and heard how hard it is for the health workers,’ describes Alvaro. ‘We met people who had had to walk for many hours to visit the clinic, which had so little.’

‘I always knew that it was important to support Riders for Health when I donated items to their auctions at Day of Champions and met with fans in the paddock and pit-lane, but to see what they do with the money they raise is amazing.’

After over 20 years of working across Africa, the motorcycle community around the world is still at the heart of Riders for Health’s support. Each year hundreds-of-thousands of pounds are raised at events like Day of Champions before the British MotoGP at Silverstone and Day of Stars before the US MotoGP at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.

Riders for Health also receives donations from across the world, people run marathons, take part in endurance motorcycle rides, and host fundraising events to help support the organisation’s work in Africa.

‘Riders for Health only exists because of its support from the motorcycle community,’ says Andrea. ‘We are now showing that motorcycles can reach communities cost effectively and reliably with care that prevents ill health. Motorcycles save lives.’

Riders for Health’s ambition is to reach 25 million people by 2015, so that basic health care reaches everyone who needs it, wherever they live.

To find out more about the work of Riders for Health, or to make a donation to their work, you can visit their website www.riders.org. If you would like to speak to someone about how you can help to raise money to support their work you can email [email protected] or call +44 (0)1604 889 570.

by Matthew Hann

Mr Mwembe, an Enviromental Health Technician in Zimbabwe, speaks to a mother outside her home in the Binga district.///

The participants in Experience Africa 2011 at Victoria Falls, one of the natural wonders of the world.///

© Riders for H

ealth

- Tom Oldham

© Riders for H

ealth

- Andrew Northcott

GALLERY ///


The factory prototypes will be there as before. But alongside them a whole new generation – the CRT bikes, marrying GP technology with street-bike engines.

There is another major change: MotoGP engine capacity is now 1000cc, up from the 800cc screamers of the past five years, but under stricter technical controls. The new bikes are pleasingly gruff, the sound has changed. But will 2012’s racing look different from last year?

In one important way, yes: there will be more bikes on the track and more action for the fans. The reasoning behind the CRT (Claiming Rule Team) concept was to restore grid numbers. It was instantly successful. While last year’s 17 factory bikes have dropped off to just 12, nine of the new CRT bikes have swelled grid numbers to more than 20 for the first time since 2006.

In another way, it will look much the same as last year. The same guys on the same bikes will be up front: Casey Stoner and Danny Pedrosa on the factory Repsol

Hondas versus Jorge Lorenzo and Ben Spies on the works Yamahas. This same quartet won all 17 races last year. There is every chance of that happening again.

Unless Ducati can find a way to mend all those broken hearts, and give Valentino Rossi the right bike for him to get back to his winning ways.

In which order will they finish overall?

If we knew that there would no need to hold 18 races, starting in Qatar on April 8 and finishing at Valencia on November 11. In between the GP circus will visit Malaysia, Japan and Australia; the USA twice, and all the familiar European circuits in between – including the usual four visits to Spain.

Stoner starts out as favourite. The only rider ever to win regularly on the Ducati proved it was the rider not the bike when he switched to Honda and the orange-and-blue Repsol colours last year, fulfilling a boyhood dream. “Mick Doohan was my hero, and I always wanted to be in the same team.”

Dominant Casey won ten races as he swept to a second premier-class title. He started 2012 in the same vein, topping the time-sheets at all three pre-season tests. If there are any chinks in his armour, they are not easy to find. The biggest difference this year is that he became a father during the winter, but while this change in status has affected other riders in the past, the 26-year-old Australian doesn’t seem the type.

The biggest challenge may come from the other side of his garage: at 26 Dani Pedrosa has been six years in the factory team, with a poor tally of 15 race wins to show for it. His speed and winning potential are never in doubt, but physical frailty always seems to intervene. For once he starts this year unhurt. If he can stay that way, he’s a very serious prospect.

The Yamaha threat is also very real. Last year the Honda was the better bike in several areas. Tests this year suggest that the shift to 1000cc may have helped Yamaha to redress the balance. The marque’s characteristic of good overall balance and sweet handling gives top rider

ALL CHANGE AT THE MotoGP CORRALGRAND PRIX RACING TURNS 64 THIS YEAR, AND THE CLASSIC SERIES IS ON THE BRINK OF THE BIGGEST CHANGE IN GP RACING IN ITS LONG HISTORY. THE PREMIER CLASS IS FOR THE FIRST TIME A DOUBLE-STOREY AFFAIR, WITH TWO DISTINCT TYPES OF MOTORCYCLE RACING AT THE SAME TIME.

© Repsol YPF S.A.

/// R I D E


Jorge Lorenzo (24) the tools to employ his inch-perfect riding – he is formidably fast and consistent.

Ben Spies (27) plays team-mate for a second year, with one win in his pocket. The maiden World Superbike champ needs to take another step, but he shows every sign of being ready to do so. And the pressure is on: Andrea Dovizioso (25) has joined the satellite team after being elbowed out of Honda, and he not only wants revenge, but also to score well enough to supplant Spies in the factory squad.

Perhaps the best measure of the new M1 Yamaha’s strength comes from fourth rider, feisty Englishman Cal Crutchlow (26). Top rookie last year, he has been fast at all tests, ending up fifth-fastest at Jerez.

Where does this leave Valentino Rossi (33) and his Ducati team-mate Nicky Hayden (30)? Impossible not to imagine that the beleaguered team won’t find a way to bounce back – a radical chassis redesign (from minimalist carbon-fibre to conventional twin-spar aluminium) shows serious intent; while Rossi has lost none of the talent that amassed nine championships and 105 GP wins. Last year, however, the dream team turned to nightmare – no wins, just one rostrum per rider, and an ever-worsening problem with handling and feel.

A positive start to testing lost momentum second time out, but Rossi managed to squeeze himself back up to sixth overall at

Jerez. “Understeer is still the problem,” he explained; but he believed the new bike would respond to setting changes like the old one didn’t, giving him the chance to get it to his liking. Hayden was much in the same boat.

There are two satellite Hondas – one for Spaniard Alvaro Bautista (27), left high and dry by Suzuki’s withdrawal at the end

of last year, until he took the late Marco Simoncelli’s place in the well-founded Gresini team; another for Moto2 champion Stefan Bradl (22), who made a solid start at tests.

Factory numbers are made up by two satellite Ducatis, for Karl Abraham (22)

and Hector Barbera (25). The big question concerns their machines: they have much earlier versions of the aluminium chassis, at least for the start of the year.

CRT – MOTOGP’S SECOND TIER

The humble new generation of grand prix racers, with tuned production engines in

full-race prototype chassis, reverses the old rule that racing improves the breed, instead paying tribute to the potential of modern-day street bikes.

It’s a bit like Moto2, except engine choice is free. They have more technical leeway than factory bikes – 12 engines per rider compared with six, and three extra litres of fuel, at 24 litres.

The new sub-class has not only boosted grid numbers by nine. It has also attracted a variety of machines, and re-opened premier-class racing to specialist chassis builders and engine tuners.

Engine power comes from Aprilia, BMW, Honda and Kawasaki; frames from Aprilia as well as specialists like Britain’s FTR.

The Aprilia ART (for Aprilia Racing Team) is the only complete package, and there will be four of them. A fifth Aprilia is the independent Ioda, with their own steel-tube chassis. There are two FTR-Kawasakis from Spain; the Gresini MotoGP team has a single FRT Honda; and there is a single Suter BMW.

The Doctor still hasn't found the right remedy for his Ducati, but when he does...///

Randy de Puniet may well be the man to beat in the CRT ranks.///

© Stan Perec

© Stan Perec

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The ART may be in some danger either of engine claiming (the 20,000-Euro claiming right giving the class its name), or of re-classification to factory-team status, though both were considered only distant prospects at the year’s start.

The machines were certainly impressively fast, at least in the hands of ex-satellite rider Randy de Puniet (31, from France), who consistently threatened the slowest factory bikes at the first joint tests at Jerez ... though he admitted “it might be different at faster tracks”.

He and the next-fastest CRT tester Aleix Espargaro (22) both ride for the super-slick Spanish Aspar team, working closely with the Aprilia factory.

The others were spaced out with wide gaps between lap times, and lots of work still to be done to their all-new and independently developed racers.

One significant pioneer is double Superbike champion and factory-bike veteran Colin Edwards (old man of the grid at 38). The colourful Texan again deferred retirement to help develop the Suter-BMW. The Honda goes to Moto2 race winner Michele Pirro, with the engine developed by World Superbike HRC associates Ten Kate Racing.

The first year of CRT is something of a trial run. So too is the newest technical restriction for the factory bikes: a mandatory four-cylinder engine (no more the sonorous V5s or screaming triples of the first MotoGP years) with a maximum bore size of 81mm, with the aim of reducing revs.

At the same time a series of further cost-cutting proposals are under consideration, with resolution promised for the end of May. Proposals include a control ECU, a

rev limit, and a million-dollar cost cap on factory lease bikes.

Racing is changing in line with changing circumstances, as it must to survive. Wish the sport well.

MOTO2 – THE FREE-FOR-ALL GOES ON

With MotoGP up to 1000cc and the 125s replaced by 250 four-strokes, the middle class is the only one to continue from 2011 without any significant changes. Moto2 retains the control engine (Honda 600s supplied by the organisers) and control Dunlop tyres of its first two years. And also retains a heaving 33-strong field ready for the super-close brawl into the first corner.

Well, unchanged apart from the champion having left – Stefan Bradl as well as last-race winner Michele Pirro have departed for MotoGP.

There has been some reshuffling of machine loyalty, with the Swiss Suter chassis losing some notable customers to last year’s winning German Kalex, up from four bikes to eight. But Suter gained some others, and is still the most numerous machine on the grid, with nine.

In all there are nine different types of chassis: with five British FTR units plus one FTR-alike built by Speedmaster; four Japanese Moriwakis; two Motobis – built in Japan but named in Italy; two French-made Tech 3s, and one each from MZ and AJR.

There is but one favourite – Marc Marquez (19), who lost an almost certain maiden title last year after crashing with two races to go. He was left with double-vision problems that required surgery in January, and there were fears that the ex-125

champion (some already compare him to Rossi) might not be fit for the start of the year after he missed the first two group tests.

The Repsol rider did turn up for the last Jerez tests and though he admitted to feeling quite rusty after five months out of the saddle, his lap times were right up with the fastest. Marquez, who stays with Suter, swept to seven wins and seven pole positions in his near-dominant maiden season. Few would bet against him this year, but there are many willing to have a go at beating him.

Last year’s crop of race winners and title challengers joined by 2010’s first-ever Moto2 champion Toni Elias (29, Suter), back from a return season in MotoGP that went badly wrong. The popular Spaniard will be desperate to regain his former status.

As for the rest, it’s a roll call of talent, aggression and ambition that guarantees more of the same tooth-and-nail racing that made the control-engine class such an instant hit with the fans.

There’s Andrea Iannone (22) on the Speedmaster: the Italian is flamboyant, aggressive, exciting, and dangerously fast. From San Marino comes Alex de Angelis (28, Suter), with a chequered career in all classes backed by two 2011 wins in his first Moto2 season.

Fast at the tests was former 125 champion Thomas Luthi (25, from Switzerland), still with his well-seasoned Interwetten Suter team; fastest at Jerez was rising Italian Claudio Corti (24), moved from Suter to Kalex.

The ex-125 gang all now have a year’s more Moto2 experience. Britons Bradley

Moto2 can always guarantee breathtaking racing.///

© Stan Perec

/// R I D E


Smith (21) and Scott Redding (19) have rostrum experience. Smith rides the Tech 3 again; Redding and Marc VDS team-mate Mika Kallio have made the Suter-to-Kalex switch. Pol Espargaro (20, from Spain) also adapted quickly last year, and now also has a Kalex for the next step.

Plenty more to watch: Spaniard Julian Simon (24, Kalex) was second in 2010 but lost most of last year to injury; and Swiss rider Dominique Aegerter (21). with his faithful Techno-Mag CIP Suter team again, is a dark horse.

Let the vuvuzelas commence.

MOTO3: ALL CHANGE FOR THE NEWEST GP CLASS

The traditional 125 class was the last to get a new-century make-over, ending a continuous run dating back to 1949. Traditionalists mourned the passing and the end of an era of two-stroke racing. The riders jumped on their new 250 four-strokes, and loved them. “They’re not much heavier than the 125 with more torque – you can really chuck them around,” explained Mahindra rider Danny Webb.

Mahindra is one of a small handful of independent entrants to the new class. The rules dictate a single-cylinder four-stroke 250 with the same maximum bore (81mm) as MotoGP, along with the control ECU, a 14,000 rpm rev limit and Dunlop tyres, as already used in Moto2. The Indian firm is co-developing an Italian Oral engine, with another separate all-Oral team on the list, and the Italian Ioda the other new adventurer – six bikes in all.

The bulk of the 33 entries come from over the counter, with more than half the grid choosing the purpose-built new Honda production racer, the NSF250R. There are 18 on the list, although three of them use FTR chassis.

Honda’s smallest GP bike is made for the job, in anticipation of a big market as national championships turn to the new Moto3 category. It’s a clever machine, with a reversed cylinder head (exhaust to the rear) and a backward-leaning cylinder, housed in the old two-stroke 125 chassis. And it’s not the only one. Austrian factory KTM also offers a race-ready bike, and they account for another nine, four of them fitted to a Kalex chassis.

The horsepower benchmark for the new class is 50 – Honda’s stock bike is slightly below that and KTM’s quoted figure a couple of horses higher. It’s about the same as the Manx Norton that took Geoff

Duke to the 500cc World Championship in 1951 – there’s progress for you.

The new bikes were promising from the start – at the earliest tests they were already posting lap times comparable with the 125s they replace. At the final round at Jerez, Maverick Viñales (17, FTR Honda) was within a whisker of pole time.

Last year’s title rivals Terol and Zarco have moved to Moto2, leaving Viñales as favourite after four wins in his rookie season. Other hot Honda prospects include Spaniard Efren Vazquez and Portugal’s Miguel Oliveira – but the sensation of Jerez was a 16-year-old Italian newcomer Romano Fenati. He was fastest on the first day and ended up a close third overall.

Second went to the best of the KTMs, ridden by rising Briton Danny Kent (18). He will be battling German team-mate Sandro Cortese (22) for Red Bull superiority. There were other interesting names at the top of the list, with Malaysian Zulfahmi Khairuddin (Kalex KTM) fifth behind Cortese at Jerez.

The independent rivals, at an earlier stage of machine development, will have their work cut out: Mahindra riders Danny Webb (21) and Marcel Schrotter (19) were struggling for reliability at the tests. “The other companies started two years ago; our bike is only a few months old,” explained team engineer Davide Borghese.

There’s always room for surprises. Maverick Viñales will hope there won’t be any.

by Michael Scott

First woman to join the Moto2 class, Elena Rosell is picking up the gauntlet and learning the tricks of the trade. Go, go, go...///

Moto 3: a new class that might crown Maverick Viñales. Watch this space!///

© Stan Perec

© Stan Perec

R I D E ///


THE DIVERSE MIX

From the 80 riders that fill the MX1 and MX2 gates there is a decent cosmopolitan blend with national representation from Austria to Zimbabwe. This cast – steering machinery from seven manufacturers all with works teams – will travel to sixteen different circuits in fourteen countries including stops in Mexico, Brazil and Russia. Perhaps there is no other racing series in the FIM cannon that provides such a range of varying terrain and conditions for some of the fastest off-road racers on the globe. From the rolling sandy ‘waves’ of Lierop in Holland to the marbly hard-pack of Loket

in the Czech Republic, to the immaculate red dirt of Beto Carrero in Brazil to the punishing loam and jumps of Kegums in Latvia. Each Grand Prix will produce its own story, not only through the efforts and plights of the stars and the factory bikes that carry them but in the character of the track and the climate that will constantly test the skills and reserves of the team personnel.

TALENT ON SHOW

At the top of the pile in the premier class for the last three years is Red Bull KTM’s Tony Cairoli. The Sicilian is one of three

current MX1 riders to have sampled world championship success and from the full gate of forty that lined up at Valkenswaard in Holland for round one, almost half (17) had tasted Grand Prix victory. Although Cairoli has ruled MX1 since 2009 – the first year with Yamaha and the last two in ‘orange’ – 222 has faced stern challenges from the likes of Rockstar Suzuki’s Clement Desalle and Monster Energy Yamaha’s Steven Frossard and there has been a gaggle of racers vying for trophies. The statistics support the competitiveness of the category with seventeen different individuals having walked the podium in the previous two seasons (thirty Grands Prix in total).

SOMEWHERE AROUND THE WORLD, AS YOU READ THIS, GRAND PRIX DIRT IS BEING ABUSED. THE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IS FIRMLY UNDERWAY AND THE SIXTEEN ROUND, SIX MONTH CONTEST WILL PRODUCE ITS USUAL MIX OF HEROICS AND DRAMA AND – AS ALWAYS – WILL BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PREDICT. HERE ARE FIVE REASONS WHY THE BEST SPECTATOR MOTORSPORT EXPERIENCE THERE IS SHOULD NOT BE MISSED…

5 REASONS NOT TO MISSTHE FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ©

Nuno Laranjeira


/// R I D E

Motocross permits such freedom of expression on the motorcycle that the variations of style, as riders hit ruts, bumps and play with the bikes through the air over the jumps are one of the important flavours of the sport. At the very top, lap-times are separated by tenths of a second despite the majority of circuits permitting several options for lines and trajectory for the fastest way around a layout. Watching a Grand Prix allows us to enjoy the bustling aggression and determination of riders such as Honda World Motocross team’s Evgeny Bobryshev and contrast the approach to the meticulous, smooth, economical but deadly pace of CP377 Monster Energy Pro Circuit’s Christophe Pourcel. MX2 boasts one of the very fastest sand riders in the world, Red Bull KTM’s Jeffrey Herlings, but is also home to the next generation of stars with the series carrying a 23 year age cap and filtering through the best talent from the strong European EMX125 (125cc two-stroke) and EMX2 (250cc four-stokes) contests that run concurrent with select Grands Prix during the season.

ROLLING BACK THE YEARS

The FIM Motocross World Championship began life in 1957 and therefore is one of the oldest off-road racing contest. 2012 will see the 66th year of action at Grand Prix level as the tenth anniversary of the formation of the MX1 and MX2 classes draws near. It was in 2004 that the rulebook of the sport changed to reflect the advancing technology and resurgence of four-stroke motorcycles. In that time there have only been four MX1 world champions, all from Belgium and Italy, a fact that highlights the competitiveness and difficulty of the series. MX2 has belonged to KTM riders in five of the last eight seasons.

For the first time since 2005 the Grand Prix trail stretches to more than fifteen rounds and reaches some of the extremes of the compass points in Europe: Holland, Bulgaria, Italy, Mexico, Brazil, France, Portugal, Belgium, Sweden, Latvia, Russia, Czech Republic, UK, Holland, Italy and Germany. With more overseas events planned in 2013 (Thailand and another South American trip are part of Youthstream’s goal for a bigger global scope) there has never been a better time for a European audience to try and catch one of the races.

At the end of the calendar is the flagship event, the Motocross of Nations, now reaching its 66th edition.

A day at the races! Motocross has lots to offer the huge crowds surrounding the tracks.///

Part of Motocross's success is the close interaction between the riders and their fans.///

© Nuno Laranjeira


R I D E ///

In 2012 the multi national tournament – the ultimate team race with the cream of each country sent to represent their flag – takes place in the unforgiving sand of Lommel in Belgium and several nations will be sniffing what could be the best chance for several years to knock the conquering Team USA off their perch and end a run of seven consecutive ownerships of the historic Chamberlain trophy.

TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY

Sometimes skills are shared between the performances on the track and those from the workshops and the team awnings. The FIM Motocross World Championship like every major race series is home to experimentation, ideas, creativity and evolution. The presence of prototypes is an important ‘must’ for manufacturers who are extremely keen to develop a sector of the motorcycling market that has remained reasonably stable in the face of the rocky economic landscape of the last few years. Honda have made their biggest show of support for the sport yet in delivery of a brand new prototype with hardly any base on a current production model for the Honda World Motocross team duo of Evgeny Bobryshev and Rui

Goncalves. The exotic material combined with innovative Showa SFF Air suspension and fresh products from Dunlop means the distinctive red and white bikes are some of the most special in the paddock. Every factory team is developing new ways to harness the potential of their machinery. Yamaha and KTM are just two to form an alliance with GET and continue work on electronics and the beneficial GPA system that manages a motorcycle throttle output and assist with traction.

Are the bikes now too fast? This is one question that has started to become more frequent over the last few seasons with the spate of high profile injuries and the driving evolution that sees the 450cc and 250cc motorcycles becoming lighter and more powerful while still adhering to strict sound regulations. KTM have won the last two MX1 titles with Cairoli controlling their ground-breaking 350SX-F. Although the Austrians are the only ones to pioneer this blend between the handling of a 250 and the engine potential of the bigger 450 their courage and belief in the project shows the room for engineering possibilities in the sport.

The march of progress does not extend solely to the track equipment. The FIM

Motocross World Championship has its own dedicated web TV service in www.mx-life.tv. With a raft of exclusive content and full live coverage of each and every moto it is now easier than ever not to miss a single lap of the Grands Prix, regardless of the time zone.

ONLY THE STRONGEST SURVIVE

Cairoli has ruled MX1 for three seasons not only through his ability and dedication to the sport but also through his skills in putting together a full campaign and making each point count. It is no co-incidence that the Italian has filled his scorecard in every single moto through 2009, 2010 and 2011 that has contributed towards his championship successes and this has been key to his elevated profile and achievements. Other racers have beaten ‘222’ but the injuries to the likes of Clement Desalle, Steve Ramon, David Philippaerts, Evgeny Bobryshev, Jonathan Barragan, Seb Pourcel and Max Nagl over the past three seasons has meant the war of attrition has always fallen his way. Cairoli wrapped up the 2009 crown with one race remaining, 2010 with two races to spare and 2011 with one meeting still to run. Anyone with designs on the prize for ’12 will have to target a high standard of consistency, which is easier said than done over the course of thirty-two 35 minutes + 2 laps races and across the already mentioned range of terrain and conditions. As much as we, the fans of the sport, relish the small battles and charges towards the chequered flag, the real defining mark of glory in motocross is the capacity to last the campaign and eye the loftiest place on the leader board on any given day. 2012 has already produced its first victims with MX2 candidates Zach Osborne and Arnaud Tonus set to miss the opening phase of the championship through injury and another Yamaha rider, 2011 MX1 runner-up and one of the few expected to hassle Cairoli, Steven Frossard, sustaining a knee injury in Bulgaria mid-April for what was only the second round.

As the series barrels through its dates in the coming months, pick your favourite rider and cross your fingers for ‘survival’ as much as victory.

by Adam Wheeler

Back to the future! Remember HRC? Now Honda is chasing MXGP glory once more.///

© Nuno Laranjeira


/// R I D E

PUB

www.hondamc2012.com

Celebrating twenty years of Total ControlThe new Fireblade

A4_ADVERT_ENG OK.indd 1 18.05.12 13:37

The inaugural 2012 FIM Track Racing Youth Training Camp was held in April in collaboration with Croatia’s ‘Unia Speedway Club’, and provided expert coaching to twenty-four talented eleven to seventeen year-olds prior to the FIM Speedway Youth Gold Trophy, held in

Gorican in the same week at the city’s famous Millennium Speedway Stadium.

The two-day FIM Track Racing Youth Training Camp, the first in history and organised by the FIM Track Racing Commission (CCP), gave the participating

young riders a unique opportunity to learn from the very best trainers the sport has to offer, and to pick up essential riding tips from three of Speedway’s most successful racing stars, Greg Hancock, Jurica Pavlic and Marco Belli.

FIRST FIM TRACK RACING YOUTH TRAINING CAMP INSPIRES FUTURE STARSTHE FIM TRACK RACING COMMISSION IS WORKING WITH THE FIM MEDICAL, TECHNICAL & INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT COMMISSIONS UNDER THE AEGIS OF THE FIM ACADEMY TO BOOST THE FUTURE SPORTING CAREERS OF YOUNG MOTORCYCLE RACERS THROUGH ITS NEWLY LAUNCHED ANNUAL TRAINING CAMPS FOR SPEEDWAY AND LONG TRACK RIDERS.

24 talented 11 to 17 year-olds with racing stars Jurica Pavlic, Greg Hancock and Marco Belli./// ©Speedw

ay club Unia

/// FIM INSIDE


Designated as a priority FIM Academy project, this event was directly funded by the FIM as will be the case with future FIM Track Racing Youth Training Camps. The FIM offers places free of charge and the riders cover only their individual travel and accommodation costs. At Gorican, riders were also offered free methanol for their motorcycles.

Setting the stage

The Millennium Speedway Stadium boasts a 305 metre track with a smaller speedway track in the infield, and can hold up to 7,500 fans, making it the perfect training ground for future champions. The stadium’s track record stands at 58.4 seconds (4 laps) and has been held by Fredrik Lindgren since 29 August 2010.

Many young champions have raced this stadium’s impressive circuit. The Millennium Speedway Stadium regularly hosts the FIM Speedway Grand Prix. In 2009, it was the venue for the FIM Speedway Under-21 World Championship Final, which was won by Australian Darcy Ward who went on to defend his title successfully the following year.

With dreams of one day capturing a FIM World Championship of their very own, the young training camp students made the most of their track sessions at this first-class venue and enjoyed improving their skills in this spectacular discipline.

Coaching tomorrow’s champions

An international team of trainers was put together by the FIM to teach the aspiring champions a range of Speedway riding techniques. This elite training team included the likes of Marco Belli (Europe’s most successful Flat Track rider) and local Croatian Speedway star Jurica Pavlic. Other instructors were Armando Castagna from Italy, Christophe Dubernard and Laurent Sambarrey from France, René Schaefer and Sönke Petersen from Germany, Phil Morris from Great Britain, Talgat Galeiev from Russia, Aki Pekka Mustonen from Finland and Vozar Lubomir from the Czech Republic.

2011 FIM Speedway World Champion Greg Hancock, winner of the 2012 FIM New Zealand Speedway Grand Prix, completed the coaching line-up and was a fantastic ambassador for the sport.

Riders' briefing given by 2011 FIM Speedway World Champion Greg Hancock.///

©Speedw

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FIM INSIDE ///


THREE DAYS OF INTENSIVE TRAINING

Various sessions both on and off the track were provided over the two days. Instructors shared their vast array of knowledge and experience to help prepare the young riders to become the next generation of racing stars.

For many of the training camp students this was their first real taste of riding a 250cc Speedway bike. First-class coaching on the track was provided by Greg Hancock, Jurica Pavlic and the national trainers. Marco Belli led the 250cc Flat Track training. The national trainers also put the young athletes through their paces off the track with a series of physical training sessions.

Seminars off the track included technical (motorcycle-specific) instruction, led by Charles Hennekam (Coordinator of the International Technical Commission), who gave students an overview of the sport’s technical regulations, safety items, dimensions, and information on homologated parts (dirt deflectors, tyres and silencers).

Further information on sporting rules and regulations was given by experienced FIM Referee, Pavel Kubes.

FIM Medical Commission delegate Doctor Steven Pauli gave a medical seminar covering a variety of important and specialist health issues such as anti-doping, nutrition and dietetics, and rest periods.

Advice on various environmental issues including protection of the soil, sound-level reduction as well as sustainable behaviour was also provided by FIM International Environment Commission delegate Peter Gregory.

Finally, British expert Phil Morris conducted a media training and behaviour session.

Michaela Krupičková, the only girl rider, during the training session.///

Promising 13-year old from Russia, Arslan Fayzulin.///

©Speedw

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©Speedw

ay club Unia

/// FIM INSIDE


A STEP FORWARD FOR SPEEDWAY

Speaking after the training camp, Greg Hancock, commented: “Looking to the future of Speedway, it all starts with the kids or youngsters getting an early ride and with a natural progression. I started my career as a JR Speedway rider back in California on a Triumph 200 Tiger Cub, which was set up and geared to my ability. As I progressed, I transferred to a four-

stroke Honda 175 and then to an XR 250 before moving up to a Weslake 250 at the age of fourteen. That was the best move I ever made as the engine had exactly the same characteristics as the 500cc bikes, but with much less power. I learned so much control from this transition.

“The introduction of the FIM Speedway Youth Project is a major step forward for the sport as I see it. Countries such as Sweden and Denmark have produced many World Champions from the favourable two-stroke 80-85cc bikes over the years, however I believe that they can do even better by allowing youngsters

in their early teens to step up to the Youth 250 one or two years before going professional on the 500cc.”

Looking to the future

The FIM Academy plans to tour the World with its new Speedway training camps, holding one event each year in partnership with local organisers and Speedway clubs. The host nation for the 2013 FIM

Track Racing Youth Training Camp will be announced in the coming months.

Paul Bellamy, Managing Director of BSI Speedway, which promoted the 2012 FIM Track Racing Youth Training Camp, comments: “We welcome this initiative from the FIM as the future of any sport depends on the engagement of new competitors and attracting a new audience from a young age. This is a great start and we look forward to the rollout of these training camps across key Speedway markets globally to help underpin the future of the sport. At its best speedway is on a par with and as engaging as any sport

and it is very important we all support this initiative.”

The FIM agrees that recognising and nurturing young talent is vital to the future of Speedway and indeed other motorcycle sports, as FIM President, Vito Ippolito, explains: “This initiative follows the trend that the FIM is building up in each one of our sports to train and prepare young riders for success. Speedway is popular in many parts of Europe. We must now

work to strengthen its international appeal and to recruit as much new talent to the sport as possible. With the support of our National Federations, our promoter IMG and the whole Track Racing community, I am convinced that we can ensure the development of Speedway and also expand the practice of this sport to new countries.”

The FIM would like to thank all those who supported this inaugural event and helped make it a success.


Last briefing before the practice session.///

©Speedw

ay club Unia

FIM INSIDE ///


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THE CHANNEL FOR MOTORSPORT FANS

FIM MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP,FIM ENDURANCE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP,FIM X-TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP...

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLINGTHE FIM INTRODUCES THE VERY FIRST “WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING” LOGO

The FIM Women in Motocycling Commission (CFM) is launching its newly created logo to increase awareness and recognition of women at all levels in the world of motorcycling.

The CFM was created in 2006 in order to develop and promote women’s motorcycling as a sports activity as well as for tourism and leisure. Its target is to create opportunities for women in all types of motorcycling-related activity.

2012 FIM RALLY IN POLAND – WOMEN’S PROGRAMME

The 67th edition of the FIM Rally will take place in Bydgoszcz (Poland) from 19 to 21 July 2012

Motorcyclists from all over the world will gather together in the outskirts of Bydgoszcz in Myślęcinek, Poland. This year, in addition to the many “traditional” activities and events there will also be a Women’s Programme. This Women’s Programme will be composed of a set

of attractions and activities presented by women and geared to women. For example, the famous Polish biker and author, Anna Jackowska, will share her stories of her incredible motorbike trips; Ewa Pieniakowska will perform a live stunt demonstration; and a Kart track training session will be organised for women. The Women’s programme will culminate on Sunday 22 July with the Motocross Women’s Cup of Poland in Człuchów.

The FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission will also be represented at this event and warmly encourages you to attend it!

• Wednesday 18 July: Karting training session

• Saturday 21 July: Women’s Zone in the Rally Centre, meeting with Ania Jackowska, stunt demonstration by Ewa Pieniakowska, Make-up lessons for active women

• Sunday 22 July: Motocross Women’s Cup of Poland in Człuchów.

More information at: www.pzm.pl/fimrally

AMA INTERNATIONAL WOMEN & MOTORCYCLING CONFERENCE IN NEVADA

Nowhere is the passion and dedication of women motorcyclists more apparent than at an AMA International Women & Motorcycling Conference. The popular international event returns July 26-29, 2012, this time in Carson City, Nevada - one of the American West’s premier motorcycling destinations.

The Conference focuses on educating, encouraging, inspiring and mentoring women in the lifestyle and sport of motorcycling.

“Regardless of bike brand, riding preference or background, women motorcyclists are bound together by their common passion for life on two wheels,” said AMA Marketing Manager Tigra Tsujikawa. “The Conference provides all of us with the opportunity to connect

with, and learn from, other women riders. Through seminars, activities, training classes and organized rides, we’ll work together to gain knowledge and skills to better navigate where the road or trail leads next.”

Previous AMA International Women & Motorcycling conferences have been held in Keystone, Colorado; Athens, Georgia; Buckhannon, West Virginia; Athens, Ohio; and Westerville, Ohio. They have featured targeted attractions for women motorcyclists such as seminars, workshops, speeches, product and

motorcycle displays and demo rides, recreational riding and networking.

“Motorcyclists are known for their welcoming attitudes, and this conference is no exception,” Tsujikawa said. “Women are encouraged to register their spouses, partners and friends, who can attend all the activities”.

The FIM Women in Motorcycling Commission will also be represented at this event and encourages you to join in!

More information at: www.womenandmotorcycling.com

FIM INSIDE ///


FIM: Let’s start with the better half… Who is Nicole Schreiber?Nicole Schneider: My name is Nicole Schreiber. I am 43 years old and I am married to Sven Schreiber. I always went to watch motocross races. I actually met Sven at a motocross track. We live in Radevormwald, a small city near Cologne, Germany, where I was born. Our daughter

is 18 years old now. I work as an assistant in a company that makes and sells fridges. I’m really lucky because my boss likes motorbikes. He rides a Harley. So when I ask for holiday on a Friday or Monday for a FreeStyle Motocross event, he says it’s OK. The only thing is I have to come back (laughs). My role starts when we go into the arena and stops when we go out

of the arena. I am there to give the right information to the riders on the event whenever necessary.

FIM: And the same question to the other half… Who is Sven Schreiber?Sven Schreiber: My name is Sven Schreiber. I am 43 years old and from the Cologne region too. I rode motocross and

UNSUNG ACTORS BEHIND THE SCENESFIM FREESTYLE MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

NICOLE AND SVEN SCHREIBER ARE FAMILIAR FACES IN THE FREESTYLE MOTOCROSS SCENE. THE COUPLE SHARE THEIR PASSION FOR THE SPORT AND ARE WELL RESPECTED BY THE RIDERS FOR THEIR WORK AND INVOLVEMENT. SHE MIGHT BE CALLED THE “PADDOCK EMPRESS”, AND HE “SVEN, THE BUILDER” OR “SUPERMOUTH”. WHO ARE THEY, WHAT DO THEY DO?

Busy bees - Nicole and Sven Schreiber are up and about all the time during the event.../// © Oliver Franke IFMXF.com


/// PADDOCK

I’ve been working in the Freestyle Motocross business for over twelve years now. I am officially track builder for the Night of the Jumps and the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Championship. I am also the Master of Ceremonies, so I act as moderator for all the German-speaking events. I am not 100% professionally associated with Freestyle. I also have my own events agency and do lots of things. I also act as moderator for Motocross and Motocross events, as well as go-kart street races. With my company, I have also transposed the Olympic sport of bobsleigh into the summer season, with summer bob. But I do many crazy things…

FIM: How did you become involved in FreeStyle Motocross?Nicole: I just went with Sven and watched the events. There was another woman doing what I am doing now. Then, I am not sure why, but in Vienna, in 2002, I was slipped into it. At practice time, all the riders were standing next to me and they were all ready to go in the arena and saying “I want to go now, I want to go now”. That was too much. So I tried to organise it a bit by introducing something like a practice list.

Sven: I got into Freestyle Motocross twelve years ago. In those days there was no such thing as Freestyle Motocross; it was known as Superjump. Marco

Manthey and I figured out that there was enough room to make it into an event in its own right. I also worked as riders’ support crew at that time and together we developed the first ramps and tested the distances. Actually, my credentials as a track builder are based on my experience as a motocross rider. In the beginning, no one believed in the idea. But we discovered right at the start that you could attract more spectators with a freestyle event than with actual racing events. And that’s how it started and how we established Freestyle; in Germany at first and then in Europe.

FIM: So what is your role at an event? We will start with Sven since he builds the trackSven: My weekend always starts considerably earlier than for the riders. We start by preparing the arena so that we can bring in the 1,400 T of earth. The average spectator does not see anything of what goes on behind the scenes to produce a FreeStyle Motocross event. The venue is empty to begin with, and we cover the ground so that we can bring in the earth. Then about a hundred truck loads of dirt are brought into the arena, and we transform these hundred truck loads of dirt into the freestyle track. In the best of cases, we have two days to build it, but because the cost of renting an arena is so high, in the worst

of cases we have really only twelve hours. That is the record, twelve hours to build the track and then we immediately start with the technical installations. We cannot do both at once, track building and technical fittings, because light and laser systems are very sensitive to dirt, so we have to keep them separate. If all goes well, after one night shift and one day shift, we can launch straight into the practice sessions. In the worst case scenario, we start to build the track on Friday at 6pm and install the technical equipment during the night from Friday to Saturday. On Saturday morning the arena is then ready for practice.

FIM: It seems simple but there is more to it, isn’t there?Sven: Indeed, the track builder has to adapt to the size of the arena. In Europe, we mostly have an ice hockey pitch plus an extra 10 m. The 70 m we often have to work with generally do not allow us to build large tracks. In the USA, the arenas are considerably larger, for the most part. Now, though, we also have some modern arenas here in Europe like the one in Turin, where we have 80 m to play with and we can build bigger jumps. The bottom line is that the track construction depends on the size of the arena, and the bigger the arena, the easier it is for the track builder to build a decent track. The rules that we have laid down within the FIM regulations prescribe

Building a safe track is precision work and Sven knows what it takes.///

© Oliver Franke IFMXF.com


PADDOCK ///

certain dimensions, for example the run-out area behind the landings must be at least 15 m, and the heights of the landing hills etc. are also laid down in the regulations, so as to ensure that we can provide the safest possible conditions for the riders. In the early days, there were some pretty unregulated events, but we have seen the impact of the FIM rules. We are proud of our safety record, with very few injured riders. Over the past ten years, we have really had very few serious accidents. We take care to cover and pad the walls for example. We also involve riders who are in the process of bowing out of official freestyle because they can give us feedback and tell us what we can still improve, where we can do even more in terms of safety and where the riders feel comfortable. Safety is really a high priority for us so I am really busy with the track during the entire event.

FIM: What about outdoor FreeStyle tracks? Aren’t they bigger and don’t they create more possibilities?Sven: Yes, we can build much nicer tracks outdoors, we have more options and much more space to build bigger tracks, but there is a downside. The big problem in Europe is the weather. They say that the freestyle rider’s two worst enemies

are the wind and the rain. When the wind gets up, a rider can be blown sideways up to 3 m, and that can be really dangerous. And then there is the rain. Once, we were preparing an event in the Salzburg football stadium. We had built the track, everything was perfect, we had great conditions for training, and then five minutes before the event was due to start it began to rain, and we had to cancel. So, of course, if you have live TV slots, etc., it is much better to have a covered arena so that you are not totally dependent on the weather.

FIM: Nicole, when the practices start you step in…Nicole: Yes, I organise the riders’ practice. All the riders need to have the same time for practice. If one has ten minutes the others have to have ten minutes too. The available time will depend on the track situation. If we have to do more work on the track, the practice time is shorter. If we have less work to do on the track we can give the riders more practice time. And after the three or four riders have done their practice we have to prepare the track again. As Sven said, we always have the riders’ safety in mind. So we do not change the rules but depending on the track, we can give the riders more or less time out on the track.

FIM: That is your first part of the day. What is next?Nicole: After the practice, we have a small break and then we have the pit party. That is when the crowd can enter the pit where the riders are with their motorcycle and equipment. So we have some logistics to organise and make sure that all the riders are back in time in their pit so that the crowd can see them and get autographs, etc. Actually, it is all about having the riders at the right place at the right time all the time, whether it’s for the pit party or the event or whatever. But I am not responsible for the party (laughs).

FIM: And then there is the evening programme?Nicole: I give the riders as much information as possible so they are there in time for the opening. I show them the way, how to act at the opening, then I give them the starting order and the running times and the number of jumps and so on. I inform them on the amount of time they have to perform so many jumps, that they have a set time for the double-up - the last jump -, etc. I also explain the FIM regulations again to the new riders; it is giving information all the way.

Nicole will "guide" her flock of riders throughout the event.///



/// PADDOCK

FIM: One might think that you are driving the men around in the paddock. But that is definitely not the case. How would you describe it?Nicole: It is all about communication, you know. I respect the riders and will always try to make them feel as them as comfortable as they can be. They know that I would do anything possible for them. I would never go: “No, you’re not allowed to do that”, I would explain why they are not allowed to do it and then they will understand. Last week I was not at the event because I was ill and I had a message from the riders saying “We missed you”.

FIM: So it is all about relationships?Nicole: Yes. For example, years ago I went to Dortmund, and Mike Jones was riding there, and after a few years he did a few IFMXF competitions, and there I was thinking “Oh, Mike Jones”. But at all the events in which he participated, there he was with a friendly “How are you?” and then talking to you. Just like that. It’s not superficial, no. You know some things about the riders and you talk to them and ask them how they do this or that, there’s a real connection. Some you have more contact with, that’s normal, but you cannot prefer one or another because you have to treat them all the same. When they are competing or when they need help, all the riders are the same.

Whatever event you go you meet new people. And you connect with more and more people. I get to work with so many guys. It’s impossible to describe the riders in a general way, they are totally different.

You have got the ones out there practising every day, doing workouts, running, gym and stuff like that, but you also get those who never warm up. They get on their motorcycle and just feel it, they just ride, and would never do any sport, they told me. But none of them is crazy, they are really focused and they are really good sports guys. Freestyle is a show but it is also a hard sport.

FIM: Being so close to the riders, you must suffer with them in defeat and feel happy for them when they do well. Are you emotionally involved?Nicole: The last few events, I didn’t watch the runs because whenever they don’t land perfectly and stuff like that, it’s like a heart attack. And the worst thing is when they go down. Then sometimes I go with them to the hospital. We had that two years ago with Massimo Biaconcini. He had a really hard fall in Mannheim. And I went with him to the hospital and I was totally down afterwards. That’s really hard. But of course I’m happy when they win and things work out fine for them.

FIM: Going back to the event and its evening programme, that is when Sven comes on to the scene…Sven: I am the Master of Ceremonies for the events in Germany and Austria. I present the riders during the opening ceremony, I entertain the crowd and get them off their seats, explain the regulations, give them the names of the different jumps performed by the riders and interview each rider after his run in the Final.

FIM: And after the Final?Sven: Time to work again. Everything is dismantled in the night so that the arena is free again on the Sunday for somebody else’s event.

FIM: One last word?Nicole: Sometimes on my way to an event when I am sitting in the plane I am thinking about how tired I am and how it would be so nice to be at home. But when you arrive and see all the guys, it’s totally different. I talk to Sven sometimes and tell him that when I am fifty I will not want to run after the riders any more (laughs).

Sven: The great advantage of working with my wife is that we travel a lot all over the world. If she were not working with me, we would almost never see each other! I often travel on Wednesday or even Tuesday if I have to go abroad, build a track, work through the weekend, come home Monday, collect my things and head off somewhere else, to another country or another event. Some seasons I am only at home for one or two days a couple of times throughout the season. Because my wife works in another job, I would barely see her. So it is really an advantage that we can work together at freestyle events. I think if that were not the case it would be hard to sustain a relationship under those conditions, as we would have no private life. It would be really tough.

by Isabelle Larivière & Dirk De Neve

Whether you are a FreeStyle expert or a total novice with no clue, Sven will explain to you everything about the sport.///



PADDOCK ///

In September 1969, the motorcycle world was rocked by a revolution. The first modern in-line four-cylinder engine was launched on the market, mounted in a two-wheeled vehicle made for the road and the traffic. All previous four-cylinder machines had enjoyed a fairly confidential presence on the market. At that moment, the Japanese manufacturers

were experiencing a period of real break-through – at a time when European manufacturers, and the British in particular – were still active. The British motorcycle industry capitulated around 1976, while Italian production was limited to small-cylinder bikes – with a few exceptions - for some years to come. At FIM level, 1970 was the watershed. Two years after

their withdrawal from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1967, Honda launched the CB 750, which sent ripples through the whole world. The bike showed its potential very quickly with victory at the 1969 Bol d’Or and at Daytona in March 1970, heralding a significant change in the world of motorcycle competition. Other big-capacity motorcycles then followed such

THE FORMULA 750AN INTENSE FEW YEARS OF RACING

IN THE LATE SIXTIES AND EARLY SEVENTIES, THE MOTORCYCLE MARKET, WHICH HAD BEEN FAIRLY DORMANT SINCE THE FIFTIES, SUDDENLY WOKE UP AND LITERALLY SHOT OFF IN ALL DIRECTIONS. NEW SPORTS CLASSES WERE INTRODUCED BASED ON HIGHER CUBIC CAPACITIES, PARTICULARLY IN ROAD RACING. THE GRAND PRIX CLASSES WERE TOPPED BY 500CC PROTOTYPES, WHILE ENDURANCE, WHERE THE LIMIT WAS FIRST SET AT 750CC, WAS FINALLY OPENED UP TO 1000CC’S. BUT IN 1973 A NEW CLASS WAS INTRODUCED TO DO JUSTICE TO THE GROWING PRESENCE AND DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF THE NEW, HIGH-PERFORMANCE MOTORCYCLES IN PURE ROAD RACING. IT WAS CALLED FORMULA 750CC, BUT FOR WANT OF A CLEAR DEFINITION, ITS “SPIRIT” LED TO ITS PREMATURE DEMISE IN 1979.

Canadian rider Steve Baker won the first F-750 World Championship in 1977.///

© Bernard Jonzier

/// VINTAGE


as the Kawasaki 750 H2 three-cylinder, two-stroke in 1972, soon followed in 1973 by the Suzuki 750 GT 2-stroke – which was transformed into a racer.

The Americans were already using 750cc motorcycles – basically street-bike twins, adapted for dirt and short track racing. But then four-cylinder machines gradually started appearing at sporting events. Early in 1971 the ACU and the AMA – which had finally become affiliated to the FIM that year – drew up a formula based on 750cc production machines. But one problem would come up: the accessories did not match up to the high performances these machines could deliver. The obvious problem was tyres, but there were also issues with secondary transmission chains, brake pads – or drums - and even shock absorbers. Handling was not always ideal either, as the frames did not meet the minimum standard for stability.

At the FIM, the Technical Commission finally accepted the Formula 750, but given the power of these machines, the proposed formula was that the race distance would be limited to 200 miles, which were eventually split into two races per event. The rules were established at the 1972 Spring Meetings in Geneva. The basic rules for the Series were series production, sale to the public, homologation of the manufacturer or dealer by the respective National Federation, and a minimum of 200 machines manufactured/on sale through usual commercial channels (later lowered to 25 units). The following characteristics could not be changed: engine type, number of cylinders, piston stroke, cylinder (four-stroke); cylinder, cast alloy and number of lights (two-stroke); alloy and shape of crankcases, cylinder head and gearbox, intake and exhaust system, primary transmission and number of gears.

The first season - 1973 - was held over six rounds, as the race scheduled in the United States in May was cancelled – the AMA asked for a change of date, but according to FIM rules this could not be accepted after ratification of the calendar. Things have changed a bit since then! The first race was held in Imola and won by the late Jarno Saarinen. The next round played out at the Paul Ricard circuit, a week after the disaster at Monza. Barry Sheene won ahead of John Dodds, but many riders did not show up at the event. In Anderstorp (Sweden), Barry Sheene finished in third

place while Jack Findlay won. A week later in Ahvenisto (Finland), home rider Teuvo Lansivuori took victory; Sheene was second and Findlay third. In Mosport (Canada), Paul Smart was the winner in front of Jack Findlay, John Dodds and Mick Grant. In Hockenheim, the victory was for Stanley Woods ahead of Barry Sheene, John Dodds, local hero Dieter Braun and Jack Findlay. The last event took place in Jarama, Spain, with a win by John Dodds, in front of Barry Sheene who became the first winner of the F-750 FIM Prize.

At the 1974 FIM Spring Meetings, the Technical Commission decided to authorise the participation of the Yamaha TZ 750 OW 31. Although this machine was in fact a racing bike, over 200 units had been built, but the question was whether this motorcycle was in keeping with the real spirit of the competition. The rule stated that motorcycles had to be produced in a minimum number of units, but there was no mention of homologation for street use. At that time, Yamaha was producing large numbers of the famous TZ 250 and 350, so why not a motorcycle made up of two 350 engines together? Only three events counted for the Prize that year. In Jarama, John Dodds clinched the win in front of Jack Findlay and Victor Palomo. In Ahvenisto, Finn Pentti Korhonen won the event, in front of Patrick Pons – John Dodds finishing in fifth. The last race took place in Silverstone, where Paul Smart pulled off a brilliant win ahead of Yvon Duhamel, Patrick Pons, Stan Woods, John Dodds, Tony Rutter and Jack Findlay. John Dodds took the crown ahead of Patrick Pons and Jack Findlay. The Formula was still looking for its real take-off.

Big progress was made for the following year. The 1975 F-750 FIM Prize was to be held over nine races, with the five best results counting for the title. Races were still separated from the Grand Prix, and took place over a minimum distance of 200 miles, divided into two races, with the results added together. This meant that a rider who won one race but failed to finish the other would not be classified. At a time when there were many more mechanical failures than today, this was not exactly the best solution; the system was finally corrected for what was to be the last season, in 1979.

The first race was held in Daytona, over 200 miles with refuelling, and possible

change of tyres. Victory went to Gene Romero, ahead of Steve Baker, Johnny Cecotto, Giacomo Agostini, Warren Willing and Steve McLaughlin. Almost all riders were competing with the OW 31 750 Yamaha, in its first incarnation. One month later, in Imola, Johnny Cecotto won the event ahead of French rider Patrick Pons and Steve Baker. Then, at the end of June, the French event was held in Magny-Cours. Barry Sheene finished first, with two Frenchmen, Christian Estrosi and Christian Bourgeois, behind him. A week later a round was held in Mettet, Belgium, where Patrick Pons won in front of Dave Potter, Jack Findlay and Chas Mortimer.

Anderstorp hosted the next F-750 races at the end of July. Barry Sheene clinched the victory, followed by Finn Teuvo Lansivuori and Patrick Pons. A week later in Ahvenisto, Finland, an unknown local rider called Tapio Virtanen scored wins in both heats and won the event in front of Victor Palomo, Teuvo Lansivuori and Olivier Chevallier. One more week and it was the turn of Great Britain on the very fast track at Silverstone: Barry Sheene, at home, won the event in front of Teuvo Lansivuori, Barry Ditchburn and Swiss Philippe Coulon. A round in Assen was introduced into the calendar that year in September. The first winner was French-Canadian rider Yvon Duhamel on the

Johnny Cecotto: the Venezuelan star made his Grand Prix début in 1975 and immediately won the 350cc class.///

© Roger Lohrer

VINTAGE ///


three-cylinder Kawasaki. Jack Findlay finished second, John Newbold third. At the end of September, there was another fast circuit on the schedule: Hockenheim. The season ended with a victory (in both heats) for Patrick Pons, ahead of John Williams and Jack Findlay.

Jack Findlay was the F-750 Prize winner – although he had not won any race that season, he had more points than Barry Sheene – who had three wins.

1976: PALOMO, NIXON AND CONFUSION

The traditional Daytona event also hosted the opening round of the 1976 season. There was a sense that something odd was going on even before the start of

the season. At the end of 1975, Yamaha decided to withdraw from competition, the first reason being – obviously – the costs of racing, but another reason was a decline in the American market, leaving stocks of new motorcycles building up in California and waiting to be sold. Yamaha was quickly followed by Suzuki and Kawasaki. But in reality the Yamaha OW 31 had already been tested in Japan and was ready to race. Four factory bikes were

waiting for Steve Baker, Kenny Roberts, Johnny Cecotto and Giacomo Agostini. The Italian withdrew his entry owing to insufficient start money and because of the claiming rule, introduced in order to maintain the original status of the 750 OW 31, which had to be derived from the standard machine and not cost as much as a real racing bike.

Despite having no new model, Kawasaki decided at the last minute to enter the race with four top riders: French-Canadian Yvon Duhamel, Australian Gregg Hansford and Americans Gary Nixon and Ron Pierce, all on a factory/privateer basis (bikes at disposal, but riders had to pay for them…). Suzuki also entered some old “official” bikes for Barry Sheene, John Williams, John Newbold and Pat Hennen. The problem was that they could not match the top speed of the private OW 31’s ridden by Pat Evans, Michel Rougerie, Patrick Pons, Gene Romero and Skip Aksland.

Johnny Cecotto, a prodigious Venezuelan rider who surprised everyone in 1975 by winning the 350cc World title, started the 1976 season by winning the Daytona 200 Miles. It was a hectic race at that time because of problems of tyre wasting, as well as the matter of the traditional refuelling spot. Gary Nixon on the three-cylinder Kawasaki, finished second ahead of Pat Hennen (best Suzuki rider), Gene Romero, Patrick Pons and Michel Rougerie. Kenny Roberts, delayed by a tyre change, ended up in ninth position.

San Carlos was the venue for the second event of the 1976 season. It was Venezuela’s first experience of staging an FIM event at this level, and was a direct consequence of Johnny Cecotto’s title in the 1975 350cc Grand Prix class. The circuit was located in a very hot region of Venezuela, which lies in a tropical area near the Equator. Despite a few minor problems, the new venue was a success. The event was run over two races. The first was easily won by Johnny Cecotto. Steve Baker was indicated as taking second place ahead of Gary Nixon, John Newbold and French rider Michel Rougerie. But as he had entered the pit lane on the fourth lap in order to fix a carburettor, many people considered he had lost one lap and should not be second. The second race was held in a temperature of almost 40 °Celsius (110°F). Johnny Cecotto was well in the lead when he suddenly went

back into the pits: he was almost fainting, and decided not to take the risk of crashing and injuring himself at the very beginning of the season. Steve Baker inherited the lead and kept it until the chequered flag went up, followed by Gary Nixon, Pete McDonald, Pat Hennen, John Long and John Newbold. At the chequered flag, Gary Nixon was first declared the winner, then Steve Baker. Nixon lodged a protest, as did Newbold and Baker, and this was to result in a major problem.

The following round was run on the Jarama circuit, near Madrid. French rider Michel Rougerie won the event ahead of Victor Palomo and Patrick Pons. But many top riders did not attend. Then came Spa-Francorchamps, featuring in the calendar for the first time, and Gary Nixon won the day ahead of Dave Potter, Mick Grant, John Newbold and Brazilian Edmar Ferreira. The French round, held in Nogaro (in the south-west of France), was won by Christian Estrosi, followed by Philippe Coulon, Giacomo Agostini and Gary Nixon. Victor Palomo was seventh, but he triumphed at the next event in Silverstone, with Jack Findlay and Dave Potter in his wake. In Assen, in early September, Victor Palomo won again in front of Dutch rider Boet Van Dulmen and veteran Phil Read, still active and well up with the best. And the Spaniard finished the season in great style by winning his third consecutive event in Hockenheim, in front of his archrival Gary Nixon. The outcome of the season, however, was decided at the FIM Congress in Bruges. As it was impossible to come to a conclusion regarding the protests (did Steve Baker lose one lap while in the pits or not?), the San Carlos race results were declared cancelled – Gary Nixon would score neither 12 points – not enough – nor 15 points – just enough to beat Palomo and take the Prize. Victor Palomo was confirmed as winner of the 1976 Formula 750 FIM Prize.

At that same Congress, the Technical Commission once again reviewed the Series. The motorcycles were deemed to be too powerful, for the riders and for the equipment and accessories – essentially the tyres. Some suggestions were floated such as a reduction of the diameter of the intake ducts or even the cylinder capacity. But in the end no decision was taken except that the Formula 750 was “upgraded” from a FIM Prize to a real World Championship as from the 1977 season.

Australian rider Gregg Hansford was one of the top riders in the 750cc class,

riding a factory 3-cylinder Kawasaki.///

© Roger Lohrer

/// VINTAGE


1977: A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

At the Daytona event in early March, there were two serious problems: the tyres, which were not expected to last for 200 miles in one go, and the weather forecast, which was not really optimistic during the week before the event and even on the Sunday…

After many discussions, things were eventually settled by circumstances. The event would be run in two heats of 100 miles each, like the other events (Daytona was usually run in one race with fuel stops). There were three favourites to win the event: Steve Baker, Kenny Roberts and Johnny Cecotto. The first heat confirmed the tips for just two of them. Johnny Cecotto dropped out after four laps with an oil leak, but Steve Baker won the race, 28 seconds ahead of Kenny Roberts. Japanese rider Takazumi Katayama finished third. The second race was cancelled due to heavy rain.

At Imola, 39 riders were entered – 36 of them riding a Yamaha, and only three a Kawasaki. In the end 15 were classified after both heats. Kenny Roberts kept his cool and clinched two heat wins, ahead of Steve Baker, Giacomo Agostini and a young French rider called Christian Sarron. The next event was Jarama and Steve Baker carried the day – in front of Sarron. The American-Canadian rider was on track for the title. The French event was held on the racetrack of Dijon-Prenois in early June, and saw a win by Frenchman Christian Estrosi, with Swiss rider Philippe Coulon and Steve Baker in his wake. In July, the British round was held in Silverstone and once again Steve Baker dominated the competition. A young rider called Ron Haslam finished second in front of John Newbold. In August, the F-750 went to Austria for the first time to race on the very fast Salzburgring, but the situation remained pretty much unchanged. Baker was still in control and after a good fight against Giacomo Agostini he won the event ahead of the 15-time World Champion. Sarron was a constantly a well-placed third, in front of the future 500cc World Champion Marco Lucchinelli. The Belgian round was held in Zolder this time, and once again Steve Baker showed his form, ahead of a surprising Lucchinelli, and Katayama in third. Johnny Cecotto was invited to race and finished fourth. A week later in Assen, Lucchinelli made a show of

his skills and clinched his first 750 victory, ahead of Baker, Sarron and Agostini.

A second United States round was run in California, on the Laguna Seca Raceway. Few European riders attended this event, and only one, Christian Sarron (eighth) scored points. The victory went to Skip Aksland in front of Steve Baker, Gregg Hansford (on a surprisingly punchy Kawasaki), Gene Romero, Dave Aldana, Mike Baldwin… The Kawasakis also put in really good performances a week later in Mosport (Canada) with factory riders Hansford and Yvon Duhamel taking first and second. Baker, Sarron and Baldwin make up the first five. The last event in Hockenheim took place without any riders from outside Europe. Steve Baker was already Champion, 76 points ahead of second-placed Christian Sarron. Giacomo Agostini won the German event, his only victory outside 350 and 500cc Grand Prix. With those 15 points, he achieved third place in the Championship. A lot of good riders took part in the Championship but each one in only very few rounds, except at the top level, with Baker (first) and Sarron (second).

At the Congress, the main subject was the inclusion (or not) of the F-750 in the Grand Prix events. Opinions were very much divided among the CCR members, the members of the Board, and also the organisers. A meeting had been held on July 15 in Geneva attended by CCR members and representatives of the FMNs/organisers. Some members of the Commission were worried about the calendar and considered that there were too many events, resulting in

time-consuming and expensive travel for the riders.

At the next Spring Meeting in Geneva, in March 1978, opinions were still divided, with some delegates in favour of stopping the F-750 Championship, arguing it was a failure, while others defended it and its too-short life, claiming that it deserved another chance. Some people would also go on to say that the creation of the F-750 Series was premature, and others that it was the FIM’s best initiative in recent years.

One question is still worth asking: was the Series as it was in 1977 living up to the expectations that had surrounded its launch? If the target was a 750cc class based on REAL street bikes, the aim went astray almost from the beginning, as no one would consider a 750cc OW 31 Yamaha a real street bike, even if more than 200 units were manufactured each year. The cases of the two three-cylinder machines, the Suzuki T 750 and the Kawasaki H3 750, were never discussed but obviously their performances were not at the same level – with the exception of the real factory machines.

By the same token, the idea of including the F-750 in the Endurance Championship, albeit not really convincing in the end, was based on the same idea of a return to four-stroke racers based on street machines. The TT rules would be enforced for Endurance as from its first World Championship year in 1980, resulting in quite a lot of confusion. By that time the F-750 as raced in the previous years had already been forgotten.

Spanish rider Victor Palomo won the 1976 F-750 FIM Prize after a battle with American Gary Nixon - thanks in part to the cancellation of the results of the Venezuelan round.///

© Bernard Jonzier

VINTAGE ///


1978: CECOTTO AND ROBERTS LOCK HORNS

Problems started before the beginning of the season. The tense relationship between the FIM and Daytona management led to the event being run as an international non-championship open race. Kenny Roberts won a straight 200 Miles event – only with pit stops – ahead of Johnny Cecotto.

The Championship really started in Imola at the beginning of April, with all the top riders present. This time Kenny Roberts was not having a good day and Johnny Cecotto took the win ahead of Steve Baker, Christian Sarron and Gregg Hansford. The same riders were still at the top. The following race, known as the Moto Journal 200, was held at the Paul Ricard circuit, and it was another win for the flying Venezuelan, who beat Kenny Roberts and Steve Baker, the Japanese rider Ikijuro Takai, and Frenchmen Patrick Pons and Christian Estrosi. At Brands Hatch, Roberts finally seized the advantage over Cecotto (second), with Patrick Pons ending in third place. On the very fast Salzburgring, Roberts and Cecotto went head to head again, and once again it was Roberts who emerged the winner, but Cecotto in second spot had enough points to stay in overall lead of the Championship. Gianfranco Bonera finished a very good third ahead of Pons and Sarron. The same scenario was repeated in Jarama, where Roberts won the event ahead of Cecotto, followed by Sarron, Estrosi and Bonera. Baker was only seventh; apparently his title the previous year was not enough to earn him full support from the factory, unlike Roberts and Cecotto.

Hockenheim was a disaster for Cecotto in the fight for the title. In the first race, the Venezuelan stopped after two laps with throttle problems. The conditions were wet and Christian Sarron went on to win the race, ahead of Hansford on his underpowered three-cylinder Kawasaki. Roberts was only eighth. The Californian won the second heat ahead of Sarron (who won the event), but Roberts’ second place overall brought him just one point behind Cecotto in the Championship.

Unfortunately for Roberts, fate slammed back at the next event in Nivelles (Belgium). In the first lap of the first heat, the chain tensioner broke. Roberts was out of the race, and scored no points in

that round. Cecotto won the event (ahead of Hervé Moineau, Bonera and Sarron), and was back with a 16-point lead in the Championship. In Assen, the last round in Europe, Cecotto finished third overall – while Roberts did not score. The event was won by Bonera ahead of Katayama.

The last two events were held in the US and Canada. In Laguna Seca, Roberts won both heats and closed from 26 to 11 points behind Cecotto. Steve Baker and Mike Baldwin were second and third. Finally in Mosport, Mike Baldwin won in front of Kenny Roberts and Yvon Duhamel. With a sixth place, Johnny Cecotto was World Champion, five points ahead of Kenny Roberts. So ended a great battle between the two greatest riders of that year in this 750 class, which, considering this 1978 season, could have been one of the best series of events in the world. But for no very clear reason it did not. The 1979 season was to be the last…

1979: END OF THE STORY – AND A FRENCH WORLD CHAMPION

For this very last season, the FIM decided to award Championship points for each heat effectively held – and not only for the sum of both heats in each event. A

logical move, although a bit late in the day. Anyway the decision to stop the Series was taken and notified – turning down the presence of various top riders.

Things got started in Italy, on the Mugello circuit in early April. The first race was won by Christian Sarron, followed by Virginio Ferrari (on a XR 23 Suzuki – only four units of this bike were built but the homologation quantity requirement of 25 units had been dropped for this last season), Johnny Cecotto, Gregg Hansford and Patrick Pons. In the second race, Virginio Ferrari won his home race ahead of Cecotto, Japanese rider Sadao Asami, Switzerland’s Michel Frutschi, and Pons. Roberts was no longer present, busy defending his 500cc title. The second event was held in Brands Hatch, where Johnny Cecotto was on top form, winning both races in the grand manner, the first ahead of the surprising Finnish rider Markku Matikainen, Sarron, Hansford and Frutschi, the second to beat Mike Baldwin, Asami, Hansford and Frutschi. The French round was held again in Nogaro (the track in Rouen was the original venue but works on the circuit could not be carried out). The first heat saw a victory for Patrick Pons, ahead of Christian Estrosi and Gianfranco Bonera, while Greg Hansford won the second in front of Pons and Estrosi.

Kenny Roberts lost his fight with Johnny Cecotto for the 750cc title in 1978 – but won his first 500cc title.///

© Bernard Jonzier

/// VINTAGE


At the Paul Ricard, the Swiss Grand Prix saw a win by Michel Frutschi, followed by Johnny Cecotto and Sadao Asami. The Venezuelan Champion won the second heat in front of Asami and Pons, and was still in overall lead of the Championship despite his absence from Nogaro. The Austrian round was held on the Österreichring this time. Local rider Werner Nenning surprisingly won both heats, the first in front of Swiss rider Jacques Cornu and Patrick Pons, the second in front of Pons and Australian rider Gary Johnson. Results like this one could raise questions about the level of riders in this Championship, but also of about the Championship points system itself. The fact that top riders took part in only a few events but scored big points ahead of most regular riders gives rise to another question: was it really worth organising what was supposed to be the top series - 750cc was the biggest cubic capacity and the fastest motorcycle at that time, as Endurance was a different kind of competition in those days - but racing on less prestigious tracks than the Grand Prix?

The answer was apparently already forthcoming and the last rounds of the 1979 series were to be the final draw, as 1980 would see World Championship status for Endurance as well as the development of the TT Formula Series. Another question is whether a TT Series was really a better idea than the F-750.

The riders left Europe for North America for the “usual” California and Ontario rounds. Mosport saw a win by Patrick Pons in the first heat and Michel Frutschi in the second heat followed by Pons. A week later in Laguna Seca, American riders made the show, headed by Kenny Roberts (two wins), Richard Schlachter (2nd and 4th), Dave Aldana (3rd and 5th), Gene Romero (second in the second heat), Randy Mamola (fifth in the first heat). Among the Europeans, Michel Frutschi was third in the second heat, and Patrick Pons fifth in the first.

After two races in the USA and Canada, the riders came back to Europe for the last three events – as the race in Spa had been cancelled. In Assen, local hero Boet Van Dulmen obtained the best results, winning the first heat and ending second in the other. Johnny Cecotto finished sixth in the first race and won the second. Gianfranco Bonera was second and fifth, Michel Frutschi third and fourth, and Will

Hartog third in the second race, while Pons did not score points, but was back at the top in Hockenheim winning both races, taking the title with one event still to go. Frutschi scored one point and Cecotto none. The other riders on the podium were Sarron and Asami in the first heat, and Sarron and Roche in the second. Frutschi and Cecotto shared the victories and second places in the last event in Rijeka, Yugoslavia, while Pons, twice in the third place, was able to celebrate this last F-750 World title. Pastrick Pons was the first Frenchman to clinch a Road Racing World championship title. His riding skills were recognised by everyone but his career – and his life - came to a tragic end in 1980 following a crash during the 500cc GP race in Silverstone.

TOWARDS SUPERBIKE

There appear to be two main reasons for the lack of a clear definition of the philosophy behind the F-750 Series. Was it supposed to be a Grand Prix, a “true” road racing competition for prototypes, or a competition based on the large-production street motorcycle? This question is directly linked the definition of the 750 TZ OW 31, which was obviously a racing motorcycle produced on a large scale, as it was the case in those days. The philosophy of Yamaha – who in a way donned the mantle of the British single-cylinder manufacturers in providing racing bikes for privateers from 1970 onwards – was applied to the F-750, but curiously what worked in the 250cc

and 350cc series failed when it came to the 750cc class. No other manufacturer followed the trend. Kawasaki concentrated on the 250 and 350cc classes which would become so successful between 1978 and 1982, and Suzuki built up its famous square-four 500cc. Not even the XR23 was produced in quantities of up to 25 units, and it raced only in 1979, when the Series was already dying and the 25 units minimum rule had been dropped. Suzuki was probably not interested – and the bike was quite a way short of perfection, according to the riders who raced with it, even with Ferrari’s win. The fact is, at that time, two-stroke technology was being developed for smaller capacity motorcycles, but slowly abandoned for bigger displacement engines, two reasons being the enormous

fuel consumption and pollution problems. It was now obvious that the 750cc class and anything larger were destined to be four-stroke classes. Maybe the natural lifespan of the F-750 could only coincide with that short period (from 1972 to 1979) when big two-stroke engines were dominant.

In 1976, the AMA Superbike started its career with four-stroke engine motorcycles, leading to the creation of the FIM Superbike World Championship in 1988. Production Series motorcycles, by then all four-stroke engines, were finally on the road to success.

by Marc Pétrier

French rider Patrick Pons, F-750 World Champion in 1979.///

© Bernard Jonzier

VINTAGE ///


PUBFIM GENERA L A SSEMBLYFIM GA LA CEREMONYL I V E O N T V

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2-3FIM TRIALWORLD CHAMPIONSHIPJUNIOR TRIALWORLD CUP/YOUTHTRIAL CUP 125ccOPEN INTER. CUPMOtegI jaPaN

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ROAD BOOK ///


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/// ROAD BOOK


PUB

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The FIM Magazine – Ride With Us – N°82

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