The FIM Magazine – Ride with Us – N° 85

R I DE F I M

M A G A Z I N E

WITH US!

.85

/// S P E C I A L I S S U E

T H E

BEST OF 2012

THE

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.85 R I DE T H E

F I M

M A G A Z I N E

5 EDITORIAL

WITH US!

.85

/// S P E C I A L I S S U E

THE BEST OF 2012

6–13 ROAD RACING

14–22 MOTOCROSS BEST OF 2012

THE

Publishing Director: Stéphane Desprez

24–27 TRIAL

Chief Editor: Isabelle Larivière Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme 11, route Suisse – 1295 Mies – Suisse Tel: +41-22 950 95 00 – Fax : +41-22 950 95 01 @: info@fim.ch Website: fim-live.com Photos: Cover : FIM/Good-Shoot Stan Perec Eric Malherbe Mark Walters Youthstream Nuno Larangera Oliver Franke / IFMXF.com G2F Media Dario Agrati Cristiano Bardi Edo Bauer BSI Speedway Ltd Lay-out & Printing: IMPRIMERIE SRO-KUNDIG S.A Route des Fayarts 243 1290 Versoix (Switzerland) FIM Magazine n°85 SPECIAL ISSUE

28–33 ENDURO

34–39 CROSS-COUNTRY RALLIES

40–43 TRACK RACING

4 4–59 LEGENDS

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).

61–63 ENVIRONMENTAL & ROAD SAFETY AWARDS

64–82 GENERAL ASSEMBLY & GALA CEREMONY

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Special issue It is with great pleasure and immense pride that the FIM brings you once again this very special issue of its magazine.

Inside the following pages you will find a true celebration of what makes motorcycle sport so great. Not only are our 2012 FIM World Champions fully represented, but this time we also have the additional privilege of showcasing our two-wheel legends. The talents of our FIM Champions, past and present, are undisputed.

It is also extremely gratifying to see our women riders, who are now really growing in numbers, take their place inside this magazine alongside their male counterparts with achievements that are equal in every way. Because of the sheer talent of our male and female competitors, sometimes we almost fail to notice the skill and bravery they display throughout the season and their absolute determination to be the best within their chosen disciplines.

Not one of the 2012 FIM World Champions claimed his or her medal without a fight, whether they dominated their respective classes during the season or came from behind to finally win through. Inside each FIM World Champion there is a passion and desire to ride well, plus an incredible motivation to be better than their rivals, and this alone is a fight that should never be underestimated.

It was my pleasure to meet most of these great riders during the third edition of the FIM Gala in Monte Carlo where I was able to congratulate them in person on their individual successes and on the important part they play in collectively making motorcycle sport the brilliant spectacle it remains today. Young, old, male or female, we have a sport that appeals to all and one that continues to be followed by millions of fans around the World, either via TV coverage or live at the venues, and of this we should all be proud.

Vito Ippolito FIM President

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ROAD RACING Jorge Lorenzo

FIM MotoGP Grand Prix World Champion

Marc Márquez

FIM Moto2 Grand Prix World Champion

Sandro Cortese

FIM Moto3 Grand Prix World Champion

Florian Alt

Red Bull FIM MotoGP Rookies Cup Winner

Massimiliano Biaggi FIM Superbike World Champion

Kenan Sofuoğlu

FIM Supersport World Champion

Sylvain Barrier

FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup Winner

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team FIM Endurance World Champion

Penz13 Kraftwerk Herpigny Racing Team FIM Endurance World Cup Winner

Tim Reeves & Ashley Hawes FIM Sidecar World Champions

Matthias Himmelmann

FIM e-Power International Championship Winner

Al Lamb

FIM World Record Holder F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 7

R OA D R AC I N G

Jorge Lorenzo

FIM MotoGP Grand Prix World Champion Born on 4 May 1987 in Palma de Mallorca, Spain

Mallorcan Jorge Lorenzo was born, raised and trained to race motorcycles, – his dad Chicho built him his first when he was three. At the age of 15, he became the youngest ever Road Racing Grand Prix rider, at Jerez in 2002 when he qualified for the 125cc Spanish Grand Prix.

He has come a long way since then, winning the FIM 250cc Road Racing World Championship twice in 2006 & 2007.

In 2012, Casey Stoner… Dani Pedrosa… and Jorge Lorenzo were the three dominant forces in the MotoGP category. With the engine size back to 1000cc, it was a three man tug of war for global supremacy - these three hotshots won all of the 18 races. In the end, Jorge Lorenzo was the man who took his plan to fruition. The Mallorcan never finished lower than sixth, going on to claim his second FIM MotoGP World Championship title.

Marc Márquez

FIM Moto2 Grand Prix World Champion Born on 17 February 1993 in Cervera, Spain

Things were air-tight in the Moto2 class but one man was head and shoulders above the others after missing out on the crown last year. Marc Márquez was so fast that sometimes it seemed as if he’d rewritten the laws of physics to better suit his capabilities.

Márquez pinched nine of the 17 rounds, two of those from the back of the grid, en route to secure his second FIM World Championship title.

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FIM Moto3 Grand Prix World Champion

Born on 6 January 1990 in Ochsenhausen, Germany

Some riders burst into Grand Prix racing after years of preparation – tutored, polished, ready to win. Others take their time, make their own way. Sandro Cortese is one of these. His first GP win came in his seventh 125cc season. That was last year. However it proved to be a turning point that was to set up Cortese well for the inaugural Moto3 season.

This year, consistency was the key in the Moto 3 class. Sandro took to the all-new Moto3 250 KTM as if it were made for him. It was some of the closest racing ever seen.

German rider Sandro Cortese took away the world title in dramatic style after fending off the menace provided by Spaniards Maverick Vinales and Luis Slalom. The 125cc class veteran Cortese finished with five race wins and only two non-podium finishes to snatch his first FIM World Championship.

Florian Alt

Red Bull FIM MotoGP Rookies Cup Winner Born on 30 April 1996 in Gummersbach, Germany

For his fourth birthday, Florian asked for a PW50. He rode his first race aged six, and then took part in the ADAC Mini Bike Cup Honda 50cc, winning it twice. He then won the DMSB 2-stroke Cup on a Honda 125cc. In 2009, aged 13, he rode in the IDM 125cc and in 2010 he took part in the Red Bull Rookies Cup for the first time, ending the season in 11th with a sixth place in his first race. In 2011, he won the final race in Misano and finished the Cup in sixth position. In 2012 he won four races – and the Cup.

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R OA D R AC I N G

Sandro Cortese

R OA D R AC I N G

Massimiliano Biaggi FIM Superbike World Champion

Born on 26 June 1971 in Rome, Italy

Max Biaggi won his fourth World Championship title in the FIM 250cc Grand Prix World Championship in 1997 with a lead of just two points over runner-up Ralf Waldmann.

In 2012, fifteen years later, the Finale was without a doubt the best in history staging a fierce battle for the ultimate prize between Tom Sykes and Italian legend Max Biaggi.

The ‘Roman Emperor’ has pulled off an even greater feat by adding a second FIM Superbike World Champion title to his extraordinary record, beating second in the Championship Tom Sykes by just half a point… the shortest margin ever in Superbike history!

At 41 years old, with six FIM World Championship titles to his name earned over more than twenty years of racing, Max Biaggi is retiring in a blaze of glory.

Kenan Sofuoğlu

FIM Supersport World Champion Born on 25 August 1984 in Adapazari,Turkey

After a season in Moto2, a return to the FIM Supersport World Championship was a bold move.

The more so since Kenan Sofuoğlu was joining Kawasaki, a brand he had never worked with before.

Having won the FIM Supersport World Championship twice in 2007 and 2010 with the Honda Ten Kate team, Kenan showed himself to be the great Supersport specialist with this third crown in 2012.

In 2013, he will be affixing his number one plate to a Kawasaki, but in a brand new team of Indian origin. A Turkish rider in an Indian structure, he embodies the international spirit of the FIM Supersport World Championship, which is going from strength to strength.

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FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup Winner Born on 20 October 1988 in Oyonnax, France

After finishing fourth in the same series twelve months earlier, the young French rider stepped up his game for the 2012 season to become the FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup Winner. Taking seven out of a possible ten pole positions during the campaign, Sylvain gave himself every chance of success when it came to race day. His four race wins and two runners-up spots put him on the podium no less than six times confirming the consistency that was to be core to his first ever title at this level.

Suzuki Endurance Racing Team

FIM Endurance World Champion

Team Manager: Dominique Méliand (FRA) 2012 riders: PHILIPPE Vincent (FRA), DELHALLE Anthony (FRA), FORET Fabien (FRA), KAGAYAMA Yukio (JAP), TSUDA Takuya (JAP).

The factory Suzuki team has won its 13th FIM Endurance World Championship title! The Suzuki Endurance Racing Team (SERT) from France clinched the top spot ahead of the BMW Motorrad France Team Thevent and the Yamaha France GMT 94 Michelin Yamalube. The SERT had a tough season but stepped up their game towards the end.

The team set up by Suzuki in 1980 and led from the onset by Dominique Méliand, won its first title back in 1983.

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R OA D R AC I N G

Sylvain Barrier

R OA D R AC I N G

Penz13 Kraftwerk Herpigny Racing Team FIM Endurance World Cup

Team Manager: Rico Penzkofer (GER) 2012 Riders: BUISSON Dylan (FRA), FASTRE Grégory (BEL), VALLCANERAS Pedro (ESP), FILLA Michal (CZE), VOS Arie (NED), PRIDMORE Jason (USA).

The FIM Endurance World Cup title was a three way tug of war between defending champion Team Motors Events, Penz13 Kraftwerk Herpigny Racing Team and 3D Endurance Moto Center.

In the end, the German squad of Penz13 Kraftwerk Herpigny created and managed by former rider Rico Penkofer took it away thanks to wins in the Bol d’Or and in Doha. It was their first FIM Endurance World Cup trophy.

Tim Reeves & Ashley Hawkes FIM Sidecar World Champions

Driver - Tim Reeves Born on 28 August 1972 in Tenterden, UK Passenger - Ashley Hawkes Born on 25 January 1984 in Northampton, UK

The 2012 FIM Sidecar World Championship was one of the most thrilling seasons to date. Over the course of seven action-packed rounds, drivers and passengers pitted their skills against one another on some of the best circuits in Europe.

Among the hot contenders for the title were Finnish driver Pekka Päivärinta with Swiss passenger Adolf Hänni, the English brothers Ben and Tom Birchall, the Franco-German duo Steinhausen and Cluze. In the end though it was the British duo and three times World Champion Tim Reeves with his passenger Ashley Hawkes, who by winning four out of the ten races, took the crown, giving Tim his fourth title and Ashley his first.

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FIM e-Power International Championship Winner

Born on 7 April 1970 in Kassel, Germany

2001: Matthias took part in the International German Championship.

After a severe crash in 2002 his career seemed to have come to an end.

However, in 2010 he responded to the call of MUENCH’s Head of Development Thomas Schuricht and has been working on the steady improvement of MUENCH e-bikes ever since. He won both the 2011 and 2012 FIM e-Power International Championships, winning two races each season.

Al Lamb

FIM World Record Holder

Born on 9 May 1953 in Dallas (Texas), USA

Al Lamb began his motorcycle racing career in 1972 as a dirt tracker. After watching the Anthony Hopkins movie, The World’s Fastest Indian, Al Lamb and Leslie Porterfield decided it might be fun to build a landspeed racer. With Al as the owner/crew chief of the “Fastest 1000cc Production Motorcycle” (a Honda CBR1000RR), a wrecked motorcycle became Al’s personal project bike… and after a serious makeover, he took the bike from being an abused street machine to a 400hp, wind-tunnel designed, land-speed racing bike. Last September, Al Lamb set a new FIM World Record in the category of fastest sit-on motorcycles, with a new speed of 423.378 km/h.

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R OA D R AC I N G

Matthias Himmelmann

Motocross Antonio Cairoli

FIM MX1 Motocross World Champion

Jeffrey Herlings

FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion

Matthias Walkner

FIM MX3 Motocross World Champion

Ryan Villopoto

AMA Supercross FIM World Champion

Chiara Fontanesi

FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion

Daniël Willemsen & Kenny Van Gaalen FIM Sidecar Motocross World Champions

Darryl King

FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup Winner

Tim Gasjer

FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Champion

Brian Hsu

FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion

Caleb Grothues

FIM 65cc Junior Motocross World Champion

Thomas Chareyre

FIM SuperMoto S1 World Champion

Tucker Hibbert

FIM Snowcross World Champion

Rémi Bizouard

FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Champion F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 15

MOTOCROSS

Antonio Cairoli FIM MX1 Motocross World Champion

Born on 23 September 1985 in Patti, Italy

In the MX1 category, Antonio Cairoli was once again the man to beat... And once again, he withstood all attempts to end his reign. Analysing this year’s results, one cannot but be full of admiration for the Sicilian who won 21 out of 32 races. His armour started to crack in Sweden where he had two DNFs and Clément Desalle took the red plate of the Championship leader but with 12 consecutive wins till the end of the season, Cairoli left his opponents without a chance.... en route to a sixth FIM Motocross World Championship award.

Jeffrey Herlings FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion

Born on 12 September 1994 in Geldrop, Netherlands

With 2011 champion Ken Roczen racing over in the USA the number two and three had the playground all to themselves. Dutch rider Jeffrey Herlings took home a second FIM World Championship! His first one was conquered in the FIM Junior 85cc ranks in 2008. This time, he struck “big” in the MX2 class. Herlings was the dominator, putting in a series of first and seconds for most of the season and counting only one DNF. His real strength is in the sand where he is simply in a class of his own, which was illustrated in Lierop when he lapped right up to second place.

Herlings’ results are even more special, considering that he was involved in a nasty road accident on the way home from Russia and still pulled in six wins in the eight races that followed.

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FIM MX3 Motocross World Champion Born on 1 September 1986 in Kuchl, Austria

When Matthias Walkner switched from MX1 to MX3, he had no idea what to expect. But he had one certainty: that a good result was possible if everything went well… and boy did things go well! After a tough start to the campaign Walkner took the leader’s red plate after the second event in France and never looked back, securing Gold in the first race of the final in Teutschenthal.

Matthias Walkner became only the second Austrian to win an FIM Motocross World Championship. Heinz Kinigadner being the other who won the 250cc class in 1984 and 1985.

Ryan Villopoto

AMA Supercross FIM World Champion Born on 13 August 1988 in Fortuna (California), USA

Ryan Villopoto has won the AMA Supercross FIM World Championship title for the second consecutive year in dramatic style.

The American was victorious in nine out of the 15 events he took part in and was crowned on the eve of round 13 in Houston. He’s only 24 years old and - with two consecutive championships under his belt - is now more than ever destined for greatness, bound for glory.

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MOTOCROSS

Matthias Walkner

MOTOCROSS

Chiara Fontanesi

FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Born on 10 March 1994 in Parma, Italy

After missing out in 2011, Italian Chiara Fontanesi was determined to be at the forefront of the competition this time around. With reigning Champion Steffi Laier and former number one Livia Lancelot racing selected rounds only, Fontanesi was the dominant force in the 2012 FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship, winning five events and 10 races. Having just recovered from a wrist injury, she started off the 2012 season with two impressive wins over Laier and Lancelot in the opening round in Valkenswaard.

It was a sign of things to come!

With one more round remaining, a determined Chiara Fontanesi won her first and well earned FIM Women’s Motocross World Championship.

Daniël Willemsen & Kenny Van Gaalen

FIM Motocross Sidecar World Champions Driver - Daniël Willemsen Born on 7 May 1975 in Lochen, Netherlands Passenger - Kenny Van Gaalen Born on 29 January 1988 in Hertogenbosch, Netherlands

It certainly did not look like reigning champion Daniel Willemsen was going to be able to retain his crown as he finished the first round with no points when his passenger injured his arms during the first race of the season.

Willemsen quickly had to find another passenger and teamed up with countryman Kenny van Gaalen the following week in Holland. From that point the fight back was on, although Willemsen would need one more passenger to support him before finally taking the title by a mere five points. The Dutchman managed to grab his 10th FIM World Championship and tie Stefan Everts’ record in the solo classes. Daniël Willemsen established himself as the true master of the sidecar discipline.

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FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup Winner

Born on 21 January 1969 in Plymouth, New Zealand

Twice a runner-up to Belgian legend Joel Smets in the FIM 500cc Motocross World Championship back in 1997 and 1998, multi time New Zealand national motocross champion Darryl King finally realised his dream by becoming the 2012 FIM Veteran Motocross World Cup Winner. During a career that has spanned more than thirty five years, Darryl - whose younger brother Shayne lifted the 1996 FIM 500cc Motocross World Championship - won his own title by winning both motos of the event held at Matterley Basin, Great Britain.

Tim Gasjer

FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Champion Born on 9 August 1996 in Ptuj, Slovenia

Tim Gasjer has claimed his first world championship crown in the FIM 125cc Junior Motocross World Championship, the first time in history a Slovenian rider has taken it all the way. Simone Furlotti’s twosecond-place campaign fell somewhat short. Gasjer had to fight his way back to the lead in the second leg after facing rear brake problems. The Slovenian European champion dug deep and secured a second win to claim his first World Champion title.

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MOTOCROSS

Darryl King

MOTOCROSS

Brian Hsu

FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion Born on 29 April 1998 in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany

Brian Hsu was hailed as the 2012 FIM 85cc World Champion after the Taiwanese rider with a German passport gave his absolute best to finish third in the first race and first in the second.

Hsu finished tight on points with American Austin Forkner but his second leg result secured him his first and unexpected FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Championship title.

Caleb Grothues

FIM 65cc Junior Motocross World Champion Born on 11 May 2000 in Glengary, Australia

Australian sensation Caleb Grothues was the dominant figure of the 65cc class of the 2012 FIM Junior Motocross World Championship. He took away both heats with comfortable gaps ahead of his main contenders, proving that at the tender age of 12 he was already full of authority while winning his first World Championship crown.

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FIM SuperMoto S1 World Champion Born on 18 March 1988 in Alès, France

Thomas Chareyre is the younger brother of the 2011 FIM SuperMoto S1 World Champion. He narrowly missed out on the 2011 title in the last event of the season but this year was different.

No hesitation. No holding back. 2012 quickly became a battle between the French brothers and Finn Mauno Hermunen - the three sharing all the race victories.

With six wins, Thomas secured his second World Championship Crown, perpetuating the Chareyre family reign.

Tucker Hibbert

FIM Snowcross World Champion Born on 24 June 1984 in Driggs (Idaho), USA

In the Snowcross category, 2010 FIM World Champion Tucker Hibbert came to Russia in a bid to recapture the title he lost to Swedish rider Emil Öhman in 2011.

A stomach virus dogged Öhman and prevented him from taking part in the competition. It wasn’t a walk in the park for the American as last year’s runner-up Petter Narsa snatched race 1 and positioned himself as a sure winner of the championship in the last race, leading with five laps to go. That was when Hibbert took over the lead and went on to claim the world crown yet again.

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MOTOCROSS

Thomas Chareyre

MOTOCROSS

Rémi Bizouard

FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Champion Born on 11 June 1986 in Bergerac, France

It was a two man tug-ofwar in the FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Championship. Chilean defending champion Villegas injured himself in the season opener.

This created a window of opportunity for Frenchman Bizouard and Czech Podmol who subsequently battled it out for supremacy.

In the end, Rémi Bizouard’s consistency paid off as he went on to win six races and finish five times runner up out of 11 rounds. He grabbed his third FIM FreeStyle Motocross World Championship title one event before the end of the season.

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Trial

Toni Bou

FIM X-Trial & Trial World CHampion

Laia Sanz

FIM Women’s Trial World Champion

Alexandre Ferrer

FIM Junior Trial World Cup Winner

Steven Coquelin

FIM Youth Trial 125cc World Cup Winner F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 25

Toni Bou TRIAL

FIM X-Trial & Trial World Champion Born on 17 October 1986 in Piera (Barcelona), Spain

All bow to King Toni Bou, master of his universe!

At each of the seven rounds of the 2012 FIM X-Trial World Championship, fans had the chance to admire the crackerjack of the field, Spaniard Toni Bou. Seven races - seven wins: a sixth consecutive FIM X-Trial World Champion crown. A new record for the 26 year old Barcelona man, who remains undefeated in X-Trial since January 2010. How far can this man actually go?

In 2012, Adam Raga tried to give his friend Toni Bou a run for his money by winning the opening round of the FIM Trial World Championship.

Runner-up Raga put some pressure on the champion early on but after that Bou secured 11 wins out of 13 races to go on and claim his 6th Trial world championship title in a row. No matter the discipline, Bou is worlds apart, in a league of his own.

Laia Sanz

FIM Women’s Trial World Champion Born on 11 December 1985 in Barcelona, Spain

In the FIM Women’s Trial World Championship Laia Sanz left her rivals no chance at all. The 26 year old Spanish rider won all five World Championship rounds of the season to go on and take her 12th career world title. After winning her second Dakar in the Women’s category and also winning the FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup for the first time, Sanz has without doubt established herself as the best woman ever in motorsport.

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FIM Junior Trial World Cup Winner Born on 29 March 1990 in Pertuis, France

Twenty-two year old Alexandre Ferrer became the FIM Junior Trial World Cup Winner during his fifth season of competing in this particular class. Previously his best overall result had come in 2008 when he placed third in the final FIM Youth Trial World Cup rankings. Ferrer recorded an incredible eight wins on route to lifting his crown in Andorra with counting days to spare. Ironically his fifth spot on that defining day was his worst result of the season and was the only time he was off the podium.

His other non-winning performance being in Japan, where he finished third on the opening day.

Steven Coquelin

FIM Youth Trial 125cc World Cup Winner Born on 6 February 1990 in St Mandier, France

Ranked third at the close of the 2011 campaign, Steve Coquelin trained hard over the winter months with his national federation to become a real force to be reckoned with in 2012.

Four victories in the first five counting days signaled Coquelin’s intent as he marched on to become the FIM Youth Trial 125cc World Cup Winner. The twenty-two year old added three more day wins to his tally on route to taking the title and was never out of the top three for the entire season.

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TRIAL

Alexandre Ferrer

Enduro

Christophe Nambotin

MAXXIS FIM E3 Enduro World Champion

Pierre-Alexandre Renet

MAXXIS FIM E2 Enduro World Champion

Antoine Meo

MAXXIS FIM E1 Enduro World Champion

Mathias Bellino

FIM Junior Enduro World Champion

Laia Sanz

FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup Winner

Tadeusz Blazusiak

FIM SuperEnduro World Champion

Giacomo Redondi

MAXXIS FIM Youth Enduro World Cup Winner F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 29

ENDURO

Christophe Nambotin

MAXXIS FIM E3 Enduro World Champion Born on 4 January 1984 in Ambérieu en Bugey, France

Christophe Nambotin is one of the fastest and most experienced riders on the MAXXIS FIM E3 Enduro World Championship tour. The Frenchman finally put all the pieces of the puzzle together in 2012 as he went on to secure his first EWC title in dominant fashion. With 14 victories to his name, Nambotin ended his championship campaign some 76 points ahead of his nearest rival.

Pierre-Alexandre Renet

MAXXIS FIM E2 Enduro World Champion

Born on 2 October 1984 in Cherbourg, France.

2009 FIM MX3 Motocross World Champion Pierre-Alexandre Renet went up against some of the biggest names in the MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championship and succeeded in clinching the Enduro 2 World title.

Delivering a decisive blow to his rivals at the series’ two Scandinavian rounds of the championship, ‘PELA’ wrapped up the coveted E2 title at his home round in France.

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ENDURO

Antoine Meo

Maxxis FIM E1 Enduro World Champion

Born on 29 August 1984 in Digne, France

Having won the FIM MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championship twice in 2010 (E1) and 2011 (E2), the plucky French rider from Provence overcame two DNFs to deservedly claim his third MAXXIS FIM Enduro World Championship title, this time in the Enduro 1 class.

Mathias Bellino

FIM Junior Enduro World Champion Born on 21 August 1991 in Carpentras, France

With just one year of Enduro experience under his belt, French youngster Mathias Bellino has dominated the FIM Junior Enduro World Championship, following in the footsteps of his countryman Jeremy Joly, last year’s hero.

With 12 FIM Junior EWC day wins to his credit Mathias Bellino also led the French FIM Junior Trophy team to victory at the FIM International Six Days Enduro in Germany.

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ENDURO

Laia Sanz

FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup Winner Born on 11 December 1985 in Barcelona, Spain

Making her debut ride in the FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup, multi-time FIM Women’s Trial World Champion Laia Sanz fought tooth and nail with defending champion and teammate Ludivine Puy during the four rounds of the 2012 season. They matched each other stride for stride, but Laia Sanz overcame a mid-season injury to finally nab the title at the final round of the season in France and become the 2012 FIM Women’s Enduro World Cup Winner.

Tadeusz Błażusiak

FIM SuperEnduro World Champion Born on 26 April 1983 in Nowy Targ, Poland

Three-times FIM World Champion Taddy Błażusiak reigned supreme all season long in the FIM SuperEnduro World Championship. The 2011 X-Games gold medallist was in dominant form yet again. Tadeusz Błażusiak won eight of the nine world championship races en route to the coveted top spot in the SuperEnduro scene, thereby establishing himself as the true master of the indoor enduro discipline.

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MAXXIS FIM Youth Enduro World Cup Winner

Born on 8 January 1993 in Lovere, Italy

Winning all bar the opening race of the season in Chile, the young Italian rider firmly stamped his authority on his class to become the 2012 MAXXIS FIM Youth Enduro World Cup Winner. Notching up victory after victory he continued to stretch his advantage over his class rivals, while also posting times that put him up and amongst his older peers. The multiple national minicross champion has already shown that his switch to enduro in 2010 was a good career move, and there seems to be much more to come from this latest emerging Italian motorcycle talent.

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ENDURO

Giacomo Redondi

Cross-Country Rallies

Marc Coma

FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion

Camelia Liparoti

FIM Women’s Cross-Country Rallies World Cup Winner

Lukasz Laskawiec

FIM Quad & Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Cups Winner

Jacek Czachor

FIM Cross-Country Rallies Trophy over 450cc Winner

Alessandro Zanotti

FIM 450cc Bajas World Cup Winner

Manuel Lucchese

FIM over 450cc & Junior Bajas World Cups Winner

Emmanuelle Clair

FIM Women’s Bajas World Cup Winner

José Espinosa Garcia FIM Quad Bajas World Cup Winner

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Marc Coma

FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Champion Born on 7 October 1976 in Avia, Spain

With three different winners from the fourround championship, the 2012 season delivered an action packed year of unpredictable racing. After dominating the opening two rounds, Marc Coma overcame a difficult start to round three to finish third overall. With his consistent results overpowering his nearest rivals, the Spaniard finally clinched his fifth FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship title at the penultimate round of the series in Sardinia before capping off the season in front of the magnificent backdrop of pyramids in Egypt.

Camelia Liparoti

FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Cup Winner - Women Born on 11 July 1968 in Livorno, Italy

Camelia Liparoti is the answer.

But what is the question? This one: who is the Queen of the Desert? In 2012 she claimed three victories in Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Egypt. Rally “royal” Camelia Liparoti then easily went on to clinch her fourth title in the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Cup – Women’s category.

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FIM Quad & Junior Cross-Country Rallies World Cups WINNER Born on 26 January 1990 in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Poland

Lukasz Laskawiec first rode a quad-aged fourteen-years old, having first started to ride a more conventional two-wheel motorcycle at the tender age of just six. At the age of twenty-two years old the young Polish rider became the winner of the FIM Quad & Junior CrossCountry Rallies World Cups.

2012 was an incredible season for the youngster with him also achieving success at both European and national level to add to his FIM World titles.

Jacek Czachor

FIM Cross-Country Rallies Trophy over 450cc Winner

Born on 22 June 1967 in Warsaw, Poland

The forty-five year old Polish rider is a veteran when it comes to off road racing, having raced since the age of fourteen. Jacek has competed in the Dakar Rally nine times and has finished on each occasion, twice in the top ten.

It was this kind of experience that Czachor called on to become the 2012 FIM CrossCountry Rallies Trophy over 450cc Winner. This comes almost thirty years after he claimed his first 125cc national enduro title back in 1984.

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Lukasz Laskawiec

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Alessandro Zanotti

FIM 450cc Bajas World Cup Winner Born 29 March 1977 in San Marino, Italy

Originating from the small principality of San Marino, Alessandro Zanotti is without doubt a big star in his homeland having achieved his first Italian Championship win at the tender age of just fifteen years old. Now aged thirtyfive, Alessandro claimed his first truly global title as he became the 2012 FIM 450cc Bajas World Cup Winner. After his early days in enduro racing Zanotti has concentrated in more recent seasons on specialist events such as the Dakar Rally and other rally raid competitions.

Manuel Lucchese

FIM over 450cc & Junior Bajas World Cups Winner Born 20 July 1988 in Verona, Italy

Manuel began his riding career aged just eight years old and raced motocross for the first five years of his sporting life, before having one season riding supercross too. Aged fifteen the young Italian switched to enduro, although more for fun than in search of success.

However his results started to suggest otherwise and a new chapter in his sporting career was born. Having won numerous other titles at national and European level, 2012 was finally Lucchese’s year on the World stage, as he became the FIM over 450cc & Junior Bajas World Cups Winner.

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FIM Women’s Bajas World Cup Winner

Born on 7 May 1976 in Caen, France

The FIM Bajas World Cup was introduced in 2012 as a new competition using a shorter format than the Cross Country Rallies. For this first year, five rounds were held in Italy, Spain, Hungary, Morocco and Portugal. With twice as many wins as her rivals, Emmanuelle Clair took her first world title in 2012 as the undisputed first ever FIM Women’s Bajas World Cup Winner.

José Espinosa Garcia FIM Quad Bajas World Cup Winner

Born 21 August 1973 in Madrid, Spain

Known as the Black Knight to his rivals, José Espinosa Garcia who was born in the Spanish capital back in 1973, did not make the ideal start to his 2012 campaign as he placed third at the opening round in Italy. However José fought his way to the top of the table by winning at round two in Spain and then followed this up with a second spot in Hungary.

A safe fifth position at the next round in Morocco was sufficient for Espinosa Garcia to become the 2012 FIM Quad Bajas World Cup Winner.

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Emmanuelle Clair

Track Racing

Chris Holder

FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Champion

Michael Jepsen Jensen

FIM Speedway Under 21 World Champion

Joonas Kylm채korpi

FIM Long Track World Champion

Nikolai Krasnikov

FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Champion F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 41

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Chris Holder

FIM Speedway Grand Prix World Champion Born on 24 September 1987 in Sydney, Australia

It was a Speedway Grand Prix season full of surprises as nine different riders took the first place on the rostrum out of 12 GPs. Chris Holder, another talented Australian took the Crown at the last event of the season in a year when three-times World Champion Jason Crump announced his retirement from Grand Prix racing. A consistent Chris Holder won two events and finished five times on the podium. The Aussie was able to take control of the overall lead from defending champion Greg Hancock two events before the end of the championship. The Thunder from Down Under secured his first Speedway world crown.

Michael Jepsen Jensen

FIM Speedway Under 21 World Champion Born on 18 February 1992 in Esbjerg, Denmark

In the Speedway Under 21 category, the struggle for overall victory came down to two men as the field was decimated by injuries. Only three points separated Michael Jepsen Jensen and Maciej Janowski prior to the final two rounds in Argentina. The tug of war went right down to the wire, the last heat of the last round, which saw Michael Jepsen Jensen take the necessary points to win the FIM Speedway Under 21 World Championship title. Final score: Michael Jepsen Jensen 90, Maciej Janowski 89. That is how close the battle was this year!

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FIM Long Track World Champion

Born on 14 February 1980 in Stockholm, Sweden Nationality Finnish

The fight for the World Championship was very intense in the Long Track discipline in 2012. Fans had to wait for the last Final in Vechta, Germany to see the “Flyin Finn”, 32 year old Joonas Kylmäkorpi, win the FIM Long Track World Championship title for the 3rd time consecutively in front of the German rider Martin Smolinski and the Czech Josef Franc, proving himself the King of Long Track.

Nikolai Krasnikov

FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Champion

Born on 4 February 1985 in Ufa, Russia

Nikolai Krasnikov has done it again. Since 2005, eight times in a row, the Russian has been crowned Ice Gladiator, but last winter he had to fight hard until the last leg of the season in Uppsala (Sweden), to secure the overall victory in the FIM Ice Speedway Gladiators World Championship.

That makes eight World Champion titles for Krasnikov, the “Tsar” of the discipline.”

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Joonas Kylmäkorpi

FIM LEGENDS

Mary McGee Woman

Jim Redman Road Racing

Torsten Hallman Motocross

Dougie Lampkin Trial

Kari Tiainen Enduro

Hubert Auriol Cross-Country Rallies

Hans Nielsen Track Racing

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Mary McGee FIM Woman Legend Born on 12 December 1936 in Juneau (Alaska), USA

A Racing pioneer in the United States, Mary McGee started road racing in 1960. But before that she used to race cars. She drove cars like Mercedes, Porsche, Ferrari and Jaguar. She bought her first motorcycle in 1957: a Triumph Tiger Cub, model 1956. Then she bought a Honda C110. In 1960 she moved to road racing on a CB 92 Honda. In the sixties she used to race cars and motorcycles alternately, until a famous actor (and motorcycle racer) called Steve McQueen told her to “get off that road bike and get out to the desert!”; she then discovered a passion for desert racing. In 1975, on a 250cc Husqvarna, she raced the Baja 500 and finished ahead of 17 two-man teams.

Aged 75, she still takes part in vintage racing events. Her recommendations: “Take a motorcycle safety training course and wear the right gear”. And specifically for women: “If a woman is thinking about racing in any form, just do it! Get out and do it! You’ll find out it’s a lot of fun. The people are wonderful. It doesn’t matter how fast you go, and it will add to your life”.

How and when did you start to ride a motorbike?

I started to ride a motorcycle in 1957.

We bought a 200cc Triumph Tiger Cub, which didn’t always start thanks to Lucas Electric, but that’s my first motorcycle.

Tell us about your first event.

How did that make you feel?

My first event? I started road-racing motorcycles in 1960. And I was a little bit apprehensive, but it was great fun.

Very exciting, lots of fun. Made me feel great.

Can you remember your first victory and was that an important moment in your career?

I think all my racing has been fantastic.

I’ve done a lot. I’ve been very fortunate 46

to do a lot of different types of motorcycle racing, and each and every event has been victorious to me.

Tell us about the different motorcycle races.

I started actually road-racing sports cars. I was doing that from 1957 to ’64. And in 1960 I started roadracing motorcycles. And in Southern California (Cal Club) and AFM, motorcycles and cars were at the same weekends. So I was road-racing a bike and racing a Porsche Spider!

When did you realise that you had a special talent and could perhaps turn that into a career?

I don’t know that I ever thought about having a talent. It was just a lot of fun. And when I was doing cars, I was

very fortunate that people asked me to race their cars. I never owned the cars. And I got to race wonderful cars.

And in motorcycles, that was about the most exciting thing I’ve ever done - road-racing. Sometimes I thought my stomach was up at my throat.

And you know, there was no money involved in the racing I did, it was all like it was a hobby, even though I did it at least twice a month. So I have had a long “career” racing in various forms and I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve just enjoyed it. I feel very lucky that I’ve gotten to do it.

So you did it because it was a lot of fun.

It feels wonderful. I don’t think I ever dreamed that I could do all this. And FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

And as a woman in sports, you know, it’s usually a male dominated world isn’t it? As a woman, how difficult was it for you to get that break?

A woman in a male-dominated world.

You know, I was the first woman to road-race motorcycles in the States.

But everybody loved it. I never had any problem that I knew about. Guys all liked that I was there. Some of the spectators and so forth, they would come up to me and tell me how wonderful it was that I as a woman was doing this. I never felt anything special or that anything was out of alignment, it was just something you did.

You didn’t find it more difficult to get into?

I just sort of fell into it. When I first started road racing, I did have to try out. None of the men did. I had to go to Willow Springs and a bunch of the AFM road racers were up there to see if they would allow me to start racing, and it was all good. I was already racing cars and they had seen me in cars, and mostly what they wanted to know was if I would leave a turn the way I entered it, you know, because I’m on a 125 and they are on 500cc Norton Manx, and they’ll be passing me. So they had to be sure they knew what I was doing and going to do.

Who were your most respected and closest rivals?

Being the only woman, there weren’t any rivals in motorcycle road racing.

And when I started dirtbike riding, which was thanks to Steve McQueen – he used to tell me I should get off my pansy road-racing bike and come out to the desert, and I said “Ooh, I’d get dirty”. My husband heard that and he thought it was a great idea and I said “Why not?” I always just say “Why not?” if something comes up. So I started out in the desert.

Road racing or dirtbike racing, what’s your favourite?

Dirtbikes.

Why?

They are so much more fun. I just think they are a lot more fun. It’s more casual. I probably enjoyed Motocross the most. I’ve done desert, then I went to Motocross and then went to the long distance races, Baja 500, Mexico 1000, Mint 400. I think I like

Motocross the best. Which I still do, you know, I do vintage Motocross.

What’s so special about motorcycle sports compared to other types of sports?

Well, first of all it’s something I can do. I know that. Although in high school I played a lot of sports. I played softball. In my high school we were regional champions. You know, I always kicked the ball around with kids. A soccer ball. But motorcycles are more exciting. I mean every moment around a motorcycle is exciting. So now you add racing, and how much more fun and excitement can you get?

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire from racing?

Well, racing all the time, I did retire in 1975. I did the Baja 500 solo - that’s about 560 miles. Rolf Tibblin told me that I needed to do that solo. I said “I can’t do that solo!”, and he said “Oh yes you can!”, and I said “OK”.

And I was getting a divorce. I had my son to raise. I had to get a job.

So there just wasn’t any time to do the motorcycles. Until – although in 1977 I did do two road-racing events.

I worked at Motorcyclist, and we did a 24 hour road race and we had to quit about 1 o’clock in the morning – we ran out of tyres – I did that with the great Jody Nicholas, Rich Cox and Brad Zimmerman, and then later in 1977 we did a six hour in Ontario, on a 650 Kawasaki. That was great fun.

It felt great to be back road racing again, although, I said “You know, it’s probably a really good thing I quit road racing.” In 2002, I started back vintage, Motocross. I have a ’74 250 Husqvarna which I just love except for the four inches of travel.

Are you still involved in motorcycle sport?

Well, yes, I’m doing vintage Motocross on my 250 Husqvarna. I’ll be 76 in ten days so I’m in the over 70 class. When I first started I did the women’s class in the over 60 class. Now I just do the Over 70 class.

Is that something you’re enjoying just as much as back then?

It is. Maybe more. I have more time just to enjoy friends. That’s what it’s all about. Lots of great friends, lots of good conversation, a lot of fantastic motorcycles. The newest a motorcycle can be is 1974. And then they go way back. A lot of those old four-strokes, you know. You see Royal Enfields, BSAs, Triumphs, everything out there.

It’s terrific.

You say you have a son. Did your kids or grandchildren follow the sport?

Kids, grandkids. My son did race.

He rode Motocross for a while then switched to Speedway. He lived in Germany for a year and raced with a German team. And he got to race Australia, New Zealand, all over Europe, and then the next year he lived in England and raced with an English team. And he really liked the Speedway. But then he met someone and thought maybe now’s the time to stop. And they got married, and I do have a granddaughter. No motorcycles yet.

How do you think motorcycle sport has changed over the years since you started competing?

Oh my goodness. Well first of all the sheer engineering of the motorcycles has changed the sport a lot. And the speed. And the TYRES! Good grief, when I was road racing, it was just street tyres that were out there. Now look at them. They have special rubber compounding and they can get way over, you know, and they can get their knee out and drag it on the ground.

We were just tucked in. And we had to bump start, also. You know, we had to run and bump start the bikes. Put it in gear and then run and jump on the seat and then get the let over and go.

It was great fun. That was great fun, actually. I was pretty good at it.

How would you wish to be remembered within the sport?

Remembered within the sport? I think just that I was a participant, that I was definitely a participant and that I really loved it. I loved the people, I loved the motorcycles and I loved doing it.

I loved being involved.

What does it mean to you to be invited at the FIM Gala Ceremony along so many other legends and world champions from different disciplines?

Being here at the FIM Gala is beyond a dream come true. This is fantastic.

I’m very proud, I’m very honoured to be here. And to see the other legends, world class riders. I am truly impressed and I’m very excited about it. I’m so looking forward to seeing everyone and meeting several. Very exciting time.

Did you enjoy the Gala?

The Gala was absolutely fantastic.

I loved it. I shall savour every moment for the rest of my life.

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I don’t think I ever felt anything special other than just always looking forward to the next one.

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Jim Redman FIM Road Racing Legend Born on 8 November 1931 in Hampstead, Great Britain Nationality: Rhodesian

Jim Redman was one of the first riders to be hired

by Honda, then a new factory in the FIM Grand Prix World Championship in 1961. The first world titles for Jim came quickly in 1962, in the 250cc and 350cc classes. The English/Rhodesian rider repeated the feat in 1963. He kept on dominating the 350cc class for two more years, and in 1966 he started the season riding the famous 500cc Honda. After winning the first two races, he suffered a crash in the third one and, having sustained an arm injury, he decided to retire from racing. He is currently taking part in the many vintage events around the world.

How and when did you start to ride a bike?

I started riding motorbikes when I was about 14. I got my first job when I was 14, as an improver, they called it then, because it was fresh after the war and they weren’t doing apprenticeships, and a friend let me ride his 1936 Rudge Ulster which was quite a fast bike and I rode it in the yard because I was underage and I couldn’t wait to get to 16 and ride a bike of my own.

My first race was 1953.

How did that race start make you feel?

Fairly good, you know. I wanted to race but I didn’t have the money.

Then a friend of mine switched from motorcycle to car racing. He bought a car from Sterling Moss. We went to Port Elizabeth to pick up the car, a 1500 kilometre drive, and I helped him make a car out of the wreck that they sold us, and we worked long hours and he hadn’t sold his racing bike. And he said “I could never pay you for the work you’ve done on the car, evenings and weekend, so how would you like to ride my bike in the race?” So I rode this Triumph Special that he’d built up, with his leathers, his helmet, his boots, his goggles, his 48

gloves, the whole kit, and I was so excited, and in a field of about fifty, I got seventh, so I was quite happy with that kick-off.

Can you remember your first victory and how important was it for your career?

I can’t honestly remember my first victory. But my first Grand Prix win was in Barcelona at Montjuic Park. It was a Grand Prix but it didn’t count for the World Championships that particular year. So MV sent Venturi with the MV and not Surtees, and I managed to win it with a Norton against the MV, the works bike.

When did you realise that you had a special talent and could turn that into a successful career?

I was not talented the way Mike Hailwood was talented. He was my biggest most easily rival and best friend in my whole career. And the best day of my life was 1964 at the Dutch TT at Assen and my two rides were the 350 which was the first race of the day and I won it from Mike, and then the third race of the day was the 250, and I won it from Phil Read by about a quarter of an inch. And his

bike was 15 kilometres through the speed trap on the straight faster than mine, and a 2 stroke so it accelerated, and I rode my heart out. And then two races after that was the 125 GP in which I often supported Luigi Taveri as our number one rider. But Luigi was in hospital and he said try and finish as high as you can to keep the others at bay.” And I managed to win it!

I became the first rider in the history of racing to win three Grand Prix in one day. Only equalled of course by Mike!

What did it feel like to become a World Champion?

It eluded me first in the Honda team.

I got just casual rides for Honda. In 1961, Tom Phillis and myself were the first two riders to get a contract with Honda. And I was so disappointed that I didn’t win the championship. It went down to the last race, and you can guess who beat me. Mike the Bike.

And then in 1962, my best year to date and my worst year to date. Because I won two world championships and the reason I won two was that Bob McIntyre was in our team and he killed himself and I had to take over to win FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

Did becoming a World Champion change your life in any way?

Yes, it changed it from when I first came to Europe and we lived in the van. We lived on cans of food and we’d put a pot on the stove with a tin of beef and a tin of beans and a tin of peas or something like that, and then work on our bikes and then take half the tea, share the food out and if we had enough money on Sunday we’d go to the restaurant after the race and have a schnitzel or a steak or something, and if you didn’t have a good day, you went back to the beans, etc. That’s how we lived. You win some money, win some money, crash. Win some money, engine breaks. It was tough out there, you know.

What is so special about motorcycle sport compared to other sports?

I think it’s just that it’s the best, you know. Formula One’s got too many wheels, and the rest of it… I think I became quite a boring guy because if I was at a party and I walked up to a group and they were talking about anything but motorbike racing, I walked away to find someone to talk to about something interesting.

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire from racing, the sport you loved so much?

I was born in London but my home is Africa and I love South Africa where I live at the moment. Well, I don’t live anywhere, I live in a suitcase. I spend seven or eight months of the year in Europe and the other few months at home. I’ve got a friend that has a flat in Jo’burg he hardly uses, so he said “Dump your stuff in there”, which I did, in 2006. And when I’m in Durban I have two kids living quite close together and four grandchildren so I go down there and stay with them. I’m just a gypsy going around.

All I’ve got is lovely girlfriends, lovely motorbikes to ride, plenty of money, so… a shame, isn’t it?

You mentioned your children and your grandchildren. Are they following in your footsteps?

When my sons got into racing – my youngest son was seven times South African champion in Motocross and his brother went to downhill and mountain bike racing. He represented South Africa over in America in that sport. Then his son came to me and

said “Find me a sponsor, I want to do the World Triathlon Championship”. So I said OK. And he came over to Europe and he finished 3rd in Europe and 9th in the world. Then he hurt his leg and it finished his career. Anyway, he’s found a wonderful job, so he’s set up. So we’ve got a pretty sporting family. His sister rides bicycles with the family and she annoys a lot of the guys because she keeps up better than they do.

You’re still involved in the sport aren’t you? Tell us about that.

Well, it was in 1995. Rob Ianucci in America has a team called “Team Obsolete” which is a good thing for me you know, because I’m pretty obsolete. And he said “I’ve got one of your old Honda Sixes and I’ve got Nobby Clarke, your old mechanic from Rhodesia, here fixing it up. Would you come to Daytona and ride it?” The Six is a fantastic bike. It was voted the bike of the millennium and there wasn’t even a second place, they were so far apart. I had one at Goodwood and somebody offered £3 million and Honda said it’s not for sale. Then he said “Well if you feel like racing, in case you feel like it, I’ve entered you for the Classic Grand Prix”. And I said “What’s a classic Grand Prix?” That’s a bike older than 1970 ridden by a guy over 38. So I qualified “just” for the 38, I was 63. In the end I said I would ride and then when they put me on the grid they put me in 55th place out of 65. And I said “Was I so slow?” And he said “No, you get your grid positions from the points you scored last year.

We put you in front of the guys who never scored a point in their lives.” So I sort of vaguely saw the flag go down, it was so far away over a field spaced out like this, and everyone started to move so I got going.

I had a wife who was a bit younger than me. She was 20 and I was 57 when we got married. So she’d never seen me race. And she was quite pleased that I was at the back, ‘cos she said you can wobble around at the back with the old guys, you know. And anyway I wobbled my way from 55th to 12th on the first lap and then on the second lap I got up to fourth and after fourth it gets a bit tougher. And then I caught up with Dave Roper who was riding the same bike as me in the same team. He was 38 years old and he was known as the King of Classic Racing.

And I blasted past him and woke him up. You know, he was cruising along in the lead and nobody bothered to signal I was coming and as soon as I passed him he woke up and passed me back.

The learning curve was good because I was improving all the time and I worked out where I could beat him.

Luckily he was making a mistake in my opinion the last couple of corners so I never led him through there to show him the way to go, I always backed off and let him past me and on the last lap I thought “I’ve got him!”

Then there was a crash - we were lapping two guys who were lapping two slower other guys and just at the last minute I shot off and thought this is not going to work, they crashed together. I was dodging motorbikes and people and once I got through the wreckage I was half a lap from the finishing line and half a lap in the lead.

And the BBC had put a microphone on the top of my forks to get the noise of the Redman comeback, so I went up on the banking where it’s quiet and shut the throttle and said into the mike “OK BBC listeners, we’ve got this one won!”.

And then I cruised around and I must say a bit of a tear in my eye because my previous race was in 1969 which I won, and in 1995 I won my first race.

I didn’t know it was the first race of a new career but I’ve just finished 17 years now of this fun stuff, and my career was 17 years too, so next year’s my 18th year, sixty years of racing and I’m having a ball.

FIM: So how does it feel to be here at the Gala?

It’s quite strange because last year one of the FIM guys phoned me up – I was at St Cergue for the race meeting -, and he said “Come and have lunch”, and I said “Well that’ll be the first thing I’ve ever had from the FIM in my life”. And then while we were having lunch we got a phone call from the President who said “I’d like to meet Jim so bring him back to the office”. So we went back to the office and he presented me with an FIM T-shirt and an FIM cap. And I said “If I wear this around the pits, they’ll scorn me because I’ve always said the FIM know nothing about racing.”

And he had the press there, and he said “Did you catch that?” So the next morning in the Geneva papers it said “Jim Redman tells the FIM that they know nothing about racing”! But of course, I was totally focused on road racing, and that is not what the FIM do, they control the sport in every direction. And it was much smaller in those days as well. But I really like him because anyone that can laugh at themselves and really find it funny gets my admiration.

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his run, but Tom Phillis who signed with me in 1961, he killed himself as well. And I said “Can I give the Championships back and get the riders back?” But it doesn’t work that way.

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Torsten Hallman FIM Motocross Legend Born on 17 October 1939 in Uppsala, Sweden

Torsten Hallman was one of the famous Swedish Motocross team which emerged at the end of the fifties, together with Bill Nilsson, Sten Lundin, Ove Lundell, Rolf Tibblin and others. Swedes dominated Motocross during the sixties – not every year, it’s true, but they were very often there at the top. Hallman raced in the 250cc, starting in 1959 when the Championship was European. In 1962 it became a World Championship and Torsten Hallman clinched his first 250cc title. He took his second title in 1963 and also won the recently-created Trophée des Nations (Motocross Team World Championship for 250cc motorcycles) with his Swedish team mates. But in 1964, a young Belgian rider called Joel Robert left him in second place. Torsten Hallman was back on the top in 1966 and 1967, winning twice the 250cc World Championship and the Trophée des Nations with the Swedish team. He was part of the group of people who went to the United States in 1967 with Husqvarna motorcycles, marking the real introduction of Motocross into that country.

After some more years in the Championship, he retired and started to work on Motocross gear and equipment.

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F I M M otocross L egend How and when did you start to ride a bike?

I was lucky to be born on a farm.

I could start to ride as a young kid, when I was about eleven or twelve years old, plus I had a brother who was riding at a competitive level, so I was brought up as a racer right from the start.

Tell us about your first event and how that felt.

Like I said before, I could start to ride before I got my first licence, so I was already on a competitive level because of my brother, so when I went to my first race, I won it. In fact, out of the first 21 races, I won 17 races in the first year! So I had a good start because I did a lot of practising before I even entered my first race.

Tell us about your very first victory, and why that was an important moment for you.

In the town where you have a motorcycle club they had club races and this was one of those club races.

It was just outside my home town and of course I was proud to win. As you know, in Sweden we have the Husqvarna factory making all the Motocross bikes and already after 14 or 15 races the team manager came to watch the race and after just six months I got a factory bike. So I had a good start. I really made a good impression on the team manager, and from then on as you know I was riding for Husqvarna for many years.

What did it feel like to become a World Champion?

Of course this was the highest moment in my career, to win the World Championship. It was also done in Sweden. After a lot of races in other European countries, the final race was in Sweden. So this was more or less on my home turf so to speak. And of course it was a big moment. I was 22 years old and it was a really big moment of my career, especially as it happened in Sweden. So I got a lot of attention from newspaper and the people around and so on. And I had all my friends with me, and mother and father, and everybody was with me. So it was a great moment.

So how did that moment, becoming World Champion, change your life?

It didn’t change my life that much because at that time Motocross sport was not so professional. You could hardly live on it. You couldn’t make any money, so my thinking was always what to do after I’d finished my career. So from August and on into the winter, I was studying. I went to Stockholm Technical Institute to be an engineer, so I was always thinking about what would happen afterwards, when I stopped racing. So my idea was that I was going to get some kind of work at the Husqvarna factory when I was all done, because, like I said, you could hardly live on the income from Motocross racing, especially if you got hurt and all these kind of things. Then you didn’t get anything of course. It was not the same as today.

OK. And who were your most respected and closest rivals?

That was Joël Robert from Belgium.

You know, I was World Champion four times and he was World Champion six times. During an eleven year period.

So it was me or him, all the time. But we were good friends. We had a lot of races in Belgium and I stayed in his home and we went to the races together. But on the track we were big rivals. So it was kind of difficult for some people to understand that we were such good friends before the World Championship. So, you know, it was a long time that we were fighting for the title.

What is so special about motorcycle sport compared to other sports?

The feeling of riding, you know. Like if you have been skiing up in the Alps, it’s the same type of feeing as when you ride a Motocross bike. So for me this is a good feeling, to be able to control the bike, and have balance and things. It’s a good sport. Of course it’s dangerous, but in Motocross sport you have to take some risks. Definitely. You have to watch out so as not to get hurt. That’s the biggest disadvantage of course.

But I love it. With all my heart.

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire?

I broke my leg. So that was it. I said no more. Because I was lucky not to hurt myself. Except I had back problems for many years but I didn’t hurt myself too much. But when you get a bit over thirty, then it’s time to retire, and the sport for me turned into a business.

From the beginning I made my own Hallman products, clothing, then I went into motorcycle importing.

I was the KTM importer and distributor for Sweden and then the Yamaha importer. But it was a difficult thing to combine the sport with the business, and when I broke my leg I said this is it.

Now I’ll concentrate on helping other riders, like the Yamaha riders at that moment.

Do you still have any involvement in the sport?

No, now I am retired. But I still had some involvement in the business.

The Torsten Hallman products are called Thor today and this is one of the biggest brand names in the sport today, especially in the United States.

But I sold this business some years ago, and also the Yamaha business.

Now I am just relaxing.

How would you like to be remembered in the sport?

As a fair rider. They call me Mr Motocross and I try to continue to be Mr Motocross.

What does it mean to you to be at the FIM Gala Ceremony with all the other legends…

I am proud to be here of course. That’s definite. To be remembered. Because it’s fifty years since I won the first time.

So it’s like a coincidence to get an invitation as a fifty years celebration.

So I’m really proud. Really proud.

How did you enjoy the Gala?

Of course I enjoyed the evening. I’ve been looking forward to it for several weeks. So it was a nice evening and I will always remember it in my heart.

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Dougie Lampkin FIM Trial Legend

Born on 23 March 1976 in Silsden, Great Britain

Earlier this season Dougie Lampkin announced his retirement from the FIM Trial World Championship, after an incredible nineteen years of competing at the top level of the sport. During that time he won the championship seven times in succession from 1997 to 2003. Since making his debut in the series on Sunday 18 April 1993 in Luxembourg, Lampkin contested a record two hundred and fifty-seven Grand Prix events. Confirming his status as the most victorious and successful rider ever to be a part of the championship, Dougie recorded an unbeaten ninety-nine GP wins, an unequalled one hundred and seventy rostrum finishes and amassed an unmatched three thousand nine hundred and forty-four World points in total. Over a similar period Lampkin also secured the FIM Indoor Trial World Cup four times and won the first ever FIM Indoor Trial World Championship in 2001.

How and when did you start to ride a bike?

I started riding motorbikes when I was three years old. I’ve come from a very successful motorcycling family so I’ve sort of been to events since I was six years old and I got my first bike well before I was able to ride it and finally at three years old I got my first go.

Tell us about your motorcycling family.

What were they involved in?

My father was world Trials champion in 1975. I was born in ’76 so he was obviously still very active riding at that time. And his brother was one of the most famous scramblers – or Motocross riders as they are called now – of that era, so I was born and brought up around bikes really from the beginning.

Tell us about your first event and how that felt.

My first event was when I was nine years old. I had always ridden around some land we had. My father had a pub at that time so I did plenty of riding and I got the opportunity to ride. Like I said, when I was nine I was fairly fortunate in that event, to 52

win it. It was a great start and I just loved riding my bike really, and that’s how it started.

Can you remember your first victory and was that an important moment for your career?

I remember my first victory mainly because it was actually my first event, which was a little bit strange really. It was only a beginners’ competition, but I sort of got the taste for success very early on. I wouldn’t say it was an important victory, because to be honest at that time I just wanted to ride my bike and it didn’t really matter.

We just wanted to whiz round the fields a little bit, whereas we had to stop and look at these sections and then actually ride them. And we were just used to riding round, so at that time it was definitely not too serious.

We were just enjoying ourselves.

When did you realise that you had a special talent and that you could use that talent to build a career?

I think it’s difficult to know exactly if you have got a special talent in a sport, and throughout all my school days I played just as much golf as

I did ride my motorbike, to be honest.

And then I was 17 and I was coming up through all the schoolboy ranks and won a few championships but certainly not everything. And my father took me to the first round of the European Championship when I was 17 in ’93, and we were just going to see what the level was like really and see if I could compete in it and see if I enjoyed it and then we’d take the series from there really. I finished sixth in the first round so my father took me to the next round and I ended up winning the Championship. It was a really close battle, especially the last couple of races. There were two or three of us that could win it and I think after I won it under that pressure, even through it was just European Championship level, it was my first major achievement and I think at that moment I and probably my father realised that we could make something of it.

What did it feel like to become a World Champion that first time?

To become a World Champion is amazing really. Everybody has dreams FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

You say it was short-lived, but did it change your life at all, in any way?

I think winning a World Championship does change your life. And maybe for a lot of sports people that’s enough for them, they’ve achieved what they’ve always wanted to do. They‘ve achieved their goal, let’s say, but I think every time that I achieved my goal, my goals changed, almost immediately, so I would say things didn’t really change but I just wanted more. So I was never really satisfied with what I had won, pretty much really until I finished riding in the World Championship and now I’m very sort of content with everything that I did achieve.

So when you said your goals changed, you mean just wanted more and more after winning the first title or…?

When you win your first title, it’s amazing, but then you’re looking for what’s next, because you’ve always striven to do something and to be the best, and I think I was never satisfied with just being the best, I always wanted to be leading the Championship, I wanted to be the current World Champion, and it never really died off, it’s just that unfortunately people got better than me and they became World Champion.

Who were your most respected and closest rivals?

I’ve been very lucky with my rivals really over all the years. I got the chance to ride with Jordi Tarres.

Just before I went to the European Championship he was the one everybody wanted to beat so the opportunity to ride with him was great. I beat him in ’96. I was second in the Championship and he was third. And from then really I’ve been very lucky to ride against Marc Colomer and Takahisa Fujinami,

because at some stage in our careers we have been team mates as well, and big rivals, and we’ve never really had a cross word, no problems between us, and that’s the great thing about the sport of Trials, really. It is pretty much like one big family and I don’t think that’s the case in a few other sports, but I’ve certainly been lucky that way.

What is so special about motorcycle sports compared to other sports out there?

I think the best thing about motorcycle sport – especially thinking from a Trials point of view – is that it starts off like a big family event and you can ride round the event with your friends or your family. It’s not a speed sport so you’re stopping quite regularly to look at the sections, look at the areas, and it can become quite a social event as well. And fortunately, going through into the professional ranks, it didn’t really change that much for me. Obviously, it got a lot more professional and there were certain rivals there, and when you were on your bike, the only thing you wanted was to win. But thankfully at the end of it you could all get along well because basically when you’re doing all the World Championship, you’re living in each other’s pockets really, so you’re travelling with them, you’re in hotels with them, so it just makes it so much easier.

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire from racing?

I think the decision to retire from racing for most people isn’t really their decision. I think I lasted so long at the top if you like because I still enjoyed riding my bike just as much after an event on a Monday as I had done since I was sixteen, seventeen. That enjoyment never really went. I was always putting in 100%. I felt like I was improving all the time. But my best wasn’t good enough all of a sudden, and I think that’s the time when you’ve got to find balance. You don’t want to make the numbers up after you’ve won the outdoor title seven times in a row. You don’t want to make the numbers up but you absolutely love that competition day feeling, you know. When you start at the beginning of an event you’ve worked up to for several weeks, it’s a special feeling that you don’t want to give up.

It sort of just get’s taken away from you, unfortunately, but as I’ve said before, I’ve had a fantastic career and I wouldn’t change any of it. It’s been very special.

Do you still have an involvement within the sport now?

Yes. I’m still involved really heavily in the Trials World Championship.

I work for the Gas Gas factory team so I attend all the World X-Trial Championship and all the World Trials Championship, so I’m still in the circus if you like. I’m still going round, I’m still doing the travelling. I’m very involved in that and also I do the testing for all the standard bikes and also for the factory bikes as part of my work. So I still get to ride the bikes, I still get to go to the World Championship, and I just don’t actually ride it any more.

Do you have any children?

Yes, I’ve got two boys, Alfie and Fraser, seven and four years old.

Have they got the bug yet? Have they followed your path into the sport?

They’ve both got bikes. They both love riding bikes. But you know it’s up to them what they want to do. They’re keen riders, they’re both quite good riders already, but one’s mad keen on tennis and the other one’s into swimming, so fortunately, as long as they’re outside and they’re out of the house, they’re both very happy, so that’s the main thing. And I was very lucky that I was never under any pressure from my family. As I said, I played a lot of golf in my early years, so there’s no pressure at all. We’ll see what happens, and if they do want to pursue it, then obviously I’ll support them all the way.

You’re still quite young, but how would you like to be remembered within the sport?

I think, given how friendly our sport is, hopefully they’d have some good comments to say about me and hopefully people will remember the sort of things I’ve tried to put back into the sport over the years, with the Trials skills and hopefully promoted our sport of Trials which isn’t the biggest motorcycling sport by any means.

I hopefully promoted it in the right way and hopefully made it a little bit more successful.

What does it mean for you to be invited at the FIM Gala Ceremony with other legends and World Champions?

To be here at the FIM Gala is always a special occasion. I visited many times when I was a World Champion and the opportunity to be with all the other top sportsmen from all the categories all on the same evening to celebrate everybody’s successes is great recognition really. And I think it’s a special night for everybody.

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F I M T rial L egend

when they are kids at school and what they are going to be, whether it be a doctor or anything… but I just wanted to be a motorcycle rider really.

I never thought that it could actually happen. And you always want to be the best at whatever you have a go at. The elation of becoming World Champion was fantastic for the first time but quite short lived really because almost immediately you don’t want to let go really, and once you have won there’s only one way to go, so I think it was harder keeping hold of the championship than actually winning the first time. I think that was part of the challenge that I sort of enjoyed and I thrived on really.

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Kari Tiainen FIM Enduro Legend Born on 26 August 1966 in Riihimäki, Finland

Kari Tiainen was one of the riders who launched the period which saw Enduro dominated

by Swedish and Finnish competitors – fighting very hard against each other. He started as a Motocross rider in the late 80s, without much success. He then switched to Enduro and success came immediately with a win for the Finnish team in the Six Days in 1989. Kari Tiainen then went on to dominate a good part of the ten years to come by clinching seven World titles in ten years: two titles in the 250cc two stroke class, and not less than five in the over 500cc 4-stroke class.

There were also four more wins in the International Six Days Enduro competitions, the last in 2003. After that Karei Tiainen worked as team manager for the KTM team.

How and when did you start to ride a bike?

That was at the end of the ‘seventies.

It was the time when Heikki Mikkola was World Champion and he was my hero and my idol, and it was his fault actually (laughs) that I went that way and not the way my father wanted, which was for me to be a wrestler.

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Tell us about your first event and how that felt.

The first event must have been around 1980 or so. Nita knows for sure. They follow the history more. I was about the same age as Pekka Vehkonen who was also World Champion later, and he was also competing at the same

race. And he won of course, and I think I was sixth or something, and I was really excited because before that moment I was just riding around. I had never done any proper training, and so it was a pretty good result for a first race!

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

Yes, my first victory was in ’82, the summer of ’82. Yes, and it was just a national race in Finland with a 50cc Angelotti. And of course it was a great moment. I was struggling a lot with technical problems beforehand because I didn’t get any support from my family on the technical side.

I needed to study everything by myself and therefore there was many a DNF, and of course the first victory gave me a lot of self confidence. But then later that same season, when I got my licence for the 125cc and so, then I won more and more victories, both in Enduro and Motocross.

When did you first realise that you had a special talent and that you could use that to make a successful career?

My father and I realised at the same time actually. When I really won the first races, we realised that this could be something and that we really needed to find a good trainer. Then we found good people around and like I said before, I was lucky that in my generation there were many, many good riders, and in Finland at the national races there were ten guys who were scoring points in the world championships. And now the situation is completely different.

What did it feel like to become a World Champion that first time?

I had difficult times in the ‘eighties.

I had many many injuries. I tried first in the Motocross World Championships and there I had a lot of injuries but the speed was always there. I had some good results but never a full season.

I always raced Enduro also when it was off season, and then I tried Enduro and things started moving forward and it came quite quickly in 1990, when I realised that I was leading the Championship. I was very strong mentally, also. For the whole season I knew that if everything went right I could win the Championship. It was just that everything worked so well.

But self-confidence is something very important. And that was really a great moment. There were friends, brothers, a big party of course. (Laughs) Did becoming a World Champion change your life in any way, and if so, how?

When I won the first title of course, the interest I got was completely different of course. But my normal life didn’t change at all. I was still in

love with my girlfriend and in 1992 we married. Actually family has always been very important for me: wife, children, family generally. And in Enduro sport there has never been anything fancy, you know. It’s not exactly a farmers’ sport – but think you understand what I mean. I think that’s one of the best parts of it. I was able to live a very normal life. OK, we couldn’t live in Finland any more. I lived in Italy and I’ve been living in Spain for 16 years now, and that’s maybe the biggest change. We needed to move out from Finland.

But for you having the family is just as important as having that title and that Championship?

Yes, family is way more important.

(Laughs).

What is so special about motorcycle sport, do you think, compared to other sports out there?

If look specifically at Enduro sport, you need to be multitalented, first of all.

And then the technical side is what makes the biggest difference. It’s not enough to be in very good physical shape, which is necessary. You need to also understand how the bike works. In former times, we needed to prepare the bikes ourselves. Now it is different because mechanics do the work. But I can say I am a pretty good mechanic as well. And that makes it really interesting. And of course speed, fuel…. (laughs). Well, I’ve always been interested in it. And, in a good way, it’s like a drug. I still love to ride a bike.

I’ve ridden 1’500 kilometres already this week, in rally sport, because of my good friend. He is good at that.

And Finland is really rally country, also.

But then in general I like all sports. Ice hockey, football… High level football because I live close to Malaga and Malaga is doing really well now. So in general I am interested in every sport.

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire from racing?

I knew that day was coming and that I needed to retire. It was not difficult at all. It was ten years ago, but after all the injuries I’d had - for example I had both wrists in such bad shape that training had become almost impossible. And then the young generation was pushing of course.

That’s very normal. They are always better. And I was lucky that I was running for the KTM factory team, and we built up a factory team round

Finnish riders and I was team manager for some years. Those were very nice times and at the same time I always worked with young Finnish riders and like Juha Salminen and Petteri Silvennoinen… Juha now has even more titles than I have so there was no problem for me.

Are you still involved in the sport now? I know you said that you were team manager…

I had a very interesting project together with Kimi Reichenen. We built up a Motocross team for the World Championships and for the last two years I have been running that team in the Motocross World Championships but now that project is done, and it was really, really nice to be back in a Grand Prix paddock after some years, and now I’m just running our own adventure business and training schools in Spain, Morocco and Finland.

How do you think the sport has changed since you were racing?

A big change, though maybe not dramatic, was the extreme tests which are necessary for the spectators, of course, but for my generation it is quite difficult. OK, we used to drive difficult places always but I feel, and many others do too, that it’s not maybe the way it should be.

But I understand also. The world is changing and we are no longer out there riding. But indoor is pretty much the same. Also Motocross – it was nice to see the old friends from the ‘eighties. There were plenty of guys that I was racing with and who were already working as mechanics at that time. There has not really been any big change. And only in good ways, because it needs to be more interesting for, let’s say, finding sponsors and everything. Everything has to change.

How do you wish to be remembered in the sport?

I tried to be really fair all the time.

That’s may be the most important.

And that’s how the sport should be in my eyes.

What does it mean to be invited at the FIM Gala Ceremony amongst other legends and World Champions this weekend?

It means a lot. In 2000 I won my last title and the prize-giving ceremony was here, so it’s nice to come here again. I’m glad to be invited and I was really happy to get this invitation.

F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 55

F I M E nduro L egend

Do you remember your first victory and was that an important moment in your career?

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Hubert Auriol FIM Cross-Country Rallies Legend Born on 7 June 1952 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Hubert Auriol, also known as “Hubert the African”, is a legend in the world of Cross-Country Rallies. This discipline was actually created in the mid-seventies in Africa (where Hubert was born) and became famous with the very first Paris-Dakar race in 1979, a truly legendary event created by another legend, the late Thierry Sabine.

Hubert Auriol took part in all the 16 rallies held from 1979 to 1994, and was Director of the Event for ten more years.

He was also the first to win the competition both on two wheels (1981 and 1983 on a BMW R80 GS) and then on four wheels (the longest edition from Paris to Cape Town held in 1992, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero with navigator Philippe Monnet.

His name is inextricably linked with the history of the Paris‑Dakar.

How and when did you start to ride a bike?

I started riding a bike for Trial, and that was a long time ago. In fact it was just for fun, because it was the most convenient way to start. It was the cheapest way. That was in 1975 maybe.

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Tell us about your first event and how that felt.

Well the first real event was when I raced the Paris-Dakar In 1978.

At that time, there was this crazy adventure of going to Dakar on a bike, and Thierry Sabine built this race

which was brand new. It was a new adventure. And I thought it was a race I had to do because I wanted to go to Africa on a bike so I entered the race.

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

Well my first victory is definitely the day I first won the Dakar. It was not so quick because unfortunately in ’80 on my second participation I was leading and I got thrown out of the race because I made a little mistake.

But the year after in ’81 I won my first Dakar and winning definitely changed a lot of things. It was very emotional for me because I was not a professional driver but I realised suddenly that I was in the business.

When did you first realise that you had that special talent and that it could actually be a successful career?

You don’t really know that you have a talent but when you see that you win, you imagine that maybe you could win again. (Laughs). The thing is, when you stop winning, you say “Hey, I won once, why not a second time?” And that’s how it goes. At that time, you know, desert racing was brand new. The Dakar Raid was a new adventure and there was nothing organised, so we built the story of those races and we were driver, manager, doing everything to help Rally Raid to grow. Luckily I became an official driver for BMW, and when they got involved in the business I became the driver and I said “OK, let’s do it!”

What did it feel like the moment you became the Desert Champion?

Becoming a Desert Champion was quite new because I was a salesman.

I was in business, a normal business, you know, selling fabrics. And suddenly I had to make a choice that would change my life, going on working normally or taking the risk of racing. I didn’t know at that time whether I could live from my racing because of course it’s a dream, you know, it’s fantastic. And I said “OK, let’s do it!”. I was young, I had no dependants, no children and no wife at that time. I said “Let’s go” and I’m very happy to have made that choice, because I had a lot of success.

Did becoming a Desert Champion change your life, and if so how?

Being a Desert Champion changed a lot of things for me. The main thing is that when I entered the race

in Africa for the first time, I never imagined that it would be very important for all my life after that.

I rode a bike for nine years. After that I switched to cars, then I switched to organiser, so all my life has been changed because of that first experience of desert racing.

because you must not do the race too many. Unfortunately I lost a few friends to accidents, so when I see that I am confident that I took the right decision. It was very difficult to take, very difficult. It was a hard moment but today I am very happy that I took the right decision at that time.

Who were your most respected and closest rivals?

Are you still involved in the sport in any way?

Definitely when I was racing in the desert my “best enemy” was Cyril Neveu because we had been fighting a lot on the tracks and we had big adventures together. We were different in every respect. He’s small with brown hair and I’m tall with blond hair so for the press it was a big story and they were happy about pitting us against one another. Cyril was driving for Honda, for a Japanese company and I was driving for a European company, first for BMW then for Cagiva. So there were all the elements to make a story and the radio and the television were very happy about it.

For you, what is so special about motorcycle racing compared to other sports?

For me, motorcycle sport is a second life, you know. I still drive a bike every day. I’m always on a bike. The thing is, first, it’s freedom. In the world we live in today, I think a motorcycle is really refreshing.

Was it a difficult time for you when you decided to retire from racing.

Well, it was a difficult moment when I decided to retire because in fact I decided to retire following an accident, you know. I was leading the Dakar in 1987, but I broke my two ankles before the finish so I didn’t finish the race. I should have won it but too bad. And in fact I decided live – I said “I’m going to stop the bike” because you know, sometimes you have a red light that flashes and says “Stop!” And because I said it publicly, I stuck to it, and I said “If I said it, I have to stick to it”, and I never went back on a bike. Because I think it’s very difficult to stop when you are at the top level because everything is great, everybody wants to help you, everybody wants to give you a bike, have you in the team, so to stop this life is very difficult. But I said if I decided to stop I have to stop

Yes, always. Sport is my life and I still race in a car. I have a buggy. I am racing race in Africa at the end of the year, going to Dakar. And I’m still on my mountain bike. Bicycle, golf – I am involved with sports every day.

What about your children? Are they involved in sport?

No, unfortunately they are not. I am a kind of lonely man as regards sport.

So you’re the only one in your family then?

Yes. I’m the only one, because I have nobody around me in my family who was in the sport. My children didn’t get involved. I have three daughters.

One would have liked to go but she was maybe not sufficiently involved to switch and go into the sport.

How would you wish to be remembered in the sport?

Wow! Remembered? (Laughs) You can’t say remembered. I think you did something – for me it was fantastic moments. For me what is very important is that we were building a story with the Rally Raids, you know.

It is something that didn’t exist, so it’s a kind of experience that is quite rare.

If you look at other sports, you know, you have a hundred years of history In road racing and whatever, but this started with us so we are part of the story. The nice thing to remember is the human side is very important.

Of course you need a bike, you need a car, and it’s a race, but the human part is much more important than in other motorcycling sports.

What’s it like to be invited at the FIM Gala Ceremeny alongside other legends and World Champions?

Somehow it’s a bit annoying because that means the years are passing.

When you start saying “a legend”, you know, but I don’t feel old so it’s no problem. (Laughs)

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FIM Cross-Country Rallies Legend

Can you remember your first ever victory? Was that an important moment in your career?

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Hans Nielsen FIM Track Racing Legend Born on 26 December 59 in Brovs, Denmark

The name of Hans Nielsen takes us back to the eighties when Danish riders were at the top in the world of Speedway, following in the wheel-tracks of Ole Olsen.

In his first year at top level (1978) Hans Nielsen was in the Danish team which won the FIM Team Speedway World Championship. Then in 1979 he won his first title in the FIM Speedway Pairs World Championship. After being twice runner-up he finally took his first crown in the FIM Individual World Championship by winning the 1986 World Final. By the time he retired from racing in 1999, he had won four Individual titles, seven Pairs titles and no less than 11 Team titles.

How and when did you start to ride a bike?

Well I started when I was a kid, about seven years old. That was just an old moped, like Motocross, I suppose.

I lived in the country and there was an old gravel pit, and I’d go racing with my brothers, my older brothers.

I have three older brothers. Only two of them ride or were riding at the time.

So we just had a lot of fun riding and doing kind of Motocross, but it wasn’t really till later when I was thirteen that the local Speedway track started, only about a mile from my house, so I thought I’d try Speedway and see what that was like.

Actually the first year that I rode, it was on a 50cc at the time and 50cc racing had just started in Denmark at the time. It was really just a couple of clubs and we’d met this other club that was good and they had these really good bikes and we only had really old mopeds. But we had this 58

meeting against them with like 300 people watching locally and it was really good and I was top scorer and it was really fun. So that was the first meeting I rode in but the first one I won was when I moved up to the 500cc when I was 16. I won the first Danish Junior Championship when I was 16 in 1976. That’s going back a bit! So that was fun.

Can you remember your first victory and do you think that was an important moment in your career?

Yes it was. Because it was actually the Danish Junior Championship, as I mentioned before. That was my first victory. And when I look back now that was one of the really important ones because that made me known, not only in Denmark but also to the British promoters. Before me they had Ole Olsen. When he was Danish junior champion, he came over to Newcastle at the time, and he rode for

Wolverhampton. So Wolverhampton said “OK, who’s the Danish junior champion this year?” This was 1977.

They called me and said “Would you like to come over and ride professional Speedway in England?” So that victory was obviously very important. It was the first one and what also made it very special was because my local town – I come from a smallish town with about 5’000 people living there – actually had a collection to buy a new Indian for me for the Danish Junior Championship. So there were around 50 people came on a coach to watch me at the track which was three hours’ drive away.

When did you first realise that you had a special talent and that you could use your hobby and turn it into a successful career?

Well again going back to this time when I had an offer from Wolverhampton to go to Wolverhampton and ride, I hadn’t FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

What did it feel like when you got your first Championship title?

Well, you know it was a long wait because as I said, already when I was 18 they started writing about me as a future World Champion and so on and I was doing really well in the British League and other Leagues and I was winning the Pairs Championship with Denmark and the World Team Cup, but I hadn’t won an individual World Championship and it took quite a few years. When I was about 24 I was second in the World Championship and at 25 I was second again in the World Championship and when I was 26 at last I won the World Championship, in 1986. And that was such a relief because I’d been working so hard trying to become a World Champion and I’d been racing for quite a few years and I was at the top of the Leagues in all the countries I was riding in, but I couldn’t win that world title, so when I did, in 1986, it was a great relief and such a joy and that’s really what you work so hard for quite a few years, and to actually do it is incredible. And it doesn’t sink in for a few weeks after, and that was really great.

Do you think becoming World Champion changed your life in any way?

Well, no, I don’t think so really.

Because I was already an established rider, winning most things around the world and big meetings and things, and given the fact that I was second two years running, I was right up there, so the difference between that and winning the world title wasn’t really that big, but obviously it was a big difference to ME, to actually be able to tell myself that I’d reached my goal, because that was what I’d worked so hard for quite a few years,

to become World Champion. But I wouldn’t say that the actual World Championship itself made a big difference to the way I was living or anything like that.

it was really great and I thought it was time to stop and do something else.

So it wasn’t really a difficult decision.

Who were your most respected and closest rivals?

Not much. I’ve been very much into golf the last few years. My two kids have been playing golf for a few years now and they are elite golfers playing for the Danish squad and wanted to make that their living. They weren’t really interested in Speedway.

They were only three or four years old when I finished so they can’t really remember me riding and they didn’t really get into it. So it’s quite interesting now to follow them in their professional sport and I look forward to seeing them maybe make a living out of their sport one day.

Well, certainly in the mid-eighties, I looked up to guys like Ivan Mauger and Ole Olsson when I first started out, but certainly my rival when I was at the top was Erik Gundersen.

We had some great races through the mid-eighties. He won the World Championship one year and I did the next year and so on. And we were always the two favourites to win the World Championship. So we had some really great times and great rivalry and great races. Also winning World Championships together of course in Pairs for Denmark and the World Team Cup for Denmark as well at the same time.

Can you tell us what’s so special about motorcycle sport for you compared to other sports?

Well when you first start, obviously, it’s a hobby, you know. I think for any young kid motor sport is exciting.

Speedway wise, I think it’s just the sliding through the corner and the speed. The technical side of it is interesting, to experiment with the bikes, and competing, trying to win. In any sport, I suppose, its fun. Nowadays I play golf which is a totally different thing. (Laughs).

That’s more a relaxing sport but it’s still a thing where you want to win.

In any sport, for me the fun is to win.

But in Speedway, it’s the fact that you a riding quite fast and sliding the corners, sliding the bike. That was very exciting.

Tell us about when you decided to retire from racing. Was that a difficult time for you?

Not really, I raced till I was nearly 40, and when I was about 37, 38, journalists and people started asking me “How long are you going to race for?” and you start to think “OK”.

I said at the time that “I won’t still be racing when I’m 40”. So when I was 39, in 1999, my last season was coming up and I was ready to retire.

I had a couple of kids at the time and I thought that it was the right time to do something else. I’d won everything in the sport and I was quite happy with the career that I’d had. Obviously going around the world to race and to meet lots of interesting people, and travelling across whole continents, Australia, America, Poland and so on –

Do you still have any involvement in the sport nowadays?

Tell us, how would you wish to be remembered within your sport?

Well, I was the kind of rider that did the best I could, at league meetings, World Championships, whatever, you know and looking back, I suppose I was the most consistent rider throughout the year, in the league, World Championships and whatever.

Looking back, I regret that the Grand Prix hadn’t started a bit earlier, because then I think I would have won a few more titles because of consistency, I would say.

What does it mean to you to be invited at the FIM Gala Ceremony among other legends and World Champions?

Well I think it’s great. I just met Michael at breakfast, Michael Jepsen Jensen, the Under 21 World Champion from Denmark. It’s great to see some of the World Champions. Lots of them are here. And some old colleagues. I was a riders’ representative in the FIM back in the ‘eighties and they are still here.

So that is a great pleasure to meet all these old friends and just an honour to be here, to be invited here to this great place, Monaco. I haven’t been here before either so it’s a great experience to come and see, and just be a part of it. Obviously Speedway’s been great to me and as I said I’ve got lots of great memories and coming here brings a lot of those good memories back as well.

So how was the Gala?

Well it was a great evening. Nice to see all the former riders that I used to know and FIM representatives and a great party and a great show with all the television coverage and everything so I hope to be invited again one day! >>> by FIM Communication Department

F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 59

F I M T rack R acing L egend

really thought about professional Speedway before then. It was just fun, I just rode Speedway because it was fun. Obviously I wanted to be good, but I didn’t really think about being World Champion or anything like that at the time. So when I had the offer to come to England, I just jumped at it and came over to England. And the first season I actually did OK, so halfway through the season, the Speedway Star started writing that his might be the future World Champion and all this, and then I sort of started to believe in it myself. I thought well, why not? I might be good enough to be World Champion one day. And so I obviously started working even harder at becoming a good professional Speedway rider at the time.

FIM AWARDS

FIM Environmental Award The Circuits de Catalunya

FIM Road Safety Award The Ambulance Motorcycle Club

F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 61

F I M E N V I R O N M E N TA L AWA R D

The Circuits de Catalunya

In order to encourage a greater awareness of environmental concerns within the motorcycling world, the FIM created sixteen years ago an Environmental Award to reward a significant contribution to the protection of the environment.

This Award is given each year and it is granted to reward individuals, National Motorcycle Federations, Continental Unions, clubs, organisers, manufacturers or other organisations that have made a significant contribution or done something important to enhance environmental awareness in the field of motorcycling.

Candidatures for the Environmental Award are submitted to the FIM Administration by National Motorcycle Federations, Continental Unions, Specialised Associations or Board of Directors and are examined by an independent Jury.

The independent Jury for the FIM Environmental Award was composed of: Mr Andrzej Witkowski, FIM Awards & Recognition Committee representative; Ms Kattia Hernandez, FIM International Environment Commission Director; Ms Jill Savery, Olympic Gold medallist and environmental consultant; Mr Even Wiger, Director of Sustainability at the FIA Foundation; Mr Nils Ryrholm, Professor at Gävle University in Sweden in the Dept. of Electronics, Mathematics & Natural Sciences.

After having reviewed the seven high-level entries, the independent Jury for the FIM Environmental Award decided to reward the ‘Circuits de Catalunya’ (ESP) for the impressive work they have been doing for a number of years to promote sustainability, including the following features: High social impact for the community; A clear vision of sustainability; Innovative Approaches; Wide dissemination of the project that acts as community educator; Clear and organised methodology based on 62

environmental management plans; Compliance with international environmental standards.

The ‘Circuits de Catalunya’, which was inaugurated on 10 September 1991, is already an international benchmark thanks to its capacity for innovation and its management model.

The management’s efforts are focused on becoming a powerful economic engine for the area and exporting the brand and its values around the world. The Circuit is working to share the passion for this sport with thousands of new fans and at the same time to promote a commitment to respect the environment. The ‘Circuits de Catalunya’ obtained ISO 14001 certification in 2008.

The circuit hosted its first race five days after the inauguration.

Nowadays the management focuses its sustainable actions on the organisation of sustainable activities in order to promote environmental awareness. These include “electric routes”, the Eco series (first European championship on permanent racetracks based on ecodriving, energy efficiency and alternative energies), E-days (conferences and workshops with the aim of consolidating the future of electric vehicles), eco point (sustainable management), the B circuit (opening the doors for bicycle fans), and promotion of public transportation, amongst others.

A special mention was also given by the Jury to AMD Orehova Vas (SLO) for their continuous efforts to raise environmental awareness amongst riders and spectators during their Motocross events and to share easy and accessible environmental tips.

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

F I M R OA D S A F E T Y AWA R D

The Ambulance Motorcycle Club This is the third edition of this FIM award recognising achievements in road safety to help motorcyclists.

Often the very best ideas are the simple ones! Paramedics (like police and fire officers) are also often motorcycle enthusiasts too.

The Ambulance Motorcycle Club in the UK is a club for riders who work in the health service in the UK. Paramedic and motorcyclist Ian Burrell had the idea for a Crash Card that could be distributed to riders for keeping inside the liner of their helmets. Then, if the rider ever has the misfortune to be involved in an accident, the card will contain basic but helpful information. Name, date of birth, any medication being taken and any allergies the holder may suffer from. As professionals the Ambulance Motorcycle Club members know the things that need not be included because they will always be checked for at any accident and emergency unit.

A good example of information not included is blood group.

In the FIM we first heard about this from the south east of England. The next place we heard about it was in Northern Ireland.

Northern Ireland is also home to Dr David McManus, Director of the FIM’s international medical commission, the CMI. We spoke to him about this and he was able to give expert comment not only as a Doctor of Medicine, but as an Accident and Emergency specialist. He drew attention to the kind of helpful information that can be given by a rider – for example a person suffering from diabetes. Prior knowledge of this type of medical condition can be very helpful in an emergency. Since we first reported on this initiative two years ago in an FIM newsletter, things have gone from strength to strength. In giving this award the FIM Road Safety judges also wish to commend the organisation Rider Alert in the United States of America which has taken up the cause there. – Working in partnership with their UK colleagues. As we go to press the latest reports show that over three quarters of a million cards have now been issued across the world.

The last year has seen Sweden join in, and the Swedes are now about to issue their second edition. How does a paramedic know there is an information card inside the helmet lining? In the UK a simple green dot is added to the outside of the helmet. Others who have produced cards (the Swedes for example) have added an information sticker to be used on the exterior of the helmet. Of course this is specially produced in materials compatible with the helmet itself and the helmet industry was consulted before the stickers were printed to ensure they are the correct type.

Paramedic and motorcyclist Ian Burrell said: “The idea came from paramedics talking and it suddenly clicked. It’s an incredibly simple concept. “Without the card if a biker is injured and unable to talk coherently because of concussion or even unconsciousness, how would the ambulance crew find out who the patient is, what medication they take, or medical history?

“How can a passer-by help the rider who is injured without making the situation worse if they did not know about any pre-existing medical condition or suchlike?

“The card was designed to be an aid to both the person making the 999 call and the crew who attend. One side carries hints which will assist the 999 call taker. The other side has the rider’s name, date of birth and medication. If rider has a card they fit a small green dot alongside the visor on their helmet.

Riders get an information letter with the card. The letter also makes it clear that only experienced emergency personnel should ever remove a helmet following an accident.”

More information on this work can be found at www.ambulancemotorcycleclub.co.uk For the United States campaign at: www.rideralert.org

F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 63

GENERAL ASSEMBLY & GALA CEREMONY IN IMAGES For the third year in a row the great and good of motorcycling came together to celebrate another incredible season of motorcycle sport, an array of two wheel legends and of course the 2012 FIM World Champions.

This year the FIM Gala was hosted in the motorsport Mecca of Monte-Carlo. The small yet famous principality extended a warm welcome to the wider motorcycle community as several hundred guests filled the Monte-Carlo Sporting Club, which overlooks the wonderful bay, to recognise and reward the achievements of the world’s best motorcycle riders.

Broadcast live to a global TV audience, an incredible group of true motorcycle legends were present to receive their own recognition awards before being called upon to present gold medals to the respective 2012 FIM World Champions.

Prior to the star studded and glittering evening of celebrations, the traditional annual FIM general assembly and FIM Symposium, which is now in its second year, also took place within the impressive Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel And Resort to complete two days of successful events.

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G E N E R A L A S S E M B LY & S Y M P O S I U M

Delegates from the numerous national federations listen intently

FIM CEO Stephane Desprez addresses the FIM General Assembly

Claude Michy – French MotoGP promoter speaks at the FIM Symposium F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 65

G E N E R A L A S S E M B LY & S Y M P O S I U M

FIM partners use the opportunity to meet new faces

French World Champions live on RMC radio with Jean-Luc Roy

FIM partner DHL enjoying the occasion 66

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

PRESS CONFERENCE

The 2012 FIM World Champions & Legends gather at the press conference

FIM Road Racing Legend Jim Redman shares his story

The press conference is broadcast live on FIM-TV.com F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 67

PRESS CONFERENCE

FIM E2 Enduro World Champion Pierre-Alexandre Renet deep in thought

Seven of the best – The 2012 FIM Legends

FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion 68

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PRESS CONFERENCE

A family photo for the FIM Road Racing World Champions and Jim Redman

Girl Power – FIM Women’s World Champions are joined by Women’s Legend Mary McGee

A family photo for the FIM Motocross World Champions F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 69

PRESS CONFERENCE

FIM Track Racing World Champions join forces

AÂ family photo for the FIM Enduro World Champions

FIM family photo 70

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

RED CARPET

FIM Long Track World Champion Joonas Kylm채korpi and his partner

FIM X-Trial and Trial World Champion Toni Bou with his partner and Japanese teammate

FIM 65cc Junior Motocross World Champion Caleb Grothues and his parents F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 71

RED CARPET

FIM World Record Holder Al Lamb and Road Racing Legend Jim Redman

KTM Head of Motorsports Pit Beirer arrives in style

AMAÂ Supercross FIM World Champion Ryan Villopoto and his partner 72

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

RED CARPET

Co-presenter Lisa Leyland awaits her next interviewee

FIM Superbike World Champion Max Biaggi and his partner

Salle des Etoiles room of the Sporting Monte-Carlo provides the perfect setting F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 73

GAL AÂ CEREMONY

FIM Gala host Suzi Perry takes centre stage

FIM Long Track World Champion Joonas Kylmakorpi receives his certificate from Hans Nielsen

FIM President Vito Ippolito welcomes FIM Cross-Country Rallies Legend Hubert Auriol 74

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

G A L A C E R E M O N Y

FIM President Vito Ippolito opens the 2012 FIM Gala

Co-presenter Jake Miller shares a word with Katja Poensgen

FIM Track Racing World Champions proudly display their medals F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 75

GAL A CEREMONY

Jorge Lorenzo is joined by Emmanuelle Clair and Max Biaggi

FIM MX2 Motocross World Champion Jeffrey Herlings is a happy man

FIM 85cc Junior Motocross World Champion Brian Hsu shows off his other talent 76

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G A L A C E R E M O N Y

Double gold for FIM Women’s Trial and Enduro World Champion Laia Sanz

The Spanish FIM World Champions join forces

The youngest 2012 World Champion Caleb Grothues (12) proud of his first gold medal F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 77

GAL A CEREMONY

FIM Moto3 Grand Prix World Champion Sandro Cortese likes his gold medal!

FIM Women’s Motocross World Champion Chiara Fontanesi collects her award from Torsten Hallman

Another double gold for FIM X-Trial and Trial World Champion Toni Bou 78

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

G A L A C E R E M O N Y

FIM Sidecar Motocross World Champion – Rider Daniel Willëmsen collects his gold medal

FIM Moto2 Grand Prix World Champion Marc Márquez is as relaxed as ever

FIM Supersport World Champion Kenan Sofuoğlu collects his award from FIM Road Racing Legend Jim Redman F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 79

GAL A CEREMONY

Tim Gajser receives his FIM Rookie of the Year award from Randy de Puniet

FIM Superbike World Champion Max Biaggi makes his entrance

FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Cup Winner – Women Camelia Liparoti receives her certificate from Hubert Oriol 80

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G A L AÂ C E R E M O N Y

FIM Sidecar Rider and Passenger World Champions Tim Reeves and Ashley Hawes share the glory

Dominique Meliand receives the FIM Endurance Team World Champion award

FIM President Vito Ippolito presents FIM Trial Legend Dougie Lampkin with his award F I M MAG AZ I NE .8 5 / / / THE BEST O F 2012 81

GAL A CEREMONY

FIM Women’s Legend Mary McGee presents Laia Sanz with her FIM Woman Rider of the Year award

FIM President Vito Ippolito presents Jorge Lorenzo with FIM Personality of the Year award

The 2012 FIM World Champions assemble on the stage to take the final bow 82

FIM M AGA ZINE . 8 5 /// T HE BE ST O F 2 0 1 2

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