The Royal Spanish Motorcycle Federation celebrated its centenary and prided itself on being the national sport with the most international titles and honoring the heroes who have filled its showcases
“The youngest may believe that we have a special talent for two wheels and it may seem normal to them that we earn so much, that it is something genetic, but the oldest of us remember other times and we know that the present moment is the result of one hundred years of legend, passion and success. These last three words, used by the current president of the Royal Spanish Motorcycle Federation (RFME), Manuel Casado, were the motto of a gala commemorating the centenary of what is today the most successful federation in Spanish sport .
The official date of birth of the RFME should be placed on February 2, 1923. That day, the Royal Moto Club of Spain and the Royal Moto Club of Catalonia in Zaragoza drafted the statutes of the structure that has channeled motorsport on two wheels in our country for the past hundred years. A competition that has seen red and yellow flags flying on the podiums for so many weekends and which has resulted in a whopping 462 titles in the international arena, including World and European Championships; individually and per team; and national pilots and manufacturers.
The gala was held at the Palacio de Cibeles, the headquarters of Madrid’s city council, and was attended by the capital’s mayor, Jose Luis Martínez-Almeida, who hosted the show and that recurring phrase of ‘I’m Spanish, what do you want? do you think I win?’ to affirm that “it was never more true than with motorcycles”. The President of the Higher Sports Council, José Manuel Franco, was also present, who stressed: “One hundred years later, we are in the best moment of Spanish motorcycling.” It’s not a manner of speaking. In 2022 alone, ten world titles were won between the different disciplines on two wheels. Figures that place Spanish motorcycling as the first world power in the last decade.
The Palacio de Cibeles brought together the cream of the crop of Spanish motorcycling. Pilots of yesterday and today, representatives of the various territorial federations, of the two-wheeled industrial sector in our country. Also present were the heads of the international establishment, represented by the president of the International Motorcycling Federation, Jorge Viegas, and Dorna’s CEO, Carmelo Ezpeleta, who was one of the winners with the RFME Legend award. “I’m not a legend at all, they are, the pilots,” said the person who has headed the MotoGP world championship for the past three decades.
The RFME Legend Trophy has been created specifically to recognize the work of a dozen or so key figures in the 100-year history of Spanish motorcycling. The first of the honorees was Juan Álvarez (President of the RFME between 1994 and 2007). Then the most successful athletes from each of their disciplines took to the podium. The trial opened the melon, with the forerunner of the specialty that has brought the most championships to Spanish motorcycling, Jordi Tarrés (seven titles), accompanied by the current dominator and record man in any sport, Toni Bou, who is 32 titles behind has gathered him.
Iván Cervantes was the next winner, with his five Enduro titles. Another five-time champion, in his case the Dakar, Marc Coma was next to be named RFME Legend. To make way for the incombustible Laia Sanz with 24 women’s championships divided between trial and enduro. Her presence on the podium also served as a tribute to women’s motorcycling, which gains more attention every year in two-wheeled competitions.
It was the turn of the queen’s discipline of two wheels: speed. Among the many champions who have reigned on circuits, the RFME highlighted Sito Pons and Álex Crivillé (two titles per capita) as those responsible for breaking the historic barriers in the superior displacements, at a time when Spanish pilots alone reigned in the minor categories. The last of the champions to emerge was Marc Márquez, the current emblem of national and international motorcycling with his eight titles (six in the MotoGP premier class). Cervera’s explained the reason for the success of the RFME: “Because the basics are being worked on. There are no secrets. There is a good training, a chance for the boy or girl to show their talent and grow. Spain is a country of motorcycles, there is passion, time passes, there are facilities, circuits and a slowness is met that never ceases to give results ».
And there was still a tribute to the pioneer of so many successes that followed. Ángel Nieto and his 12+1 titles, which put Spain on the international stage of a sport that used to belong to Anglo-Saxons and Italians, and made it a mass competition in our country. His son Gelete accepted the trophy on his behalf, as he placed the gala final on one hundred years of federation living installed in a permanent golden age.
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
