“We will do something right when the talent focuses on Murcia”

Francisco Marmol Oliva (Murcia, 1983) is the director of one of the most famous pilot schools. Paco Marbleeither Packageas he is known in the motorcycling world, is the The sports father of Pedro Acosta. Their paths diverged earlier, but for The Pakosta Riders Factory continues to present and future the Motorcycle World Championship. Currently, at school, he works with pilots such as Fermin Aldeguer, Dani Holgado, Tony Arbolino, Angel Piqueras either Alvaro Carpe. And he does it Region of Murciahis house, where he answers us by phone leaving a circuit after practice.

How did Paco Mármol get started in the world of two wheels?

I was only five years old on a motorcycle. I started with a minibike, although there came a time when it was impossible for me to continue for financial reasons. So I started it as a hobby and, stupidly, I’ve been teaching for 20 years now.

And it wasn’t bad at all.

I had work and, when we were picked up, we hung out. I started training with four friends, we had a lot of fun. I got here by word of mouth. I never did advertising, I never had it as a job. Things got worse and worse, until the time came when I had to make a choice and decided to commit myself to it.

Do you also work as a manager?

Until now, I was limited to helping drivers find a manager. A few years ago, exploring this path did not appeal to me. If he is in one thing, he cannot be in another. The school team grew with trained people like Junior or Marcos, who shared the duties. If it wasn’t for them, everything would be more difficult. Now, we have been offering manager service for a long time. We also help pilots with their physical preparation.

Do you only work with professional pilots?

Nope. We have a general school team, where pilots come in of all ages and we separate them by levels. We also have an elite group, where we work with riders who are in the World Championship, the ESBK or the FIM Junior. These are professional pilots. At school, so far, our group is good. Apart from Pedro Acosta, who has not been with us for a long time, we work with Fermín Aldeguer, Dani Holgado, Tony Arbolino, Ángel Piqueras, Álvaro Carpe, Carlos Cano… many riders from the Motorcycle World Championship also come to train with us.

They can be proud of their results.

We all work together, something that is very important. Another aspect is desire. When you do things with effort and enthusiasm, the results are usually good. We have a very good vibe, we have a good time and there is a lot of camaraderie. We will do something right when the talent is concentrated here. We do what we can and everyone contributes himself. The sum of a little of everything can do great things, it’s clear.

What is your method?

At the beginner level, which are riders who are just starting out, we teach the base: how to turn the motorcycle, how to position the body, where to focus your gaze, how to draw lines… One already knows These are elite riders, he already knows. An elite rider needs more physical work on the bike than anything else. It is a more fluid task. It is true that, even when they are in the World Cup, they make mistakes. You never stop learning.

What are they doing with the group they call the elite?

We’re studying the pilot, because nothing is the same. Each pilot is unique and may not require the same training methods as others. We don’t just roll over, we get into his head. Furthermore, we sometimes take riders on motorcycles with no brakes or flat tires so they can get used to the sensation and feel of the gas. We rarely work with a stopwatch.

Is winter when your students use motorcycles the most?

We take advantage of this time to work on the motorcycle, almost every day. And even more so this year, because the preseason is so short. Getting multiple bikes is key so they are strong in all aspects when the championship starts. When competitions are underway, training, as it were, is more maintenance. Between races, we do exercises with less risk of injury and are softer.

What facilities do they usually do?

We are usually in the circuits of Yepes, Fortuna, Cartagena and Almería.

Murcia is becoming the new cradle of Spanish motorcycling.

We enjoy good facilities, where work is done well. They make it easier for us to work as a school and we don’t mix with the fans on the track, which is very important. The circuits respect us and we are very grateful to them. The climate is another contributing factor, so many sunny days a year invite you to ride a motorcycle.

Have you received help from the Motorcycle Federation of the Region of Murcia and/or the Royal Spanish Motorcycle Federation?

We have not received financial support, neither from Spain nor from Murcia. We must also consider that the federation we have here is small and they give more than they can. At the moment, in The Region we have the best pilots, but it is a small federation compared to the Catalan or Valencian. We received a little help. Although, to a small extent, we are doing good things.

Speaking of The Region, this year there will be a second driver in the premier category. And more than that, his student.

Fermín Aldeguer lives in Andorra, but when he comes to Murcia he comes to train with us. I see Fermín as strong. Héctor Faubel, his manager, told me that the data they collected in the Barcelona test was very good. It is true that he will need time to adapt to the category, but I am convinced that he will do well. Furthermore, he is a very humble person, who works hard and has things very clear. In this world it is not enough to be good, we must also consider the luck factor. I think that if everything goes well, he will be able to adapt quickly to MotoGP and achieve good results. It will give us more than a joy, for sure.

Thanks for your time, Paco.

Thanks to you.