Very good areas!
“A blog also helps us to publish our ideas or thoughts that we have, if the topic seemed good to us or we simply didn’t like it.”
When I started to express the idea of the songs that I wanted to be part of “in the first one”, I didn’t follow a specific line, I just thought that they would be about any topic related to trial and that I would publish everything that seemed good to me at that time.
Now it’s time to talk about everything related to regulations, more specifically the “non-stop” and the “by coefficients” of the classics.
Non-stop regulation:
As a member of the Trial Commission of the Catalan Motorcycling Federation (FCM), last January 2013 I was summoned to an exhibition / explanation to try to know the pros and cons of trial with non-stop regulations.
Present was the President of the International Trial Commission, Thierry Michaud y members of several federations (Spain, France, Andorra, Italy, Catalonia, etc.), as well as almost all the World Championship riders with their Backpackers & Mechanics (Bou, Fujinami, Cabestany, Raga, Fajardo, Dabill, Grattarola, Ferrer, Oliveras, Bristow…) and our closest ones (Moret, Tarrés, Noguera, Borrellas, etc.). Also in attendance were the heads of the brands , Montesa, Sherco, Gas Gas, Ossa, JTG, Beta, etc.
It is not easy for everyone to agree with the non-stop , since it has good and also bad things, but what I did see and hear that day, were endless disagreements and differences of global criteria.
The most experienced pilots don’t see it clearly, they criticize it and insist over and over again that an “amateur” (judge/zone control) can ruin their lives (it’s their life and their salary) with a wrong decision, etc. etc. etc. Some brands, more veteran riders and others not so much, but of lower level, say that it is the definitive solution.
Everyone, absolutely everyone, is right, but… The non-stop is not the solution to the trial, nor has this regulation led to more registrations to the tests. On the contrary, I believe that The conflict is in the zones, As it has been known in the different World Championship races that have been held this year, but having said this I would like to point out.
Whoever does nothing, never makes a mistake and the FIM has made this decision with a criterion (or at least that’s how I want to understand it) to try to remedy something, so we have to accept and continue in the line of this non-stop regulation.
I think that maybe it has been done to solve one of the problems of the trial, but this is not in the regulations. The main problem with trial is that it cannot be done freely or that it has to be practiced in limited “areas” (I’ll do another post to talk about it).
Anyway, Any other regulation that is applied in the different social, provincial, regional or state championships, will be taking a step back and “messing up” the fan even more In general, the one who buys the bikes and who makes it possible for the riders of the different brands to be official, so perhaps they should not complain so much.
Do you remember open free? Trial should be the only sport in which the rules are changed according to interests and that, for me, is completely unacceptable. If the FIM says that the regulations must be non-stop, it must be complied with in all federations, but of course… who am I to propose this?
I think that the world and state championships, the regulations, have to be prepared for the “top ten” and the regional, social and popular trial championships, for the rest of the “mortals”, I also think that they have to be different. Even so, as I am never going to race the world championship, or even the state trial championship, any decision that is made, from a distance, I will accept it, but what I can say categorically is that…
Trial is a sport of skill and as such, it cannot be limited by restrictive regulations and particularities.
Now we will have to see what is applied in 2014, I doubt that the FIM will go back and I hope that we do not find ourselves with another “adjustment” of regulations “by decree law”, this is not good, neither for trial, nor for the fans and much less for the image that we can give the entire trial community.
Regulation by coefficients:
Although here, in the classics, the problem of non-stop has not been raised (which by the way is not applied too much) since it is not a guideline set by the FIM, there is also conflict
Each regional federation or motorcycle club does what seems right to it, without agreeing and mediating with other types of regulations and federations, but with the counterpart that here I do have the option of following these championships and I want to follow these championships.
The Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation (RFME) sets the tone, as it is the one that imposes, in the Spanish Classics Cup, the regulations by coefficients.
makes it incompatible with other classic championships (for example, the Catalan Cup) where it had always been possible to combine the two depending on the type of approved or not license you had.
With this, those who have lost are the drivers, who until the incorporation of this regulation by coefficients, we could participate in two championships (state and regional) but above all, who has lost, is the Spanish Cup of classics, which has been reduced in registrations and participation, as A lot of drivers are against this regulation because of coefficients, I am one of them.
Just like the FIM did with the non stop… Whoever does nothing, does not make a mistake and if the RFME has made this decision and criteria (or at least that’s how I want to understand it) it has been to try to remedy something, what happens is that, in this case, I do not understand what they wanted to remedy. If it is the issue of preparations on classic bikes (which I will do another post to talk about) I find that changing the regulations is not the way.
Trial has been invented for more than 100 years and since its beginnings… To set foot is to penalise a point and not to penalise… “Zero eat whatever.”
This year I’ve missed big trials, in fact, I’ve missed the entire 2013 Spanish Classics Cup because I don’t like it, neither the regulations by coefficients, nor all the “bureaucracy” of paperwork/forms necessary to identify the bikes and be able to give them the corresponding correction coefficient.
Looking ahead to 2014 it could be modified, but of course… who am I to request this?
If the Spanish Classics Cup becomes what the Spanish Classic Motorcycle Championship would be, I think we should be more careful about resolving the deficiencies of a regulation with other even worse regulations.
I know that many of you think that the classics trials are to have fun, but don’t fool yourself, we all want to win (or be as good as possible). In any case, in order to have a good time without the pressure of a state competition, there are already other types of events or trophies where the particular regulations can be applied.
David has provided the means to channel any comments, but if you want to make it more personalized, you will always find me at bonaigua@motocat.cat
Lots of zeros!
Victor Martin
“Bonaiguá”
