Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128606
Q A Q Do you have the support of the teams? I have the full support of the teams, which have worked a lot with AGI to give birth to our project. The riders? I think that from the time AGI has been in A motocross, their lives have changed and the amount of money they make [has] increased. And we will succeed; this is only the beginning. Q ln 2001, it appears that the Action Group and the FIM will dictate that all GPs will be tripleheaders. Is this true? I am offended by the use of the word "dictate." This is not the right word. I want you to underA stand how things work. The contract concluded between AGI and the FIM includes a lot of rights, of which a major right is that of the schedule. Prior to the season, AGI presents the calendar and the format that it considers to be the fa irest. Before presenting the calendar to the FIM, it is discussed with the CMS and must be approved by everybody. Then it is approved by the FIM management council. Furthermore, most of the national federations have asked for a tripleheader and not for a single Grand Prix. Before taking the decision of tripleheaders, the CMS and AGI have consulted the MIAG - the organizers of high-level circuits - and they were 100 percent in favor. I think the word "dictate" is maybe appropriate for U.S. Supercross and PACE, but not when talking about the FIM, AGI and Grand Prix motocross. Q while the others will organize the Continental or National Motocross Championships. Are rights fees a big part of the equation? No. The most important part A is quality and development. Last year, the U.S. Motocross Grand Prix cost a lot of money to AGI, but it was necessary to organize this race for motocross, and I am ready to do it again. Q Q YOU plan to take the series to Australia and Brazil. 2001 Motocross World Championship Calendar (Provisional) March 25 April 8 April 22 May 6 May 13 May 27 June 10 June 17 July 1 July 15 July 29 August 5 August 12 August 26 September 2 September 9 September 16 What are your plans for America? our overseas plans are Australia, Brazil, USA, Japan and, naturally, other countries. I think the A ideal program is 10 European Grands prix and six overseas Grands Prix. Q quality and not quantity. I could be wrong, but I would assume that a number of promoters not on that schedule those who have been organizing races for decades - are very upset. Is this the price of progress? Those who have been organizing for many years and that have done a good job will continue to organize races in the future. The problem will be for those who make a Grand Prix more like a local race without proper structures, such as lavatories ladies would never go into, bad access roads, no press room, no respect for the environment... nothing. If you followed every Grand Prix of the different classes, most of them were more like local races than a Grand Prix: no promotion, no engineering to build the track, no maintenance, all kinds of dust. Is this the motocross we want? Do you think that with such a vision in 2000, one can interest media and attract families to a race? If this is the motocross of these organizers, I am sorry, but glad, to say it is not mine. I do not understand why we would ask the factories, the teams and the riders to make 200-pe;.cent efforts and ask nothing of the organizers. I can assure you that those who want to be part of the great Motocross World Championship will be part of it, Valkenswaard Broadford Spa-Francorchamps Emee Genk TBA Launsdorf Uddevalla TBA TBA Folkendange TBA Loket Lierop Italy higher than ours, even though today good riders are racing it in Europe. If you followed the 1999 Supercross World Championship results, and see what is happening now in U.S. Supercross, you will note that the actors are the same. I am convinced that we can realize great things in the world and in the U.S. If we work closely, I am sure the that the relationship between the AMA, AGI and FIM will be very good. For this, I am optimistic for the future. CN Will America ever embrace GP motocross? AYes, I hope very soon. Have you been able to procure a strong TV package for the 2000 season? Yes, our TV coverage is increasingly wider each A year. For 2000, we have 16 of 17 races live - or slightly delayed - on Eurosport. And our contract with Fox Sports International covers the rest of the world. Q Q Will sponsorship support be strong? l have seen the provisional schedule for 2001. How have those venues been selected? The venues have been selected depending on A infrastructure on site and an investment program we studied together. The criteria of selection is TBA Grand Prix of the Netherlands Grand Prix of Australia Grand Prix of Europe (Belgium) Grand Prix of France Grand Prix of Belgium Grand Prix of Italy Grand Prix of Austria Grand Prix of Sweden Grand Prix of Brazil Grand Prix of England TBA Grand Prix of Luxembourg Grand Prix of Germany Grand Prix of Czech Republic Grand Prix of the Netherlands Motocross des Nations Yes. It also gets stronger each year, thanks to TV and motocross notoriety. Is it your dream to make Grand Prix motocross a type of Formula One series that will travel the world and bring more glamour and exposure to the sport? Yes, of course this is my dream. I am here for A that, and I will do everything possible so that this sport is in all the homes of the world. can America and Europe ever work together to make a true World Championship? I think a lot of people would love to see that happen... I agree that America and Europe need to work A together. But I want to confirm that GP motocross is already a true World Championship and will continue to be even more so. We only need one or two races in the USA, and then some more riders. The value of World Championship Motocross is the highest of the disciplines in the world. It is different for Supercross. The U.S. Supercross Series is Q The following press release was recently circulated from A Grs offices to the motorcycle industry: In close collaboration with the FIM/CMS and after consulting all the partners, sponsors, media and experts in the Motocross World Championship. AGI will bring the following changes from 2001: 1. The Grand Prix (16) will gather the three classes on a same weekend and circuit. 2. The F1M/CMS and AGI are studying a race format with a schedule adapted to this new system and highlighting the spectacular aspects of Motocross. 3. Today the cost of an overseas Grand Prix is doubled compared to an European Grand Prix on account of high transport expenses (airline tickets and freight). One of AGI's goals is to spread Motocross on all the continents. To considerably reduce the cost of over· seas Grand Prix, AGI will fully support the transport expenses. For an organizer, a Grand Prix in Indonesia will consequently cost the same as a Grand Prix in England. 4. The assigning of Grands Prix will depend on the quality of circuits. organization and promotion. AGI will also particularly take care that the less-powerful countries [that arej nonetheless able to guarantee all the principles requested can organize Motocross events every two or three years with a turning system between them. 5. The Equal Treatment will not increase, and the organizers will save about 30 percent on the total cost of prize money and travel indemnity on account of the reduced number of riders and the different race format. Also, the riders will earn a lot more. 6. To support Motocross. AGI will give $100,000 (U.S.) to be divided between the continental Federations in order to help them in developing the Motocross Championships. Thanks to the new format, the continental Federations will have more available dates, riders, sponsors and media to give more importance to their Championships. 7. AGI will do its best to present a calendar which will not encroach on road racing's and Superbike's [calendars] in order to get more spaces on TV and to avoid any competition between the different motorcyclesport disciplines. 8. AGI will improve its structures and will go on investing in TV production and postproduction, timekeeping, track maintenance, public welcoming and entertainment, and paddock as well as press and Internet facilities. All these changes are the key to bringing our sport to a higher level with more professionalism and an increase in the value of the events and the sector. AGI thanks the FIM Management Council and CMS for their trust as well as the MlAG, the industry and teams, the media and all the organizers who have advised and supported us in this great step forward. The promise is [to] keep on working closely with the FiM and all the partners in the full balance and respect of all the interested parties involved in this sport. The new Millennium for Motocross began on February 28, 2000, in Geneva. Giuseppe Luongo AGI President eye I e n e _ S • MARCH 29, 2000 31