Champions honoured at 2012 FIM Gala

Some 500 people attended the annual FIM Gala on the evening of Sunday, December 2, to honour this year’s motorcycle champions across a wide range of motorcycle sporting codes.

Held in the ‘Salle des Etoiles’ room at the prestigious Sporting Monte Carlo complex, the evening saw legendary riders such as Jim Redman, Dougie Lampkin and Hubert Auriol joined on stage by current champions Jorge Lorenzo (MotoGP), Max Biaggi (Superbike World Championship), Marc Marquez (Moto2), Sandro Cortese (Moto3), Antonio Cairoli (World Motocross Championship), Ryan Villopoto (World Supercross Championship), Toni Bou (World Trials champion), Antoine Meo (World Enduro Championship – E1), Pierre-Alexandre Renet (World Enduro Championship – E2), Australia’s Chris Holder (Speedway World Championship), and Nikolai Krasnikov (Ice Racing World Championship), among others.

The evening also saw the announcement of the general public’s 2012 Rookie of the Year, Woman of the Year and Personality of the Year, with those accolades going to Tim Gasjer (2012 FIM Junior World 125cc Motocross Champion), Laia Sanz (Women’s Trial World Champion and Women’s Enduro World Champion) and Jorge Lorenzo.

The FIM’s President, Vito Ippolito, said the evening was a fitting tribute to motorcycle racing’s elite. “The third FIM Gala Ceremony in Monte-Carlo was the perfect moment to congratulate and honour our 2012 champions not only in the ‘Salle des Etoiles’, but also in front of millions of TV viewers around the globe," he said. "Again I must thank the riders and teams for being here tonight. They truly understand the importance of the FIM Gala both for the FIM and for motorcycle sport as a whole,” he added.