9
FÉDÉRATION INTERNATIONALE DE MOTOCYCLISME 11, ROUTE DE SUISSE - CH - 1295 MIES [email protected] FIM-LIVE.COM WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3 Editorial – A controversial question… You all know the movie “How to lose a guy in ten days”… Well it seems that I have made my own version of it called “How to lose 8 kilos in few months”! That´s right, in just a few months I have lost almost 15% of my weight. And how did I do it? Simply motorsport – nothing else! I started to train ATV Supermoto for our Finnish TV programme (by accident I was also signed up for the Yamaha racing team and am competing right now) and man has it been fun, but also extremely tough! The reason I am telling you about my personal weight situation is the fact that still these days motor sport is often considered as not a true sport because there is a machine involved. Well after every training session when I have sweated like in no other physical exercise, my hands are cramping and I feel like I can´t even stand by myself, I wish those people who underestimate the demand of motorsport would come and try it. In many disciplines they wouldn´t need more than 10 minutes and that would be enough to take its toll on them! In the motor sport world there are many obstacles and doubts we have to face all the time, and being a woman in this world can sometimes be even harder; especially when the typical and most visible woman at the race has always been the grid girl. But what if we had grid boys? Would that change our thinking about men in motor sport? I guess the answer is no: we need both men and women in motor sport, no matter what their roles. At the moment we have women´s classes in some disciplines. Whether we should have our own series in every discipline is also a controversial question because some female riders prefer to compete themselves and others amongst the guys. Anyway in the end we just have to get a maximum of fun out of it and if we can’t beat all the guys at least we can enjoy the time we spend with them. This is exactly what I am doing when competing as an only woman against a field of men, several of whom happen to be also multiple Finnish champions. Enjoy your riding! By Nita Korhonen, CFM Director

WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3cdn.entelectonline.co.za/wm-122183-cmsimages/2013...On 18 May, the fans at the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic (AMA Women’s Motocross)

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Page 1: WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3cdn.entelectonline.co.za/wm-122183-cmsimages/2013...On 18 May, the fans at the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic (AMA Women’s Motocross)

F É D É R A T I O N I N T E R N A T I O N A L E D E M O T O C Y C L I S M E

1 1 , R O U T E D E S U I S S E - C H - 1 2 9 5 M I E S

w o m e n @ f i m . c h

F I M - L I V E . C O M

WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

Editorial – A controversial question…

You all know the movie “How to lose a guy in

ten days”… Well it seems that I have made my

own version of it called “How to lose 8 kilos in

few months”!

That´s right, in just a few months I have lost

almost 15% of my weight. And how did I do it?

Simply motorsport – nothing else! I started to

train ATV Supermoto for our Finnish TV

programme (by accident I was also signed up for

the Yamaha racing team and am competing right

now) and man has it been fun, but also

extremely tough!

The reason I am telling you about my personal

weight situation is the fact that still these days

motor sport is often considered as not a true

sport because there is a machine involved. Well

after every training session when I have sweated

like in no other physical exercise, my hands are

cramping and I feel like I can´t even stand by

myself, I wish those people who underestimate

the demand of motorsport would come and try

it. In many disciplines they wouldn´t need more

than 10 minutes and that would be enough to

take its toll on them!

In the motor sport world there are many

obstacles and doubts we have to face all the

time, and being a woman in this world can

sometimes be even harder; especially when the

typical and most visible woman at the race has

always been the grid girl.

But what if we had grid boys? Would that

change our thinking about men in motor

sport? I guess the answer is no: we need both

men and women in motor sport, no matter

what their roles.

At the moment we have women´s classes in

some disciplines. Whether we should have

our own series in every discipline is also a

controversial question because some female

riders prefer to compete themselves and

others amongst the guys. Anyway in the end

we just have to get a maximum of fun out of

it and if we can’t beat all the guys at least

we can enjoy the time we spend with them.

This is exactly what I am doing when

competing as an only woman against a field

of men, several of whom happen to be also

multiple Finnish champions. Enjoy your

riding!

By Nita Korhonen, CFM Director

Page 2: WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3cdn.entelectonline.co.za/wm-122183-cmsimages/2013...On 18 May, the fans at the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic (AMA Women’s Motocross)

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

MXnews Sunlit clouds filled the blue skies of Maggiora

for round three of the FIM Women’s Motocross

World Championship.

Despite a line-up of strong contenders such as

Australian women’s motocross champion Meghan

Rutledge, British Ladies class champion Natalie

Kane and ex WMX world champion Stephanie

Laier, there was no stopping Chiara Fontanesi as

she continues to take this season by storm,

adding yet another double victory to her so far

perfect season.

Meghan Rutledge was in the prime position to

show what she’s made of. Unfortunately for the

young Australian Rutledge she couldn’t keep the

bike on two wheels, crashing on the opening lap

of the race and handing over the lead to the

defending champion Chiara Fontanesi.

Meanwhile behind Fontanesi the race was

heating up as Natalie Kane and Stephanie Laier

engaged in a fierce battle for second. While the

ex-world champion Laier kept Kane honest she

never seized the opportunity to pass. After

leading every lap this weekend local hero Chiara

Fontanesi took the victory, standing on the

second step of the podium was Natalie Kane

followed by Stephanie Laier.

After a fall in race two Meghan Rutledge

managed to fight her way from outside the top

twenty back to an outstanding ninth place

allowing her to finish fourth overall. Francesca

Norcera kept the Italian fans happy being the

second Italian to finish inside the top five for

fifth.

WMX Championship Top Ten: 1.Chiara Fontanesi (ITA,

Yamaha) 150 p. / 2.Meghan Kat Rutledge (AUS, Kawasaki)

118 p. / 3.Natalie Kane (IRL, KTM) 117 p. / 4.Stephanie

Laier (GER, Kawasaki) 116 p. / 5.Nancy Van De Ven (NED,

Yamaha) 82 p. / 6.Anne Borchers (GER, Suzuki) 76 p. /

7.Britt van der Wekken (NED, Honda) 73 p. / 8.Francesca

Nocera (ITA, Suzuki) 63 p. / 9. Nina Klink (NED, KTM) 57 p.

/ 10.Justine Charroux (FRA, Yamaha) 53p

Click for more info

MXGrassroots

Meet the AMA WMX’s newest Ripper: Courtney

Duncan

On 18 May, the fans at the Red Bull Hangtown

Motocross Classic (AMA Women’s Motocross) were

treated to a sound that hasn’t been heard for

quite some time: a 125 two-stroke at full tilt,

laying waste to the competition. Piloting the

machine was 17-year-old New Zealander

Courtney Duncan, who rode to a perfect 1-1

score in her first race as a pro. Courtney had this

to say about her stunning debut.

So you haven’t even been to a National before,

let alone race one. How does it feel to have

gone 1-1 at your first?

“It was crazy! I didn’t know what to expect. I’ve

only seen it on TV, and I didn’t know how big the

crowd was going to be. It was a really cool

experience, and I’m just super-thankful to be

able to race one. It’s a dream come true!

Coming into the race, where did you think you

might end up? Did you think there was a

chance you might win?

“To be honest with you, I had no idea. I went in

wanting to win, I just didn’t know if I could. I’ve

never even ridden with most of those girls, so I

didn’t know if I’d be competitive. But I knew I’d

been working hard at MTF and I had a good 125,

and was going to give it everything I had. To

come away with the win was pretty special.”

Did you get a chance to watch the 450 and 250

races?

“I got a chance to watch the 450 motos, and just

to watch Ryan Villopoto, Ryan Dungey and James

Stewart was great. I’ve looked up to those guys

since I was a little kid, and to get the chance to

watch them live was just amazing. I have so

much respect for them and I love watching them.

You can learn a lot from riders like that. Just

watching them on different parts of the track,

you can definitely pick up a lot.”

You’re here without your parents, right?

“Yes. My parents are at home working to keep

me here, and I owe a lot to them. It’s definitely

hard being away from home, but it’s just one of

those things. If you want to make your dreams

come true, and if you really want to make it, you

have to sacrifice things. I appreciate everything

my family does for me. They’ve been very

supportive since day one and I wouldn’t be here

without them.”

Will you be racing the rest of the WMX rounds?

“Yes, that’s the plan. It’s exciting!”

Source: Racerxonline Click for more info

Chiara Fontanesi - ©Youthstream

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

TRIALGrassroots FIM Women’s Trial Training Camp:

“Girls prepare for new season”

Grossheubach (Germany) was the venue for the

recent Women’s Trial Training Camp. Here more

than twenty female riders gathered in order to

enjoy an intense three day session to be ready

for the new season with the 2013 FIM Women’s

Trial World Championship getting under way in

Andorra. Organised and led by FIM Women’s

Adviser Iris Oelschlegel, the riders of all abilities

from novice through to expert and ages ranging

from seven right up to fifty-two were put

through their paces.

With one instructor for every five riders, the

women were treated to a pair of three-hour

intensive sessions. Even the younger age group

aged between seven and nine on their automatic

machines enjoyed a full and rewarding opening

day. These riders focused on practising the new

non-stop rules which they will apply at round one

of the 2013 FIM Women’s Trial World

Championship. Away from the intense training

sessions the riders and their support teams

enjoyed a special dinner on the evening of the

second day, when over fifty like-minded people

sat, ate and discussed the sport of Trial,

although the discussions were always punctuated

with much laughter.

Commenting on the three days of activity the

event organiser and former FIM Women’s Trial

World Champion Iris said, “I would like to thank

all the riders who attended this FIM Women’s

Trial Training Camp for their support and

commitment. The girls worked extremely hard

and made good progress as they worked on the

various different parts of their riding. There was

an incredible family atmosphere and it was a

great opportunity to bring together so many

female riders of all ages and abilities. I hope we

can organise something similar again later in the

year, as there is certainly a lot of interest from

all the Women riders in continuing the training

process.”

TRIALnews

FIM Women’s Trial WC Round in Andorra:

“Bristow makes amends on day two”

Emma Bristow (Sherco) dominated the second

and final day of the opening round of the 2013

FIM Women’s Trial World Championship held in

Sant Julia de Loria, Andorra. Day one’s winner

Rebekah Cook (Beta) simply had no answer to her

fellow British rider’s performance on day two.

The battle between Cook and Spain’s Sandra

Gomez (Ossa) was much closer with only four

marks separating these two female protagonists

after another tough day of competition in the

mountains of Andorra.

The British contingent had even more to

celebrate, asides taking two out of the three

podium places, when Katy Sunter (Gas Gas)

achieved her best ever result and grabbed fourth

position after beating Mireia Conde (Beta) on a

tight and tense tie-break. Thanks to Nikita Smith

(Gas Gas) the British riders outnumbered the

Spanish four to two in the top six, as the fifteen

year old excelled to score her highest ever,

placing in sixth.

France’s Marilyne Journet (Beta) finished just a

single mark behind the young British challenger

to add a seventh place. Spain’s Elisabet Solera

(Gas Gas), Martina Balducchi (Scorpa) from Italy

and Germany’s Theresa Bäuml (Ossa) completed

day two’s top ten taking eighth, ninth and tenth

places respectively.

For the second day in a row all twenty-three

female starters made it to the finish, which was

an achievement in itself given the length and

severity of the course let alone the eighteen

sections that were ridden twice again on day

two. Bristow’s route to victory was relatively

uncomplicated and went someway to offsetting

her third place yesterday, caused as she rushed

to finish on time after having realised that she

had set her watch incorrectly. The next FIM

Women’s Trial World Championship event will

take place in France in early September.

Source: Jake Miller

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

ROAD RACINGnews

Historic Victory for Woman Motorcycle Racer

Maria Herrera in CEV Repsol Class

Young Spanish rider Maria Herrera (SPA-KTM)

made history on 26 May by winning the second

Moto3 round of the 2013 Spanish Championship

CEV Repsol Class at Motorland Aragon. She

dominated the race and achieved her first win on

the CEV Repsol podium, becoming the first

female rider to place first in the three year

history of the Moto3.

The young woman from Toledo first made a small

piece of history by qualifying for a front row

start, the first female rider to do so in any CEV

round. Her grid appearance for the CEV Repsol

Moto3 race was boosted by the presence of

Álvaro Bautista by her side until the start of the

race along with world championship rider and

recent Moto3 winner Alex Rins who acted as her

“umbrella boy” for the day.

Maria has been training together with the

talented Álvaro Bautista for many years and

showed great promise from the start, collecting

excellent results in various smaller Cups along

the way which eventually secured her a spot with

the highly experienced Repsol CEV Team last

year.

Rumours hinted that she would join the World

Championship as early as 2013, but while fellow

Spaniard Ana Carrasco made the step up with

Team Calvo this year to become the first female

regular in the Moto3 World Championship, Maria

deicided to stay in the Spanish Championship for

a second full season to collect more experience.

Source: cevrepsol Click for more info

ROAD RACINGgrassroots

Yui WATANABE (#46) competing in the

FIM Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup

Yui fell in love with two wheels early. She

explained: “When I was 5 years old, my father

bought me a pocket bike. I immediately fell in

love with riding the bike. Step by step, I

improved my riding technique, and now I can join

the Rookies Cup. I am so excited!” At school her

favourite subject is Japanese and when she is not

racing she enjoys listening to music. Yui’s hero is

Valentino and she wants to be “a strong rider!”

“During 2012, she says, “I learned an important

thing: I must take in a lot of information in a

short time during the race weekend. I like the

Rookies races because there is no difference of

performance between the bikes: it is all down to

the rider.” Regarding 2013 she says: “For this

year I want to get better results than 2012. I

don't want to make the same mistakes as last

year, especially crashing! Also I want to enjoy

the racing more than last year.”

ABOUT Yui’s performances

In 2012: 22nd

FIM Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Best result 11th in Race 2 in Brno. Though she

failed to score a top 10 finish her improvement

towards the end of the season was dramatic and

finally she featured in the battle towards the

head of the field during the Aragon weekend,

hopefully a sample of what 2013 will bring.

In 2011: 15th

125cc All Japan Championship,

Honda RS125R, 8th 3rd round at Motegi, 13

th 5

th

round at SUGO, 12th 6

th round at Autopolis

2010: 22nd 125cc All Japan Championship, Honda

RS125R

In 2009: 2nd

Sugo 125 GP Championship, Honda

RS125R, 1 x 1st, 3

rd Motegi 125 GP Championship,

Honda RS125R

Source: redbull.com Click for more info

Page 5: WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3cdn.entelectonline.co.za/wm-122183-cmsimages/2013...On 18 May, the fans at the Red Bull Hangtown Motocross Classic (AMA Women’s Motocross)

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

SIDECARnews Interview with the “Ladies Team Suisse”

Sophia Kirchhofer hails from the Swiss Canton of

Argau. She is 31 years old and works in an

architects’ office. She started riding her own

bike, a CBR 600 and one thing leading to another

began “racing for fun” and went on circuit. Anna

Burkhard is Swiss too and works as a chef in a

home for the elderly. She is 45 years old and has

been in sidecar racing since 2004, always as a

passenger.

Sophia started sidecar racing as a passenger 5

years ago. She rode with Peter Schröder and was

Anna’s replacement. When Peter Schröder said

he wanted to stop racing as he was getting old,

the rider’s mechanic had the idea of setting up a

women’s sidecar team. He’s the one who gave

Anna and Sophia the bike and prepared the

engines. Sophia and Anna have been riding

together for 3 years now.

Last year, they took part in a couple of races but

weren’t permanent riders. They rode in

Oschersleben twice and knew that if they went

fast they could qualify and try for the World

Championship. Taking part in the WC is a huge

challenge for the two ladies. When it comes to

riding alongside the male teams, they say it’s no

problem. The guys were happy when the ladies’

team qualified and atmosphere among all riders

is good. Regarding mechanics, Anna and Sophia

do several things themselves and they have Mr

Peter Küng taking of their engines. It is

interesting to note that the team has also a

female mechanic.

When it comes to training, they point out that it

is complicated to get training time on circuits: it

is expensive and most of the time motorcyclists

are not very keen to ride with sidecars. Sidecar is

not a very well-known discipline but Anna and

Sophia hope that it will get more popular. They

say that more and more women are taking up

this sport and mention the example of the Team

Ms Estelle Leblond and Mr Sébastien Lavorel,

where Estelle (2012 F2 Sidecar National

Champion) is the rider. Anna and Sophia are

hoping to do well this year and to take part in

next year’s World Championship. Source: Isabelle Larivière

ENDUROnews

FIM Women’s World Cup

Spain’s Laia Sanz (KTM) got off to a winning start in her defence of the Women’s Cup with victory on day one. Behind her, Great Britain’s Jane Daniels (Husaberg) held off France’s Juliette Berrez (Yamaha) to claim second position. Australia’s Jessica Gardiner (Sherco) ended her day in fourth. France’s Audrey Rossat (KTM) rounded out the top five.

Taking her second win of the weekend, Laia Sanz

(KTM) comfortably topped the Women’s Cup

class. Australia’s Jessica Gardiner (Sherco)

capitalised on a crash by Britain’s Jane Daniels

(Husaberg) on the final enduro test to finish

second. With Daniels third, France’s Juliette

Berrez (Yamaha) finished fourth while Australia’s

Jemma Wilson (Honda) rounded out the top five.

Laia Sanz is in good form after making the switch

to a KTM this year. She secured a 1-1 result in

the two opening rounds of the 2013 Women’s

championship.

Source: enduro-abc.com Click for more info

©ladies-team.ch

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

The relative scarcity of female competitors in

motorcycle sport has meant that those few

trespassing in this predominantly male domain

have always attracted considerable publicity.

During the 1920s and 1930s there was no lady

motorcyclist more celebrated than Marjorie

Cottle.

Born in 1900, Marjorie Cottle was one of Britain's

best known motorcyclists in the 1920s. She

competed regularly in races and reliability trials,

and was considered to be one of the best riders

in the country – male or female. She was also the

star of Raleigh’s famous 1924 publicity stunt, in

which she rode a 2¾hp solo model around the

coast of mainland Britain. She demonstrated that

physical strength was not crucial for operating a

motorcycle that it was possible to be as engaged

in her exploits as a professional motorcyclist.

Despite the fact that Ms Cottle and other female

riders had proven themselves the equal of male

competitors, the Auto-Cycle Union announced a

ban on women in road racing in 1925, citing the

bad publicity that might ensue should one be

seriously injured in a crash. The ban did not

apply to trials and it was in this area of

motorcycle sport that lady riders shone.

In 1925 Cottle, together with Louie McLean and

Edyth Foley, had won individual gold medals at

the International Six Days Trial, an achievement

that led to the ACU grouping them in a semi-

official national team for the Vase category in

following year’s event. They finished equal first

with no marks lost, dropping to 3rd place after

special tests to determine the winners. Promoted

to full Vase status for 1927 but given no chance

of success by contemporary commentators, the

trio rose to the challenge by winning that

category outright, beating Denmark into 2nd

place with the all-male Great Britain team

finishing 3rd. By 1930 she had become so

famous and well respected a rider that when

she was not selected in 1930 to ride in the

ISDT team by the ACU there was a national

outcry that went as far as the popular papers

of the time. By the end of the decade 1930,

an official of the manufacturers’ trade

association had to admit that 25,000 of

Britain’s estimated 700,000 motorcyclists

were female.

In 1939, Majorie was entered in the infamous

ISDT in Austria, which by then had been

annexed by Germany.

Despite the worsening political situation in

Europe, the German organisers went ahead

with the event but a telegram arrived from

the War Office in London and the remaining

British contingent, including Marjorie Cottle,

was escorted to neutral Switzerland and

safety. Britain and Germany were at war nine

days later. After the war Marjorie gave up

competing and worked for BSA (Birmingham

Small Arms Company) as a motorcycle sales

representative. She sadly passed away in

1987.

Marjorie will also be remembered for her

good words: in an article called “Motor

Cycling for Beauty” in the Evening

Standard (UK), 25 September 1928, she

wrote: “Once, not so very long ago, the

woman motorcyclist was regarded as

something of a crank or a freak. Times have

changed, and motorcycling as a sport is

becoming more and more popular with

women. It has been conclusively proved that

motorcycling is not harmful to women… It

will make them hardy and strong, and

although the powder puff is not a part of

the girl motorcyclist’s make-up it can always

be hidden away for use when occasion

demands it”.

Source: speedtracktales Click for more info

Portrait of a Legend – Majorie Cottle

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

The motorcycle industry has, for the main

part, long been regarded a man’s world. So

let’s take a closer look at the female influence

on the motorcycle industry in China.

One of the biggest influences on any industry is

the media that supports it and in China there is a

huge female input in that region. Lucy Cheng is

the owner and editor of i-motor, the biggest

Chinese language motorcycle media outlet. She

affirms that there are women in every position

from company owner down to production line

worker and in every aspect of the industry

including media. If there is a lack of females in

the industry at any time it is just a matter of

their choice as opposed to discrimination. It is

true that there are no Chinese ladies currently

competing in motorcycle sports but then, there is

not yet any major participation by men in

motorcycle sports in China either. As motorcycle

sport grows I guarantee you will see the

emergence of capable Chinese women riders and

technicians at race tracks.”

There are an estimated 200,000 woman

motorcycle riders in China, most riding scooters

under 125cc. Ma Cong of the Chongqing custom

bike society is an exception. She relates: “It’s

quite rare for women in China to ride bigger

bikes but I have been in love with Harley

Davidson motorcycles for years. I’m considering

open pipes but I’m not sure because I attract a

lot of attention already and I’ve had some traffic

incidents with guys looking at me.”

ZhongLi owns a small supermarket and regularly

delivers groceries on her 50cc Lifan scooter. “For

me the scooter is my main means of transport. I

regularly change the oil and filters and tighten

the drive chain because my husband doesn’t

know how to do it! A lot of ladies around here

get together to do maintenance on the scooters

and cubs that we ride. If we left it to our

husbands they would take the bikes to a

mechanic. We prefer to maintain them ourselves

to save a bit of money!”

Zo Fu, Chief Editor of ChinaMotor Magazine

reports. “More often than not, when I am

reporting on a new motorcycle product the

head of the publicity and advertising

company for the motorcycle factory is a lady.

Their knowledge of the new products is at

least equal to the men that we deal with. It’s

not just Chinese women who are employed

either; I remember years ago Shineray

employed a Swedish lady as the general

manager.

Recently a woman, Yan Haimei, was installed

by Qianjiang as the CEO of Benelli”

Li Lian is an 18 year old assembly line worker

at the Liyang motorcycle factory in

Chongqing and for her men and women have

the same opportunities to progress and it

seems that women are quicker on the

production line!”

Rio Wang CEO of Fuego Power agrees. “I

wouldn’t think twice about hiring a female

for any aspect of the operation. My GM is a

female, and three quarters of the export

staff are female. Their motorcycle

knowledge is on a par with the guys even

though they are a bit reluctant to get on and

ride sometimes”.

It’s not just the traditionally powered 2-

wheeler industry that is graced by the “fair

sex”; the electric scooter industry also

benefits. Yadea is the biggest EV export

company in China and is captained by Nancy

Zhou as GM. She says: “As the EV industry is

still relatively in its infancy, there are huge

opportunities for women, as the industry has

not taken on a male-orientated culture in the

same way as the standard motorcycle

industry. It’s also the case that many women

prefer to ride an electric scooter.”

To conclude it seems that in the Chinese

motorcycle industry, women hold some of

the top positions and this trend is not

likely to change.

Source: David McMullan Click for more info

WOMEN IN THE CHINESE MOTORCYCLE INDUSTRY

Yan Haimei, Benelli CEO

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

EUROPE’S FASTEST WOMAN

Motorcycling mum Jo Stevenson became the

Europe’s fastest woman after clocking up

243.5mph on a turbo-powered bike.

Jo Stevenson, 40, from Rotherham, south

Yorkshire (UK) took up biking just five years ago.

Mum-of-one (Ella, 13 years-old) Jo, who rides a

Suzuki Hayabusa, had an interest in motorcycles

as a teenager but only took it up after watching

racing at Santa Pod with her fiancé.

She said: “My dad always had bikes and I can

vaguely recollect wanting one when I was about

17 but my mum said over her dead body. My

mum is proud of me now but doesn’t want to

know how fast I’ve gone.

Jo became Europe’s fastest woman in May by

accident when she borrowed electrician Dave’s

turbo bike. She said: “I knew I had gone faster

because it took longer to stop. I saw the end of

the runway looming towards me”.

Jo, who runs a portable appliance testing firm,

achieved her feat at a Top Speed event at

Elvington Airfield, near York. She said: It’s the

adrenaline I love, the rush is amazing. I shake

before a run because I’m a little scared and

afterwards because of the adrenaline. It was

brilliant, an amazing feeling.”

She concluded by saying “I will try again to get

sponsorship now and breaking 250mph would be

a dream.

Since her record, Jo Stevenson has been

appointed a Rotherham Ambassador in

recognition of her achievements in the sport and

of her support of the borough. She is now

supporting a national motorcycle event aimed at

making bikers safer and reducing casualties on

the roads and is urging fellow motorcyclists to

drive safely on the town’s roads.

Source: motorcyclemonthly Click for more info

NEWS FROM THE FIM FAMILY

FIM AFRICA is pleased to announce the

appointment of two new ladies to the FIM

AFRICA Women In Motorcycling Commission:

LAUREN BRANCH

Lauren is from Botswana. Given her experience

and involvement in motorcycling, Lauren will

undoubtedly be a very valuable member of the

FIM AFRICA Women in Motorcycling Commission.

SHELLEY VERWEY

Shelley Verwey is from Zimbabwe and is mainly

involved in the leisure/touring side of

motorcycling. Shelley believes that training days

for total beginners would provide the perfect

opportunity to increase the number of female

riders even further.

INSPIRATIONAL STORY

The life of a female US Motor Officer: what it

takes to be among the elite few

Being a female US Motor Officer in a massively

male-dominated field provides a true feeling of

accomplishment. Tina says that she does not feel

there is any “special” treatment but underlines

that she gets some extra respect for doing it. She

declares: “I have to work twice as hard as my

male counterparts to reach my goals, but I know

I can do it, and I have overwhelming support

from my fellow motors”. Often Tina comes

across citizens whose first words are, “Wow, I’ve

never seen a female motor cop. Cool!” She adds

“I just have to laugh and appreciate the

compliment. She mentions that it is especially

rewarding when she encounters other females

who give her a thumbs up! She concludes by

saying that it seems women have to work harder

to reach their goals, especially when choosing a

professional field dominated by men. Tina

highlights that she is proof that women can reach

those goals and expectations if they want to.

She finishes with very positive words: “Don’t

ever give up and do what it is you want to do!”

Source: Tina Leman Click for more info

©Jack Frost

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WOMEN IN MOTORCYCLING NEWSLETTER Issue #3

2013 WOMEN TRAINING CAMPS

ROAD RACING 4-5-6 October 2013 SPAIN - Albacete

For more information regarding this training please contact us at: [email protected]

2013 FIM COMPETITIONS

FIM WOMEN’S MOTOCROSS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

211/05 25 August 2013 GREAT BRITAIN - Matterley Basin

211/06 01 September 2013 CZECH REPUBLIC - Pacov

211/07 15 September 2013 FRANCE - St Jean d' Angely

211/08 22 September 2013 PORTUGAL - Fronteira

FIM WOMEN'S TRIAL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

304/02 31 August-1 September 2013 FRANCE - Isola 2000

304/03 06 September 2013 FRANCE - La Chatre

FIM WOMEN'S TRIAL DES NATIONS

312/01 07 September 2013 FRANCE - La Chatre

MAXXIS FIM WOMEN'S ENDURO WORLD CUP

406/04 7-8 September 2013 FRANCE - St Flour

FIM INTERNATIONAL SIX DAYS' ENDURO (ISDE)

401/01 30 September-05 October 2013 ITALY - Olbia

FIM WOMEN'S CROSS-COUNTRY RALLIES WORLD CUP

810/05 23 July-4 August 2013 BRAZIL Rally dos Sertoes

810/06 28 September-5 October 2013 EGYPT

FIM WOMEN'S BAJAS WORLD CUP

815/04 15-18 August 2013 HUNGARY - Hungarian Baja

815/05 13-15 October 2013 MOROCCO - Baja du Maroc

815/06 01-02 November 2013 PORTUGAL - Baja Portalegre 500

CALENDAR AND EVENTS TO COME

Contact us at: [email protected]

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