JAVIER GARCIA VICO WILL FINISH HIS CAREER

ALHAMA DE MURCIA, SPAIN, 26 May 2008 – Sixth event for FIM MX3 World Championship in Alhama de Murcia was the last for Spanish rider Javier Garcia Vico, who decided to finish active competing in motocross and begin to live a different life. 34 year old rider from Barcelona had really a rich career and nothing could be more appropriate as finishing it at the home race.

He was riding supercross, but motocross was his sport number one. After the Spanish Championship he had continued with international events and European Championships. Vico was also competing in GP MX1 series and after that in MX3 World Championship. He tasted the feeling of podium for many times and on the other side he had some injuries, too.

Javier Garcia Vico has grown up in a big family with two sisters and two brothers. Family supported him trough his whole career very much. As he said many times, without their support it would be just impossible to persist for so many years.

Vico explained: »I am really grateful to my family for all the support that they gave me. My father was a motocross rider, too. He was my first trainer. I did my first metres on the bike with his help when I was seven years old. I remember my beginning very well. I started with bike Montessa Cota 25. Then the whole story began.«

Javier Garcia Vico

Q: How did your beginning look like?

A: »At the beginning it was not easy. My results were not always good, as many people expected from me. First I was mechanic for five years. Then my results were better and better. Motocross, as my twenty years long career, is very long story! Sometimes I was able to do almost everything, to reach a good result. But always when I sit on the bike, I did it 100%.«

Q: You changed many teams. Which was your favourite?

A: »It was the Team RZ Ricci. This team was like my family. All the people were very nice, friendly and I liked them from the very beginning.«

Q: Which race track do you like the most?

A: »It is absolutely Bellpuig in Spain. My career started there. In Bellpuig I have spend the greatest moments. Outside of Europe I like the race track in the Republic of South Africa.«

Q: Which is your biggest success?

A: »I think it was in 2003, when I finished third in the GP race, together with Stefan Everts. I will also not forget Motocross of Nations in 1998. I was riding with a standard bike. It was the bike of my friend! I almost won with this borrowed bike, but at the end I crashed. Also in 1996 I had a good result. I was European Champion.«

Q: What was your worst injury?

A: »I had many problems with the back. Twelve years ago I injured my back and vertebrae. After the hard operation I was struggling very hard that I came back again. I was working a lot.«

Q: You met many different riders. Was there any special friendship with any of them?

A: »I can expose three riders. These are Andrea Bartolini, Joel Smets and Tallon Vohland. I was very good friend with all of them. There are of course some other riders, but these three were the closest to me.«

Q: If you could choose the sport again, would you choose motocross?

A: »Yes, for sure. I gave all my life for this career. It was lots of renouncing during these years and many nice things. Some people said to me that I am crazy. Motocross was not only my life, but I also enjoyed it very much. «

Q: What will you do now? Do you have some special plans?

A: »First I will finish the Spanish Championship. I will also ride some supercross for fun. I would like to establish a new school of motocross. My team is Honda Spain and I already started to work with children as a trainer. So I will still stay in motocross. I cannot imagine to do something else.«

Q: And your advice for young riders?

A: »For young riders it is good to go to the Netherlands and Belgium. Also in Spain and France it is good but in the Netherlands and Belgium on sandy tracks you can find better and more quality practice for technique. It is useful to ride on rough and hard race tracks.«

Q: What kind of race tracks do you like the most?

A: »I like the hard and technical pretentious race tracks with many jumps. At the beginning I did not like the sandy race tracks. Then I got used to it. I was living in the Netherlands for four years. I was living with the Paez Y Van De Laar family. They were like my family. It is a very emotional moment when I think of these four years.«

Q: Which is the biggest difference between motocross in the past and today?

A: »I was competing in different categories. I think riders today are not very different in comparison with previous years. They are just more aggressive. Race tracks are better, faster and much more accommodated to riders. Sometimes it was quite difficult because tracks were not right for good riding. Everything now is more professional and clean. One of the most important things is promotion. I think now we can see more promotion and interest of media for this attractive sport.«

Q: Do you want to say something to your supporters?

A: »I would like to thank my family, friends, fans, teams, sponsors and all other people, who supported me during my really nice career. Their support was a big motivation. I was riding for myself and for fun. Sometimes people did not understand me. But I liked to combine racing and fun. My personal motto is »struggle and persistence«.«