The 123rd Congress of the FIM ended today with the last session of the General Assembly, in the presence of delegates from 63 countries. The General Assembly unanimously confirmed the appointments of the Members of the International Judicial Panel. Mrs. Andrea Coleman made a presentation on the current situation and latest achievements of the Riders for Health programme “Bringing Health to Rural Africa”. – The following amendments to the Sporting Code were accepted by the General Assembly: Meetings covering several territories: when a FIM World Championship, FIM Prize or international meeting crosses the territory of two or more FMNs, the FMNR must obtain the prior written approval of all FMNs concerned if it concerns a stopping place for classification (outside a liaison stage)”¦ The minimum age of riders should not be lower than 12 years for any event run under the aegis of the FIM. – The FIM Environmental Award was awarded to the Auto-Moto Club du Sanetsch (Switzerland), organiser of the Snowcross World Championship round in Veysonnaz. The prize will be awarded during the gala evening of the Sport & Environment Conference of the UNEP in Lausanne at the end of November. – The signature by the FIM of the “Panathlon Declaration on Ethics in Youth Sport”, proposed by the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF), was approved by the General Assembly. – The General Assembly unanimously approved the awarding of Honorariat for the following persons: FIM President Francesco Zerbi, CCP President Renzo Giannini, CTR President Ignacio Verneda, CCI President Inge Blank, CCR Vice-President and former Sidecar World Champion Max Deubel, and Commission Members Arnost Zemen (CMS), John Thomson (CCR) and Laurent Podevyn (CTI). – The title of Member of Honour was awarded to Mr Michel de Thomasson, FIVA President. – The main decisions and modifications for the 2007 season (except where otherwise indicated) are the following: Road Racing The calendars of the Endurance and Sidecar World Championships will be published later; negotiations with the promoters are still in progress. – Endurance: the limit for the maximum age finishes at the end of the year in which the rider reaches the age of 55 (subject to a medical certificate as from the age of 50) The starting grid will be drawn up including the number of teams qualified for the race on the basis of the average of the best times recorded for one lap by all the riders (reserve rider not included) of the team during one of the qualifying sessions The background colours of the number plates will be as follows: black for Superbike, blue for Superproduction, red for Superstock and green for open class. – An International Rally Championship, based on the French “Mototour” formula, will be held during the 2007 season. The sporting concept is that of a Road Rally. In the programme are included linking sectors, regularity courses and special stages on closed roads and on circuits. It is a mass competition, accessible and favourable to the image of motorcycling sport as a whole: all motorcycles must be road-homologated; on open roads the traffic rules will be enforced. – The introduction of a Women’s Superstock FIM Cup will be studied for the 2008 season. Motocross/SuperMoto – Junior Motocross World Championship: the capacity limit in the rules will be 85cc. Two motorcycles may be used Sidecar Motocross World Championship: the replacement of a passenger before the end of the verifications prior to the meeting can still be authorised. – Amendments to the MX1/MX2 Motocross World Championships rules and SuperMoto World Championship will be published after the Motocross Grand Prix Commission meeting next month. – The Freestyle Motocross World Championship promoter IFMXF made a presentation on the first season of this World Championship, considered as very positive. Trial – Participants: FIM licence holder: rider, passenger, Trial assistant (instead of mechanic: change in the Sporting Code and all Trial regulations) FIM Junior Trial World Cup: maximum age will be 23 (instead of 21). – Indoor Trial, entries: b) wild-card riders:”¦ each one of these two riders will be chosen as invited rider to take part in all the rounds. c) The organizer will propose to the CTR an invited rider, chosen in the list of six riders proposed by the CTR – In case of « force majeure », the referee can, by his own initiative or following a request of the Clerk of the Course, modify the number of sections. Enduro & Cross-Country Rallies – Enduro rules: Time limit: a rider who arrives at a time check more than 15 minutes after his original arrival time on each time check is automatically classified as retired The Team Enduro World Cup is cancelled Inscription and participation: the total number of participants in each event is 150 (E1, E2, E3, EJ); the following are admitted to participate in the Enduro World Championship, in order of priority: all the riders who scored points in the World Championship of the previous year, the 5 best riders of each class from the Continental Championships of the previous year who did not score any points in the WC of that year, the riders who scored points in the World Championship of the current year; riders can be added to the list up to a maximum of 150 The numbers will be allocated to the first 15 riders of each class who scored points in the World Championship of the previous year. The number will correspond to the final position of the rider – – Any offence to the provision of the marking of parts is considered as a statement of fact. – Indoor Enduro FIM Cup: this Cup will be introduced as from November 2007 (two weeks after the ISDE), and will be run until March 2008 (the last event must be held no later than two weeks before the first Enduro World Championship event). – Cross-Country Rallies: Entries to Cross-Country Rallies events (World Championship, FIM Prize, International event) will be accepted for riders who are in possession of a licence delivered by the National Federations according to specific criteria of the riders’ aptitude (see Medical) In rallies with long sections, in a desert environment, with the risk of slow riding, a satellite system will be required for each rider, in addition to the compulsory security system. At sunset, if riders are still riding in the special stage, a permanent watch must be organized at the check-point; the medical cars equipped to carry an injured person will be placed every 100 km The speed limit cannot be superior to 60 km/h in the dangerous areas indicated in the road-book Starting order: the first ten riders will start with 2 minutes interval By derogation, the organizer can give the possibility to continue the race for the riders suffering mechanical failure. The rules must be defined in the Supplementary Regulations. In the World Championship events, these riders will be excluded from the event classification and must start the sections after the riders who are in the race The loss of a time card will result in a penalty of 5 minutes – The non-respect of the entry, exit and direction of traffic in control zones will result”¦3rd infraction and more: 3 hours The beacon will be of a civil aviation homologated type. Track Racing – Speedway: Tactical substitute rider: “¦however, each rider may be used as a substitute once only Additional protective devices (homologation): performance tests must be carried out in a laboratory by the applicant. The laboratory must have obtained the ISO 17025 certification. The applicant must provide an official document attesting that the laboratory fulfils this request as well as a recent document certifying the calibration of the instruments Light signals:”¦they must be preferably assembled in a vertical tower and be visible from any part of the stadium; in addition to these lamps, there must be a minimum of three red, flashing lamps, positioned not more than 4 metres from the track and easily visible by the riders”¦ – Referee’s box:”¦possibility to switch off the green light without releasing the tapes. – Track Racing Sidecar Gold Trophy 1000cc (amendments to the rules). – Team World Long Track Championship: will be introduced as from 2007. Women in Motorcycling The aims of the Commission were discussed at length, based on the creation of equal opportunities and treatment for all women involved in all aspects of activities related to motorcycling. A work schedule was established for the relations with the main sectors of activities: sporting (Road Racing, Motocross, Trial, Enduro/Cross-Country Rallies, Track Racing) and non-sporting (Medical, training, PR/media, leisure motorcycling/touring, marketing). Technical – Motocross: the first step in the noise level reduction (94 dB/A measured at fixed rpm) in Motocross and SuperMoto will be enforced in 2008. The second step will be decided in 2007 for application as from 2010. – Enduro: as from 2008 the noise level limit will be 94 dB/A measured at an average piston speed of 13 m/s. For the homologation of Cross-Country Rallies motorcycles, the FIM will request from the manufacturers the list of all models to be used in the discipline with technical data, in order to simplify the technical controls. Medical – In addition to the medical examination, an applicant for any licence in Cross-Country Rallies (World Championship, FIM Prize, international events) must undergo and pass successfully an echocardiogram once in his lifetime prior to the issuing of the licence. An exercise tolerance electrocardiogram must be conducted and successfully passed with this echocardiogram and is then required every three years. FIM Dates – Next year’s Conference Meetings will be held in Geneva on February 15-18, 2007. – The extraordinary Management Council meeting will take place in Geneva on June 16-17, 2007. – The 2007 Biennial Session will take place in Geneva from 19 to 22 October. – The 2008 Congress will be held in Durban, South Africa, from 19 to 25 October.