Bikers'Festival The 1st Bikers’Festival won over the motorbike fans!
A successful gamble for the teams of DG Sport! Last weekend the 1st Bikers’Festival was in full swing at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, bringing together motorbikes of all ages and fashions. The overall balance sheet is more than positive, in spite of the dramatic incident as reported in the media, and the momentum is now launched with a view to the future editions…
“Our prime objective was to play the variety card, and it paid off, Florian Jupsin in the name of DG Sport commented. Attendance was good, both on Saturday and Sunday, and in the heart of the paddock, the Bikers’Village, bringing together the importers, was a great success! The public quite clearly got into the spirit of the show, seeing the test rides of the widest variety and most recent of models was on a high. The makes present made no secret of their enthusiasm at the end of the two days which had given the public the opportunity to move around and admire the latest models on the market, and build bridges towards the future through various electrically powered machines … “
The Bikers’Festival is above all a question of passion, and in this context the fans found their niche. A Giacomo Agostini, as popular as ever, whose exhibition focussed on his career was an immense success, the former world champion Wayne Gardner, the star of the Isle of Man TT Michael Dunlop, Barry Baltus, who had just produced his best result in Moto2 on the circuit of Silverstone, and the unmissable Didier de Radiguès all delighted the visitors, to such an extent that each autograph session, scheduled for 30 minutes, actually lasted more than one hour! Which says a great deal about the enthusiasm on site …
Between the riding sessions for motorbikes of yesteryear and modern, the Ardenne Trail and the 1000 Virages in the form of runs, the 2 Jours de Stavelot Revival confirming the excellent health of the Enduro in the style of years gone by, and the comeback of the Grande Parade which enabled … 900 ‘bikers, including members of the public having bought their participation ticket on the spot, allowed them to discover or rediscover the old Francorchamps circuit, and everyone was able to thoroughly enjoy the event.
“As reported in the media, this inaugural edition was nevertheless marred by an unfortunate incident during a parade, Florian Jupsin continued. The 84-year-old German Günther Knuppertz, well-known figure among the collectors of Grand Prix motorbikes, collapse as he reached the starting grid, colliding with other participants. He sadly died, while two other motorcyclists were injured. Their lives are not in danger. Saturday afternoon’s riding sessions needed to be cancelled, allowing the authorities the time to carry out their official assessment. DG Sport offers its sincere condolences to the family and close friends of Günther Knuppertz. This competition motorcycle enthusiast was a regular visitor at our events, and in particular the Bikers'Classics, never missing an edition. He will remain in our thoughts …
In the ranks of DG Sport it is time to take stock. Improvements, mainly of a practical nature, are already in the pipeline with a view to the second edition of the Bikers’Festival, to be held in 2024. One thing is for sure: by combing all aspects of motorcycling into one single event, the Theux based organiser has hit the nail on the head. To be continued …
