FIM World Champions Honored in Italy
Cycle News Staff | December 7, 2022
The Palacongressi Rimini played host to the 2022 FIM Awards on December 2, with champions from all six FIM categories—circuit racing, track racing, motocross, enduro, cross country rallies and trial—presented with their titles.
A total of 27 riders were presented with their FIM medallions as World Champions, including trials legend Toni Bou, MXGP Champion Tim Gaiser, Sidecar Champions Todd Ellis and Emmanuelle Clément, SuperEnduro World Champion Billy Bolt and MotoGP’s Francesco Bagnaia.
Valentino Rossi was also honored a with a Lifetime Achievement Award for his nine world Championship wins and his efforts to bring young Italian riders into grand prix racing via the VR46 Academy.
“I am happy to see Valentino extremely happy, this title was also thanks to him, and not a little,” Bagnaia said at the awards ceremony. “I am lucky to be able to share my life with Valentino often. I know I am lucky because I can ask him things that not everyone can ask him. He’s a fantastic person. Nobody will ever be like him.” CN