Saturday, November 2, 2024, 8:54 p.m.
On October 24, 1999, at the Nelson Piquet International Circuit in Rio de Janeiro, Álex Crivillé was proclaimed world champion of the premier class. Seva’s ‘noi’ crossed the last frontier of Spanish motorcycling and fulfilled the dream of an entire country. 25 years of a historic moment. Just at a time when another national rider, Jorge Martín, is fighting for the title of MotoGP World Champion.
The 500 cc World Championship had always been the preserve of Anglo-Saxon and Italian riders, while the Spanish had specialized in small displacements, in the wake of the myth of Ángel Nieto, 12+1 times champion in the 50 and 125 cc world championships. .
Starting in the 1980s and 1990s, Spanish pilots began to climb and conquer new territories, eliminating a multitude of complexes in one fell swoop. Sito Pons became two-time 250 cc champion in 1988 and 1989, starring in a media rivalry with his antagonist, Joan Garriga, who divided Spain between ‘ponsistas’ and ‘garriguistas’. A duel that was a whole factory of fans of two-wheeled sports. Both would try their luck in the then untouchable 500 cc starting in 1990, without much brilliance, but they laid the seed for the successes that would come later.
Pons hung up his monkey at the end of 1991 and his Honda was inherited by a young Crivillé, who had been 125 cc champion in 1989, but who was coming off two irregular seasons in 250 cc. A movement that was going to change the history of national sports. Already in his debut season he reached the podium in his third race and at the Assen circuit he achieved the first Spanish victory in 500 cc. The Catalan was breaking down the first barriers of a wall that he would end up destroying years later.
After two years in the Sito Pons structure, the all-powerful Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) team knocked on his door. Next to him in the box sat Mick Doohan, who that same year began a triumphant era with five consecutive titles (1994-1998). During those years, and with the sponsorship of Repsol that would accompany him until the end of his career, Crivillé became his main opponent and the animator of a championship where the Australian swept one grand prix and another as well. In Spain a ‘Crivillemania’ was unleashed, each victory of Seva’s victory over Doohan opened the news and appeared on the covers of the specialized and general press. The dream of winning the 500cc World Championship no longer seemed unattainable.
Pioneer
After five consecutive years of Doohan’s dominance, the Spaniard started the 1999 season more prepared than ever. Furthermore, the Australian’s fatal injury in the third race in Jerez, which ended up retiring him, left him as the main favorite and he lived up to expectations. He had an overwhelming start, with five victories in the first eight races and managed his advantage in the final stretch to end up winning the title in Brazil, with one race to spare, in a grand prix that paralyzed the country.
Crivillé returned home to the praise of crowds. He had won a title that for decades seemed forbidden to the Spanish and crossed the last frontier in a sport that moved masses in the country. That historic championship took such a burden off his shoulders that he was never the same again. After 1999, he only won one more race and retired at the end of 2001, physically and mentally burdened, but with the feeling of having accomplished his duty.
That 500 cc World Championship was the first in the premier category for a Spanish rider and laid the first stone of what would later become the golden era. Crivillé’s heir at the top of motorcycling was Jorge Lorenzo in 2010, who between 2012 and 2020 reigned for nine consecutive years in MotoGP with Lorenzo himself, Marc Márquez and Joan Mir, the last Spanish champion in the premier category to date… Fifth could come if Jorge Martín manages to finish the job, since he is at the top of the table, ahead of the current champion, the Italian Pecco Bagnaia. All heirs of a pioneer who changed the history of sports in this country. A story that began to be written 25 years ago.
