UEM MAG 02/2010 UEM TEAM ENDURO. The dream turns into reality

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1 UEM TEAM ENDURO The dream turns into reality UEM intuition, to constitute its own team for young riders in the E1 Junior and E2+3 Junior on the next Enduro European Championship, received a big attention among the European motorcycling world. Main aim of this initiative is not to win the continental title, either as a team or individual, but to allow young hopefuls, who do not possess the necessary financial resources, to participate to this international event and dream to fight for such an ambitious goal, highlighting in such a hard competition their sporting skills. This is just an experiment, agreed together with Husqvarna, Ufo Plast and Mucciracing, but it is expected to be successful and it potentially could be extended in the future to other disciplines. 1

2 1 A recurring question in UEM has been: how can we support young riders and give them the occasion to enter in the international competition with adequate bikes and the assistance of a team of expert technicians, enabling them to compete with the best riders? Originally, this was the main UEM mission when it was founded: to be a primary reference point for the many youngster that practice this sport with passion and to support FMNs in their daily action aimed at helping them to enter to the top international competitions of this sport. However, it is not always easy to move from word to facts Important financial resources are required and the certainty to have skilled people with the necessary enthusiasm, not to mention the support of experts and renowned professionals. UEM, even if with limited financial means and a minimal structure, decided to face this challenge by registering its own team to the next Enduro European Championship not with the primary goal of winning, but to allow the rapid growth of young and promising talents in this difficult discipline. It was named Team UEM Enduro Promotion, in order to further strengthen its promotional aim and its role as a starting board for young beginners to more ambitious objectives. The idea was so highly appreciated by FMNs, that some of them already asked to extend this initiative to other disciplines in the next years. It must be pointed out that it was not easy to arrive to this stage, given the many obstacles to the realization of this initiative. The first one was constituted by the difficulty to find competitive motorcycles, but it was easily overtaken thanks to the support of Husqvarna, which believed immediately to this project and provided the bikes and also the needed spare parts. The second issue was the riders and technicians outfits, but thanks to the involvement of UFO Plast, a close partner of UEM for many years, the team was sorted also on this aspect. Last hurdle was to find a team which would handle the management of the riders and the fine tuning of the bikes up to the required standard, with a strong experience and with prepared technicians. Again, also this issue was rapidly solved thanks to a direct agreement with Mucciraging, already three times European Champion in the One Make Team category with Husqvarna. Finally, a finishing detail was still missing: an effective scientific support for the athletic, medical and mental preparation of riders. To this aim a staff of professionals was organised and put in charge to the selection phase and also to the preparation of riders. Athletic preparation was appointed to the Sporting Secretary, Dr Alessandro Sambuco, the nutritional assessment/control to Prof. Attilio Parisi (Professor of Sports Medicine at the Rome University Foro Italico ) mental training to Dr. Fabrizio Paris (Sports psychologist) and evaluation of equilibrium management and postural strategies to Dr. Fabrizio Bernardini. Total cost of the whole operation: zero, which is a further confirmation that when an idea is good and there is firm belief to put it in action, nothing can stop it. The recruitment of riders deserves a dedicated attention. On the 28th of December 2009 the UEM President announced to FMNs the project and invited them to suggest eventual young riders under 23 years willing to accept UEM invitation. While a limited number of requests was expected, in few days UEM received 15 applications by FMNs indicating 25 names. Based on personal curricula, a first screening was made and 13 riders, one for each country, were invited to a selection workshop in Possagno close to Treviso. The young riders arrived on the evening of the 18th of February 2010 in the little town of Northern Italy: Jakub Sefr (CZ), Neil Chatham (GB), Arne Weidemann (D), Gonçalo Bandeira (P), Szilvester Marton (RO), Alexey Nikishkin (RUS), Martin Ulf Aesen (N), Sylwester Jedzrzejczyk (PL), Roni Nikander (FIN), John Nystrom (S), Ata Nurcan (TR) and Mija Sprincnik (SLO). Only missing the Latvian Edgars Silins, who 2

3 2 UEM MAG 02/2010 Cellular Water (ICW), Extra Cellular Water (ECW), Fat Free Mass (FFM) and Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); Evaluation of proprioception, equilibrium and postural strategies with the Delos System; Subministration of the Psychological Inventory of Sports Performance. The boys faced the tests with great participation, aware of the importance of a thorough scientific assessment of their athletic qualities. Finished the first phase, it was the turn of the tests on the bikes, where each rider had the chance to show his driving skills in a track The participants to the selection workshop for the UEM Enduro Team was forced to abandon at the last moment for a communication failure with his national Federation. After the first approach and the official welcome by local authorities, the 12 riders were examined thoroughly in order to define a profile of the athlete as much precise as possible: Determination of body composition through Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis with evaluation of Total Body Water (TBW), Intra The candidates relax during the Possagno weekend Equilibrium testing during the assessment workshop prepared for the occasion, but made more difficult by the bad weather conditions. At the end of tests, the examining Commission, composed by the UEM Co-ordinator, Mr. Alessandro Sambuco, the Team Manager, Mr Fausto Muccifuora, the Sports Doctor, Prof. Attilio Parisi, the Sports Psycologist, Dr. Fabrizio Paris, the Delos Expert, Mr Fabrizio Bernardini, and with the supervision of the Enduro UEM Commission Chairman, Marco Bolzonello, made the decision and identified the Scottish Neil Chatham, the Finnish Roni Nikander and the German Arne Weidemann, while the Polish Sylwester Jedzrwjczyk was proposed as an 3

4 3 eventual reserve. It was a pity not being able to admit all of them, because they all demonstrated motivation, good driving skills and the right comeptitive spirit, these were the words of Mr Sambuco who was really sorry to be forced to send back home many valid and skilful riders. In addition he also declared: The choice went to three elements with superior physical and technical qualities. Chatam showed to be extremely well physically prepared and displayed a serious and professional behaviour, with maximum willingness to listen to the suggestions to him addressed. Nikander seemed also extremely serious, attentive and with a clean and effective driving skill. Good attitude was found also on Weidemann, who was particularly co-operative and physically gifted. On a 250cc he offered a good performance and perfect control on wet floor. Also the other riders did show good skills. I repeat, I am really sorry not to be able to keep all of them in the Team and I hope to have the chance to consider again the possibility to choose them the next year Neil Chatham The first official meeting of the Team in full rank was held in Rome on the 11th of March, with the Team UEM Enduro Promotion Husqvarna-UFO Roni Nikander UEM Co-ordinator Alessandro Sambuco Team Manager Fausto Muccifuora Rider (E1 Junior) Neil Chatham Rider (E2+3 Junior) Roni Nikander Rider (E2+3 Junior) Arne Weidemann Reserve Rider Sylwester Jedzrwjczyk Sports Doctor Attilio Parisi Sports Psychologist Fabrizio Paris Mechanic Davide Scarpellini Mechanic Diego Cigolini Driver-Logistics Alvaro Giorgi Secretary Silvia Petrini Information Technology Danilo Caccia Arne Weidemann 4

5 4 UEM MAG 02/2010 Chatham signs contract in front of UEM legal advisor, Rodolfo.Romeo The UEM Enduro Team Promotion Husqvarna-UFO visit of UEM offices for the signature of contracts and with the follow-up of the medical check-up at the Università degli Studi of Rome Foro Italico with Prof. Parisi and the presentation of the training programmes with the Team Coordinator Alessandro Sambuco, the Sport Psycologist Fabrizio Paris and the Team Manager Fausto Muccifuora. After these formalities, the group transferred to S. Giovanni di Valdarno (Arezzo), for the first training sessionwith the bikes, again made difficult by the rain, under the attentive supervision of the Team Manager Fausto Muccifora, who followed together with the mechanics of the Team the fine tuning of the bikes according to riders requests. The UEM President, Mr Vincenzo Mazzi, after meeting the Team components in Rome, declared: I had the chance to know the three youngsters and they seem really valid and full of enthusiasm. With a determined Team Manager their skills can rapidly grow and reach excellence levels. For me this initiative is the realisation of a dream. In the same time, also one other contemporary training camp was held for young motocross riders in France, the Academy Project, studied attentively with the Vice-President, Mr Wolfgang Glas, and aimed at the constitution of a technical sector inside UEM. I would like to thank Martino Bianchi from Husqvarna, Vito Consoloni from UFO Plast and Fausto Muccifuora from Mucciracing for helping us to put in reality this ambitious project, but the thanks should be extended also to many others, first of all the Sporting Secretary Driving test in Possagno 5

6 5 UEM MAG 02/2010 Training session with Team Co-ordinator Alessandro Sambuco Alessandro Sambuco, who even away from the spotlight offered a determinant contribution. I am sure that this initiative will have the success it deserves and that it could be proposed also in other disciplines. I am therefore fully satisfied for the work done and from the positive feedback we received from FMNs. What stroke me the most was a declaration from one of the three riders: I am very happy to be a rider in the new Team UEM Enduro Promotion! This sentence is worth more of any other additional comment and gave to all of us the certainty that we are moving in the right direction.. On the 24th of March the riders met again in Rome with Sambuco for a training to increase resistance, prosecuting again to S. Giovanni Valdarno for the bike training, the verification of the bikes set-up made by the technical staff and a gym session. Training session number 3 was held again in Roma and San Giovanni Valdarno from the 14th to the 18th of April, where it was tried to even further perfection the riders performance in view of the first official round of the European Championship scheduled on the 1st and 2nd of May in Boussac (France). The current and past issues of UEM MAG can be downloaded at the following link 6