a revealing Interview with Mecatecno and Montesa Rider
Ronald Garcia
Ok, so the traveling was uncomfortable in the old Land Rover, but you must have had a lot of fun ?
Yes yes, fun all day from all day riding with the other boys was better fun, but you have to remember I was not going to the trials for fun, I was going to get a better result and having the fun in the old van and playing here and playing there is not a good way to win a trial. There was no space for us to take spares with us when we travel with the Federation.
Yes yes, fun all day from all day riding with the other boys was better fun, but you have to remember I was not going to the trials for fun, I was going to get a better result and having the fun in the old van and playing here and playing there is not a good way to win a trial. There was no space for us to take spares with us when we travel with the Federation.
I still remember the riders arriving at the Montesa factory to be collected by the Federation to go to the World Trial. We arrived and we'll say where is the van where is the van and Ignacio points towards the green Land Rover and says there is the van, this is it hahaha. We could not believe it, we just could not believe it. He said if you want to come you come, if you want to stay home then that's ok. We decide to go to the 3 World Trials and when we return to Spain in the Land Rover, we have to stop very regularly on the motorway to add oil to the engine as a smoke was very bad from the back of the Land Rover, filling the motorway. It was because of this bad traveling and uncomfortable living and difficult times that you lose the interest in making a long journey to the World Trials. But we have fun on the trips and we are a few boys making as much fun as we can.
And here is a photo of the old Land Rover emblazoned with the Federation insignia. This was 1986 and they are catching the boat to Belgium via the UK. From left to right (As 0 in the UK will know). Left to right - Jordi Soler, Albert Juvantany, Joan Freixas, Ignacio Verneda, Gabino Renales, Ronald Garcia and Lluis Gallach.
Ignacio Veranda does nothing, he only look for tickets, nothing else ha ha ha. Me and Codina are angry with the Federation and often when we see Veranda we would shout at him and tell him how angry we are with him and his Federation. Sometimes he would tell us to go home and that we would not be allowed to ride the trial because he was not happy with us being angry with him ha ha ha ha. We return to Spain and then on Saturday Manuel Soler would arrive and he is a good person and a good Champion.
Apart from the TDN events the Spanish Federation team had really very little to do with Jordi Tarres as he secured full support from Beta as soon as he entered the sport.
Manuel Soler, competition manager, Jordi Tarres, Oriel Mauri - Presidente RFME, Ignacio Verneda - Director of the National Trial Team.
Manuel Soler, competition manager, Jordi Tarres, Oriel Mauri - Presidente RFME, Ignacio Verneda - Director of the National Trial Team.
All the week we would have problems with Ignacio Verneda and then on Saturday Manuel was there, we would arrive and we would all speak good things about the Federation and Manuel he would say yes of course you can ride, of course you can ride, nobody listens to Verneda. Manuel have a lot of influence and is a good person, Veranda least times was very angry with us because Joan, me and Codina would be making fun with him. Always bernardo would say on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, soon I will call Manuel and say I am sending you back to Barcelona hahaha, it was like being in school ha ha ha, like we were little boys, but of course when Manuel arrived at the trial we're always very good boys for him, but when Manuel goes we are back to normal and having fun with Verneda.