The last away of the Borilli Enduro European Championship 2022 ended with two beautiful days in Brussels at the headquarters of the European Parliament. In response to the invitation from Hon. Berlato, the 2022 European champions reached the Belgian capital for two days in the name of sport and friendship.
The trip opened with the Gala evening inside a characteristic restaurant located in the centre of Brussels. The 2022 European Champions Manuel Verzeroli, Carlo Minot, Lorenzo Bernini, Maurizio Micheluz, Erik Willems, Dietger Damiaens, Nieve Holmes, Alessandro Rizza, Luca Piersigilli and Diligenti Racing, together with the 2nd deputy of FIM Europe Roy Wetterstad, the chairman of the Enduro and FIM Europe Rally Commission Robert Svensson, some delegates from the Belgian Federation including the President of the Sports Commission and FIM Representative Christian Dejassé, Stijn Rentmeester, Secretary General FMB and FIM Europe Bureau member, Hervè Cornellie, Secretary General FMWB and Thierry Klutz, FMB Technical Director, have created the perfect atmosphere for an evening of friendship and confrontation. A different opportunity than usual to spend unique and unforgettable moments.
With the rise of a shiny sun, the European Parliament opened its doors to the protagonists of the Borilli Enduro European Championship 2022 for the heart of the event, namely the ceremony with the theme: ‘Sport as a key to access to brotherhood and friendship between people, to social inclusion and to exchange between European cultures and young people’. The words of the Hon. Berlato, Italian delegate to the European Parliament, have kicked off this special event. “These young enduro champions have already learned to collaborate with each other, regardless of their differences or rivalry. It is something that warms the heart, from which we should take an example. Sport is a healthy way to raise our children, it teaches them values such as perseverance and sacrifice, but done with joy and to achieve their goals. Young people learn to respect the opponent, who is never an enemy. It’s an important lesson for everyone.”
Carrying out any discipline with dedication and commitment is synonymous with sacrifice and personal growth, and these values must be preserved and passed on to all generations. Tony Mori, promoter of the championship, later spoke thanking the Parliament for the invitation and collaboration that has been established since the beginning of the year and then continued his speech emphasising the values that Enduro, thanks to its uniqueness, is able to carry forward. ‘Today we celebrate within the highest European institution ’the European Parliament’ the recognition of the 2022 Enduro European Champions and this thanks to the work and interest of the Italian Deputy in the European Parliament Hon. Sergio Berlato. … At this point I believe that we can talk about social inclusion in sport and, as far as we are concerned in enduro, because sport is the most important instrument of inclusion and social cohesion, which in addition to teaching the basics of teamwork, coexistence, respect for the rules is the former of one’s identity and the relationship with others.”
The 2nd deputy of FIM Europe Roy Wetterstad then spoke highlighting how engines have always innovated the world and today, within a regrettable situation such as that of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, they have reminded us how sport could be a connection between people regardless of their religion, political and sexual orientation. Healthy rivalry between sportsmen promotes harmony and mutual respect. “Sport connects people regardless of race, religion, political and sexual orientation. Friendly rivalry among sportsmen leads them to get closer and promote respect and harmony between peoples.” The Chairman of the Enduro & Rally Commission of FIM Europe, Robert Svensson, then emphasised within his speech, how in enduro everyone is always available to help in case a problem arises and how it leads you to travel to non-reputable places allowing you to learn more about these realities. “Enduro is like a big family always willing to help themselves; if someone needs a spare part or has some problem with the bike there is always a friend ready to help him, regardless of nationality and this is what we mean when we talk about strong collaboration between the peoples of the European Union.” The last speech was by FIM Representative Christian Dejassé who took up the concepts expressed by his colleagues, again highlighting how sport is much more than just a run for the best performance.
It was then time for the 2022 European Champions to tell their experience within the championship and how it was a further enrichment for them. The comparison with riders of different nationalities and with the cultures of the countries that hosted the event has increased themselves. Enduro is a challenge first against yourself and then against others this allows you to improve race after race, training after training and to understand how only you can be the architect of your success and how to get to the top it is useless to go down to dirty games but indeed a victory won honestly acquires greater value. In the words of Erik Willems, European Champion Class E2 and Overall, the ceremony saw its conclusion. A rich buffet and a beautiful tour inside the European Parliament headquarters were waiting for all the participants. The morning then ended with the promise to meet again the following year with the same purpose.
The Borilli Enduro European Championship 2022 can be said to be officially concluded, its commitments for the current year have been completed and now all that remains is to think about the future always with the concept of friendship, peace and collaboration in our mind. Thank you for following us, the full video of the ceremony is available on our Facebook page; we invite you to also follow us on our Instagram page and on the official championship website so as not to miss the announcements related to the 2023 season.