The Revolution leads to everything, and the motorcycle too. It was in fact on a motorcycle that Che Guevara, one of the most famous revolutionaries in Latin America and the world, traveled throughout the continent to spread the revolution, before finally being captured and summarily executed by the Bolivian army.
His eldest son is currently helping to develop tourism on the island of Cuba, within a structure called La Poderosa Tours.
He organizes stays of around eight days ($4 for 300 per motorbike and per room, $2 solo and single). The motorcycles available are all Harleys, which makes you smile a little in the country of Castroism, but is probably justified by a majority of American customers.
With the assistance of a European organizer, Guevara studies the possibility of organizing a motorcycle race.
F1 in Cuba
Formula 1 first stopped in Cuba in 1957. It returned there in '58 when many sports refused to go there, Fidel Castro's July 26 Movement having deposed Fulgencio Batista, a violent and repressive dictator .
There was no shortage of events: “ Juan-Manuel Fangio, the famous Argentine car racer, five times world champion, who was to race the Cuban Grand Prix on Monday afternoon, was kidnapped in Havana on Sunday, at 21 p.m. (3 a.m. in Paris), in the lobby of his hotel, by rebels », Explained France-Soir on the front page. “The kidnappers are supporters of Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader who is leading a fierce fight against the Batista government ».
Fangio only remained their hostage for 26 hours, before being released in front of the Argentine embassy. Castro himself – who had ordered the kidnapping – apologized to the pilot, and he claimed to have been well treated.
The other objective of the Cuban revolutionaries, however, was not achieved. The second Cuban Grand Prix took place as planned on Monday afternoon, in front of 150 people, with Frenchman Maurice Trintignant replacing Fangio at the wheel of his Maserati. But unfortunately the race, won by Briton Stirling Moss on Ferrari, was marred by a serious accident.
Surprisingly, the Cuban Grand Prix did not stop with the coming to power of Fidel Castro in January 1959. There was no event that year but in 1960, the socialist government organized a race on the Camp Freedom airfield. Moss won again.
In the Motorcycle World Championship, José Péon finished seventh in the 125 East German Grand Prix on MZ, with Angel Nieto as winner. It is pictured below with number 233.
