This Friday, March 3, 2023, is to be marked with a milestone since the French Motorcycling Federation is celebrating its 110th anniversary.
The FFM was founded on March 3, 1913 under the name Union Motocycliste de France. Proof of its importance and its growing influence, it was affiliated with the National Olympic Committee on June 17, 1937. It was necessary to wait until December 7, 1945 for the name Fédération Française de Motocyclisme to be made official under the leadership of its President. the time, Augustin Pérouse. Under the supervision of the Ministry of National Education defining the delimitation of sporting regions as well as Regional Leagues, the Federation must then be rebuilt. To understand the situation, a figure: at the end of 1945, the UMF had 44 affiliated clubs compared to 130 before the war...
A 110-year-old Federation, ready to meet the challenges of tomorrow
Since then, the Federation has stood the test of time. Its history has not always been a long, quiet river, with periods of crisis and developments suffered by the constraint of unexpected events, but its leaders have always had in mind the defense of motorcycle sport and its development. Today, the FFM is one of the most dynamic and influential Federations among the 115 entities affiliated to the International Motorcycling Federation. With 1150 active Motorcycle Clubs spread across 17 leagues, 1140 events organized annually and 872 practice sites, the FFM offers an exceptional field of expression to its licensees, whether it is a leisure practice or a competition. Proof of this is that in 2022, the Federation recorded a historic number of licenses and practice titles issued with a figure of 102. At the international level, the FFM is represented by exceptional pilots. Every year, they make our colors shine and contribute to the influence of our country. In the space of 615 years, France has seen 110 different drivers win an individual world title and 89 world titles have been gleaned by our tricolors in team races.
Sébastien Poirier, President of the French Motorcycling Federation: “ I am extremely proud to chair the French Motorcycling Federation. 110 years of motorcycle sport, a Federation which has been built over the years to be what it is today, the fruit of a history. I have a thought for all those who invested in making it exist like the 8 Presidents who preceded me and took on, each in their own way, the heavy task of leading this institution. Today I would like to salute the remarkable work carried out by elected officials and our entire federal network to grow our sport: Leagues, Departmental Committees, Motorcycle Clubs and all of our volunteers. Each generation must face its challenges and issues and we must, collectively, be attentive and proactive in this area to keep our passion alive. I am confident in the future, fortunately, motorcycling sport has always constituted a formidable laboratory for technological innovation which will allow us to respond to the societal and environmental challenges of our time. Motorcycling is also and above all a community with its own state of mind and codes. Our values make our sport unique and we should be deeply proud of them.
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