Future Trial Team Ossa

[canada280i]

so just like the rest of us then, promoting a product by paying for it ourselves.......so can I call myself a factory rider?

[neils on wheels]

HRC Montesa contract, same sort of deal as Richardson had.

I seem to recall reading a couple of years back that Montesa Honda were offering importers the chance to lease a factory bike for about €10k a season for selected supported riders. I don't think I dreamt it. Is that the deal to which you are referring?

[jj65]

fund thenmselves to promote someones product

If you have any interest in Motorsport, you'll no doubt know that funding a manufacturers deal by bringing in sponsors is a common thing, only a handful of people actually get paid by the team, most pay there own way. Until Adam, Toni, Takahisi, Albert and Jeroni retire, there won't be anyother factory riders. Eddie surely has managed to get funding and support from the Swedish importer/others and Montesa have agreed to support him with a couple of customer factory bikes and support at world rounds, obviously he won't be treated the same way as Fuji and Toni.

If it was to be the end of his trials career, which I don't see why it would, it would only probably be due to him not being able to afford to continue in trials, which is almost certainly why Alfredo Gomez finished trials. JR as far as I know, lost the Montesa ride due to the sad Pidcocks issue and his unfortunate injury, or maybe he didn't want to ride the Montesa anymore. Paying for a ride is probably the only way to get to the top and in a couple of years there may be some good paid rides available.

Ossa riders are no different and factory packages for the WTC are/were available last year and probably this year too. Some people always seem to look at the negative things about trials and don't look at the reality of the world we live in. There is bugger all money in most levels of sport, even more so in trials. The truth is, you have to find your own way to do what you want in life and fund it whatever way you can, if you can't, you move on to the next challenge. If people don't buy new bikes and gear, then there won't be any sponsored riders, simple.

[jj65]

I seem to recall reading a couple of years back that Montesa Honda were offering importers the chance to lease a factory bike for about ¤10k a season for selected supported riders. I don't think I dreamt it. Is that the deal to which you are referring?

I don't know what deal he has, but I am referring to something like that, which I believe was along the lines of what Pidcocks and JR had with Montesa. Ossa did something similar I believe.