More than 8.000 bikers joined Repsol Honda riders in Madrid, Spain

The event was organised by Repsol to celebrate the official launch of the 2007 Repsol Honda Team

© Repsol Media Service. The Repsol Honda Team riders Nicky Hayden and Dani Pedrosa brought the centre of Madrid to a standstill on Sunday as they lead a spectacular 8000-bike convoy through the Spanish capital. The event, organised by Repsol to celebrate the official launch of the 2007 Repsol Honda Team, saw the American World Champion and his Spanish team-mate riding Honda CBR1000RR Fireblades to the Palacio de Deportes, flanked by a huge police escort along the 7km route.

The Mayor of the city, Mr. Alberto Ruiz Gallardón, joined the head of the caravan that moved around the streets of Madrid with a length of up to four kilometres.

After a press conference held in the "Palacio de Deportes" of Madrid, the riders were taken by a small bus to the meeting point at IFEMA (Madrid Trade Fair), where they met the Mayor of Madrid, Mr. Alberto Ruiz Gallardón.

© Repsol Media Service. Dani Pedrosa used the occasion to present the Mayor with one of his helmets. Then, the retinue lead by Pedrosa, Hayden and Mr. Gallardón started from IFEMA and covered a route along the main streets of Madrid, to arrive at the Plaza Dalí, close to the Palacio de Deportes, where a large crowd of fans were eagerly waiting for the arrival of the riders.

Once there, the riders were able to address the fans from a stage that recreated a pit garage of the Repsol team. A few lucky fans were able to ask some questions to the Repsol riders and experience a moment of glory close to their idols.

© Repsol Media Service. Finally, as the crowning end of this Repsol day, Manolo Quijano, lead singer of the Café Quijano band, read a touching manifesto asking for a larger involvement of the authorities in order to remove all guardrails that cause so many injuries to bikers in accidents, as well as a larger awareness of the authorities as regards the advantage of motorbikes in urban mobility.