In 1999, Álex Crivillé commenced the golden era of Spanish motorcycling by clinching the 500cc World Championship title, which was the premier category at the time. He achieved several wins and podium finishes throughout the season, and the title was secured in the penultimate round – even though he raced with an injury, managing to finish sixth in Rio de Janeiro.
Speaking to Motorbike Magazine, the former rider reflected on what he cherishes most from the championship-winning year: ‘The races, the focus, the race in Rio where I had to finish, and I competed with a fractured wrist. That end of the season was tough, but at the same time, it was easy because finishing among the top ten was attainable. And so we did it. And then the home wins that I always enjoyed – people experienced it very closely, with a lot of passion: Jerez, also Barcelona’.
Besides the competition itself, Crivillé also recalled his father throughout 1999: ‘I thought about my father, who passed away in 1998, and I won in 1999, so he couldn’t celebrate that title. I think he would have loved to see me crowned as world champion because he suffered a lot. He never watched the races’.