Emotive ceremony during which he was presented with the Honda NSR 500

Repsol YPF and Honda racing honour Alex Crivillé
On the occasion of the Gran Premi de Catalunya and in a weekend filled with homages to the 1999 500cc World Champion, Repsol YPF and Honda Racing have presented Alex with the Honda NSR 500 with which he became 500cc World Champion in 1999. The ceremony was chaired by Mr. Antonio Gomis, Corporate Director of Foreign Affairs of Repsol YPF, Mr. Kazuoki Ukiana, Vice-president of Honda Racing Corporation, Mr. Carmelo Ezpeleta, C.E.O. of Dorna Sports, and Mr. Juan Alvarez, President of the Royal Spanish Motorcycling Federation. Alex Crivillé, ‘this has been a very important day, and I’m sure that tomorrow will be one of the happiest days of my life. Finally I’ll be able to say good by to my fans as I always wanted to do, riding on the bike I rode when I became World Champion. I want to thank Repsol YPF and Honda Racing for it. All I have left to say is that tomorrow I will be able to give back to the fans everything they have done for me, supporting me during so many years. I would also like to mention two other persons who are here, for different reasons: Mick Doohan, because he has been my toughest rival, a tough enemy on the track but, now that we’ve both retired, a good friend. The other person is Doctor Costa. A great part of my success wouldn’t have been possible without him. What Doctor Costa and the rest of doctors did for me in some situations of serious injuries allowed me to get back on the bike long time before it seemed possible. To all of them, to my team and to a lot of people I cannot name right now, thank you very much for everything.’