The emancipation brought to MC Porto the recognition of the Porto autarchy

Moto Clube do Porto assumes itself both in the city and in national and international territory

In the summer of 1986 a very enthusiastic motorcyclist group of friends has decided to create the Moto Clube do Porto (MC Porto). Excited with the Spanish concentrations, where they use to go, they started by this motorcycling slope, although limited by the old motorcycles of the epoch but full of pleasure and passion.
Soon, also appeared the wish of trying the Cross-country roads, so the club started by an annual schedule sharing between the road and the cross-country events. 

And competition made History
While the club was preparing the 1990 Concentration (famous because of the circus tent and the motorcycle raffle), the cross-country was developing well: two triathlons – motorcycling and bike racing and running – in 1992 and 1993 and four Endure Championships from 1991 to 1994. 

The National Trial
Since there is National Trial competition, MC Porto has been always in the organizations. Thus, from 1991 until now, it has already organized 17 “National Trial” competitions. Between 1991 and 2003 in several places such as Lavadores (Gaia), Baltar (Paredes), Rebordosa (Paredes), Paços de Ferreira and Resende. Since 2004, thanks to the great conditions in the recovered Quinta da Bonjóia, the National Trial competition moved into Porto city.
The passion and affection for this modality moved the club to help organizing three other national competitions in Figueira da Foz (between 2000 and 2003) and other ones in Vila Verde and Braga (2002 to 2004).
Already in 2005 MC Porto organized its first Trial Indoor in 12^th February in Pavilhão Rosa Mota at Porto with great success, and is planning to organize two National Trial competition during this year: at Resende, the 26^th June and at Porto, the 4^th September.

…and other modalities
Having made some Triathlons and Endure competitions in Paredes and Valongo, it was in 1996 that the Porto city saw the 1st competition of its club: Bike Trial of Porto, a bike competition for young people.
MC Porto also likes to innovate and create new events, as “Subida Impossível” (impossible rise) organized between 1991 and 1996. It is a very difficult rise of a ramp that in 200 meters rises 100… It was a good spectacle with some of the pilots (Paulo Marques, André Garcia and Fernando Moreira) getting to the top with success.
In 2001 the club organized the 1^st Freestyle of the National Championship in Paços de Ferreira. The winner was Paulo Martinho.
Another modality that came to stay is the Supermotard. From 2001 to 2004 the club organized six competitions all being Cristiano Fernando the winner.

The International era
In 1997 the FNM (Federação Nacional de Motociclismo) invited the club to organize the Portuguese competition for the Europe Championship of Trial. The club organized a nice competition with good quality in Baltar (Paredes) in 1997, winning the Spanish Marc Catlá. In 1998 the club was invited to repeat the event and the winner was Stefano Dellio.
In the sportive point of view were very good events, but MC Port improved the production and organization when, in 1999 was invited again by FNM to organize the Trial GP of Portugal, punctuating for the World Championship. The stage was once again Paredes and had the help of the company “Realizar – Eventos Especiais”.
Each time better, the club organized in 2000 the 2^nd better competition of ever. During 26 years of World Trial Championship it was the 2^nd better one in the opinion of the world trial most important elements.
In 2001, with the 3^rd victory of Dough Lampkin, the quality was a prevailing. The recognition became with the invitation from FIM to MC Porto be involved with FNM in the organization of the XIX Trial of Nations 2002 in Portugal. This brought to the country 120 pilots, men and women, which represented 24 teams of 4 continents. It was a great, happy and colourful party. Two weeks before the event the FIM asked MC Porto to organize, for the day before of the TdN, also the World Ladies Cup. This was a competition that should have place in France but that have to be cancelled because of the floods. The whole event was the high moment of MC Porto. The winners were the British’s Lampkin, Jarvis, Connor and Colley in the Trial of Nations, and Laia Sanz won the 3^rd consecutive World Cup.
For the international Jury and for the visiting Federations responsible it was one of the best Trial of Nations competitions, with a much higher level than the usual. This event gave to MC Porto a great respect from FIM that asked the club to organize the 21^st Rally Meritum which brought to the city 190 motorcyclists from 20 countries, from USA to Finland. During three days, in June 2003, we have shown the city monuments, introduced our typical dishes and amuse the visitors with our happiness. The most experienced said this was the better edition of ever!

Lots of pilots, many prizes
During all these years the FNM Championships met lots of MC Porto pilots. Especially in the Trial, Velocity and Endure there were many men and women showing our logo in the national and international tracks, and winning prizes: André Garcia, Pedro Bianchi Prata, Osvaldo Garcia, Carlos Beirão, Fátima Silva and João Melo are some of the pilots that won prizes.

Ride to relax
MC Porto associates, used to some annual touristic events, were invited to participate in several tours all around Portugal. The most relevant were the Moto-ralis which are very fun and cultural Rally Papers and were so successful that many of other national Moto Clubs start organizing them. In 1997 the FNM created a National Prize for Moto- ralis competitions in which the MC Porto associates are very participative. The club won the Prize twice in 1999 and 2001. With the last Moto Rali of Porto last March, this year we count 14 editions, always with a great number of participants.
Another different and pioneer event is the “Morcegos” (Bats). Similar to a moto-raly but during the night, it is organized once per year next the club anniversary date and it count also with lost of participants (about 70/100)
The “Piqueniques Brincalhões” (wag picnics) are also very fun and enjoyable events, where associates join to the travelling pleasure the jokes in lagoons, rivers and swimming pools.   

Lots of “Moto-tourism”
Having already run through all roads and streets of Portugal with their group of motorcycles (about 12 annual touristic journeys), the MC Porto crossed the frontier several times: Picos of Europe (twice), Serra de Guadarrama, Galiza, Zamora, Bilbao and Douro river spring, in Spain. More distant the club went in La Bress, France to present the TdN in 2001, and in Morocco where 22 elements spent the Reiveillon in the Erg Chebbi dunes. 

Portugal de Lés-a-Lés
In spite of being an event organized by FNM, the MC Porto is one of its parents since 1999 – and it is always the most represented club with the major number of participants. The competition consists in crossing the country from a corner to another in 24 hours. 

Trails are also motorbikes
More recently – in 2003 – the MC Porto started organizing travels for the trails. There are journeys by all the kind of streets which gives satisfaction to all the participants. Next August it is planned take place the first “Portugal de Fio-a-pavio”, a kind of “Portugal de Lés-a-Lés” but by all the kind of roads. 

TT – about four per year 
TT lovers spent a great part of their weekends enjoying the TT tracks, journeys that usually finish with great meals. 

Working for the society
Jointly liable with the society and conscientious of the responsibility that an association shall assume, MC Porto has been helping cheering the Christmas of the most ill-favoured. Also the collaboration with the Porto Town Hall and with the Foundation for the Social Development in the solidarity events has been bringing some recognition to our association.

Supporting the Athletics
After the great collaboration in the 1^st Marathon of Porto, in October 2004, the MC Porto signed a protocol, in December, with AGDP, the Sportive Association Office, to collaborate in the city athletics events.

Motorcyclist Baptisms
Other new and different events are the motorcyclist baptisms. The first one was in 1996 and since then every year the club organizes several. It consists in transporting someone, especially kids and people from solidarity institutions, that never travelled by motorcycle. Usually it is made inside a closed area, free of danger, and with all the security.

Participating in public manifestations
MC Porto has been supporting the FNM (of which is father member) in several protests manifestations: 1993 - against the toll prices; 1999 – for Timor people; 2000 and 2001 – for the rails protections; 2005 – for the equivalence of driving licences for cars and 125 cc motorcycles.
The support to Motorcyclist European Federation has been a constant: Euro-Demos of 1992, 1994 and 1996 (Brussels, Paris and Brussels, respectively), collect of money by producing t-shirts and also in the great walk “Berlin-Cypress” in August 1996.
Of course MC Porto doesn’t agree with noising escapes, illegal registers or disrespectable attitudes. 

Twelve years looking for a home
After more than eleven years trying to find a worthy place to receive the 400 associates, which was very difficult mostly because of the inaccessible location prices, finally in December 1997 the club met its home, the number 65 of Rua Aurélia de Sousa, in Porto. A 120 sq meters that has been having multiple functions. Until then the associates used to meet each others in the city cafés. 

The multiple functions home
It is a kind of bar where associates meet just to have a coffee or to organize events and journeys. Sometimes it is transformed in hospital for the blood recollections or in disco for the Carnival and S. João parties. Live music, poetry social evenings, thematic dinners, great travels (done by the associates) slides, photos and films expositions, seminaries, FNM and FIM Commissions meetings, orientation and help courses, reports of the mythic tests of Paulo Marques, Mário Brás, Elisabete Jacinto, Nuno Santos, Felisberto Teixeira e Pedro Bianchi Prata, incentive speeches from Dr. Jorge Viegas, the FNM President, are some of the utilities for the great place the club calls seat.  

Without frontiers
MC Porto is very proud of his associates that travel for around the entire world.
The most adventurers’ associates have travelled by the four continents: almost all African countries, the EUA, the fantastic Middle East, the colourful India, and the entire Europe (from Israel till Iceland)…
There was just a dramatic situation when some of our friends were kidnapped in Iran during their trip to Macao, which happily had a happy end.
The major trip was in 1999 when two MC Porto associates completed the itinerary Macao – Porto (28 000 km) without the support of any other kind of transport. Congratulations to Tito Baião and João Pedro Pereira.
More recently, also João Meneses and António Brás deserve our recognition by the trip to Maputo called “Rota dos Livros” (books route), much followed by a Portuguese TV channel. They obtained a great success and the year after they repeated the books route but this time to Bissau.
At the same time, João Pedro and Tito were connecting Luanda to Porto after having offered a container full of medicines. 

Monthly information in paper and at Internet
The MC Porto organizes about 50 events per year and the way for maintaining the associates well informed are the monthly news letters. They have 4 pages and very small letter to be possible to insert all the information needed.
Since 2000 the site www.motoclubedoporto.pt has been being modernized and it looks almost professional. Was visited 43 500 times in 2004 (2 000 000 pages) 

Motorcyclist merit
Moto Clube do Porto is a dynamic and very hard worker institution which gave to the club the motorcyclist merit diploma of FNM in 1997. Also several associates have already received that diploma.
Because of the enthusiasm of several MC Porto managers the FNM and FIM wanted them to work in the Federations. At this moment, the club has 8 elements in the FNM and 1 at FIM.
 

All the motorcyclists that have the spirit shown in this historic report are very welcome.