One of the world’s leading companies in sport and event logistics, and the official carrier partner of the FIM Motocross World Championship, SEL, is once again proving their commitment to sporting events and the participating athletes by assisting one of the world’s best female riders, Brazilian Mariana Balbi, to make the journey over from her home in Brazil to race WMX at MXGP of Germany which is set to take place on the renowned circuit of Teutschenthal on the weekend of June 22.
SEL’s passion for sport is second to none, the company whose name ‘SEL’ stands for Sport & Events Logistics backs all sports from football right through to motorsport and cares for both male and female divisions with their support for the first ever female to score a FIM Motocross World Championship point against the men, a prime example.
Mariana Balbi was the first ever woman to qualify for a FIM Motocross World Championship event and claim FIM Motocross World Championship points against the big boys. Back in 2009, the brave Brazilian beauty rode her Honda CRF450 to a remarkable 24th and 20th place finish for 24th overall at her home Grand Prix of Brazil, writing her name in the history books as the first ever woman to score MXGP (then named MX1) points.
Almost five years on, Balbi, who now rides Kawasaki in Brazil, has received support from SEL, Sport & Event Logistics, to travel to the circuit most famous for the 2013 Monster Energy FIM Motocross of Nations, to line up and test her skills against the best female motocross riders in the world. “We have a long lasting relationship with Mr. Pier Carlo Bottero, CEO of SEL, and after meeting him at MXGP of Brazil in Beto Carrero we went to dinner and I explained to him I have always wanted to race in Europe, but I have never had the opportunity to race here. Mr. Bottero offered to help me get here and race, so he spoke to Bud Racing Kawasaki and they agreed to help me with a bike. Thanks to SEL and Bud Racing I can be here to race the WMX for the first time and hopefully bring home a top five result,” an excited Balbi said.
Balbi and her brother Antonio Balbi, who is also a pro motocross rider and will be Mariana’s mechanic in Germany, landed in Malpensa, Italy, a couple of days ago right in time to watch MXGP of Italy, which is taking place this weekend at the iconic Maggiora motocross park. “Wow this is amazing, it’s like a dream for me!” Balbi said, “we will watch this GP here in Maggiora and then we will go to France to ride the bike somewhere close to Biarritz before heading to MXGP of Germany, I’m really looking forward to it.”