RIP World champ Jaroslav Falta

Source: https://www.idnes.cz/sport/motorsport/jaroslav-falta-motokrosar-zemrel-…

Translated by Google.


On Sunday evening, according to information iDNES.cz, former motocross rider Jaroslav Falta died suddenly at the age of 71. On the ČZ motorcycle in the category up to 250 ccm belonged in the seventies of the last century to the world top. That is why he became the Czech motocross rider of the century.

"Unfortunately, I have to confirm it to you, that's right. Jarda died yesterday after 10 p.m. It was sudden, it allegedly hit the heart, "Jiří Hejtík, a family friend and manager of a motocross racer, told iDNES.cz.

Quickly summoned rescuers tried to revive the 71-year-old Falt for a long time, unfortunately in vain.

One of the great legends of Czechoslovak motor sport died.

After all, Falta was one of the best the world has to offer in its sport in the 1970s. With his "cezeta", he managed to defeat anyone who stood in his way.

That is why he was chosen as the motocross racer of the last century in the poll, and in the one for the best motorcycle racing of the last century, he finished second to František Šťastný.

This spring, he went to the Castle to see President Miloš Zeman for the Medal of Merit of the First Degree.

"The medal is an award for my lifelong sports career and the achievements I have achieved as a Czechoslovak representative on the Czech ČZ machine and promoted my homeland with them. Thank you for them, "he told Sport.cz.

Football coach Karel Brückner and hockey player Václav Nedomanský were also awarded along with him.

Motoring family
He was born in Rumburk on March 23, 1951.

But he grew up a few kilometers away in Jiříkov. And he was close to motorcycles from an early age. After all, motoring and especially racing blood circulated in his family.

That is why even little Jaroslav, following the example of his older brother Jiří and uncle Jaroslav Čermák, threw himself into motocross. It was quickly seen that he clearly had the greatest talent of the whole family.

He started racing in Svazarm in Jiříkov and quickly worked his way up to the very top of world motocross.
During his ten years in the World Championship series, Jaroslav Falta finished in the top ten eight times. In 1971 he finished ninth overall, in 1972 he repeated the position, in 1973 he finished sixth, in 1974 second, in 1977 and 1978 ninth, in 1979 tenth and in 1980 seventh.

As the only Czech competitor, he fought his way to first place three times in the ongoing evaluation of the Individual World Championships. In 1974, 1975 and once again he returned to the forefront after the races in Spain and in Holice in 1980.

But the most memorable year of his career is, of course, the year 1974. The year of one great wrong.


Soviet stunt
In that season, Falta fought for the title of world champion with Gennady Mojseyev of the Soviet Union in the royal class up to 250 cc throughout the season.

After the last race, Falta became world champion, but eventually lost the title.

Under what circumstances? This has not been talked about in Czechoslovakia for many years. Any mention of Falt and 1974 was banned due to a politically explosive topic. Everything collapsed after the Velvet Revolution, even though everyone in the motocross world knew about it.

"I'd rather not remember, I have a program from Wohlen from the following year hidden somewhere. There's a photo of Popenko running into me from the side. It's hard to believe without a photo, "Falta said in an interview.

Articles with headlines such as "Falta robbed" were published around the world that year.

Nothing in Czechoslovakia.

The Soviet riders, who, like Falta, started on the ČZ brand, blocked him during the decisive race. Popenko even knocked him to the ground. Even Mosesev waited for the whole round on Falta and then, to the displeasure of local spectators, delayed it.

Falta still gained the necessary points for the triumph and won in the last race. However, the Soviet expedition then protested for an early start.

"I know I hit the starting gate and it fell. But I didn't skip it ... "Falta himself said.


The protest was decided by the race jury, who accepted it in a 3: 2 ratio to the detriment of the Czechoslovak national team. Three representatives voted in favor of the protest: the leader of the Soviet team, the Swiss race director, the civilian general representative of the KTM brand for Switzerland (Gennady Mojseyev had just started at the Austrian KTM) and Austria, the country where Mossey's motorcycle came from. Czechoslovakia and Germany opposed it.

The whole controversy was to be completed at the autumn FIM Congress in San Marino.

However, only proven Swazarm officials left to represent Czechoslovakia, who were warned by the then chairman of the FIM International Motocross Commission, René Bruneel, that it was enough for them not to come to the hall at the time of the dispute, and Falta would become world champion without their participation.

Officials still came, joined the debate, and eventually withdrew the item on the agenda. The title of world champion was thus definitively handed over to the Soviet Union.

"I didn't know they were leaving. Maybe they just knew. "I read that I was second in the newspaper, nobody told me anything," Falta recalled. "Later, there were discussions where I came, they asked me there. I was forbidden to talk about it ... "

In the same year, he managed to sensationally control the highly anticipated Super Bowl race, which took place in Los Angeles in front of 65,000 fans. He defeated the best riders from all over the world in the race.

In his collection of medals from the World Team Championships, the then 250cc Trophy of the Nations and the 500cc Motocross of the Nations, you will find bronze and silver metal. He is missing only the most valuable one that the Czechoslovak team won in the 1975 season. Jaroslav Falta had to resign from the well-started World Championship due to spleen disease, which did not allow him to return to the racetrack until the end of the year.

"Once the race was in a terrible heat, the boys were tired and so they climbed into the shade under the bus after the race. They were all crazy and nobody moved. Jarda walked there in the full sun, it didn't look like he was going at all. At the same time, he had the same race as the others. It was just a talent, he always knew how best to meet during the ride, everything went the easiest way and saved a lot of energy, "said former motocross coach Josef Hřebeček.

The book The Stolen Title was also written about the trip. In 2011, the documentary Motocross of the Century for Falta's 60th birthday was also made on Czech Television. On April 13, Czech Television should also present the 13th room of Jaroslav Falta.

They finished it last Friday.

Two days before the sudden death of the legendary motocross racer.