Open Letter VLM chairman regarding Corona current affairs
After the new announcements from the Belgian government regarding In the fight against the Coronavirus, VLM also thinks out loud about what this means for motocross riders. In a new open letter yesterday, VLM vChairman Eddy Houtmeyers discusses the various guidelines regarding sports and relaxation.
Here is the content of the letter:
With the data from the Security Council of April 24, we have little clarity for our sport. With the application of a gradual relaxation of measures, we must evaluate what would be possible for our sport. There was no direct motocross. But let us think again about what it does say about sports or relaxation.
Phase 1a (from May 4) tells us:
Relaxation and exercise outside
• You are allowed to play sports in the open air (tennis, athletics, fishing, golf, etc.), walking, cycling, etc. with a maximum of two people who do not live under your roof.
• Social distancing must also be absolutely respected here, because four out of ten infected people hardly feel anything from the virus.
• Sports that require infrastructure such as showers, cloakrooms or a cafeteria remain prohibited.
Shouldn't we sound the alarm here to open our practice circuits and at least set up some rules regarding maximum occupancy. So allow the pilot to be accompanied by a maximum of 2 people, respecting the social distance and not opening any canteens. We are here in the open air, the riders have protective clothing and the terrain consists of a large area, where the distribution of riders can be guaranteed.
Furthermore, there will also be similar relaxation in the next phase.
Phase 2 (from May 18) tells us:
Relaxation and exercise outside
• You may be allowed to exercise in the open air with more than two people who do not live under your roof
• For group sports, outdoor training will be allowed again if:
o It is a recognized sports club
o There is a trainer present
o Social distancing is respected
What does this mean in concrete terms?
So we will also have to focus on this and get our practice circuits open for individual motocross training. Teams could also use exercises together. We still have to ensure that distance rules are applied and that the spread of the virus is contained. So it is up to us to make such proposals possible and then to enforce them.
TOGETHER we must work towards this and if violations are noticed, we must address those offenders. And we point out that we all have the same goal and that we must respect everyone's health. Let us first use these imposed rules to start exercises on circuits, and thus get the motocross event to a certain position. If we can bring all this to a successful conclusion, we can also promote the containment of the virus.
With these improvements in mind, we can also look forward to the step of setting up competitions while still paying attention to Corona measures. When this will be depends on various factors. An important factor is the code of conduct of all of us, and the better we implement it, the faster we will reach the real competition level. A number of actors in the motocross world are in the process of calling on the cabinet to resume motocross events. So let us all not lose courage and hope that we can still achieve a good outcome and thus be able to practice our hobby.
TOGETHER STRONG AGAINST CORONA
Your chairman
Eddy Houtmeyers
Photos: Dieter Jans
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