Interview with Salva and his group of bikers at the Aragon GP
At the Hotel Sauce we frequently receive groups of bikers who stop on their route to visit Saragossa. Our privileged location and private underground parking are a sensational attraction that few motorists miss. Furthermore, at Hotel Sauce we love motorcycles and we are delighted to welcome tired bikers after a long day on the road. On the occasion of the Aragon Grand Prix of the motorcycle world championship, a group of fans visited us and left their mark on the hotel. Uniformed in their grand prix polo shirt, they caused a sensation among the rest of the guests who believed they were sharing a hotel with an official team. They chose Salva as spokesperson to answer a few questions for us.
We are pleased to introduce you to Salva and his group of bikers.
Traveling on a motorcycle, especially in a group, is quite an experience. Do you usually go out riding together or only in grand prix or other races?
The truth is that the group that went to Saragossa, as a whole, was the first time we had filmed together. Separately, most of us had made the odd trip or route. It can be said that Juan Antonio and I are the ones who have made the most trips together. The number of members varies on each occasion. 11 of us went to MotorLand and, for example, last year only three of us went to the Valencia GP. A few years ago we did go out on motorcycle routes or getaways. Lately we try to take at least one trip a year. We have been to all the Grand Prix held in the Iberian Peninsula (Jerez, Estoril, Valencia, Barcelona and now Alcañiz). We have also done motorcycle trips not related to grand prizes. In 2009 we went to the Alps and in 2010 we toured the Pyrenees and the Picos de Europa. At the time I made a blog where I told about our trips. I haven’t updated it in a while, but I have to get around to it. This is the blog: http://misviajesenmoto-salva.blogspot.com.es/
In Saragossa we are very proud of our circuit and that a world championship grand prix is being held in Alcañiz. What do you think of Motorland and its facilities?
The circuit is very good, good facilities, good access despite not being a highway and the entire event is well organized. We chose a stand where you only had to walk about 100 meters from the parking lot to the stand. Just point out that, at the exit of the circuit, on Sunday, they made us take a detour of about 40km, but only for the motorcycles. I suppose it would be to avoid crowds.
Following a motorcycling grand prix live is very different from watching it on television. Why would you recommend that a fan come to the circuit to experience it live?
Because of the atmosphere at the circuit, the sound of the engines, you see drivers who normally do not appear on television,…. Also, you don’t have to listen to this year’s Tele 5 commentator because he is terrible 🙂
In the surroundings of Saragossa there are a good handful of fantastic routes to go by motorcycle. Did you know the area from other outings or is this your first time coming here?
We did not know the area since it is our first time. We liked the little that we have ridden in Saragossa: the secondary roads have a special charm for riding a motorcycle.
I’m sure you’ve had a lot of funny anecdotes while traveling by motorcycle. What’s the strangest thing that’s happened to you in a hotel?
On the trip we made to the Montmelo GP (Barcelona) we had the hotel in the center of the city and we had reserved parking for 7 motorcycles. The first day we parked without problems but the next day at the reception they told us that we could not put the motorcycles back in the parking lot because the hotel owner was bothered to park his car. On the trip through the Pyrenees, in Llívia, when we arrived our rooms had been given to other people but in the end they solved it. On the trip through the Alps we did not have hotels reserved in case we changed the planned route, so every day we had to look for a hotel. In Andermatt (Switzerland) there were no hotels with vacant rooms. In the end we found a bed and breakfast run by an older lady. We felt at home, the lady was super friendly and she even had breakfast with us.
What absurd object cannot be missing from your saddlebags?
The truth is that on a motorcycle you don’t have much space for luggage so you have to think very carefully about what you are carrying. Apart from the normal luggage of any traveler, we usually carry some tools, repair punctures, a small first aid kit,… Personally I always carry a pen that a co-worker gave me. Let’s say it’s like an amulet.
And before riding, nothing better than a good breakfast. What is your ideal breakfast when you are going out on a motorcycle?
More than ideal, I would say that it was abundant since you don’t know when, where or what you are going to eat next. I remember one time, due to lack of time, we couldn’t stop for lunch that day.
What memories do you take away from the 2013 Aragon Grand Prix, Saragossa and the Hotel Sauce?
We have enjoyed a great weekend, a good atmosphere at the circuit, in the city and at the hotel. The hotel highlights the good treatment and attention of all the staff, absolutely everyone. The best memory of the weekend, without a doubt, is the group of people who carried out this trip. I have to comment that many of us in this group did not know each other until a week before the trip. There were even those who did not have a motorcycle 2 months before the trip. But in the end it has been a group that has gotten along perfectly. We rode the motorcycle as if we had been together for many kilometers, there were no problems between us and we laughed a lot.
