Homage to Montjuïc
The Montjuïc Circuit was the heart of sports motorcycling in Catalonia. Between 1932 and 1986 the most renowned international events in the country were held on the magic mountain. The Barcelona International Grand Prix, the Spanish Grand Prix – scoring since 1951 for the Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix, now universally known as MotoGP – and the 24 Hours of Montjuïc – scoring for the Endurance World Championship – are the most famous events it hosted.
The forerunners
of the
Catalunya WorldSBK
But championship races were also held that were considered the spiritual predecessors of the WorldSBK, dedicated to motorcycles derived from series. This is the case of the FIM Formula 750 Cup (1973), the Formula TT World Championship (1985) and many other national competitions where local brands like Montesa, Bultaco, Ossa or Derbi faced international competition.
Therefore, the celebration of a Round of the World Superbike Championship at the Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit is also to perpetuate this spirit to compete with the motorcycles that we can buy in the dealerships, as previous generations of riders already did.
The columns
of
Puig i Cadafalch
The track outline meandered from the “fountains straight”, climbing to Poble Espanyol and Sant Jordi towards the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium, to go back down by Font del Gat and the Teatre Grec. And it is precisely at the starting point of the track that we find the starring element of the Catalunya WorldSBK Round trophy: the columns of Puig i Cadafalch.
The four Ionic columns – in reference to the four bars of the Catalan Senyera – immediately transport us to Rius i Taulet avenue of the Catalan capital, in front of the National Palace and the Magic Fountains.
The marble
of
Mies Van der Rohe
These columns on steps are supported on a marble plate that forms the base of the trophy. The greenish marble used is the same that we can find on the walls of another famous element of Montjuïc: the Mies Van der Rohe pavilion.
An emblematic building of the Bauhaus, built to celebrate the Universal Exhibition of 1929 and located a few metres from the columns of Puig i Cadafalch. The pavilion is a symbol of modernity and innovation, an area where the city of Barcelona has always claimed to be a leader.