FIM announces permanent numbers for 2003.

Motorcycle racing's governing body has revealed a new system of allocating permanent starting numbers to riders who will be competing in a class of the 2003 FIM Individual Motocross World Championship.

The moves hot on the heels of the FIM's decision to introduce four-stroke machines in all classes, and establish the new denomination of the three classes as Motocross GP [250cc two-stroke and 290-450cc four-stroke), 125 (125cc two-stroke and 175-250cc four-stroke) and 650 (500cc two-stroke and 475-650 four-stroke).

The criteria for the allocation of the permanent starting numbers is as follows:

1. those riders who have scored world championship points in any class during the previous year will be ranked according to the total amount of points earned, with all classes counted together to give an 'overall ranking;

2. if a rider scored points in several classes, these will be added together and the rider ranked according to his new total in the 'overall' classification;

3. if riders are tied on points, priority will be given firstly to the Motocross GP class, secondly to the 125 class and finally to the 650 class;

4. the current world champion will have the possibility to use the number one plate if competing in the same class as the previous year. However, if he wishes to do so, they can choose a 'career number', which will then be allocated for use whenever he/she competes in a class other than that in which the world title was won;

5. all ranked riders, except the current world champions, will be allocated a number beginning at number two [provided the number has not yet been allocated as a career number to a current world champion];

6. riders who did not score any world championship points during the previous year will be allocated a number beginning with 200.

The 2003 list reads as follows:

1. Mickael Pichon FRA Motocross GP
1. Mickael Maschio FRA 125
1. Stefan Everts BEL 650

2. Mickael Pichon FRA
3. Jo?l Smets BEL
4. Javier Garcia Vico SPA
5. Joshua Coppins NZL
6. Marnicq Bervoets BEL
7. Pit Beirer GER
8. Steve Ramon BEL
9. James Dobb GBR
10. Patrick Caps BEL
11. Philippe Dupasquier SUI
12. Kenneth Gundersen NOR
14. Jussi-Pekka Vehvilainen FIN
15. Alessandro Puzar ITA
16. Andrea Bartolini ITA
17. Fr?d?ric Bolley FRA
18. Ben Townley NZL
19. Gordon Crockard IRL
20. Andrew McFarlane AUS
21. Yves Demaria FRA
22. Tyla Rattray RSA
23. Alessio Chiodi ITA
24. Roman Jelen SLO
25. Johnny Aubert FRA
26. Marc de Reuver NED
27. Jeff Dement USA
28. Paul Cooper GBR
29. Stephen Sword GBR
30. Brian Jorgensen DEN
31. Avo Leok EST
32. Christian Stevanini ITA
33. James Noble GBR
34. Danny Theybers BEL
35. Marko Kovalainen FIN
36. Trampas Parker USA
37. C?dric Melotte BEL
38. Carl Nunn GBR
39. Erik Eggens NED
40. Luigi Seguy FRA
41. Christian Burnham GBR
42. Thierry Bethys FRA
43. Kevin Strijbos BEL
44. Christian Beggi ITA
45. Jiri Cepelak CZE
46. Fabrizio Dini ITA
47. Serge Guidetty FRA
48. Josef Dobes CZE
49. Antti Pyrhonen FIN
50. Antoine Letellier FRA
51. Joakim Karlsson SWE
52. Marco Dorsch GER
53. Alessandro Zanni ITA
54. Tanel Leok EST
55. Mark Eastwood GBR
56. Billy MacKenzie GBR
57. Marvin van Daele BEL
58. Mark Jones GBR
59. Mats Nilsson SWE
60. Matthieu Lalloz FRA
61. Miska Aaltonen FIN
62. Christophe Martin FRA
63. Stuart Flockhart GBR
64. Tallon Vohland USA
65. Michal Kadlecek CZE
66. Lauris Freibergs LAT
67. Joaquim Rodrigues POR
68. Peter Iven BEL
69. Johnny Lindhe SWE
70. Rui Gon?alves POR
71. Mickael Maschio FRA
72. Stefan Everts BEL
73. Brett Metcalfe AUS
74. Alessandro Belometti ITA
75. Marcel van Drunen NED
76. Wyatt Avis RSA
77. Marc Ristori SUI
78. Yoshitaka Atsuta JPN
79. Justin Morris GBR
80. Collin Dugmore RSA
81. Jarret de Jager RSA
82. Jason Higgs IRL
83. Remy van Rees NED
84. Pierrick Paget FRA
85. Manuel Priem BEL
86. Jan Zaremba CZE
87. Tom Church GBR
88. Julien Bill SUI
89. Robbie Reynard USA
90. Kornel Nemeth HUN
91. Antti Kallonen FIN
92. Daniele Bricca ITA
93. Sergiej Garin RUS
94. Luca Cherubini ITA
95. Nicolas Charlier FRA
96. Juss Lansoo EST
97. Saso Kragelj SLO
98. Bernd Eckenbach GER
99. Peter Johansson SWE
100. Andr? Nilsson SWE
101. Petri Jarvela SWE
102. Tommy Engwall SWE
103. Erik Camerlengo ITA
104. Oscar Vromans NED
105. Karl Karlsson SWE
106. Enrico Oddenino ITA
107. Aigar Leok EST
108. Toomas Triisa EST
109. Mark Hucklebridge GBR
110. Steve Seronval BEL
111. Claudio Federici ITA
112. Jan Brabec CZE
113. Jurgen Wybo BEL
114. Kristof Salaets BEL
115. George Strik NED
116. David Philippaerts ITA
117. Erwin Machtlinger AUT
118. Kim Ashkenazi AUS
119. Samuele Ciacci RSM
120. Ivan Cervantes SPA
121. Stefano Dami ITA
122. Christof Godrie BEL
123. Nenad Sipek CRO
124. Manuel Monni ITA
125. Stefan Andersson SWE
126. Maxim Lebedev RUS
127. Darryl Atkins NZL
128. Samuli Aro FIN
129. Fr?d?ric Vialle FRA
130. Dimitri Parschin RUS
131. Espen Blikstad SWE
132. Benjamin Coisy FRA
133. Leons Kozlovskis LAT
134. Juha Salminen FIN
135. Andrei Safronov RUS
136. Joakim Eliasson SWE
137. Jan Rune Fuglerud NOR
138. Tomas Bucenec SVK
139. Argis Litvinovs LAT
140. Martin Zerava CZE