“The hits are heavy and the motorbikes arrive very quickly”: motoball, a sport as spectacular as it is little-known

They have the motorcycle in their blood, and not just for riding. No jokes during matches, motoball players are equipped like modern-day gladiators. In this sport, there is no circuit, motoball is played on a concrete slab. The ball is twice as big as in football, but the juggling is just as spectacular.

“We love motorcycles, we love footballthat’s what makes this sport. It’s simply the only mechanical team sport that you can’t find anywhere else.”explains one of the players in the TF1 report above.

“It’s impressive”

Appearing in the 1920s in England, this bizarre marriage attracts crowds in the Aube. At each match, 2000 spectators support the Troyes team. “It’s a sport that is quite spectacular, noisy too, that’s why we’re here,” confides an enthusiast. “It’s a bit like the rules of football, there’s constant action, there’s no downtime.”says a moto-ball fan. “They are very comfortable on their motorbikes, I find it spectacular”explains a delighted spectator. “Having to do a U-turn in half a second and go full speed back the other way is impressive.”adds another.

The matches are played five against five: the goalkeeper is the only player without a motorbike. “You mustn’t be afraid, you must have a dose of madness. The balls go fast, the shots are heavy and the motorbikes arrive very quickly”confides the goalkeeper. The drivers can reach 80 km/h on the counterattack.

Troyes, French champion

In training, bikers work on the phases of play, a free kick is taken almost like in football. “I’m going to make a one-meter shift to my teammate Roman so that it opens the goal and he can score”explains one of the bikers. “The motorbike is an extension of our body. The difficult moves are everything that will be in the air, the crosses, the volleys like in football.”

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“You have to be able to handle the motorbike and the ball, knowing that the ground is slippery”warns another player. This sport is physical, you have to tame a 100-kilo motorcycle, machines subjected to harsh tests. “There are a lot of tires, clutches that suffer, brakes. They skid a lot so there are a lot of falls. We are the physiotherapists of motorcycles,” jokes one of the repairers of the machines. In Troyes, motoball is often a family affair. In 80 years of existence, the club has even represented France in prestigious competitions. There are thirteen motoball clubs in France, and Troyes is the one that has won the most trophies.