FIM ENDURO VINTAGE TROPHY
all’Isola d’Elba – DAY 1
The echoes of the evocative inaugural ceremony that took place yesterday, Wednesday, October 20, along the Molo Massimo in Portoferraio, have not yet gone out. Introduced by the voices of Lorenzo Graziotti and Martina Riboni, the 400 drivers at the start started immersed in the scenery of the ‘Spiaggia delle ghiaie’. Palpable emotion was in the air and in the eyes of the President of the organizing Moto Club, Daniele Anichini when the first three participants got on the starting platform: the Finnish Harri Leppalaakso on Monark 125, compatriot Jukka Tapani Puolivali on KTM 125 and the German Uwe Weber on MZ 350 got the ball rolling. The first 24 riders lined up at the starting line were the Trophy drivers, representing eight different nations (Finland, Germany, Austria, France, Spain, Switzerland, Poland and of course Italy); followed by the 85 Club teams that will compete for the Silver Vase and, in closing, the 121 individual drivers.
Under the direction of the race of Paolo Buratti, of the track inspectors Maurizio Micheluz (of the International Motorcycling Federation) and Stefano Passeri (of the Italian Motorcycle Federation), the riders entered the tussle challenging each other for the conquest of their respective categories (20 in total); crossing breathtaking views in the municipalities affected by the passage of motorcycles (Portoferraio, Capoliveri, Campo nell'Elba, Porto Azzurro, Marciana, Marciana Marina and Rio), the vintage drivers ventured into the three Special Stages scheduled today (Enduro Test 'Elvetelba', Cross Test 'Buraccio' and Enduro Test 'Filetto'), followed by the final Acceleration test along Viale Zambelli, in Portoferraio.
Among the protagonists of the day, the names of the first five fastest drivers stood out, namely the World Champion Matteo Rubin (category C6), who whipped the KTM 250 set for him by Franco Zaniolo won the overall standings, the multiple champion from France, Stephane Peterhansel (Yamaha 250, C6) finished at 1 second and 52 cents from Rubini; his compatriot Nicolas Paganon (Husqvarna 250, C6, a well-known supermotard driver) at 43 seconds, the rider of Scuderia Fulvio Norelli Paolo Giulietti (KTM 495, C7) at 51 seconds and Maglia Azzurra rider, Tullio Pellegrinelli (KTM 350, C7) at 53 seconds.
The other bearer of the Maglia Azzurra, Enrico Tortoli (KTM 250, A5) finished the round in seventh place, while Giorgio Grasso (KTM 250, C6) experienced an ignition problem that forced him to retire before the third Special Stage (Enduro Test ‘Filetto’). Exactly 40 years after the Six Days of 1981, the Island of Elba confirms itself as a 'black beast' for the Ligurian World Champion: at the time, he should have participated in the international competition on Gilera, but a clavicle injury cut him off the game even before leaving for the island of the Tuscan archipelago.
In great dusting, however, Ivo Zanatta (sixth on his Puch Frigerio 250, category C6) and the bearer of the organizing association Paolo Pellegrini (no one riding his KTM 250, C6) proved to be in great dusting; Mauro Sant (Moto Club Tagliamento) on KTM 550, category X5 close the top
With the charts in our hands, the Trophy sees the French team in the lead with the riders Laurent Charbonnel (KTM 400, A5), Stephane Peterhansel (Yamaha 250, C6) and Thierry Viardot (SWM 250, C6), while Vaso sees team A of the Moto Club Pantera as leader, with Luigi Mazzoni (KTM 250, A5), Maurizio Bettini (KTM 175, C5) e Mario Graziani (Gori 250, C6). For the record, in the top ten of the competition reserved for club teams, nine out of ten representatives are of Italian nationality.
I conclude with trivia fact. Going back from the Cross Test we crossed some retired drivers, whose face said everything: the sadness and despair of not being able to continue in the race. This also shows how much the Moto Club Isola d'Elba of President Daniele Anichini was able to intercept and satisfy the passion for the Regularity of a time that belonged to the participants in the FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy.
Another trivia fact. Going back from the Cross Test we crossed Anichini, in a crossroads, almost as if he was settling the traffic during the course of the competition: greeting us, he jokingly called himself a ‘proletarian president’.
Daniela Confalonieri