Started with a dispute, the 3rd-4th round of the Italian was… disputed adding another clear success to the series. Records for Marini and Tonelli, for Botturi and Cerutti, double Aprilia in the GPX “rampant” category
3 maggio 2023
Joy of the Marsi, L’Aquila, 30 April. To be honest it was a double, the third plus the fourth of theItaliano Motorallyquite busy. Already before being. It is clear that such an army can neither claim to go unnoticed nor, even less, to disappear like Cambyses’ army in the sands of indifference. So before you even start, big fuss around the opportunity to pass or not through the areas supposed to belong exclusively to the National Park. The management bodies had said yes, it was originally a legitimate Sic 2000 passage and had already been granted in the past, the environmental “biased” ones objected with a dry and loud no, motorcycles seen as smoke and mirrors. Commonplaces that we would like to see replaced, without losing sight of the sacrosanct objectives, by more concretely current considerations, such as that motorcyclists are not the horde of barbarians of the ancient “iconography”. However, without sifting between truths and reasons, positions and pretexts, it is an infinite story of which the chromosome of origin has now been lost, suffice it to say that the double race is done. To mayors, pros, and environmentalists, against, the ball of the discussion, out of parks, SIC and trouble, on a still very beautiful and scenographic route, the Rally was beautiful. Just under 200 kilometers a day for just under 200 pilots. Merciful weather, low clouds and poor visibility at high altitudes. Remarkable, not to say complete, satisfaction of all, actors, directors and set designers. happy above all, Pasquale “Pasqualone” Alfonsipresident of the Organizer Sirente Motorcycle Club of Aielli, which played a key role in the success of the event.
Then there was no more talk and the movement passed more concretely under the supervision of… control room of Motorally, Antonio Assirelli plenipotentiary minister, under the banner of a couple of refined twists. Power and allure of the roadbook! In fact, the twist was around the corner. Quite strange but instructive, and in a certain way spectacular, cinematic. Leonard TonelliGasGas, probably the main candidate for an elite confirmation, started first and, after a few kilometers inside the first Speciale, was on the wrong track. Realizing the mistake, he went back and re-entered the right track. Not before, however, having made a fuss engulfing tapes and off course warnings. Thus, the only Thomas Marini, BiMoTa, arriving at the place of return at the same time as Tonelli, continued on the right path. All the others started on the tangent of the error and ended up in the roundup of consequent penalties. Many complaints, disagreements and disagreements, such as Alessandro Botturi that he was heading towards a possible overall victory with the Yamaha twin-cylinder, but the road book counted, certified the dynamics and silenced everyone. Leonardo Tonelli paid for the mistake by ending up in second place and Thomas Marini was flying towards victory of the day. Third, and first of… penalised, Panzer Maurice Gerini, Husqvarna. So Marini on Tonelli Botturi beats Cerutti in the G-1000Daniels, Fantic, who charms girls, Giovanni “Great” GrittiHonda, in the Marathon, and the first day in Abruzzo, or the third of the Championship, goes on file.
Sunday. The fourth of Italiano Motorally he chooses a simplified, more traditional script, in which the expected values are restored. The highlights are there Tonelli’s revenge on Mariniand here we certify that the duel between the Champion and the challenger will be the pivot of the Championship, the new assault by Jacopo Cerutti, Aprilia, which promised an overall victory before the game remains, and the increasingly interesting development of the GPX news. The latter, needless to overlook, is the great, exciting and far-sighted novelty of the Championship. In this case the role of the formidable cannot be ignored assistant director Daniele Santini. The very rapid and certain evolution of the category must be recognized, as well as the idea of making the twin-cylinder reality, born with the Yamaha “T7”, in the expanded panorama of the specialty. Alex SalviniFantic, wins the first of the two Specials (like Saturday there are two timed tests), Leonard TonelliGasGas, the second which earned the Pisan the victory of the day.
The still sensational hit is the second place overall for Jacopo Cerutti with the twin-cylinder Aprilia Tuareg super-powered by Gianfranco and Vittoriano Guareschi, GCorse. Matthew Drusiani, KTM, beats a fast but still running in Salvini, Botturi, Yamaha, is in the wake of another beautiful season. Gerini is less “lucid”, Gritti and Daniels are confirmed. Motorally Italiano is great. Oh, we forgot: GPX. Saturday new victory of Antonio Polidoro, KTM, already winner in Riotorto, ahead of Angelo Tazzari and Pierluigi “Ghigo” Valentini, both with a Yamaha “T7”. Sunday, final twist. Polidoro comes down like a shot, Santini “sees” him (on the tracking monitor) also playing some jokers. So strong that the Marshalls exclude it from the GPX variant by sending it to the Motorally Sports. Polidoro realizes it and goes back in, but it’s a bit late. The final round closes with the sensational Aprilia one-two, Combs before PradelliPolidoro is third.
Great weekend. Next is double of UmbertidePerugia, early June.
© Images Motorally & Raid TT – Aprilia Media – Yamaha – Botturi Media
Italian Motorally, 3rd day. Overall Ranking: 1. MARINI (BIMOTA 450) in 1:03’10.73; 2. TONELLI (GASGAS 350) at 51.68; 3. GERINI (HUSQVARNA 450) at 3’27.76; 4. BOTTURI (YAMAHA 750) at 3’31.9;5. CERUTTI (APRILIA 660) at 4’12.79; 6. ROCCHI (BETA 430) at 4’34.72; 7. ROSSINI (BIMOTA 450) at 5’16.11; 8. GAVA (BETA 390) at 5’22.83; 9. MARTELOZZO (SHERCO 500) at 5’30.29; 10. DRUSIANI (KTM 500) at 5’39.63; 11. PIETRI (SHERCO 250) at 5’44.25; 12. CABINS (HONDA 250) at 5’53.03; 13. TULLIO (SHERCO 450) at 6’03.61; 14. DEGIACOMI (SHERCO 300) at 7’22.34; 15. GRITTI (HONDA 450) at 7’50.70; 16. MENICHINI (HUSQVARNA 250) at 8’26.80; 17. INTERNAL` (FANTIC 450) at 8’56.02; 18. CAVICCHI (GASGAS 350) at 9’01.12; 19. ZANZI (KTM 450) at 10’03.56; 20. ANTONELLO (YAMAHA 450) at 10’19.04…
Italian Motorally, 4th day. Overall Ranking: 1. TONELLI (GASGAS 350) in 1:03’47.64; 2. CERUTTI (APRILIA 660) at 17.99; 3. DRUSIANI (KTM 500) at 21.92; 4. SALVINI (FANTIC 450) at 53.74; 5. ROCCHI (BETA 430) at 1’16.37; 6. BOTTURI (YAMAHA 750) at 1’33.59; 7. MARTELOZZO (SHERCO 500) at 2’20.41; 8. DEGIACOMI (SHERCO 300) at 2’42.21; 9. CABINI (HONDA 250) at 2’42.35; 10. PIETRI (SHERCO 250) at 3’07.03; 11. GERINI (HUSQVARNA 450) at 4’03.30; 12. MENICHINI (HUSQVARNA 250) at 4’04.40; 13. GAVA (BETA 390) at 4’07.84; 14. GRITTI (HONDA 450) at 4’07.98; 15. TULLIO (SHERCO 450) at 4’43.21; 16. INTERNAL` (FANTIC 450) at 5’06.00; 17. CAVICCHI (GASGAS 350) at 5’20.27; 18. DEGIACOMI (SHERCO 125) at 5’21.64; 19. BOEZI (BETA 480) at 6’12.41; 20. MONTANARI (APRILIA 660) at 6’32.28…
