Michele Bosi has decided to postpone the 3rd edition of Red Bull Abestone. The trickle of conditions to obtain authorisations, despite compliance with procedures and deadlines. Sometimes it’s just a war against the windmills
June 9, 2023
AbetoneTuscany, 9 June 2023. Red Bull Abestonethird Round of the Hard Enduro World Championship, will not be contested in 2023. Less than a month from the Event, it is scheduled for the days from 7 to 10 July, and despite huge investments in terms of work and respect for procedures, Michele Bosi, the creator and organizer of the only Italian date of the Series World Championship, cannot accept keeping Riders and Teams in suspense as the sand of the hourglass slides towards the impossibility of respecting the unwritten agreement with the enthusiasts. AND a question of dignity and, indeed, of respect. The decision is to consider the 2023 edition canceled e postpone the third edition of Red Bull Abestone to better days and operating conditions, probably from 5 to 7 July 2024.
Michele Bosi explains why he arrived at the expensive decision, not only in emotional terms:
“In November 2022, following a request from the Municipality, the The Tuscany Region has asked me for an environmental impact study for areas adjacent to Natura 2000 areas in the scenario of Red Bull Abestone 2023. For this reason we have hired a leading professional firm in the sector that operates in the area and which therefore has referenced expertise to carry out this function. In terms of fauna, some restrictive measures were proposed to me which I judged legitimate and which I immediately accepted.
In the months of January and February we elaborated the study, it is a file of approx 50 detailed pages on every single protected speciesin the meantime providing for a coherent modification of the structure of our Tender, and we presented it to the Region in compliance with the form and timing established by the protocol.
In the meantime, the chaos due to the cancellation of the KTM Trophy race also scheduled in Pistoia aroused my concern, so I decided to put myself in contact with the Colonel of the Carabinieri/Forest, which has relevance to the problem, with the aim of being able to work as quickly and directly as possible. In truth, the dialogue was not fruitful and, since the positive opinion of clearance for the execution of the tender should have come from the interconnected Biodiversity Office, I understood that it was not possible to move towards a positive solution.
In the meantime, I have made the Presidency of the Board aware of the problem Italian Motorcycle Federationof which we have obtained full support, and received confirmation of the support of Municipal Administrations of the territory involved in the Tender. We were therefore waiting for the final response from the Tuscany Region.
The “verdict” arrived on June 8th, at the limit of the maximum time available to formulate the answer, i.e. just 27 days from the start date of the Event. This consists of request for another incidence study. It means, mathematically, that we are not given enough time to elaborate the new study, and that the judging deadline goes far beyond the dates of execution of the Tender.
Formally we are at a dead end of timing, which denounces little or no willingness not so much to solve as even just to deal seriously with the problems.
Consequently, after having held a meeting with the Promoter del Mondiale, WESSfor the respect we feel we owe to the Circus of the World Championship, Riders, Teams and insiders, to the Sponsors and to the public who support us, I made the tough decision.
Having no longer any chance of being able to find a solution within the deadlines of the event, I have decided to cancel Red Bull Abestone 2023 e you postpone the Hard Enduro World Championship Event to a date when improved procedures and reporting conditions are verifiedor at least decent, with the authorities responsible for granting permits.
I lost the first round of the match and I am sorry that the great work carried out in recent months with the Promoter, the Municipality hosting the Federations and the enthusiasts who support our Project, did not help to stage the third edition.
I will remain busy at work more than ever, I apologize to the actors and fans, whom I thank, e I promise: Red Bull Abestone doesn’t stop there!”
Michele Bossi
All of this happens in the midst of the second round of the Hard Enduro World Championship: ErzbergRodeo
