Ducati.Net Photo Gallery - Vicki's View
Sicily. If places bring to mind colors, than this place is bright sea blue with some deep orange thrown in for highlight. In May Sicily is in full bloom - wildflowers and wildly flavorful fruit are everywhere you turn. Toss in some Italian motorcycles and you have the recipe for this years Motogiro d'Italia which returned to the island at the tip of Italy for the second time this year. The highlight of this years route was Mount Etna, a must see place if there ever was one. Currently active it was kind enough to misbehave on the other side of the mountain, leaving our route and viewing pleasure uninterupted. The 2007 event began for us at the NCR workshop (see the gallery here: http://ducati.smugmug.com/gallery/2835303 ) with a story that began two years ago. It's about a man, a dream and one fast little bike.........
Photos by Vicki Smith
Photos by Vicki Smith
There is a regular cast of characters that make this event so special. From tall to small, unique, every one.
That's Reno Leoni. Famous in the US he's a relative newcomer to this event. After years of me telling him he would really love the Motogiro and him telling me he was retired, he finally attended two years ago. Didn't take long for folks to figure out who to go to though, He's back in business with 6 bikes running in the event this year.
Some of the Reno bikes - That's Bill on the left, Jim Hunter, Burt Richmond (who has his own Lotus Tours bike he leaves in Italy, I'm not sure who the guy in the red jacket is (Matteo?) but the guy on the end is Jack Silverman, who had Reno bring two for him and his wife Marissa.
The hotels on the Motogiro are always great when the tour goes South. This year we were all in one hotel, which makes for a better time (if only in the bar in the evenings!) since we are all staying together. Both the Sciacci hotel and the Brucolli hotel were right on the sea. These bouganvilla's were everywhere.
Two of the "Vicki Team" and best friends both. That's Jim Dillard on the left and Robin Lawrence on the right. Jim entered a 175 Aermacchi, Robin a 175 Beta.
That's Gabriel. He's from Spain and is actually a titled Marquis which as it was explained to me is something like a Prince. He's a regular and quite a character. He's pretty much a party in a box so this picture is perfect.
Every year he brings a matched set of some sort of rare and impossible to find one let alone TWO bikes. This year I'm not sure how they fit them in the trailer between the bull head, giant paella pan, camp grill, champagne cases and sombrerro hats. The trailer was covered with fabulous posters. Gabriel may ONLY be a prince but he's the KING of style!
That's Erwin. He's a regular since 2002. He and his son compete on a Parilla and an MV Agusta, serious machines both.
Gabriel and Paolo Rossi, the race director, wearing one of the seemingly endless supply of Torreador hats that came from the trailer.
This photo is not posed. This is what happens every year when the bikes come out of the trailer - this year matched Bultaco TSS's. They drew a crowd the entire event.
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