Ducati.Net Photo Gallery - Vicki's View
Motogiro d'Italia 2008 - Rome to Vieste and back. This year we started in Rome, one glance at the schedule could tell you the new team organizing the event this year was taking the compitition seriously - raising it to another level if you will. Nine hour days of mountain riding would have done just that but for the first time in eight years, we had days of bad weather. The result was the toughest Motogiro d'Italia yet. Thanks to Christian Clarke and Lorainne Bockmier for their fine photos.
Photos by Vicki Smith, Christian Clarke, Lorainne Bockmier. Story by Vicki Smith
Think this looks like fun? Here's the link for Motogiro America:
http://www.motogiroamerica.com/en/
and Motogiro d'Italia:
http://www.motogiroditalia.com/en/
Next year? Bologna to the Italian Riviera!!! See you there.
Photos by Vicki Smith, Christian Clarke, Lorainne Bockmier. Story by Vicki Smith
Think this looks like fun? Here's the link for Motogiro America:
http://www.motogiroamerica.com/en/
and Motogiro d'Italia:
http://www.motogiroditalia.com/en/
Next year? Bologna to the Italian Riviera!!! See you there.
After a run along the seaside we headed for the hills. This town in the distance seemed a nice backdrop for photos but mostly it was no stopping, or you ran the very real risk of not making your in time
Hustling was the norm
This day we were asked to wait in a town for a while so they could check the route - there had been a report somebody removed some arrows. I suspect there was more too it since within a few moments there were people handing out local motoclub stickers and brochures about the town. Tourism is serious business in Italy
About those road signs.... We run the route daily using a road book (difficult to use while riding, mainly consulted in the morning, at stops and when you are lost) Motogiro arrows, and street signs. Each day the arrow color was different but that only added to the difficulty since some colors were easier to spot that others at speed. Add to that the difficulty of figuring out which way they pointed when wrapped around a pole
And there's the clutter of lots of other signs and stickers
And the addition of confusing Italian road signs
Sometimes all you could do was laugh. Surprisingly we almost never get lost. Minor wrong turns, missed arrows at speed that you see just as you are passing, certainly, but somehow it all works
End of the day, day 3.
We finish once again by the sea, this time in Vieste to blue skies and a spread of food that is truly impressive.
As somebody said when they saw the Prosecco, baked mussels, meats cheeses and fresh sea urchins, "Now THIS is Motogiro"
The Sorcerers of Smug are adding new magic right now, so we're in window shopping mode. We'll provide more updates here on our Status Blog.
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