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Ho letto in un baleno il libro di Carlo Dolcini, riservandomi il piacere di scrutare a una a una le schede di iscrizione, ripercorrere il tracciato originale attraverso il dettagliatissimo road book d'epoca, studiare e confrontare le tabelle dei tempi. Fa subito impressione il lavoro da entomologo appassionato, ce lo vedo Carlo rigirarsi i preziosi documenti tra le mani, pregustando il gusto dell'analisi. Solo lui poteva accorgersi che la prima Mille Miglia era dieci chilometri più corta della distanza ufficiale. E solo un appassionato di storia poteva collegare l'Alfa di Leandro Arpinati alla medesima vettura che lo stesso gerarca si trovò a guidare avendo a bordo Mussolini quando il quindicenne Anteo Zamboni attentò a Bologna alla vita del duce. C'è da dire - in tema di coincidenze - che il primo a bloccare l'attentatore fu un giovane tenente del 56mo reggimento di fanteria, tale Carlo Alberto Pasolini, genitore di Pier Paolo...
Ecco quanto è facile - seguendo il "metodo Dolcini" (fatto di cultura sterminata, reminiscenze storiche, spunti generati dalla passione per le gare e i motori) - ritrovarsi a parlare d'altro. Spuntano così i libri di don Ferrante, la baronessa D'Avanzo zia di Rossellini, l'ossimoro delle vetture "furibonde e sagge", Dante e il picco di Radicofani dove per salirvi e scendere "convien ch'om voli", la carrozza del Gattopardo, il fatalismo dell'Ecclesiaste 9:11 ("le cose avvengono secondo il tempo e il caso") citato a proposito delle sei gomme bucate di notte da Gildo Strazza, quarto assoluto su Lancia Lambda a soli 38 minuti dai vincitori. L'accuratezza maniacale di Dolcini porta come sempre a piccole smentite frutto delle sue scoperte: uno dei quattro "fondatori" della Mille Miglia, Giovanni Canestrini, fissò al 24 dicembre del 1926 la riunione in cui nacque l'idea della corsa. Dolcini ha scoperto che venti giorni prima sulla Gazzetta dello Sport era già apparso l'annuncio della manifestazione. E Fellini? Nella sua rievocazione le vetture sfrecciano di notte e il pubblico grida al vento i nomi dei campioni. Da una inquadratura del film (c'è su un telone un numero romano che identifica la VII edizione) si deduce che siamo nel 1933. La gente grida i nomi dei grandi piloti che schizzano via: Brilli Peri (ma è morto da tre anni), Campari (vinse del 1928 e nel 1929, ma all'edizione del '33 non partecipò), von Stuck (anch'egli assente). E nessuno che inneggi a Tazio Nuvolari, che di quella edizione fu l'assoluto trionfatore. Fellini e lo sceneggiatore Tonino Guerra presi in castagna? Ma no, commenta benevolo il nostro professore; hanno solo mescolato la fantasia con la realtà, collocando la Mille Miglia "in un eterno presente".
Non potete perderla questa ennesima fatica, perla appassionata di Carlo Dolcini: "La prima Mille Miglia", Nada editore.
Even if you reach an average error of three cents, you risk being off the podium in a regularity race. At the Cup of the Etruscans, edition number 22, the difference among the first four of the overall standings has been six cents. Pietra Won, surpassing Zanasi at the last passage in the night. Beautiful event, organised as always by Mimmone Patara, that best regularity drivers in Italy now mark as a firm commitment in their calendar. The parallel tourist event has been the preserve of Alessio Natali, who made fewer mistakes than others. What about us? We finished among the first ten (there were nine participants ...) and first in the group (we were alone, with Fiat 1100-103 '53). However, as long as the co-drivers and tools were turned on, we travelled to the average for us stratospheric of six cents. We met many friends; heart sank finding Magda. Mimmo said again (for the fourth time in four years) this is likely to be the latest edition. It would be a shame because the show is set up well: nice rhythm, full immersion at night on country roads and in the villages of Tuscia, dinner without frills, casual brunch and cotillion.
Everyone was astonished. The 500 people who filled the large conference room of the renovated Museum of Alfa Romeo in Arese, have been amazed by the exciting sequence of images that showed the adventure made by the Scuderia del Portello to the latest edition of the Beijing-Paris rally. The screening opened the celebration for the annual award ceremony Champions Alfa Romeo. The president of the Scuderia Marco Cajani summarized all the successes of the association. Roberto Maroni, governor of Lombardy, congratulated for the 35 years of activity on all tracks and dirt roads of the world. Arturo Merzario and Ivan Capelli (old F1 pilots) did not hide the desire - watching the movie - to get back behind the wheel of these cars that have made history. The representatives of Coni and the FCA confirmed their support to the activities of "Scuderia del Portello." We showed the relationship between lived agonistic, our memory and the narrative. "Eternally Giulia" will be the title of the great book that will soon be given to the press to revive in all fans the excitement of the Beijing-Paris. It has seen our Giulia (as mentioned by Savina Confaloni in presenting this event joyfully) earn the gold medal, the thirteenth place overall among 109 participants and the second place in our category, and finally first place among the seven Italian crews. Applause, trophies for everyone, fine dining, and visit to a museum unique in the world.
It was the world champion Guido Guerrini (FIA Alternative Energies) the first to send us, from the Motor show, a picture of Giulia with which we completed the last Peking to Paris. We already knew from "Scuderia del Portello" that they exposed it to the admiration of the million visitors. But as we saw it all gleaming and winking we heard her whisper, "Well, don't you come to see me?" We'll think about a blitz in Bologna; but we already know that then we would want to climb, put it in motion, feel the roar Alfa and take her away to do a good lap ... We always give our cars a nickname. For this car we could not find the right inspiration, the nickname is something that one day it hits you and you know that it was his: you did not invent it, but only you realise you have found it. Towards the end of the rally, suddenly and in a roundabout way, we had the inspiration, or rather, made the discovery. Our Giulia, just what you see in the picture, the one that brought us from Beijing to Paris in 36 days of extreme and exhausting competition. Which was able to get us thirteenth among 109 crews, second in class, gold medal for never lost time controls and special tests along the 14,000 kilometres of the rally, this beloved Giulia had a name. It was already circulating - with a completely unjustified superiority mixed with a touch of envy - among some of the six Italian crew finished behind her in the standings: "La Fracicona!" (the worn one)
"Vito and Dina" is the restaurant downstairs, virtually a family annexe. In the afternoon, Vito rings the doorbell, "Come down; I'll show you a car that you will like ...". In front of the tavern, parked on the blue lines, in Via degli Scipioni 50, I saw an "Alfa Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde," in a flaming red livery, temporary plate. Big curiosity, the old mechanic, that repairs scooters, wanted to see the engine. I brought my I-Pad, and I took some pictures. Then, proudly, I showed photos of our Giulia, the one that raced Beijing-Paris and that, months ago, had the privilege of being escorted by these special nieces to the Alfa museum in Arese and Lombardy Region. All people who stopped to admire had words of enthusiasm and hope. "The Alfa should get back to racing," was the hope expressed by the younger passersby. Will they ever be heard?
Here it is, 1,500,000 people clicked on our website. We never thought to reach a similar number of visits, but obviously, this site can attract a lot more people than we could imagine or hope. People, mostly unknown, attracted probably - more than by current news - by the continuity of individual stories covering so hard raids. And if someone, by chance, arrives in in www.girodelmondo, then he goes back to read what it's like going to end that one time in the Gobi Desert, in Ushuaia, in Hanoi or Anchorage. We competed with vintage cars on four continents. We lack Oceania. It is true: who knows if sooner ... Meanwhile, we must thank our loyal readers and apologize if, after the Beijing-Paris, we took two-month "sabbatical" summer from the site. But after we packed it every night, for 40 days, at the end of days as particularly strenuous (was undoubtedly the most hard rally we've ever raced), led us to switch off for a while. But now a million and a half clicks are recalling us to duty.
Un bel servizio di Rai News sulla Pechino-Parigi, a cura di Annalisa Fantilli. La troupe ci ha seguito nella tappa italiana, belle immagini, interviste, spezzoni storici con le foto scattate nel 1907 da Luigi Barzini e con i filmati del nipote Andrea durante la rievocazione del 1989. Sei minuti e passa di goduria per noi che a San Martino di Castrozza eravamo già convinti che ce l'avremmo fatta. E una scoperta: uno degli intervistati, Arno Schenck, che credevamo svizzero, dice invece di essere italiano. Quindi la nostra classifica "nazionale" va corretta: siamo arrivati primi su otto equipaggi italiani (e non sette, come credevamo). Cliccare qui per vedere tutto il servizio.
Milan Kundera writes: "And there is nothing more beautiful than the instant before the trip, the moment when the horizon of tomorrow comes visit us and tell us about his promises." Excellent words, right? But if we have to be fair this "horizon of tomorrow" till now has only told us a mountain of hassle. Obtaining visas is a commercial procession: the Chinese embassy demands a ticket with return already paid; Russians want only photographs made and paid in their office; Belarusians want insurance policy that only they can release; Mongols, like everyone else, ask that visitors exhibit the invitation of a local tourist organization. If you go with a car that is not yours, you need the owner authorization with notarial certification and translation of everything, including the registration document.
In this maze, we were lucky enough to find the thread of Ariadne in the person of Mrs. Mita in the Rome office of Air China, the flag carrier of the People's Republic, the first carrier to connect with direct flights Italy to the country of the Celestial Empire. To celebrate thirty years of this direct air route, They will make us travel in business. So: Greetings Air China!
On pechinoparigi.gazzetta.it there is our first article in the sixth edition of the rally which will start on June 12 from the Great Wall. It is a page that the direction of the most important and sold sports newspaper in Europe entrusted to us and that we will manage in total autonomy, inserting texts, photos and short videos. Thanks, then, to Andrea Monti Director, for the confidence gave us; and to his deputy Umberto Zapelloni, a colleague of sports and engines who really knows everything about and that wanted to bet on the success of this initiative. We will try to tell step by step this latest adventure and do it daily, at the end of days that often will be very tough, is a challenging task. You will give us the stimulus, you - friends, family, fans - showing the attachment to this site and to "all the pink of life" that the Gazzetta always radiates profusely.
