The 17th edition of the Italian Baja started yesterday with the 6.5 km opening super special in Dignano. The race, valid as the second round of the International Cup for Cross country Bajas and as the first stage of the Italian cross country championship, experienced a tasty appetizer and today it will come alive. Almost 200 km of special stages are planned for cars and 125 for motorcycles and quads.
The news. The conditions of the Tagliamento led the organization to implement the 'B "track. The selective sector will therefore be 66 km long, will touch the municipalities of Zoppola, San Martino al Tagliamento, San Giorgio della Richinvelda, Spilimbergo and Valvasone and, therefore, not it will cross the territory of Udine (there were passages in Codroipo, Sedegliano, Flabiano and Dignano) .No first time, therefore, for the Italian Baja, in the left of Tagliamento.
The program. There will still be something from Udine today. The first stage, in fact, was named "Edi Orioli", the Friulian driver who won four editions of the Paris-Dakar and the first of the Italian Baja. The cars will make three passes today (at 8, 11.30 and 15) and will arrive at the headquarters of the race, the fair of Pordenone, at 18.36. Only 2 special stages for motorcycles and quads (10 am and 1.30 pm) which will return to the Fair at 4.31 pm. Sunday practice is instead named after Pierre Larigue, record holder of Baja victories (1994, 1995, 1996 and 1997) with the official Citroen Zx Rally Raid. The cars will make only two passes (9.30 and 12.55) and will arrive at the podium of Spilimbergo at 16. Three passes (8, 11.30 and 14.30), however, for motorcycles and quads, which will close their effort in the mosaic town at 17.05.
The prologue. Meanwhile, yesterday, in the opening super-special, the winner of the 2007 and 2009 Baja, Boris Gadasin (Nissan G-Force) won. The Russian driver preceded the Polish Krzystof Holowczyc, also on G-Force, by 19''2, and the Hungarian Karoly Fazekas (Bmw X5) by 38''3. Among the bikes the fastest was Alberto Basso (Husqvarna Te 510), while among the quads Rafael Acurcio (Paoletti 450) won.
Happy hour. At the end of the prologue, Happy Hour Baja was also held. The competitors were guests of the Cantina Rauscedo for the official greeting of the organizers, authorities, sponsors of the event and received a 'wine gift' with the brand name.
