Finally we run! The Italian Baja starts today with the 7.40 km prologue in Castello di Aviano (quad start at 4.30 pm, car at 5.30 pm), a super special called 'Golf Club "which will give the first official classification and the starting order for the first stage tomorrow morning Feverish atmosphere yesterday at the Dream Village in Cordenons for the operations of technical verification of the vehicles and for the 'check in' of the drivers, while in the race field the organizers fine-tuned every detail of the route.
PROGRAM. Today, from 2.30 pm the briefing with the riders and the distribution of the road book. The route is not subject to pre-race reconnaissance and remains formally unknown until the moment of departure. At 4 pm the official start, with the quads moving first, followed by the cars.
QUAD. Twenty-six entrants with four-wheeled motorcycles, whose race for the first time is valid for the European and Italian championships. Only two foreign appearances: the Czech Josef Machacek and the Polish Radoslaw Sawicz, among the double dozen Italians with a preponderance of Suzuki (14) vehicles on Polaris (6) and Yamaha (4).
CAR. Seventy-five members: they were 39 two years ago for the Baja in Sardinia, 45 last year. The record of the 2007 edition is explained by a flashback of the tout terrain specialty in Europe, compared to the difficulties and costs of African marathons, and by the credit in Italy and abroad enjoyed by the Off-road Club 4x4 Pordenone.
FAVORITES. Spaniard Marc Roura Blasquez (Nissan Navara, number 1), who won last year, will be the point of reference for everyone, starting with the prologue. Main opponent was Slovak Jozef Sykora (Mitsubishi Pajero, number 2). The other Spaniard Francesco Rodriguez Termens (Mitsubishi Montero, number 3) and the Italian champion Roberto Ciampolini (Mitsubishi Pajero, number 4) are more out of the way for the podium, having available vehicles of the T2 diesel category, derived from production. The two Pordenone crews made up of Angelo Montico (Pajero, number 33) with Andrea Turchet and Walter Ussai (Toyota Rav4, number 34) with Marco Mirabella were also particularly observed.
