Not only cars run the Italian Baja. The first time when the race was open for bikes was in 1998 and a “certain” Fabio Farioli was the winner (again in 2000 and 2001), the giant of Bergamo who also won world titles in enduro. Other important runners were Juan Roma (first in 1999), Matteo Graziani (2002), Franco Dal Bello (2003), Akos Varga (2005) and Nicola Dutto (2006).
Last year we did not have any two-wheel category , when the race was not in any official calender for that type of races. 2008 edition gives again new opportunities for Italian and European championships and also for Triveneto championship and Alpe Adria Trophy. That’s a magic formula to get together the ones, who don’t fear the traps of hard and selective tracks like Tagliamento gravel and the hard ups and downs on the “mule track” of Monte Jouf. Dutto from Torino with his Suzuki RM-Z is the favorite one, but it seems - as race-radio announces – that a couple of official Aprilia bikers and Matteo Graziani (a much decorated motoracer) may enter the Baja.
As for quads, its first run in 2001 was dominated by Angelo Montico. “The Magredi Giant” won again in 2003, while the other competitions have been won from Jurgen Mastrocola (2002), Giorgio Arduini (2005), Michel Bariel (2006) and Dario Segato (2007). The challenge of this year seems to be much more harder, with the Polish Radoslaw Sawicz (Yamaha YFZ 450), winner of the European Baja Cup 2007, the Czech Josef Machacek (Yamaha Banshee), winner at 2007 Dakar, and the German Juergen Mohr (Polaris), winner of the European Cup 2005. Among the Italians we can announce currently Pierluigi Rovegno (Polaris Outlaw, Basercross Team), Gianmarco Fossà (Suzuki LTR 450, Mgm Team) and “Spiderman” (Yamaha XX 450T, Flying Devils Team). We still don’t konw which drivers from Portugal will be in the competition; they’re always scared, as they usually are very speedy pilots, because the characteristics of the Italian Baja track (stones, holes, water) is completely different from Portuguese tracks on hard ground
Carlo Ragogna Italian Baja Press Office
