The 44th re-enactment of the 1000 Miglia has officially got underway. At 11.30 this morning, the first car drove up the ramp on Viale Venezia to start the most beautiful race in the world. Before the eyes of the public and under a blazing sun, which then accompanied the convoy throughout its journey, the more than 430 crews immediately tackled the first Time Trials as they climbed towards the Castle of Brescia, thus quickly getting to grips with the pressure switches before parading between Piazza Loggia and Piazza Vittoria.
The long stream of cars then headed towards a first-ever event: for the first time in its history, the Red Arrow crossed the Val Trompia and the Val Gobbia, greeted by the immense enthusiasm of the crowds lining the roads. A key moment in this first part of the leg was the Passage Control in Gardone Val Trompia at the Beretta headquarters, a historic stop to celebrate the company’s 500th anniversary. Subsequently, the participants reached Lumezzane for the race lunch at the Tullio Saleri stadium, draped in the Italian flag. The Mayor of Lumezzane, Josehf Facchini, was delighted, describing it as an “extraordinary day”.
In the early afternoon, having crossed the Passo del Cavallo, the race descended into Val Sabbia. The first Average Trial of the race (just over 5 km) took place in Odolo, before the route continued along the Coste di Sant’Eusebio towards Lake Garda. Salò provided one of the most spectacular and now iconic moments of the day: the lakeside promenade welcomed the crews between two wings of the crowd for the Passage Control in Piazza della Vittoria, before sending the cars on towards the Time Trials of Zette.
The crowds continued unabated as the route delved into the beauty of the Valtenesi, where spectators lined the route from the village of Cisano to San Felice del Benaco (venue of the Passage Control) and on to Porto Torchio in Manerba, literally just a few metres from the lake’s waters. After passing through Moniga, Soiano and Padenghe, the race reached Desenzano del Garda on the Lungolago Cesare Battisti, where it was once again given an extraordinary welcome. The final challenges of the afternoon in the Brescia area took place in the splendid setting of Sirmione: here, another iconic Passage Control with a view of the Castle bid farewell to the crews before they left the Brescia area.
The race has now moved to the Veneto region. The first town to be passed through is Peschiera del Garda, with the route passing under Porta Verona and offering a view of the Bastione San Marco. The route will then head towards the Verona hinterland as far as Soave for a Passage Control and a series of Time Trials.
The entry into Vicenza will then mark one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the evening: the cars will parade through the heart of the historic centre to Piazza dei Signori for the Time Control, nestled between the Basilica Palladiana and the Torre Bissara.
Before reaching today’s finish line, the race will pass through the Padua area, featuring a series of Passage Controls in Cittadella, Piombino Dese, Borgoricco and Campodarsego. The final stage of this first day, covering over 300 kilometres, will take place in Padova, where the cars will converge in the spectacular setting of Prato della Valle.
The first results
As the convoy continues its journey, the timekeeping data is beginning to reveal the current standings: leading after TT016 in Colombare is the crew made up of Juan and Margarita Tonconogy in a 1931 Alfa Romeo 6C 1750 Gs Spider, followed by the recent Gaburri winners Andrea Vesco and Fabio Salvinelli, and by Lorenzo and Mario Turelli. Leading the Ferrari Tribute are Fabio Vergamini and Anna Maria Fabrizi, whilst Kengo Takehara and Kazuya Tokuda are in the lead in the Gran Turismo Experience.
