BOLZANO

Well I told you the Bolzano indoor report was coming, so here goes.

As part of my all expenses paid, around the world trip curtesy of the Royal Australian Navy (Thanks taxpayers!!!) Prague in the Czech republic was tagged onto the end. I know I thought I’ll check on the Czech embassy just to see if a visa is required, yes you guessed it along with the South Africans (yes Chris) Australia is the only country that needs one……..

I know I could either spend $A150 on a visa and see one of the most beautiful, most impressive city’s in Europe or watch a load of amateurs putting around on a bunch of converted speedway bikes. “Decisions, decisions?”

On arriving in Venice at around 1800 in the evening my partner and I collected our Fiat Punto (A Festiva on steroids) and set off into the Italian rush hour traffic. Well I’ve been to Italy once before many moons ago but it was nothing like this, the average speed on the freeway is 120kph for the lorry’s on the inside lane. Middle lane cruises at around 150kph, and the fast (subsonic lane) is a free for all. Taking a pint size Fiat into the out side lane at 180kph and than having traffic build up behind you and flash their lights is quite unnerving. 2.5hrs later and a few detours we arrived in Bolzano, a medieval town, cobble streets etc:.

Once we found our hotel and booked in we were of out on the town to do some midnight site seeing. Out side a quaint little watering hole we spied one of the most impressive merc wagons with Fugigas splattered down the side, “Jackpot!!” I thought, expecting to see a host of drunken Japanese holding up the bar. We spent 3 hrs inside that bar waiting for the said Montesa rider to emerge but to know avail. The next day we was up early (yeh honest) and off site seeing. Bolzano sits at the foot of the Alps and after 2hrs of high altitude driving we were looking down at one of the most impressive views you could ever see, highly recommended. Back into town we picked up the tickets from Franciesco, an Italian friend I met on the internet, then off to the trial. Arriving early we mingled outside the venue (similar to the Burswood dome)for an hour or two, in all that time not a word of English was heard just a lot of fanatical gasgas jacket wearing Italians. In the distance we could hear the putter of an underpowered Montesa, on investigation we found Fugigas practising on a side road. We followed him around the back of the building and spent the next half hour watching all the riders practicing on a couple of drainage pipes. Out of 3000ish spectators only around 20 of us actually watched the practice, I think there must have been an Italian sigh saying “No Spectators Beyond This Point E1000 Fine” Oh well whatever!!!!!. Once Dougie had finished practicing he just sat there on his bike staring into space for around 10 minutes. I thought now’s not the time to ask for the auto graph so I carried on watching the riders and talked to some guy called Martin. Once Dougie returned from his trance I grabbed his autograph, he explained that his injuries were still plaguing him  but with this huge English contingent of supporters ie:2 would try his hardest.

The seats in the arena were on a first come best view basis however because it’s so small compared to Sheffield all the seats were still closer than the larger venue.

I’ve cut and pasted then translated a Spanish report for the trial so bear with me and forgive the unusual pispronounciation!!!!!!!!

 The indoor of Bolzano was an impressive spectacle, the results have been once again, completely unexpected, (Dougie Lost) What it was possible to be seen in the indoor of Bolzano was an authentic spectacle and an authentic war of nerves. Cabestany arrived with a point from advantage in the general classification on Lampkin for want of this trial and the last one from the season, the Indoor of Madrid.(Dougie trailed by one point) Great amount of public jammed the palace of sports of the Italian city,(in excess of two) The route was short, just by 6 zones plus a race in parallel, with which the pressure was still greater because the minimum failure could mean a result badly and possibly the elimination of the end. But in this occasion the marcaje of the zones was a little more complicated, but not much, with which the guard could not be lowered.(don’t stuff up) Two invited pilots Italian began the spectacle (Local A graders) Fabio Lenzi and Daniele Maurino. Once again the public realized complicated and the technical thing of a indoor trial, because both invited they marked fiasco (Stuff UP!!) after another one in excessive zones for them, in spite of being professional pilots, but he is that the differences with the best ones of the world are very great.(No sh@t Batman!!) Maurino (Leo) marked fiascos in all the zones safe in the race, that his compatriot lost in front of, in addition marked to a point per time. After this appetizer true pilots (Dave Thomas). Colomer arrived was really fine, beginning with a zero and following the gust of wind (Ehhh!!) until the zone five, in which a point, while in sixth it returned to mark zero and later it added other two points, one per time and other was only left to lose in the race. Fujinami also began impeccably, marking five zeros followed until arriving at the last zone in which it could not surpass a complicated step and it marked fiasco. In the race it arrived first, with which it finalized with five points. The low penalties of Colomer and Fujinami caused that the voltage (ZZzzzz) was greater, could not be committed nor only a point in the zones, and in addition haste was necessary to occur because the time was rather just. Raga also began with zeros, but in the fourth zone it left a foot, error that did not return to commit, although yes that added two points more in the same way than its teammate, one per time and other to lose in the race, finalizing with 3. Freixa was the one that would commit a failure more soon than nobody, since in the second zone a quite absurd point was left. This could put to him more nervous of the account, because in zone five it would commit a terrible error, that added five points to him and it would leave him outside the end. Making it perfect there would already only be opportunity to happen to the end, the voltage is chewed in the atmosphere, Lampkin and Cabestany great options gamble the world-wide title. The Briton begins well, with a zero, but in the second zone, simplest, (I know the feeling) he slips in one of the trunks and falls outside the zone committing unforgivable fiasco (get out of the section please). The pressure is Maxima (a lot), it follows with two zeros, and in the fifth zone, the one of the tires, (tyres) it returns to commit a maximum error, second fiasco at night and outside the end definitively it does what does in the last zone. Its annoyance is terrible and to make matters worse it returns to commit new fiasco in the zone that is, when not surpassing a step, with 15 points finalizes its worse indoor in long time (the massive English contingent all two of us were quite). The new candidate to the title, Albert Cabestany, had before himself a good opportunity, and demonstrating its great state of form he did not penalize only a point in any of the zones, really impressive (flash git!!), only added a point in the race, because evidently he did not want to risk. It finalized therefore the return with a surprising result, Lampkin was sixth and Cabestany had been best. The end would be therefore so intense and exciting as the first return. In her they disputed Victor Colomer, Raga, Fujinami and Cabestany zones in this return.

But in this occasion the zones were made in inverse sense (backwards), and its difficulty increased enough, and in each zone it was necessary to also have well-taken care of with the chronometer. The zone one either was the more complex that before Fujinami and Colomer marked a point, Raga made a zero and Cabestany, that had to give it everything penalized fiasco (big 5), nerves, or excess of confidence when seeing Lampkin in sixth place. Zone two was worse, Fuji enfiascaba, (bigger stuffup) to colomer happened clean but it added a point per time, Raga did the same, and Cabestany returned to fail more committing three plus a point per time. Zone three, new fiasco for Fuji, a point more two per time for Colomer, impeccable a zero for Raga and other equal one of perfect for Cabestany, that to the aim seemed the same one that in the first return. Zone four seemed impossible to finish it in time, Fuji marked two points plus one by excess of time, Colomer removed a worked zero but also it added one per time, Raga, leader until the moment committed fiasco that tied to him to 6 points with Colomer. Cabestany also obtained zero, but it was added one more per time, it had to Raga and Colomer to three points, and with it the title. Zone five appeared still more difficult that the previous one, and in addition did not help the chronometer (time) either. Fujinami marked two points plus one per time, the same made Colomer. Raga was not able to surpass it and committed its consecutive second fiasco, yielding the leadership to its teammate. Here it was the opportunity of Cabestany, if it marked a zero would tie with Colomer, a great opportunity. But it could not be and in addition it committed fiasco, the things were put more difficult, but it would have at least to obtain the best result possible to remove advantage to Lampkin. The last zone was released with fiasco of Fujinami, Colomer was its and marked a zero impeccable one, but it added one per time. Raga also happened cleanly, but with two points per time, Cabestany failed and marked unfortunate fiasco again, being definitively relegated to the third position. A good result considering sixth of Lampkin, but could above have been and with it removed more difference from points in the general. And single it was left the race, in which Colomer chose to conserve and this way second victory in championship obtained his the present.

Well there it is, i’d recommend an indoor to anyone and at $30 for three hours of top level trials (oppps sorry extreme motowhatever)  it’s a bargain. To stand beside these sections is awesome and certainly puts the riders skills into perspective.