The Centopassi Motorcycling Challenge Edition #5

Antonio Zingali, in the seat of his BWW R1200GS Adventure, is the overall winner of the fifth edition of CENTOPASSI, the motorcycling event which ended on July 21st in the Italian mountain city of Bolzano.

Zingali’s final score of 56 points represents the sum of his points earned in the ability tests and assorted time checks throughout the arduous route. During the closing ceremony of the event, the winner was presented with the grand prize: a travel package plus accommodation to participate in the finals of Paris-Dakar 2008.
In the Competition Class, Simone Martina won second place on his BWW R1200GS with 46 points, followed by Marco Tomassini, also on BWW R1200GS, with 45 points. All three top finalists are Italian citizens.

Team Etna Cavalieri del Principe (Zingali, Di Mauro, Battiato) won in the team classification with 137 points, followed by team BMW Racing Italia (Tomassini, Severi, Russo) with 94 points and by team Le Mucche (Tajè, Martina, Tajè) with 80 points.

The exploration of the Eastern Alps was divided into four exciting legs and began on July 18th with a departure from Piazza Fiera in Bolzano.
The first portion of the ride was a challenging route from the Dolomites to the Julian Alps (365 km), ending in Bled (Slovenia). The second leg explored Triglav Park with a 272 km route, while the third day riders went back to Bolzano (389 km). The fourth and last leg was a trip through the mountains surrounding Bolzano (284 km).

Following four years that heightened awareness and interest, this year’s event hosted 120 passionate motorcyclists from many different countries (Italy, Austria, Belgium, England, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Ireland, Luxembourg, Portugal, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, USA), ready to test themselves and enjoy the spectacular views and alpine riding.

The arrivals were booked in Bolzano and in the beautiful Slovenian town of Bled, towns with first class hotels to accommodate the motorcyclists and where the Centopassi Village was also set up. The riders and local public were offered entertainment, music and a bike exhibition. The Village also hosted the street safety project ‘Sicuri su due Ruote’, with bike-driving simulators, the Ducati Owners Club Trentino Alto Adige Südtirol and the Ducati Store Bolzano.

The event is open to all brands of motorcycles that have been registered no earlier than 1980, and with a minimum of a 150 cc. The two classes of participation offer the possibility to choose between the competitive and the tourist class. In the Competition Class, which is not a race of speed, there can be a single participant or a team. The scheduled route is very challenging and is designed for expert motorcyclists. Participants, during every leg, are subject to time checks and ability trials to evaluate their skill, precision and equilibrium.

The Iron Biker Class is designed for those who prefer a non-competitive experience and want to have the time to appreciate the exquisite landscapes, small villages and pleasant atmosphere. Federal motorcycle guides accompanied the group, giving advice on the mountain routes.