Saturday, February 6th, the Vespa world arranged an appointment for the awards of Vespa Rally European Championship 2009 and the presentation of the subsequent Championship, the 2010, at the auditorium of the Fondazione Piaggio, in Pontedera. Vespisti from Italy, San Marino, France and Croatia, met up to celebrate the sportsmanship of Vespa, a small and tireless kilometres’ grinder. From the beginning, Vespa has run both on the track and on the road, and today, thanks to the formula Vespa Rally European Championship, we can see in the same competition both Vespa GS 150 and the powerful Vespa GTS 300 Super.

Roberto Leardi, President of Vespa World Club, opened the presentation of Vespa Rally European Championship 2010 with a short introduction to Vespa’s ability to adapt to competitions, although not specifically designed for that purpose. Vespa’s reliability has always yielded excellent results, even in those tough competitions outside the reach of its utilitarian perspective. In 2010, the Vespa World Club is once again committed, along with all the Vespa Clubs in charge of the organization of the individual stages, to promoting this sport all around Europe.

Leardi gave the floor to Andrea Marini, president of Lega Moto UISP, a sports promotion agency, partner of Vespa World Club. He confirmed the commitment of UISP in supporting the Championship, creating a price-controlled “pilot license”, in order to expand as much as possible the number of potential candidates to be pilot. After that, a hint to the education for a safe competition, to discourage young people from competing illegally on the road, to avoid all the risks associated to it. At the end, only a brief greeting from the President of UISP Valdera, the committee that will make his office available for the licensing of the competitors.

It’s up to Marco Manzoli, Secretary of Vespa World Club, to introduce the novelties in the Rules of 2010, later explained in detail by Marco Zangrilli, the agent delegated by Vespa World Club to follow the development of the Championship.

It is therefore the time of the clubs in charge of the organization of the individual stages. The Championship will start with a “0” stage in Mantova, which, according to Lega Moto UISP, will be a real Vespa Rally school. Here, some award-winning pilots will teach the new Vespisti interested in racing.There will be a second Vespa Rally learning event in Biella, planned for the summer, when schools will be finished, for the guys who were not able to attend classes in April in Mantova.

New entries this year, the boys of the new Vespa Club Pavia. Last year they tried to attend as competitors. They are now proposing to organize a beautiful Rally on the roads of the legendary journey of the Rally of the 4 Regions.

Already confirmed the clubs of Parma and Pinerolo. Two other steps still to be defined, San Marino and Monaco, for logistical reasons. The final of the Championship will be held in September in Pinerolo, on the roads of the Grand Circuit of Sestriere.

The presentation of the demo of the 500 kilometers Vespistica, a cross-country night race, was given by Carlo Bozzetti of the Vespa Club Milano, newly elected Counselor of the Vespa World Club and future Sports Commissioner of the Board. The participation to this competition, with an official Vespa supplied by the Vespa World Club and placed outside the circuit of the Vespa Rally, is among the prizes that the Vespa Rally European Champion 2009 has brought home by the end of the day.

In conclusion, the much awaited Awards Ceremony. Roberto Leardi awarded the first three on the “Vespa Automatic” Championship: the gold medal went to Roberto Pinna, Vespa Club Torino. Following, Marco Manzoli conferred the award to the female category, won by Stefania Gurgo, Vespa Club Pinerolo.

The ceremony for the competitors who participated in the category Wheels up to 8” was touching. At the Awards, the Vespa Pilot Piero Guarneri (Vespa Club Pinerolo), the official Vespa Club Italia pilot to the race of the 20 provinces of Spain, in 1955. A real hand-over between the one who made the first race on a Vespa in 1954 (Giro dei Tre Mari) and the winner of 2009, Marco Tomassini, already champion of Motorally, Motoraid and Cento Passi, but a real outsider in the overall classification, although not involved in all the races.

The 10” Wheels category was awarded by the “Knight of Labor” Giuseppe Cau: pilot who won the gold medal at the legendary 6 days Enduro Race in 1951, riding a Vespa Sport, named “Vespa 6 Days” after that great victory (9 gold medals out of 10 Vespa in the races).

Andrea Marini handed the European Champion gold medal in the overall standings to Claudio Federici, President of Vespa Club Mantova. Roberto Leardi handed over the keys of the brand new Vespa S 50 (four-stroke, four-valve), this year’s prize for the overall winner, offered by the Vespa World Club.

In conclusion, the Fondazione Piaggio was thanked for providing the auditorium and for having exceptionally extended the exhibitions, to better accommodate the more than 200 Vespisti intervened. It was also thanked the Lega Motori UISP, in particular Andrea Marini and Aldo Poli; the Piaggio Commercial Vehicles for the technical sponsorship to the Championship, with the small, but tireless Porter, named “Ercolino” by the Vespisti; and all those who worked for the realization of this event.