by Lorenzo Resta
Opening day of the 81st edition of EICMA, the international exhibition of two-wheeled vehicles. In the MotoLive Area, the adrenaline container within which the drivers of the different disciplines compete, the spotlight on the renewed Race Arena has been turned on, dominated by the maxi stage that has found a new location between the Freestyle Area with the show of RiotRiders, the Circus TRIAL Tour and the spectacular Buggy Backflip, performed by Maurizio "Pera" Perin and on which alternated the microphone voices of Radio Deejay Andreas and Michele and Germano Lanzoni, better known as Milanese Imbruttito who together with the speakers of Motolive animated the splendid sunny day that characterized the 1st Day of EICMA 2024.
Great success for the first Champion Charity Race Rally that today saw 16 superlatives compete on the dirt and sand track of Motolive to win the prize pool of 5000 €, offered by EICMA was entirely donated to A.I.C.I. (Cardiopatici bambini nel Mondo) and retired by the Chief Operating Officer of A.I.C.I. Silvia Castoldi. At the end of a splendid elimination race, which was also attended by Danilo Petrucci (Ducati), Alex Polita (MV Agusta) and Alessandro Botturi (Yamaha), it was the winner of the multi-champion Johnny Aubert (KTM) who in the final beat the phenomenal Alex Salvini riding the Fantic Caballero with which he made the audience crazy. Third place for the Spanish tightrope walker Kirian Mirabet (Honda) who lost to the French at the end of a stratospheric duel.
At the end of the two race heats, Steve Holcombe (Honda) wins the first step on the podium in Superenduro; after the victory achieved in the race one ahead of Teodor Abakchiev (Sherco) and Andrea Verona (GASGAS), at the end of a nice comeback from fourth place, The Briton also beat his opponents in race two. Third behind Morgan Lesiardo (Husqvarna) who won the Tissot Hole-shot and Verona, Holcombe found the best trajectories, first passing the E2 World Champion and then Lesiardo who finished in second place, But without being able to climb on the podium, finishing 4th overall behind the Bulgarian, with Verona second overall.
After the first race of the Championship that took place in Gorla (VA), the Italian E-Bike Cross Championship FMI Just1 is back on track in the area Motolive of EICMA, Where the penultimate event of the series that will close tomorrow in front of the crowd that has crowded the stands since the early hours of the morning went on stage today. In EX1, the solo march of Alessandro Nobile (Mondraker Craf) continues and he brings home the 50 points to be won and rises to 125. In the EX250 Open success for Tommaso Bianchetti (Specialized) who takes home both heats of EICMA, ahead of the championship leader Andrea Pignotti (Polini) who still leads the standings and closes the first day at Motolive ahead of Maurizio Baraccani (Fulgur Polini). In the EXJ success for Christian Buniva (Elettrabike) who conquers the red table of the class, while in the EXS he wins Alex Costa (Elettrabike), taking the leader of the ranking Giorgio Luppi (Leaderfox) and Massimo Ballati (Fulgur Polini). Matteo Medizza (Talaria) has his second consecutive victory and confirms himself in the lead of the Dirt Evo championship, winning ahead of Marcello Disetti (Eboost) and Andrea Tull (Talaria). In the Dirt Bike Open, the red table of the series is imposed, Simone Angeretti (Eboost) who confirms ahead of Manuel Favaretto (Eboost) and Ivan Negri (Talaria). In the Dirk Bike Stock, Tomaso Giupponi (Talaria) collects a 3rd and 2nd place that are enough to climb on the top step of the podium ahead of Mattia Bragonzi (Talaria) and Colin Bendotti (SWM), with leader Samuele Manuzzi (Talaria), 5° day.
