MOTOGP 2024

 Magical Mugello

MOTOGP came to Tuscany's Mugello Circuit last weekend. After Zio's Monza F1 experience last year he wanted to visit another iconic racetrack, but just like then, he wasn't keen on going solo. He'd seen the track from the road outside a time or two during a Tuscany cycling vacation but wanted the sights, sounds and smells of the real thing.

He threw out a challenge to some friends months ago, daring 'em to fly over and join him. Only old moto pal Tom (seen above) stepped up, climbing on an ITA Airways plane in LA last week to fly to Rome. Zio flew up from Catania where they met and hopped on the fast train to Florence for the weekend.

Since it was just two of us we booked with a Dutch tour operator sporttravel.nl though there were a couple other Americans there too. 4-star lodging, bus transfers to/from the circuit and race tix in the Poggio Secco grandstand. What's not to like? Bedankt Jongens!

Lot's to like in fact, though neither of us cared much for the smoke bombs and constant racket when the racing machines were silent, but we're old so what can ya do?

American Joe Roberts scored a win in MOTO2 while the Ducati factory team went 1-2 in Sunday's main event. We found a decent pizza on Friday night and some pretty good Tuscan food on Saturday. Racetrack food was good too (this IS Italy after all!) and they said the crowd was the largest seen there since Valentino Rossi hung up his leathers.

But I for one will be content from this point to watch on free, over-the-air TV in the future. As they say "BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!"

Thanks again to Tom for coming over (and wife Linda for letting him!)