RTG Carrera Italia Daily Dispatch - All days - low res - Flipbook - Page 16
Day 6: Cortina d’Ampezzo to Verona, 8 October 2021
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Alan and Tina Beardshaw’s 1965 Aston Martin DB5
Michel Velasco and Maria Garcia’s 1962 Porsche 356 Cabriolet
Whilst the rest of the rally enjoyed some fine coffee and
cakes Mike and Lorna Harrison were busy. Their trusty
Triumph needed attention under the bonnet, one of the
cooling hoses had ruptured thanks to the effort the little
contender from Coventry had put in over this first section.
Jack Amies and Russ Smith lent a pair of useful hands and a
full tool kit and between them soon got the problem sorted.
Things eased off a bit after this though and there was
even time to admire the views over the Passo Rolle and the
roads through San Martino di Castrozzo towards another
fine lunch provided at the Time Control in the Ristorante
Cornale. Then, just after the coffee cups were cleared away,
the second Regularity - the Valstagna hairpins arrived. This
section was a real brute of a climb, rising from 154m on the
Adige valley floor to 1,093m at the top. It is one of the classic
Dolomitic climbs and was a fitting way to say arrivederci to
these magnificent mountains. But we fully intend to be back
for the Vintage Dolomites rally next year.
Some of the big Bentleys lost time here, as did the Ferrari
of Brian and Catherine Scowcroft, executing a series of
Mark and Sally Bramall’s 1968 Volvo Amazon 123GT
three point turns to get around the corners slowed progress
somewhat. But, once the final tornanti had been negotiated
and Jim Smith had recorded their times, the crews embarked
on a scenic drive along a series of fast, flowing roads,
lined by trees beginning to show their autumn colours.
The destination was the Time Control at Serrada, in the
Ristorante Cogola for coffee and yet more strudel.
Things went downhill from here as the rally dropped
back into the warmer wine-lands on the way to the last
Regularity around Fosse where, a few more hairpins were
set to round off the day, before we headed to the night halt
in Verona.
John Fraser and Peter Jenkins’s Porsche suffered its
second puncture of the rally today so, on the way into town,
Enrico Paggi and Federica Mascetti sportingly stopped to
help them at a local tyre dealer to address any linguistic
issues which may have arisen.
Verona is famous as the setting for William Shakespeare’s
Romeo and Juliet and the Two Gentlemen of Verona, this
beautiful medieval city is also a UNESCO world heritage
site. Our hotel, the Due Torri, pulled out all of the stops
for us this evening with a spectacular dinner, served in the
lavishly decorated banqueting hall, leaving enough time for
a quick cultural tour of the old city.
Sadly we don’t think we’ve got any star crossed young
lovers (or even an Alfa Romeo any more) on the entry list but,
with seven all male crews, we can supply plenty of gentlemen
if any of the local theatres need an understudy at short notice.
Gerardus Mercator, Dispatch reporter
www.rallytheglobe.com