A completely new route awaits competitors winding their way through Italy’s Dolomite Mountains on the 21st running of Le Mitiche Sport a Bassano, sponsored by Eberhard Watches, this June 18-21. The route may be new, but the event will remain largely the same, featuring the same friendly atmosphere of the historic event that has delighted participants for two decades.
Organizers are expecting a record entry of sports and competition cars built before 1959 for the regularity rally “Trofeo Danilo e Renato Calmonte” along the new itineraries through the most attractive passes of the Alps. After scrutineering on Thursday, June 18, the cars will start from Ca’ Cornaro in Romano d’Ezzelino, near Bassano del Grappa (VI). The first leg will run through Passo Manghen and Passo Lavazzè, to reach Bolzano, where everyone will stop for the night. On Saturday the Mitiche will tackle, one after the other, Passo Mendola, Passo delle Palade, the mythical Stelvio (first time ever for the event), Passo Gavia e Passo Tonale before arriving in Trento for the night. Sunday’s final leg will take the cars up to Passo Vezzena, and then they will be the stars of a celebrity show in Asiago. From there the cars will drive down first to Bassano and then to Marostica, for the prize giving and the great feast at the arrivederci al Castello Superiore.
While as many as 24 different marques will be represented in the entry, Bentley will likely be the most popular make with as many as a dozen of the beastly British “Blowers” taking part. Other entrants will field historic Maseratis, Jaguars, Alfa Romeos and, of course, Ferraris in an event that promise to be both unique and challenging.
