Freguglia wins the “Laghi” race once again

An extremely powerful and well tuned racing car, an undoubtedly capable driver and an experienced navigator: this is the successful mix that enabled Giuseppe Freguglia and Gabriele Falzone (see photo, right, by R. Gernetti) to come out on top in the 2013 International Rally of the Lakes. In their amazing Ford Fiesta RRC of the Curno Racing Team, the two-man team from Varese, repeated the success they achieved in 2010, by working towards the top result, from Saturday, and managing their advantage, which was never large, but always under control, over Marco Gianesini (with his navigator, Fulvione Solari), the great driver, from Valtellina, who has never managed to win in Varese.

The result of the “Laghi” race was effectively decided at the beginning of the seventh special race, in the afternoon on Mount Sette Termini. After only a few meters, the dream of the young driver from Malnate, Giò Di Palma (see photo, below), who came second last year, came to an end. With Saturday’s problems of the differential gear behind him, driving a Peugeot 207 of the Etruria Team, the former motocross rider was making a comeback, but after winning three specials (3, 4 and 6), he crashed violently, perhaps because of his tyres, which had cooled down while waiting for the start. The rider and the navigator were not hurt, but Di Palma’s rise came to a sudden halt, leaving the way open to Freguglia and Gianesini. The latter tried as hard as he could, winning the remaining three specials, but eventually, the trophy went to Freguglia, from Besnate.

Once again, the “Laghi” proved to be a very selective race. On Saturday, the race had already lost several great drivers: Crugnola drove into a tree, after breaking a track control arm, and Spataro was knocked out by engine trouble. On Sunday, Vanni Maran had to withdraw immediately from the second attack of the Cuvignone Pass, and so the group of S2000 cars was immediately reduced to only three cars.

Behind the front two, the battle for the third place on the podium began: in the end, it was won by a driver from Trento, Daniele Tabarelli (see photo, below, by A. Arioli), in a Mitsubishi Lancer (R4), who, in the final part, overtook another very talented young driver from Varese, Simone Miele (Clio S1600). Bizzozero followed, in the only 207 S2000 that reached the finish line, then the other S1600s, driven by Bosetti and Marchetti, respectively. Next came the Fiesta of Puricelli, the Swiss driver who was practically making his debut, and the evergreen Calabrini, who won the N3 class in his Clio, accompanied by the great navigator, Marco Verdelli (who won, with Gallio, way back in 1995).

Overall, it was an interesting “Laghi”, with a top three that did not include any of last year’s protagonists. Crugnola failed to achieve his second victory, after his first over ten years ago (Ogliari won three years running, from 2000 to 2002), but even Di Palma and Spataro (who came second and third, in 2012) failed to make it to the podium. Of course, at the start, the lad from Calcinate del Pesce was driving a car that was inferior to those of his rivals; his Cuvignone Pass was a piece of brilliance (as he came second, behind Freguglia), but the old S1600 provided by his friend Robert Kubica did not help him in defending the title.

He will try again next year, if he is not taking part in international competitions. In the meantime, however, it is right to leave the floor to Freguglia and Falzone: in these rallies, teams like this are rare, and of the highest level. And they demonstrated this once more.