08.05.2004 Competitors battled against rain AND snow flurries on the opening day of the Mille Miglia re-run as Alfa Romeo driverS Gabriele Tarquini AND Monica SipSz fell by the wayside

The struggle on the opening day of the 22nd Mille Miglia re-run was enthralling despite the gloomy weather, first there was rain, then faint sunbeams with gusts of wind and flurries of snow on the Sibylline Mountains.

The second lap of the 22nd edition of the MM was displayed climbing up to the mountains after Urbino and the Gualdo area. The leaderboard emerged more clearly and the top position was held by the Bolognese pairing Giuliano Cané and Lucia Galliani after 38 of the time checks, gaining 5585 points.

Their car, a BMW 328 MM Coupe comes from the historical Museum in Munich. The speedy racer, which boasts seven wins, is followed by a host of pursuer. Among them is the Argentineans Claudio and Arsturo Scalise in an Aston Martin Le Mans ’33 just adrift with 684 points.

Then come the Brescians Flaminio Valseriati and Valerio Bocelli in a Riley Brooklands, Roberto and Andrea Vesco driving a Fiat 508 S Coppa Oro, the Italian title-holders pursued by Mauro Giansante and Bruno Ferracin in a Porsche 550 A RS.

The winner of 2001 MM, Sergio Sisti, is sixth, while Giulio Felloni's Bugatti T35 moves up to seventh from eleventh position after the trials in Gualdo. Carlos Sielecki piloting a Bugatti T23 Brescia is next ahead of Franca Boni and her daughter Monica Barziza in a BMW 328, the pair determined to get their ninth Coppa delle Dame, the Ladies’ Cup.
 
After a career driving at 300 km/h, the former F1 World Champion Mika Hakkinen is entered, partnered by his wife. They are 277th overall and delightedly taking in the Italian scenery. Their Mercedes 300 SL is a real MM classic with its shark-mouth grille and two blue stripes that give the 250km/h 177bhp 3.0-litre 6-cylinders powered machine, a race-car appearance.

Luciano Viaro partnered by Michaela Mair at the wheel of their Alfa Romeo 6 C 1500 SS had to back off to problems with the fuel supply in Pesaro. The Trieste man, 35th overall in Bussolengo, was up to 9th position after Monte Osteriaccia before having to stop.

Gabriele Tarquini and Monica Bregoli Sipsz ended their race in the Republic of San Marino due to clutch failure on the Apennines in Emilia Romagna. Enzo Cibaldi, vice President of the MM Museum dropped out of the race in Castelnuovo di Prato with problems to the transmission-gear of his Osca MT4 1450.
 
Other competitors worth mentioning include Roberto Gaburri and his daughter Maria who are tenth overall  in an OM 665 TT, Chicco Gnutti and his wife Ornella Pozzi up into 16th position at the wheel of their Ferrari 340, while their son Thomas partnered by his wife Silvia Savoldi are 21st in another Ferrari, this time a 225 S. Giacomo Bontempi, the President of A.C. Brescia, and Franco Lucchesi, the President of A.C. Italia are lying in 45th place, while Senator Luciano Magnalbò is nine positions further back. He is the author of the bill whose aim is to lay down some rules in the field of the veteran cars in Italy.

Renato Pozzetto, in 144th place in the Alfa 1900 S Proto, is in a cheerful mood, while Vittorio Emanuele, making his MM debut at the wheel of an Alfa Romeo, is further back in 172nd.