Just a little over two months left before the legendary Coppa Milano – Sanremo, the oldest race in Italy. There are numerous Italian and foreign crews who are enrolling in the “Signora” of the races, which will run from 28 to 30 March 2019 with the same spirit of always and the same passion of the “gentlemen drivers” who conceived in 1906, but with numerous logistical and sporting innovations.
Along a route of almost 700 kilometers, the event will unfold between Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria, to end in the Principality of Monaco, touching cities and landscapes of timeless charm.
Participation in the race will, as always, be limited: a maximum of 100 cars will be admitted, built between 1906 and 1976, provided with a F.I.V.A passport, or F.I.A. Heritage, or A.S.I. homologation, A.C.I. Sports, or belonging to a trademark register.
As part of this eleventh historical re-enactment, the prestigious “Coppa delle Dame”, conceived for the first time at the beginning of the last century, will also be held, thanks to the intuition of the organizers of the Milan-Sanremo Cup.
Next to tradition, as we said, there will be numerous innovations that will characterize this Historical Commemoration. First of all the route, renewed compared to last year with the crossing of many more population centers, including Vigevano, Alessandria, Novi Ligure (with an exclusive passage at the Museum of the Campionissimi on the occasion of the centenary of the birth of Fausto Coppi), Finale Ligure, Albenga and Loano, so as to give way to fans and curious to see up close the “cars of yesterday” that have enthused generations.
Competition and spectacularity will not be lacking: this year the crews will be able to compete in a greater number of time trials, as many as 90, in addition to the 6 average tests with intermediate surveys. Another important novelty of this new edition is the inclusion of the tourist regularity class, open to cars of historical interest built up to 1990, which will take place along the same path but with a total of 50 multiple timed trials, so as not to abandon the spirit original of the gentlemen drivers that has animated the competition since its origins.
After many years, Milan therefore returns to shine in the Olympus of international motorsport. On Friday 1 February, the city will host one of the stages of approach to the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. On the occasion of its 115th anniversary, the Automobile Club Milano will organize a tribute reserved to the cars that have made the history of this race so as to strengthen its long-standing bond with the Automobile Club of Monaco.
With this in mind, and in order to give the competition an even greater international allure, this year the Milan-Sanremo Cup, after its arrival in the City of Flowers, will move to Montecarlo for the gala dinner and the final ceremony of awards. Thus a sort of virtual twinning is realized between the Autodromo di Monza and the Principality of Monaco: the two symbolic places of international motorsport. The passage of the Milan-Sanremo Cup on the streets of the Principality will therefore represent the spearhead of the celebrations for the 115-year history of AC Milan together with the start of the race from the historic site of Corso Venezia, as happened in the glorious 50s and ’60.
The event will start on Thursday, March 28, 2019 with the meeting of the crews at the Autodromo di Monza where the technical and sports checks, free laps on the track and the inaugural parade of the cars will be held. At the Autodromo there will also be a Tribute to the Milan Cup – Sanremo reserved for about 50 historic cars built between 1906 and 1976. After a ride in the center of Monza, the cars will leave for Milan for the traditional “défilé” “In the heart of the fashion district, along via Montenapoleone, where the cars will be officially presented to the public.
Friday, March 29, from the city center, the crews will present themselves at the starting point for the almost 700 kilometers of race scheduled with the aim of honoring one of the oldest and most prestigious motor racing competitions. The first day of running will end, as usual, in Rapallo, after having crossed extraordinary landscapes of the Ligurian, Lombard and Piedmontese hinterland, places always preferred by vintage racing enthusiasts, lovers of classical regularity and slow and sweet tourism . March 30th will be the day of the definitive challenge: from Rapallo to Sanremo the crews will face the last special stages in view of the goal that should be reached by the first cars at mid afternoon on Saturday.
