When Andrea Verona arrives at the 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nations paddock in Bergamo, Italy, this week, it is sure to evoke memorable moments of the last time he raced a 6DAYS® event on home soil.
In 2021, the GASGAS rider led the Italian World Trophy team to victory in Lombardy. An incredible week of racing by Verona and his fellow countrymen saw Italy top the podium ahead of Spain and the United States, cheered on by a sea of home supporters waving national flags.
With Bergamo long regarded as the home of Enduro in Italy, leading the team to another victory would be a dream result for Verona.
“To have the 6DAYS® not just in Italy, but in Bergamo, is special,” tells Verona ahead of the ninety-ninth edition of the race. “Wearing my national Maglia Azzurra jersey and seeing the crowd cheering for us will be an incredible feeling.
“Winning in 2021 was an incredible moment in my career. I would like to make it happen again and I think we can do it, too!”
Piecing together an entire week of racing is what makes the 6DAYS® such a formidable challenge. Each day, all four riders of the World Trophy team must not only finish, but figure highly in the overall classification to stand a chance of fighting for a place on the podium.
Morale can often dip if crashes happen, a special test doesn’t quite go their way, or if fatigue sets in. Rallying together as a team in those tough moments is what pays dividends, as Verona knows well.
“Keeping the Italian flag high is super important,” tells Verona. “I believe each rider already has that motivation within themselves, without anyone putting it forward. In 2022, Samuele Bernardini had a crash and broke his finger. It would have been easy for him to quit, but he kept racing and kept us in the race.
“The 6DAYS® is very much a team race. We walk the special tests together, we talk line choices, discuss ideas about how to approach each day and share information. With the Italian federation, we get a lot of support and a lot of people looking after us. These things, I believe, are what make the difference.”
Naturally, the primary goal for Verona is to help Italy repeat that home win from 2021, but as an individual, winning outright would be the icing on the cake.
“The first objective is to try to win as a team,” says Verona, diplomatically. “But for sure my motivation is to win too. Josep Garcia will be fast. He is consistent on the type of special tests we see in the 6DAYS®, but I have won some days too, so I know I can fight for it.”
The 6DAYS® Italia takes place in Bergamo from 24-29 August.
