Mille Miglia Diary

10:00 AM: We make our way from the hotel to the starting point on Viale Venezia, leaving plenty of time. As we enter the starting area a marshal asks for our Starting Time. I can’t understand why I wasn’t given this information and send Claudia a message but continue to use our rough calculation. In any case it doesn’t really matter as the cars are arranged by starting number and we just follow cars with slightly lower numbers. I am also texting Francesco who will be bringing us some spare parts (spark plugs, fan belt, coil) just in case. Taking the opportunity to try out various controls on the car we realize that the passenger side windshield wiper blade is slipping on its shaft. We try to tighten it but realize that the screw is stripped and won’t hold very well. Francesco finds us, just before start time.

2:38 PM:  We’re off, at close to our estimated time. Within one km we hit our first time trial, which involves 8 consecutive sections, ranging from .17 to .21 km in length and target speeds ranging from 21.86 to 33.86 km/hr. This is first of 4 time trials on the first day and we have absolutely no idea what we are doing. We next head out towards Lake Garda, passing through Sirmione, where Meg cheers us on, along with hundreds of other spectators. Gradually the roadbook begins to make sense, but we noticed that the iPhone App odometer, while accurate, is often a little off, due to lack of precision in setting it to zero at the start, and other small errors related to slight deviations in our path relative to the book. We estimate the distance to the next instruction, taking account of the error factor and marking it in the roadbook. This proves to be quite an effective system that we use throughout the race. We also notice that we don’t seem to be using any fuel and the gauge remains at “full.” We quickly deduce that it is in fact broken, which results in our second daily discipline, noting at what mileage we fill the tank and estimating the distance (about 300km) until our next fill-up. I also realize that the brake lights seem to be on all of the time and that I need to turn the battery cut-off switch off and on to reset them. That’s what the scrutineers were looking at.

We also note that we seem to be falling behind. While our number is 253, we find ourselves surrounded by cars in the 300s or even 400s. While we are trying to take the advice of “running our own Mille” we also realize that the more experienced competitors take every advantage to overtake, not just on the open road, but especially in roundabouts and slow sections, when a quick darting maneuver pays off. We learn never to relax and always be alert to an opportunity. Other strategies including convoying with other cars to pass up the middle of a two-way street and running red lights. We begin to understand that while you don’t have to get caught up in the craziness, it still helps sometimes. In fact, in many cases the police aid and abet these maneuvers, all part of the MM spirit!

11:00 PM: After passing through Verona and Ferrara we reach the end of the first leg, at Cervia Milano Marittima on the Adriatic. We have travelled 359 km and we are exhausted. We wolf down our buffet dinners at 11:30 and are in bed by 12:30 AM. In the elevator I meet a gentleman who looks exhausted and tells me he is too old for this. I feel the same way and wonder how we are going to do this for another 3 ½ days.

Click here to watch and hear the Mille Miglia pass through Sirmione — a seven-minute video captured by Meg Anderson — not to be missed!