Among the fifteen Italians competing in the motorcycle category, in addition to the great news of Danilo Petrucci at his debut in the official KTM ranks, also the legendary Franco Picco. At the age of 66, the driver from Vicenza faces the Dakar for the 28th time at the helm of an all-Italian project: a Fantic 450.
“I chose the number 66 to remind me of my age”, jokes Picco, with a strong physique that is the envy of younger people.
Last year he had challenged the toughest race in the world in the Malle Moto category, the one without assistance for really tough guys, completing it. “When I think about it, I still feel all the pains in my back. To tell the whole truth it was backbreaking. Not so much for the mechanics because it is my daily bread, but for the kilometers and kilometers of stony ground that broke the competitors in the early days of the rally ”.
Finished 92nd today after a 19-kilometer prologue on an 834 transfer from Jeddah, on the Red Sea, to Ha’il in the north of the country, Franco Picco is as happy as a child in a toy shop. “There is always a good reason to run the Dakar: when a birthday, when a special occasion. This year the challenge is to develop the Fantic 450, also presented at Eicma. The project is very interesting. We had already talked about it in the past with the CEO of Fantic, but in June we made concrete and made the first test of a prototype. The feeling was immediately good. Not only that, they approached me for my experience as a driver and I like the idea of developing a racing kit for the Italian market ”, says Picco with satisfaction.
“The bike is road, but it will have everything to face a Dakar. I feel like an official driver for an Italian manufacturer “.
Franco Picco, Fantic Racing
The engine and frame are Yamaha, which has stopped producing the bike, while the plastics, the tank and the remaining parts were made by Fantic with the support of Fernando “Piccolo” as well. The goal of the house is to get the bike to finish and collect the data.
This time Franco will be able to make use of a nice logistic organization, with a service truck and a mechanic. “And a masseur,” adds Franco, smiling.
“The prologue was the baptism of the Fantic on the dunes and I am satisfied. The route is also interesting and compared to last year they promised us more sand and fewer stones ”.
Third edition of the race in Saudi Arabia, is it still worth running the Dakar? “In reality it is an event in great growth, as shown also in the number of Italians at the start. Interest has grown and for a lover of motorcycles, adventures and rally raids, the Dakar remains the queen “.
In constant contact with a Fantic engineer, Picco’s primary goal is to finish and collect data to continue development. “The race in fact starts several months earlier. The real work is preparation. Now the funniest part begins, where we have to put into practice what we have studied, developed in recent months. Not having been able to test in Africa on the dunes, but only in cross fields, I am still very confident. I kept myself in training by doing some laps in Oman ”.
The biggest challenge? “Thanks to my experience, I am calm. The bike is agile and well balanced. My philosophy is one day at a time and so far it has rewarded ”.
Franco Picco, Fantic Racing
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