In 2021 I took part in the Mille Miglia — an event that rewrote its own history.
Having entered for the first time in 2020, during Covid, I entered again wanting to drive what is called the finest rally in the world properly this time.
2021, run in reverse
For its long history, the Mille Miglia route has been a road race starting in Brescia, turning at Rome and returning to Brescia — a loop of the northern half of the Italian peninsula.
In 2021 it ran in reverse: from Brescia towards the Tyrrhenian coast, calling at Viareggio, and setting off for Rome the following day.
The third section climbed north from there and finished over the Apennines at Bologna. The final section from Bologna made the traditional arrival into Brescia.
There are far too many memories in this Mille Miglia 2021 for one post, so please read the day-by-day reports in the follow-ups.
And here is the 2021 memorabilia
A quiet pleasure of doing the Mille Miglia is the merchandise only entrants receive.
This year’s is here.
As last year, Covid had not ended, so there were masks and sanitiser and a pouch for them. A polo shirt and a T-shirt. And unlike last year, a cap with my own entry number on it.
And of course the reversed route map, printed on the T-shirt.
I was so pleased with it that I wore it into the ground.
The Mille Miglia 2021 continues in Race reports, where I have written it up from various angles — do have a look.