Winter Marathon 2023 – 35th edition

Guido Barcella and Ombretta Ghidotti are the winners of the 35th edition of the Winter Marathon.

The Bergamo-based crew, aboard Fiat 508 C number 12 of the 0-30 Squadra Corse team, started from seventh position after the first stage held on Thursday evening and managed to make the most of Friday’s second and more demanding leg, eventually claiming their second personal victory in the event after the one achieved in 2019.

Completing the podium were two Brescia-based father-and-son crews: Fabio and Marco Salvinelli in a 1938 Fiat 508 C (number 10), back on the podium after their 3rd place in 2021, and Lorenzo and Mario Turelli in a 1937 Lancia Aprilia (number 7, Scuderia Brescia Corse), on the Winter Marathon podium for the first time.

This edition was strongly characterised by the heavy snowfall on Thursday evening, which was still present during Friday’s major stage on all the most iconic Dolomite passes (Gardena and Pordoi in particular), as well as the usual extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to -12°C at the summit of the Pordoi Pass. The competitors expressed great appreciation and the organisers were equally satisfied, having ensured, with the help of service personnel along the entire race route, that the original course could be completed with all the scheduled trials taking place, with only two cancelled due to a malfunction in the timekeepers’ equipment.

First among the all-foreign crews were the British pairing Massimiliano and Edoardo Ottochian in a 1960 Austin Mini Cooper S Mk I, repeating their 2022 result, while among the teams victory went to Franciacorta Motori , followed in order by Brescia Corse and 0-30 Squadra Corse; the top spot in the classification reserved for under-30 crews went to Barcella-Vecchi, eighth overall in a 1963 Porsche 356 C Coupé, while the first female crew was Emanuela Cinelli and Loretta Stofler in a 1969 Innocenti Mini Cooper Mk I. First in the special Average Speed Trials classification was the Piacenza-based crew Pighi-Callegari in a 1961 Porsche 356 B Roadster, carrying number 28 on the sides.

The head-to-head challenge between the two friends and Sky Sport commentators Davide Valsecchi and Guido Meda ended with a clear result: Valsecchi came out on top, navigated by Gabriele Ricco in a 1968 Lancia Fulvia Coupé Rallye 1.3 HF, finishing 56th overall ahead of his “colleague”, navigated by Stefano Valsecchi, who finished 86th in a 1970 Alfa Romeo 1750 Berlina.