MotoGP – Mugello…

Sunday dawned bright and sunny and we were up early, keen to get up in the mountains to the MotoGP in Mugello…

As we’d bought our tickets online, we had to go to the ‘accreditation’ centre in San Piero san Sieve, a village near Mugello circuit, to collect them – Snoop duly programmed and we were off!  Perhaps a minor understatement to say we were excited  As the weather has been so weird (pretty much like the rest of the world it seems…) we set off in jeans, with jumpers and packed our rain gear as well – the forecast was good but with the usual ‘possibility of thunderstorms’ caveat…so, backpacks stuffed with enough clothes to meet any eventuality, we were set…

As we got closer to San Piero, traffic started building and the number of bikes increased – all shapes and sizes too, from the suped up racers to one which looked like a child’s bike but had two blokes on it in shorts and T-shirts!  Lots of police around who didn’t seem to be doing much apart from block off certain roads and keep the traffic flowing in a certain direction…

Beautiful lake on the way to Mugello…

Bikes…and cars…and queues!

Although we had set off in plenty of time, the traffic near the track was heavy to say the least – several free carparks were available around the track but as the area had had so much rain, some of the fields were very muddy – last thing we wanted was for Buzz to get stuck!  We eventually parked up very close to one of the entrances at the top of the circuit (facing downhill, in case we had to get towed!) and along with hundreds of others, went through the main gates and through security…

Looking every so slightly worried that we wouldn’t get there!

Yay!

Buzz in the car park…

Nearly there…

The atmosphere was incredible – so was the noise!  Not only from the 250s which were racing when we arrived, but loads of bikes were zooming around the road which winds its way along the perimeter of the track – everywhere we looked, there were campervans of every size and description…

So many stalls selling very expensive stuff….yup – we bought some!

The whole day was pretty amazing – I think I’ll let the photos speak for themselves and Andrew put together a little video too…

Err…wannabe Rossi? maybe not!

Bikes!

Flares of all colours set off on the warm-up lap…

Our vantage point – end of the 1st straight and the 1st corner…brilliant!

Lorenzo…Pedrosa…Marquez…with Crutchlow coming up fast…

Rossi fans with doggies on the way home…

We walked 3/4 of the circuit before we went onto the track at the end of the race…

Best seats! on top of your campervan….

Lorenzo…Pedrosa…Marquez….procession….

Some serious partying here by the looks of the bin!

Security fence with razor-wire…? no problem – cut it and get a real view – at least for the Italians – the Brits stayed on the outside!!

Even inside the grandstand – anything goes it would seem – and the cops didn’t bat an eyelid!

View over the corner where Rossi crashed…

Think these guys may have done this before…?

46!! Valentino Rossi………….!

On the track after the race….

Straw bales on the corner where Rossi crashed out…

Start / finish line after the presentations….no, we didn’t venture into that lot!

Campervan queue on the way out…

4 up…!

Even the Saffas were there

Rossi’s crash corner…

Time to go….

Who knows? maybe next year…?!

A fantastic day! Loved it….