They have come from far and wide for this year’s FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy (EVT) in Camerino, Italy, with Australia’s Geoff Ballard (Maico) arguably one of the furthest travelled.
A man with five decades of racing motorcycles behind him, Ballard has a huge passion for all things two wheels and offroad, but vintage enduro is likely his true love.
“I ride modern bikes, but I love vintage,” tells Ballard, relaxing with friends in the paddock. “They are special because it takes a huge amount of energy to prepare them to race an event like the FIM EVT.
“You have to be on top of your mechanical preparation, but also ready to accept that at any moment a part could fail. A kickstarter could snap as you start your first day. It’s difficult, but all of us here come from this era and have a passion for it.”
Across his racing career, Ballard has raced twenty-six FIM 6DAYS® and attended over thirty. And while this year’s FIM EVT will be only his third, he is excited by the direction it is heading.
“Adriana, my mechanic from my Maico days, said I had to come to Camerino, and he’s right! Already it feels very special. Keeping it separate from the FIM 6DAYS®, and vintage only, adds to the purity of it.
“Aside from the racing, it’s great to catch up with old friends and teammates you may not see very often. There’s a definite camaraderie to proceedings, people helping each other out.
“Racing’s always been a part of my life, and an event like this makes it harder to stop than continue.”
The FIM Enduro Vintage Trophy continues to take place over the coming days in Camerino, Italy ending on 7 September.
For event information and live results stay tuned to https://www.camerinomotoclub.com/ as well as to the event’s official Instagram account @fim_enduro_vintage for daily event story content. Sportity Channel Password FIMEVT.