Giorgio Sicbaldi, the lambrettist
from Sardinia who won in the Isle of Man.
I’ve met Mr. Giorgio Sicbaldi,
who in the 60 raced and won in the Isle of Man Scooter week. He started
his sporting career riding a Vespa in 1960, competing in regional championship
and the in in the Italian and European. In 1964 he passed to the official
Innocenti team and riding a Lambretta 125, took part in lots of Italian
races. The following year the ended third overall in the Milan-Taranto
race, reason for which was selected to represent the Innocenti Team in
the English Isle of Man Scooter Week. Showing me his fantastic photo album,
containing rare races pics and lots of newspapers articles, he tells that
his most beautiful moments were those spent in the Isle. He remembers reaching
the Isle on his Lambretta Special 125 with his wife pillion rider and a
lot of stuff; no time to give yourself a rest and you were already at the
start of the Manx 400, a very hard trial and the day after another full
day of races of the seven scheduled; the sprint trials. What was most incredible
for him was that quite no one during the week took care of his scooter,
and that after a full day of fatigues every night lots of do’s were organized
by every team, with rivers of beer and amazing music; a great community
of scooterists all with the same feeling for race and have fun. Third day
the night trial took place, then you saw spot lights appearing on bike’s
legshields: a big courage to face the road in the dark of the night flat
out. After so busy days, fourth day was dedicated to grass games, of course
competing on your scooter! It was fun to enter and amazing to watch, unforgettable.
Fifth day and sand racing took place, but the following day was the most
important to decide your final result: the Druidale, with that spectacular
water spash ridden flat out, in which Sicbaldi won though he had only a
125 cc., owing to his very light weight and superb riding. It happens that
after winning the race his bike was stripped for inspection, and though
everything was right he wasn’t able to enter the seventh day of races,
not effective for the final result: the motocross competition at the end
of which the scooters were really bent after all the jumps the had to do.
He remembers at the end of 1968 edition his team mate, Arnando Argilli
from Rimini ended up on his Special 150 with the steering really close
to the seat. A lot of things to remember, most nice but one sad, the edition
of 1966 that was cancelled due to seamen strikes; a bitterly disappointment
for all scooterists, as this was the most attended race, with his never
ending trials and was a meeting point for the best riders from various
Countries. Giorgio well remembers his various team partners of the various
editions, as well as other teams riders, whom he remembers names and in
which trials they were best. As regards bikes says that the most hard to
beat were the SS 90 Vespas , owing to their light weigth and handling.
The edition he best like to remember was that of 1967, when his wife, always
present in the race track, did also marshal control.
He ended racing Lambrettas
in 1972 for the only reason of the split of the Official Innocenti team
and continued racing again on Vespas until 1991, but cannot stop his feel
for races, infact has formed a team that take part in the Italian Vespa
regularity Championship, with his son as team’s leader, who has taken from
his father this feeling with success. To be true Giorgio himself sometimes
enters with a Vespa PX 200, but with a bit of nostalgia for his old Lambretta,
that was so helpful in his countless wins.
Angelo Uda (translation
by Paolo Catani)
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