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There couldn't have been a better start. In fact, Michele Pirro inaugurated the 2024 CIV season with a victory in his own Misano. A performance to remember for the Barni rider, who’s proving to be stronger than his health conditions, which aren’t the greatest.
The victory of the rider from Puglia is pretty important, especially if we consider his direct rivals for the title, Bernardi and Delbianco, who didn’t finish the race: “I’m coming from a difficult week. One of the most difficult since I’ve been racing, because I never had an flue like this,” Michele said during the conference, after celebrating on the podium with little Geneva. “In the end, becoming a father also means this. My daughter is little and brings home serious bacteria from kindergarten,” he said, smiling. “I went from Wednesday, when I was lying in bed and didn't even have the strength to get up, to winning today. I'm proud of what I've done and what the team has done. I'm coming from difficult months, and I'm still not physically okay. But, today, I did my best and managed to win, while the others made mistakes. And Bernardi fell, while he was up front. It’ll be a difficult and challenging year, because the others are very fast, but I'm still here, and we're going to have fun."
The Ducati rider triumphed before Cavalieri’s Aprilia In Race 1. “We needed to start with a podium, even after last year's season,” he commented. “This morning was marked by a few setbacks. I'm still a bit run down with my wrist and neck, but it was a nice race. At the start, “Merca” and I touched, and we lost some time, but I climbed back up well. Tomorrow I'll see if I can do better.”
Completing the Race 1 podium in Misano was a super Mercandelli: “I didn't expect to get on the podium right away. I’m very happy, because it’s my first race since the serious injury I had at Mugello, in which I broke five vertebrae. Everything is new for me ... motorcycle, team, and category. This isnt an easy category, but I don't miss the speed. It's about understanding the tricks of the category and putting yourself in the best position for the race. I’d say that today went great. I made a mistake at the start. I went straight to the Rio because I was overly excited. But then I put my head down and slowly moved back up. I had a bit of trouble overtaking the other riders, but today couldn't have gone better.”
