Alessandro Gramigni, the only world champion from my region, Tuscany.

I didn't watch bike racing when he raced in the World Championship, I was way too young... so I'd like someone to tell memories, opinions, anedoctes...

I only know that he was the 1992 125cc Champion despite missing one race (a street crash, apparently?) and that he later competed in 250 without much success
Then raced in the Italian Championship until a few years ago... WSBK too...

I don't know anything else

On the internet I could find only objective informations (stathistics, numbers), here I'm looking for subjective informations.

Tell me what you know!

Thanks in advance,
Luca

Is that the chap who used to wear a neckerchief ?

Was blindingly fast in his championship year if memory serves me right.

Gilera?

Derbi?

He is on Facebook Luca

http://www.facebook.com/people/Alessandro-...igni/1429510671

mba21 your not on facebook tut tut :rolleyes:after what you said

Ermmmmm I joined about a week ago



Pssssst dont let the rest of em know

Know what!?

me thinks you have

I will never live it down for joining FB

Eh?What am I not supposed to know?
HW

<---------just joking about FB

anyone?

1996 - American Superbike - 4 races with Fast by Ferracci Ducati, hired after Shawn Higbee and Larry Pegram failed to impress, won at Brainerd and Elkhart Lake. One wildcard entry in WSB at Laguna Seca, crashed in race 1 and retired from race 2 with mechanical difficulties.

1998 - World Superbike - Competed on a Ducati 916 with Gattolone Racing. Finished 14th overall, best result of 8th in the rain in race 1 at Albacete.

1999 - World Superbike - Switched to a Yamaha R7 with Team Valli Moto, but struggled to get to grips with it. Spent the year being plagued with mechanical failures. 19th overall, best finish was 8th, again in the wet in race 1 at the A1-Ring.

Maybe this will be of some use.

A few more facts and statistics on Alessandro Gramigni, but hopefully you’ll find them interesting.

1988 - 2nd in 125cc European championship (six podium places including a win in Spain) - MBA

1989 - 2nd in 125cc European championship (seven podium places including a win in Belgium) - Aprilia

2000 - raced in the last round of the British Superbike championship, as a substitute rider for Team Kawasaki

1999 to date - several rides in the Italian Superbike championship: took the title in 2004 with a win and four second places (Yamaha), another race win in 2003, and six other podium results over the years


IRTA Grand Prix Yearbook 1992 - interview:

Alessandro Gramigni kept up a consistent drive towards the championship when others in the ultra competitive class were making mistakes. Perhaps it helped that he only looked to have an outside chance of the championship after breaking his leg in a road accident just before the Spanish Grand Prix.

“It was a terrible moment,” says Gramigni, “I thought that my chances for the World Championship were over. I had just won the Malaysian Grand Prix and everything was going perfectly, the bike was very good. It just seemed like terrible luck because I was out on my moped with my girlfriend and I was being very careful. Then this old lady came round the corner onto the wrong side of the road and hit me.”

“All I wanted the doctors to tell me was how soon I could get back on the bike. I went to see Dr. Costa and of course he was fantastic. There was no way I could ride in Spain but I did in Italy. I say ride but that was all I could do I could not really race, I just could not move on the bike. It might have taken the pressure off because I then did not seem to have a chance of the championship.”

The following weekend at the European Grand Prix at Catalunya he finished an incredible fourth. “It was the hardest race of my life, I still had a lot of trouble riding the way I wanted to but the bike was very fast and that helped.” Though almost always one of the quickest bikes on the track the Unlimited Aprilia was just a shade out of tune at the German Grand Prix. He led briefly but finished seventh though only just over a second behind the winner.

Gramigni was the only rider to score at every round in the second half of the season. A win in Hungary and four other rostrum places put him ahead going into the last race in South Africa. “I was so pumped up I blew the start,” admitted the extremely well liked Italian. “I was a bit mad at myself and just went for it.” He charged through the pack and into the lead before settling for third well ahead of his championship rivals.

When I was 13 y/o in 1990 first time I visited the Open Road WC.Alessandro was a good rider this time too(and later better!)

thanks to evryone who posted in this thread...

Looking at the results it seems that he was a very consistent and reliable rider, not aiming at single victories but very solid in the championship...

A question to those who lived that era... is my impression true?

Hi Luca, I was at Misano in 1985 and was invited to join the fans from a local bar and Alessandro was a great favourite. I think he may have won the race that year, not sure but I remember cheering along with them all whilst getting very drunk. That was one of the best race meetings for me although Fast Freddie didn't bother going. Italian fans are wonderful!

David

Are you thinking of Fausto Gresini? Gramigni was not in GP racing until the 1990s.

Your spot on there sub Gramini rode for aprilia in his first year 1990 in the 125cc class

oops no it was Cadalora I think? Heck I had a load of wine so it was one of them and I was shouting too!

The bar owner had a voicebox through his windpipe so there's my excuse





David

No, it was Gianola! Now did he win?


Thanks for the prompt Gary!


David

Gianola was second to Gresini in the Misano 125cc race, 1985.

Ah there then, that's more like it! Got confused with Cadalora too as he won his first GP at Donington I think on a 125. Misano was a fun ride, especially coming back via Merano and the Timmelsjoch Alpenstrasse the old pass with gravel on it and snow at the top. My old lady won a ferry crossing in a newspaper comp. so she looked after my lad Chris and we went for the week. One of my best ever bike memories



David