By Earlier this month, taking place at the same time as IRRC/ESR Hengelo and Stare Mesto road races (2nd-3rd May), the opening CIVS (Campionato Italiano Velocita in Salita) round commenced at ‘Lo Spino’, on public roads stretching from Pieve Santo Stefano to Fontandrone (Passo Dello Spino).
Luca Salvadori L’Assoluta Challenge’ award honours, for fastest rider of the meeting went to four-wheel quads category ace Matteo Lardori.
Lardori’s best time (1.25.93) was just one second off the still standing track-record held by the late, great Luca Salvadori (1.24.93 set in 2024, his Hengelo-Varsselring outright lap-record is also still valid after 2026 activities).
P1 x4 in SuperOpen 1000 time-trials and quickest solo motorcycle racer overall, was the talented Gabriele Peticca, currently second behind Manx GP racer, fellow Italian Salvatore Sallustro within European Hill Climb Road Race Superbike Championship standings, post season curtain raiser at Landshaag.
2023 & 2024 Supersport 300 European Hill Climb Champion Daniele Stolli chalked up SuperOpen 800 victories x3, four podium position results in SuperOpen 1000 class.
It is a good time to mention that Italian hill climbing doyen, Naples’s native, now Canaria Islands resident Maurizio Bottalico (nine-times European Hill Climb Champion, eight-times CIVS series winner), La Spezia’s Andrea Majola (2016 CIVS & 2017 European Road Race Hill Climb Champion – former Super Twins Horice lap-record holder – sixteen plate holder for TT 2026 Sportbike contests) obtained last Saturday, top fifteen, top ten Northwest 200 finishes.
Bottalico, Majola, fellow CIVS/European hill climb scene greats Stefano Bonetti and Francesco Curinga (2022 Junior Manx Grand Prix race victor) guarantee the Italian tricolour flag, a stern presence at TT 2026.
The second CIVS round of 2026 speeds into prominence this month at Deruta-Castelleone (23rd-24th May) with action coinciding with the Pre-TT Classic Road Races, 63rd Horice 300 Curves of Gustav Havel and French Chanaz Hill Climb.
Top 5 finishers for SuperOpen 600/800/1000 categories from 2026 ‘Lo Spino’, are as follows:
Saturday Opening Races:
SuperOpen 600:
1st – Manuel Dal Molin
2nd – Carmine Matarazzo
3rd – David Lignite
4th – Marco Legramandi
5th – Salvatore Corvo
SuperOpen 800:
1st – Mattia Pugliese
2nd – Jacopo Vettori
3rd – Francesco Maria Piva
4th – Nicola Baroni
5th – Marco Giovannoni
SuperOpen 1000:
1st – Gabriele Peticca
2nd – Daniele Stolli
3rd – Francesco Maria Piva
4th – Roberto Abbate
5th – Igor Masseneli
Saturday Second Races:
SuperOpen 600:
1st – Carmine Matarazzo
2nd – Manuel Dal Molin
3rd – David Lignite
4th – Salvatore Corvo
5th – Marco Legramandi
SuperOpen 800:
1st – Daniele Stolli
2nd – Francesco Maria Piva
3rd – Nicola Baroni
4th – Carlo Mastursi
5th – Jacopo Vettori
SuperOpen 1000:
1st – Gabriele Peticca
2nd – Francesco Maria Piva
3rd – Daniele Stolli
4th – Igor Masenelli
5th – Roberto Abbate
Sunday Opening Races:
SuperOpen 600:
1st – Carmine Matarazzo
2nd – Manuel Dal Molin
3rd – Salvatore Corvo
4th – David Lignite
5th – Giovanni Pirolli
SuperOpen 800:
1st – Daniele Stolli
2nd – Francesco Maria Piva
3rd – Jacopo Vettori
4th – Nicola Baroni
5th – Carlo Mastursi
SuperOpen 1000:
1st – Gabriele Peticca
2nd – Francesco Maria Piva
3rd – Daniele Stolli
4th – Roberto Abbate
5th – Igor Masenelli
Sunday Second Races:
1st – Carmine Matarazzo
2nd – Manuel Dal Molin
3rd – Salvatore Corvo
4th – David Lignite
5th – Giovanni Pirolli
SuperOpen 800:
1st – Daniele Stolli
2nd – Jacopo Vettori
3rd – Mattia Pugliese
4th – Francesco Maria Piva
5th – Carlo Mastursi
SuperOpen 1000:
1st – Gabriele Peticca
2nd – Francesco Maria Piva
3rd – Daniele Stolli
4th – Roberto Abbate
5th – Igor Masenelli
Photo credit: Jan Vavra
Words by Jan Vavra
