This last weekend of April, which has just passed, left a trail of light and colors among the dirt roads of Caltanissetta and an indelible imprint on the hearts of Nisse.
The roar of engines on two wheels, the high sun of beautiful Sicily, helmets, bibs and a lot of passion were the backdrop to a sporting story starring enduro, a motorcycling specialty which consists of regularity races on routes not on the track with motorbikes in compliance with the highway code, leading to what was once called Qalat-an-Nisa – Arabic name meaning “Castle of Women” – not only pride, but also a testimony of how loyalty, cooperation and love for one’s city can do a lot; an authentic response to the will of those people from Nisse who wish to offer the world the beauty of the cradle in which they were born, hidden under a dormant blanket.
And Salvatore Sardo, president of Motoclub Fuorigiri and Alessandro Cortese, regional councilor of the Italian Motorcyclist Federation and regional coordinator of enduro, on the online pages of The Nisseno Factamong the main promoters of the organization, narrated the emotions that wrote the three chapters of the Italian Enduro Championship – supported by the Municipality of Caltanissetta, by the Sicilian Region Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, by the Federation Motociclistica Italiana and by the Regional Committee of the Italian Motorcycle Federation -, which saw the 3rd and 4th rounds take place for the first time in Caltanissetta and boasting the participation of seven countries with 127 professional riders, including world champions.
“Beyond the satisfaction – says Salvatore Sardo, former enduro rider, his voice breaking with emotion –, the greatest emotion was arriving at the Prologue and seeing that crowd of spectators, all those people, and then meeting the looks from my wife and my son.”
An important event, which brought prestige to Caltanissetta, a small heart of the Sicilian hinterland, overly judged and trampled upon. Salvatore Sardo continues: “Bringing an event like this into the city allowed us to raise awareness of what enduro is. And after the awards ceremony, when I got off the stage, two people approached me and hugged me and thanked me for bringing this event to Caltanissetta.”
A satisfaction for an event that required months of effort and sacrifices, which also found a common front with the other actors of the organization and which was born from love for one’s city and from a passion that many share, which is was able to form a team with loyalty and respect. “I would never leave Caltanissetta” Salvatore Sardo continues to say, despite some hints of bitterness for a city that is emptying and that sees the faces of his young people leaving.
The Italian Enduro Championship was an opportunity, a resource for the Nisse area, achieved thanks to the will and strong sense of belonging of those who still believe that a city on a human scale is possible.
“It was a very strong emotion – says Alessandro Cortese, recalling the thrill of when he got on an enduro motorbike for the first time. He was an Ancillotti 80 and was about eighteen years old -. Seeing all this paddock, all these champions, official teams, at my home was a truly strong emotion and I must say priceless from a sporting point of view.”
He continues by underlining how the desire to organize the championship was the result of a visceral love for his city, “convinced of the fact that if there is a possibility that the city can be enlivened by sporting events and other things, I am among those who support for this type of situation because it means that the city is in the limelight and it is needed for the local economy”.
So what does Caltanissetta need? The city of Nisse needs to collaborate and cooperate to liven up, it needs to awaken and create opportunities through people who are of good will and capable of getting involved.
And it is to future generations that Alessandro Cortese addresses himself, inviting young people to be ambitious. And with happiness in his heart he continues: “Today we are proud of what we have done. There isn’t a person within the group who looked at who did more or less. When we throw ourselves into something, we do it with harmony.”
There was no shortage of phone calls from friends as citizens who expressed their thanks for the event brought to Caltanissetta.
Loyalty, cooperation, sharing and love. These are the values of life, the pillars on which the organization of the Championship was based. “Always walk with your head held high, be honest, loyal, know how to stay among the group and share small passions and get involved” states Alessandro Cortese again.
Sport in life, healthy sport, far from competition and indifference, can be a tool capable of offering second opportunities and on enduro, Alessandro Cortese concludes: “When you go out on a motorbike all together you travel along paths, you are surrounded by nature and it’s beautiful. This sport also transmits love for nature and the possibility of being able to create a group, to create conditions of conviviality that are beautiful. Sport makes you grow healthy.”
