How you can do it

You don’t need to ride an old knacker to take part in the Motogiro d’Italia. As wella s the old racers, there is a touring section for road bikes, new or old, which joins up with the main event in each town the race stops off at.

This year’s tour group included bikes ranging from a 1929 Panther to a 996.

If you want to do the trip on a classic bike there are alternatives to travelling down to the start with your pride and joy on a trailer. Belgian National Railways (020 7593 2332) have Motorail trains to Bologna every summer from mid-April, starting at Denderleeuw near Aalst in Belgium.

A company called Dream Engine takes entries and arranges all the accommodation, food and travel for the duration of the event. Check out www.motogiroditalia.com or call 0039 051 6494776