Italian Roberto Ravaglia wasn’t just driving fast in a BMW M3. He also managed to cross the Alps by bike with BMW engine boss Karlheinz Kalbfell.
In fact, the year 1989 did not start well for Roberto Ravaglia. Because he is still recovering from the injuries he suffered in a car accident shortly before Christmas 1988: At that time he wanted to drive his wife Franca’s Fiat Uno – without a seat belt! – he was passing a tractor near his home in Mestre near Venice when a farm vehicle suddenly shot to the left. The result was a head injury and a few broken ribs.
But Roberto, a fighter, recovered quickly and was used in the German Touring Car Championship by the Schnitzer team from Freilassing. “I have already won titles as world and European champion, but the DTM still attracts me. Because there are short races in a very dense field of drivers, high concentration is important.
In fact, things are going well for him, he immediately wins both races in the first race in Zolder and the first heat in the Berlin Avus.
The fast Italian, known as “Bob Ravioli” in the team, regularly scores points in the top ten and even won the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring with teammate Emanuele Pirro.
Pirro said to Ravaglia after crossing the finish line: “You walk like a gondolier, with a little swaying step, but inside the car you are an athlete.”
Of course, these qualities did not go unnoticed by BMW Motorsport Director Karlheinz Kalbfell. And so he made Ravaglia a bet: If Ravaglia really finished the DTM as overall winner, he would be persuaded to travel together across the Alps – from Mestre to Freilassing – on a racing bike. Because Kalbfell loved riding two wheels as much as Roberto, even though his physical form meant he had to work harder on the pedals than the southern man.
Soon after he said: After the last DTM finish in Hockenheim on October 15, in which Ravaglia finished second behind Ford driver Klaus Niedzwiedz, everything was prepared for the hill climb.
The two principal actors and the accompanying team had to spend the night, Ravaglia had to take care of the best route, and food had to be provided for the journey.
My first job was to drive Chef Kalbfell to Italy, where his racing bike was already waiting for him. During the bike tour, I have to ride in front of the pedalers at a respectable distance to set up a stand with drinks and snacks, or sometimes ride sideways on difficult mountain steps to give the two well-intentioned slogans of endurance. keep you happy.
Even for a well-trained racing driver, this trip proved to be a challenge, as he had only swapped his bike for running shoes two years ago. For BMW boss Kalbfell, despite a few training sessions before, it was a real torture ride.
Most people probably wouldn’t have expected that they both didn’t give up at the end and passed the Freilassing town sign completely exhausted but happy, and I was also very skeptical at first.
But deep in Chiemgau, home of Ravaglia’s friend Charly Lamm and the Schnitzer team, enthusiasm was now brewing. A carefully prepared group of cyclists and motorists accompanied Kalbfell and Roberto to the workshop of the successful BMW touring car group, where the tent was especially set up, and other enthusiastic people were waiting for the two cyclists.
Everything was lost to the joy of the crowd, pictures were taken for the local newspaper, the local brass band played, and at some point in the night the celebration that couldn’t have been bigger when winning the championship ended with a full beer. sky.
This time two people had won: against the steep mountains, against the endless snakes, against the weather, but above all against themselves and their famous inner bastard.
