Pinoy riders are again leaving an indelible mark on international motorcycle events.
Last weekend, a group of Pinoys found themselves in Italy either as a lone country representative in a grand parade of motorcycle racing legends, or with a throng of staunch Ducati followers. This brand was behind the massive event.
Timothy Joseph ‘TJ’ Cua Alberto, the first and only Filipino racer in the European STK 1000 Championship, joined the Riders Lap of Honour during Day 1 of World Ducati Week (WDW) 2018 in Misano, Italy.
This traditional spectacle had past and present generations of world champion riders of Team Ducati present. Among them were MotoGP riders Jorge Lorenzo, Andrea Dovizioso, Casey Stoner, Tito Rabat, Michale Piro, Marco Milandri, Jack Miller, Troy Bayliss, Karel Abraham, Danilo Petrucci and Michael Rinaldi, all aboard new Ducati Panigale V4 race bikes.
With a multitude of Ducati fans waving from the paddocks and bleachers, TJ Alberto rode with the MotoGP superstars as they made easy laps around the Marco Simoncelli Circuit. He was proudly bearing the Philippine flag on his racing leathers.
Also joining thousands of Ducati riders from the different parts of the world were members of motorcycle clubs from the Philippines--ATAT, Club 200, SBK and Forza Mostro. They did not go to Italy just to support TJ, but to also enjoy the exciting stunt shows, parlor games, flat-track races, and an overflight exhibition, among others. Members of the Pinoy contingent were new faces in the WDW, now on its twentieth year.
During the first day of the event, thousands of Ducatisti painted the town red by joining the grand motorcade from Misano Racing Circuit to the Scrambler Party site in the Rimini beach area. A throng of locals and tourists lined the streets to welcome them.
A biannual event, the WDW 2018 experience for the Philippine contingent was facilitated by Ducati Philippines, in coordination with Clutch Moto Tours.
Here are more photos from World Ducati Week 2018, which show Pinoy riders having the grandest time of their lives:
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