Always a momentous event on the racing calendar, this year’s staging of the FIM’s longest-running off-road motorcycling competition will mark the twelfth time that Italy has had the honour of welcoming the 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nations.

Established in 1913, and only briefly curtailed due to two wars and a global pandemic, the 6DAYS® Italia will celebrate its ninety-ninth edition in Bergamo. However, it was back in 1931 when Italy first hosted the event, formally known as the International Six Days Trial (ISDT).

After a breakthrough ride the previous year in France, which saw the Italian quartet of Rosolino Grana, Luigi Gilera, Gino Zanchetta and Miro Maffeis claim their nation’s debut victory, the 1931 event was staged in Merano, South Tyrol in the north of the country.

Following a hero’s welcome on home soil in Merano, the four riders once again raced to gold. Merano played host to the ISDT the next year, too, but unfortunately, Great Britain denied them a hat-trick of wins.

That loss marked the beginning of a forty-eight-year winless streak in the premier World Trophy class that the Italians were unable to overcome, despite hosting the event four times in 1948, 1951, 1968 and 1974.

A return to the top step of the podium for the fifty-fourth edition in West Germany in 1979 marked the beginning of a highly successful golden era of racing for Italy in the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE).

Andrea Verona at 2024 FIM International Six Days’ Enduro Silleda-Galicia, Spain © Pole Position Communication

Claiming an incredible nine World Trophy wins, and a further four Junior World Trophy victories, across the 1980s and 1990s cemented Italy as heavy favourites in the ISDE time and time again. Notable highlights included capping a hat-trick of World Trophy wins at home in Isola d’Elba in 1981, while also celebrating victory in Junior World Trophy (Silver Vase) classification.

A clean sweep of victories on home soil came for Italy in 1986 in San Pellegrino and in 1997 in Brescia. Italy went on to win the World Trophy in Spain in 2000, but since then victories have been harder and tougher to come by.

A visit to Slovakia in 2005 and later Chile in 2007 were both fruitful campaigns for Italy, but with the 6DAYS® visiting Sardinia in 2013, it did not deliver the winning celebrations they had hoped for. A trip to the World Trophy podium for third saw them end the eighty-eighth edition with silverware, but it took until 2021 before they could return to the top step of the podium.

Pensively waiting for the ninety-fifth edition at home in Lombardy, following its postponement the previous year due to the COVID pandemic, Italy were determined to end their fourteen-year drought.

Spurred on by a wealth of home support, the quartet of Andrea Verona, Davide Guarneri, Thomas Oldrati and Matteo Cavallo raced to victory, rewarding Italy with their fifteenth World Trophy title, while the Junior World Trophy team also won for the fourteenth time – they would add to it again the following year, bringing their tally to fifteen.

Now, as the 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nations fast approaches Bergamo in four weeks’ time, 24-29 August, Italy – led by Verona – will be hoping to make it sixteen World Trophy wins.

For more information about of the 6DAYS® FIM Enduro of Nation Italia 2025 in Bergamo click here.