The 2006 Mille Miglia, the 24th edition of the historical recollection, yesterday crowned its most famous champion for the ninth time: Giuliano Canè. After an unrewarding start to the race - as the crew themselves had declared - Giuliano Canè and his wife Lucia Galliani carried out a true winning comeback on the final stages, which only few people would have bet slightly earlier would have happened. Fourth at the end of the second lap in Rome, after the six time-trials held in the Natural Reservation of Lake Vico, they achieved the top rung of the table. Since that point Cané and Galliani strenuously defended their position and at the end of the race after 38 time trials, they had an unbeaten 14,849 points. The 60-year-old businessman from Bologna has now won nine editions of the Mille Miglia historical re-run, eight with his wife and one with Marino Auteri with a Ferrari 1999. Giuliano and Lucia triumphed together at the wheel of the following cars: BMW 507 in 1992, Lancia Aurelia B20 1994, BMW 328 Mille Miglia in 1996, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2006.

Cané had several major rivals for overall victory this year: the first and foremost being the 2005-edition winner from Trieste, Luciano Viaro with Michaela Mair from Bolzano alongside, driving an official Alfa Romeo Vintage Car Team-entered 1928 Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS.
 

The Alfa Romeo factory drivers led the race at the start and held onto the podium positions for a long time, scoring 13,882 points and passing Ezio Perletti and Andrea Vesco (in the 1930 Fiat 514 Coppa Alpi) with a total of 13,409 points in a final nip and tuck.  The Brescian couple Bruno and Carlo Ferrari, in their 1927 Bugatti T 37, stood out for a great result: first during the second lap in Rome and ending the event in the fourth position in their home town, even if they were somewhat unlucky in the trials between Lazio and Tuscany. Amongst Cané, Viaro, Perletti and Ferrari the race had been wide open and full of turn-ups for the books which gave the chance of winning to each of the four drivers, while the struggle for the other top ten finishing positions kept the racers and enthusiasts breathless until the final trials in Modena.

Flaminio Valseriati, twice a winner of the Mille Miglia improved throughout the event in an Aston Martin Le Mans, with his young co-driver Andrea Guerini: going from the tenth to a final fifth position. Sixth position was gained with a final flourish by Massimo Raimondi (Jaguar Biondetti) followed by Guido Foresti (Bugatti T 37) somewhat surprisingly. A standing ovation was earned by Ferruccio Nessi (Riley Brooklands) who reached the finish-line eighth, just ahead of Bruno Bresciani (Bugatti T 40).

Franca Boni and her daughter Monica Barziza won their twelfth Mille Miglia Ladies’ Cup, the experienced historical racing pair sharing the prestigious trophy with BMW who allowed them to drive a 1937 328 for the event. The female couple triumphed both in their category but also in the overall table, having arrived in tenth place in Viale Venezia. Admirable placements were gained for two débuting VIPs: the actress Giulia Montanarini, in the cockpit of a Jaguar shared with Massimo Natili, was 54th, while the famous singer of the Italian group 'Elio e le Storie Tese' (Porsche) came home in 60th position.

FINAL CLASSIFICATION - 24th MILLE MIGLIA 2006 (11-14 May 2006): 1.Cané-Galliani (BMW 328 MM 1937) 14,849 points; 2.Viaro-Mair (Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 SS 1928) 13,882; 3.Perletti-Vesco (Fiat 514 Coppa Alpi 1930) 13,409; 4.Ferrari-Ferrari (Bugatti T 37 1927) 12,259; 5.Valseriati-Guerini (Aston Martin Le Mans 1933) 11,930; 6.Raimondi-Perbellini (Jaguar Biondetti 1950) 11,803; 7.Foresti-Vesco (Bugatti T 37 1927) 11.698; 8.Nessi-Bocelli (Riley Brooklands 1928) 10,610; 9.Bresciani-Bresciani (Bugatti T 40 1929) 10,240; 10.Boni-Barziza (BMW 328 1937) 9,584.