World Ducati Week 2014 set to take your breath away

Thousands of bikers and their bikes are set to attend World Ducati Week this year. Photo / Supplied

Ducati is putting the final touches to the official WDW2014 programme and there is so much on the schedule, and such variety, that no participant will have time to think about what comes next. The full programme will be distributed at the Misano World Circuit "Marco Simoncelli" as participants arrive, but this year everyone with a digital device or Smartphone will be able to download the WDW App free of charge from wdwprogram.ducati.com in order to stay tuned to all the events in and around the racetrack.

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Starting Thursday evening the "Notte Rossa" will bring the Romagna Riviera to life as local restaurants and bars in coastal resorts near Misano organise special, spontaneous initiatives for all Ducatisti arriving at WDW2014. One of the Thursday highlights is scheduled for 19:30 in the centre of Cattolica (Piazza 1° Maggio) where the local lifeguards will be grilling sardines for everyone. This and many other activities will be listed and updated on the special WDW App.

As soon as Friday arrives, focus switches to the Misano World Circuit where track sessions kick off at 9:00 running to midday; the same for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Daytime track activities are much the same each of the three days and include stunt exhibitions, the Riders' Lap of Honour and three times World Superbike Champion, Troy Bayliss who will be ready to take participants around the track on board a two-seated Ducati 1199 Panigale S. Further track attractions such as the Audi & Lamborghini Experience enable participants to get a feel for the circuit on four wheels, thanks to the extraordinary skills of top-rated drivers and amazing cars.

The venues within the Misano World Circuit area are clearly listed on the map that will be issued on arrival. Main areas include the Motorcycle Zone where space is dedicated to the new Monster 821 and the Monster Wall. The Motorcycle Zone will also house the Superbike Celebration World, a complete exhibition of Superbike motorcycles that Ducati has produced and taken to the heights of international motorsport competition in over two decades, from the 851 to today's 1199 Superleggera. Travel World, a place to discover stories of great road trips, will be found here as well, with a special focus on the Multistrada. Here participants will be able to get an idea of what people like Sundeep Gajjar achieved during his 10,000km trip on a Multistrada 1200 S Touring which brought him directly to the 2012 edition of the World Ducati Week. This year, Guga Diaz will ride a Multistrada in from Brazil to Misano. Travel World will also have an area dedicated to Paolo Pirozzi who travelled 100,000km from one DOC to another around the world in 2011, and to two huge names from the past: Giorgio Monetti and Leopoldo Tartarini who literally "lapped the world" on two Ducati 175s back in 1957/58.

The Land of Joy is another area reserved for one of the most eagerly awaited models that was recently announced, the Scrambler Ducati. Participants will be able to get a real taste for the Scrambler's personality in an area spiced up with sand, street food, music, longboards and a yellow container which houses the prototype of the new model, an exclusive world premiere for all participants at the event. Leaving the racetrack at 21:00 on Friday evening, the Parade will take participants on a short tour of the coastal area close to Misano, ending up at the Scrambler Beach Party at Operà in Marano di Riccione. Music, sand and lots of fun to free your spirit and welcome the latest, non-conformist addition to the Ducati range.

An area dedicated to the Diavel and the Drag Race by Tudor completes the Motorcycle Zone, not just for the motorcycles, but also the riders who will be racing head to head in the Drag Race scheduled Friday and Saturday at 17:45 along the starting straight.
Racing World is where the track action is destined to take place and where visitors will find all the currently competing Ducati riders and motorsport teams, plus Audi and Lamborghini areas as well as the Ducati Hospitality MotoGP zone. Main events include the Paddock Walk during which famous Ducati Riders will be available to sign autographs and shake hands with all the Ducatisti at WDW.

The International Village is home from home for all Ducatisti travelling to Misano this month. In this area, visitors will find the Ducati Owners Clubs as well as national hospitality zones for a selection of countries around the world. The International Village also includes the Heritage Shop for Ducati apparel which will be presenting the special "Heritage Collection", the Wheelie Simulator and a number of sponsors. Come along for some games and a historical quiz and be sure not to miss the election of Miss and Mister WDW2014 on Saturday at 11:00, the DOC Award Ceremony on Sunday at 12:00 and the Treasure Hunt final. Both Friday and Saturday evenings a Happy Hour will be organised at the International Village to round off the day in the happiest way.

Highlight of the Custom Area is the Tech Village, the place where participants will find official apparel and accessories as well as the Ducati Shop and the Ducati Café for a tasty Italian Espresso. This area also hosts the Ducati Outlet on the first floor.

Also part of the Custom Area, where the Engine Challenge takes place twice or three times daily during WDW, are sponsor areas such as Termignoni and Pirelli to name but two. The Ducati Garage Contest prize will be awarded in the Custom Area Sunday morning at around 11:30 and this is also the area to visit if you want to enjoy the Hip Hop Desmo Dance scheduled twice daily.

At the Riding Experience area, participants keen to try out the new Monster 821 will have a chance to take the model out on the road for a short test ride. This is yet another world first reserved exclusively for Ducatisti present at Misano in July. Further DRE sessions are available in this area as well: beginners' courses and safety courses. This is also the place to book your WDW Tours while you are visiting Misano, so as to enjoy what the surrounding area has to offer, the beautiful Romagna countryside and the Republic of San Marino.

When the sun sets across Misano and the colours grow softer, there is one colour that will not fade: red! Just the time for all visiting Ducatisti to rev up the night, and WDW2014 has the perfect Saturday Night ready for the thousands of participants expected. Saturday is when the grill gets going in the pit lane and all the Ducatisti head towards the Rustida, the biggest barbecue for miles around. Time for everyone to feel part of one big family and enjoy the Racetrack Show until midnight. Stunt riders, fireworks, the riders parade and one huge, Desmodromic party atmosphere to make this Saturday the red hottest Saturday of the year!