Belgian rider Jessica Leyne, the only woman to be on the team of riders taking the Ducati Globetrotter 90th around the world trip with six other riders, all male on Ducati Multistrada 1200 Enduro, has now concluded stage three. She arrived in San Francisco, and handed the torch to the next Globetrotter, Eduardo Generali.
It was a tremendously successful trip for Jessica Leyne, 27, a math teacher and web designer from West Flanders Belgian, completing her adventure on the Japanese islands. On previous trips through Norway and Romania, Slovakia, and Italy, Jessica faced adversity in the forms of a frozen visor, waist-high mud, and even a fractured wrist, but nothing stood in her way. When Typhoon Malakas smashed into the Japanese archipelago causing floods and wind gusts up to 100 mph, Jessica bravely continued her journey. Riding the Multistrada 1200 Enduro she was barely delayed by the typhoon crossing the Land of the Rising Sun.
Jessica left Tokyo on September 17 and immediately took to the roads of Mount Fuji, the volcano that dominates over the city populated by 35 million. From there she made her way south to the city of Kiushi, Japan. There Jessica visited the Hiroaki Iwashita museum, which houses the world's only remaining prototype of the Ducati Apollo. The Apollo a 1257cc superbike designed in Borgo Panigale was the first to use the now distinctive Ducati 90° L-twin.
Jessica then continued her journey, stopping off at a memorable place for Ducati the Motegi racetrack.
Jessica's trip was packed with emotional experiences, as she recounts. On Kinki Island, she saw the famous "Meotoiwa," or rather the "married couple rocks," a symbol of love.
With four stages still to run, the Globetrotter 90° adventure aims to cover a total distance of 30,000 km. This round-the-world trip is a real homage to Ducati and its first 90 years, and one that only 7 riders, chosen from among 3,000 candidates, get to experience. With the first Globetrotter having left Bologna on 4 July, the torch now continues from San Francisco with Eduardo Generali. The Globetrotter 90th 'baton,' created by the Ducati Design Centre and is equipped with a video camera that allows the riders to document and share the entire world voyage via the website.
Now it's the turn of Eduardo, 28-year-old adventure tour guide, and riding instructor. He will travel the roads of the Western United States, from California to Indiana in the Midwest.
One bike, seven riders, 145 days , 29.450 kilometers to ride. 90 years of history and passion to be celebrated with a world around trip.
The journey started start July 4th, the exact date of Ducati's foundation, from Borgo Panigale, and then the route will head east across Europe. It will then follow the legendary Trans-Siberian route, taking in Russia, Mongolia, China and then Japan before crossing the ocean to the USA and heading back home across Western Europe. Before returning to Borgo Panigale, the closing miles of this round-the-world trip will include the exhilarating bends of the Futa Pass near Bologna (where many Ducati bikes have been developed and tested over the years). The expected return date is 15 December 2016.
The start of this tough 30,000 km 120-day odyssey will be the new Multistrada 1200 Enduro. The new Borgo Panigale-built multibike will, quite literally, be a 'torch bearer', carrying a special flame designed by the Ducati Style Center: a fitting symbol for that passion which burns so bright in Ducati.
The trip is divided into seven stages, to be completed by seven different riders.