Silvia Giannetti, the only Italian woman to compete in the Cross Country Rally Raid TT World Championship, was born in Grosseto on 6 May 1972. She started competing at the beginning of 2000, by participating in numerous national and international road cycling competitions. In 2005 she decided to abandon her bicycle in order to dedicate herself exclusively to rally motorbike racing participating in the Italian Rally Raid TT Championship.

Thanks to the experiences accumulated navigating and the skills learnt from the motorbike lessons on sand received by the three times world champion Fabrizio Meoni, Silvia Giannetti decided to move her competition activity to the African continent. This is the terrain that she loved since she participated in the Moroccan raid. In 2006 she decided to take part in the World Cross Country Rally Raid TT Championship.

In the Tunisian Rally, the first race of the championship, which lasted seven days and included a 3.500 Km long track of sand, dunes, rocks and mud, Silvia Giannetti managed to come first in her category. Subsequently she took part in the Moroccan Rally and the Pharaons’ Rally, confirming her position of first in the world ranking. In 2007 Silvia once again took first place in the world championship winning the Tunisian Rally as well as the Pharaons’ Rally.

In January 2008, this Tuscan athlete was in Lisbon to participate in the “Dakar”, one of the longest and most slaughterous races in the world, it starts in Lisbon and arrives in Dakar after fifteen days and 10.000 Km of highly selective tracks. She would have been one of the first women to participate in such a competition on the back of a motorbike. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen terrorist threats against the participants, the race was cancelled the day before the start. In March 2008, Silvia was a victim of a serious accident whilst training and therefore she had to take a long and painful break. Only at the beginning of 2009 was she allowed to fully participate once again in competitions.

Silvia Giannetti is currently training intensely, full of determination and love for this sport and for the African continent. Silvia will participate in the “Tunisian Rally Raid TT 2009” and the “Pharaons’ Rally Raid TT” as well as in “Dakar 2010”.

Silvia Giannetti’s Competetive Curriculum:
• 1999
Raid in Marocco
• 2000
Raid in Lybia – Algeria – Tunisia
• 2001
Raid in Marocco
• 2004
Raid in Tunisia (Instructor Fabrizio Meoni)
• 2005
4 Raid in Tunisia (Instructor and guide Fabrizio Mugnaioli)
• 2000
Italian Ladies road cycling vice champion
• 2005
Regional ladies champion of Giant Ski Slalom VVF
Italian Championship, Sicilian Rally TT – 1st place Women’s category
Italian Championship, Umbrian Rally TT – 1st place Women’s category 4th Race Italian Enduro Championship Tuscany – 1st place Women’s category
• 2006
World Championship Rally Raid TT, Tunisia – 1st place Women’s category
World Championship Rally Raid TT, Morocco – 1st place Women’s category
World Championship Rally Raid TT, Pharaons’ Rally – 1st place Women’s category
• 2007
World Championship Rally Raid TT, Tunisia – 1st place Women’s category
World Championship Rally Raid TT, Pharaons’ Rally – 1st place Women’s category