Alessandro Lupino recalls the day he realized he would become a motocross rider.

I remember that day very well. We were at the Isola d’Elba. I got a three-day course at the motocross school together with the Enduro champion Fabio Fasola.

It was my first time on a motorbike on the track, because until then I had only rode in my house backyard.

I approached motocross through my uncle, he was a rider. I liked so much to go and see him during his training sessions that my grandfather gave me my own bike.

The first day of the cross school started in a very simple way. We had to make a few turns in a square to warm up a bit and get familiar with the vehicle. In the afternoon we finally rode on the track. It was awesome. I remember there was a very difficult descent and, every time I managed to ride down from there, I was super happy and excited.

This photo was taken at the end of that afternoon. We took a nice horse ride in the middle of the pine forest. My sister was with me on a black horse. I was wearing my motorcycle suit because I didn't want to change: I was too excited to have spent the first day on a real track.

This is where it all began. During the horseback ride at the end of a training day, I realized I would be a rider. A motocross rider.