Ducati World theme park building starts

WHAT WOULD you have in a bike-themed amusements park? The Frozen-Commute Log Flume, with misted visor, pre-frozen fingers and wet feet? How about the Moped Thieves Haunted House, where they snatch your phone and knee you in the groin? Or the Crap Wheelie Machine, where you pop a tiny five-inch power hop away from a red light while some school kids mock your efforts?

We suspect the new Ducati World theme park won't feature too many of these bikey experiences though. No - it's set to be a themed area of the massive 'Mirabilandia' theme park near Rimini in northern Italy, with a giant Panigale roller coaster as the main attraction. Ducati reckon you'll be able to control acceleration and braking on the new coaster, with two parallel 'bikes' racing on the tracks, which sounds pretty interesting. There'll also be Ducati-themed refreshment areas, a Scrambler display, ride simulators, and, no doubt, much more. Including the chance to buy loads of Ducati branded kit from special shops.

The first stones were laid for the new attraction this week, with Ducati boss Claudio Domenicali, Andrea Dovizioso and Marco Melandri all turning up to brandish shovels (above) before leaving the real workers to take over. Until the six-week-long Italian holiday shutdown in a few weeks obvs.

If you're planning a holiday in Il Bel Paese next year, it's well worth a look. More info: https://www.mirabilandia.it/en