{{short description|Italian motorcycle racer}} '''Giovanni Sala''' (born 23 November 1963) is an Italian enduro rider and a six-time World Enduro Champion (including the overall world championship title in 1998). He is also a four-time winner of the International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) World Trophy with Team Italy (in 1992, 1994, 1997 and 2000), and was the fastest overall in the competition in 1992, 1996 and 1997.
Sala competed his whole world championship career with KTM. He won his first title in the 500 cc class in 1993, and went on to take the 250 cc two-stroke titles in 1994, 1995 and 1998. In 1999, he won his final WEC title in the 400 cc world championship. Sala retired from the World Enduro Championship after the 2004 season, but has continued competing in the Italian Enduro Championship, where he has won several titles, and in the motorcycle class of the Dakar Rally. At the 2006 Dakar, Sala finished third.<ref>{{cite web | title=Q&A: Giovanni Sala | work=Crash.net | url=http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~87~id~10530.htm | archive-url=https://archive.today/20070504205950/http://www.crash.net/feature_view~cid~87~id~10530.htm | url-status=dead | archive-date=2007-05-04 | accessdate=2008-10-22}}</ref> In 2011, Sala was named an FIM Legend for his motorcycling achievements.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fim-live.com/en/fim/the-federation/distinctions/fim-legends/ |title=FIM Legends |publisher=fim-live.com |accessdate=April 20, 2020}}</ref> In 2024 Sala designed the track for the Bibione Sand Storm.<ref>{{cite web |title=Guida alla Bibione Sand Storm |url=https://www.fxactionmagazine.it/fx/2024/08/15/guida-alla-bibione-sand-storm/ |website=FXAction Press |access-date=5 March 2026 |language=it-IT |date=15 August 2024 |trans-title=Bibione Sand Storm Guide}}</ref>
==Career summary== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Season ! Series ! Class ! Team ! Wins ! Final placing |- ! 1991 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 2 |style="background:#FFDF9F;"| 3rd |- ! 1992 | World Enduro Championship | 500 cc | KTM | 7 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 1993 | World Enduro Championship | 500 cc | KTM | 9 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1994 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 7 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1995 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 7 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1996 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 4 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 1997 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 3 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 1998 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 5 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1999 | World Enduro Championship | 400 cc | KTM | 6 |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 2000 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 0 | 4th |- ! 2001 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 0 | 5th |- ! 2002 | World Enduro Championship | 500 cc | KTM | 0 | 4th |- ! 2003 | World Enduro Championship | 250 cc | KTM | 2 |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 2004 | World Enduro Championship | E2 | KTM | 0 | 8th |}
===ISDE=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Season ! Location ! Class ! Team ! Final placing |- ! 1991 | {{flagicon|Czechoslovakia}} Považská Bystrica, Czechoslovakia | World Trophy | Italy | 14th |- ! 1992 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Cessnock, Australia | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1993 | {{flagicon|Netherlands}} Assen, Netherlands | World Trophy | Italy | 14th |- ! 1994 | {{flagicon|United States}} Tulsa, United States | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1996 | {{flagicon|Finland}} Hämeenlinna, Finland | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 1997 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Brescia, Italy | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 1998 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Traralgon, Australia | World Trophy | Italy | 4th |- ! 1999 | {{flagicon|Portugal}} Coimbra, Portugal | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 2000 | {{flagicon|Spain}} Granada, Spain | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st |- ! 2001 | {{flagicon|France}} Brive-la-Gaillarde, France | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 2003 | {{flagicon|Brazil}} Fortaleza, Brazil | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |- ! 2004 | {{flagicon|Poland}} Kielce, Poland | World Trophy | Italy |style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 2nd |}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://www.giosala.com/ Official website]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sala, Giovanni}} Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:Enduro riders Category:Italian motorcycle racers
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