Aritzo (Nu), April 16, 2024 – The natural spectacle of the heart of Sardinia, among forests and nuraghi, springs and walls. The stage venue towns of Aritzo, Seulo and Desulo will host the Rally of Sardinia MTB 2024, a four-stage race for about 200 km total route and 6,000 meters of positive elevation gain, from Aug. 28-31. The centers of Belvì and Sadali will also be touched by the event.
The organizing committee is working on the final details of the routes, which will be made official soon. Headquarters of the Rally di Sardegna MTB 2024 will be Aritzo, in the Barbagia di Belvì, where the first and fourth stages will be held. Terrain of the second fraction will be Seulo and Sadali, while for the third fraction we will go to Desulo: we are in the most hidden and quite fascinating Sardinia.
This year the race has three important new features: affiliation with the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), the top international cycling body; the absence of transfers; and an entirely rideable course.
ARITZO
Embraced by chestnut and hazel forests dotted with springs-including is Alinos and the untana de Sant’Antoni-Aritzo is located in the Barbagia di Belvì, in a gentle valley in the heart of the Gennargentu massif. The heart of the village, among houses with stone facades and cobblestone streets, is the parish church of St. Archangel, built from the year 1,000 onward. Whether on foot, horseback or MTB, the Aritzo area is a destination for hikers. Among the most interesting discoveries are the Texile, a mushroom-shaped ‘dolomitic’ rock, and the domus de Janas of is Forros in Mont’e Susu. Opposite St. Michael’s, a flight of steps leads to the Spanish jails and sa Bovida. At Funtana Cungiada, at an elevation of 1,300 meters amid ferns and junipers, one can admire the snowfields that played an important role in the area’s economy.
BELVÌ
Fairy-tale forests and fantastic legends “populate” Belvì, nestled between limestone heels and the slopes of Gennargentu. The Su de Maccioni oasis, Tonnai Point, the pine forest and adventure park of Pitz’e Pranu, and the Uatzo forest (crossed by the Green Train) are some of the most characteristic settings. On the treks from Uatzo, eagles and hawks, streams and valleys, the Troculu Tomb of the Giants, and the Cuccuru Nolza complex can be seen. In the town center, among cobblestone and cobblestone streets, you can admire the natural science museum and the parish church of St. Augustine.
SEULO
The main center of the Barbagia of the same name, Seulo boasts a heritage of deep canyons, valleys, limestone cliffs, springs, bodies of water and rapids. The most famous monument is su Stampu ‘e Su Turrunu, on the border with Sadali: a ‘water landscape’ consisting of swallowhole, cave and resurgence with waterfall and pond. Also spectacular are the waterfalls of Piscina ‘e Licona and sa Stiddiosa and the natural dolmen s’Arcu ‘e su cuaddu. Walls, ancient towers and nuraghi stand guard over the settlement. On the plateau, stands the nuragic village of Ticci. In spring, the steep slopes of Perdèdu are colored red and yellow by the bloom of the peony rose.
SADALI
On the limestone plateau of ‘su Taccu’ lies the quaint medieval village of Sadali, surrounded by forests and myriad springs, streams and waterfalls. In the center of the settlement, the only case in Sardinia, there is even a rapid called the “waterfall of St. Valentine,” named after the nearby ancient parish church around which the village was built. A few dozen meters from the waterfall is a 17th-century mill, which retains its ancient working tools. The other Sadalese churches are St. Anthony, in whose honor fires are lit in mid-January, St. Mary (15th-16th century) and St. Helena the Empress. In the center of the village is the sa Omu ‘e zia Cramella house-museum, from the late 19th century, which houses furniture and craft and agricultural tools.
DESULO
Spectacular forests, narrow alleys and centuries-old traditions tell the story of Desulo, with its three wards inhabited by nearly 2,400 residents. Of tourist significance are the Carta house-museum and that of the poet Antioco Casula, with the Montanaru ethnographic museum, as well as the ancient parish church of the patron saint St. Anthony Abbot. Desulo’s territory also includes Bruncu Spina (1829 meters), one of Sardinia’s highest peaks, Girgini Forest, and the limestone heel of Genna Eragas. And then traces of the Neolithic period, such as the domus de Janas of Occile, and the Nuragic age such as Ura de sole, the ‘highest’ nuraghe on the Island (1330 meters), and the Giants’ tomb sa Sedda ‘e s’Ena.
Press Office
press@rallydisardegnabike.it
T. +39 329 6128473