2012 Olympic champion Kulhavý, former Marathon Worlds’ king Ilias, twice European champion Medvedev, 2023 Italian champion Rosa, Italian champion Peretti and Colombia’s Calderón stand out among the participants of the race (August 28th-31st)

Cagliari (Italy), August 22nd, 2024 – Sardinia will once again take center stage in the international sports scene from August 28th to 31st, when the Barbagia region will host the tenth edition of the Rally di Sardegna MTB. The event was presented this morning, August 22nd, at the Department of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Commerce of the Autonomous Region of Sardinia, in Cagliari (Italy).

Top cyclists will compete in the heart of one of Mediterranean’s most enchanting islands. The stages will take place in Aritzo, Desulo, and Seulo towns, passing through Tonara, Sadali, Seui, and Gadoni. Untouched forests, lush nature, ancient mountains telling the stories of past eras, and breathtaking views: Sardinia opens its doors to the international cycling champions and showcases the beauty of its inland areas to the world.

OLYMPIC, WORLD AND NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
Around sixty bikers are expected to start the Rally di Sardegna MTB, with about 600 attendees in a period considered “off-season” for the inner territories, confirming the effectiveness of focusing on sports tourism. Among the athletes, former Marathon world champion Periklis Ilias, a two-time Olympian starter and current “king” of Greece, has confirmed his presence, as London 2012 Olympic champion Jaroslav Kulhavý also did. 2023 Italian Marathon champion Diego Rosa will also take in the race, just like Dutch Hans Becking two-time European champion Alexey Medvedev along with DMT Racing Team teammates Mattia Toccafondi and Peter Menghetti. “VIP” list include Monica Calderón, winner of three races this year, and Claudia Peretti, fresh off her second national title and a bronze medal at the recent European Marathon Championships.

ARITZO, DESULO, SEULO: 3 LOCATIONS FOR 3 STAGES (AND A PROLOGUE)
The Rally di Sardegna MTB will kick off on August 28th with a 12.6 km time trial prologue leading to the Texile (+500mt gradient) and returning to Aritzo.

The race will become more intense each day. On Thursday, August 29th, the athletes will tackle the 70.7 km course between Desulo and Tonara, returning to Desulo. The elevation gain will be 2,500 meters.

Starting and finishing at Seulo’s stadium, the second stage will also be challenging, with the route passing through the ancient forests of Sadali and Seui. This stage covers 66.9 km with an elevation gain of 2,300 meters.

Finally, the athletes will return to the Barbagia di Belvì region for the last stage, a 48.3 km final sprint with a 1,800-meter elevation gain, starting and finishing in Aritzo and crossing the untouched mountains of Gadoni.

In the last edition, held in 2022, the Rally di Sardegna MTB was won by Colombian (but Gorizia resident) Diego Alfonso Arias Cuervo, followed by Cypriot Andreas Miltiadis, with Italian Silvano Brugiafreddo taking third place.

SPONSORS, COLLABORATIONS, AND PARTNERSHIPS
The Rally di Sardegna MTB is promoted by the Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Department of Tourism, Handicrafts, and Commerce, and is organized by Wild Track, under the aegis of the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) and the Italian Cycling Federation (FCI), with the support and sponsorship of the municipalities of Aritzo, Desulo, and Seulo. The collaboration of the municipalities Tonara, Sadali, Seui and Gadoni, as well as the Forestas agency with its management and its territorial offices (Cagliari, Nuoro e Lanusei) was also crucial. The event is also supported by companies such as Scott, Enervit, Playcar, and USE, with media partnership by Corriere dello Sport.

SCHEDULE
Wednesday, August 28th
Prologue (TT) | Aritzo – Aritzo | 12.6 km | +500 m
11:00 AM Start and finish at Piazza Bau Ponte
1:00 PM Awards Ceremony

Thursday, August 29th
Stage-1 | Desulo – Tonara – Desulo | 70.7 km | +2,500 m
8:30 AM Start at Desulo State School
11:20 AM – 3:00 PM Stage Finish at Desulo State School
4:00 PM Awards Ceremony

Friday, August 30th
Stage-2 | Seulo – Sadali – Seui – Seulo | 66.9 km | +2,300 m
8:30 AM Start at Seulo Sports Field
11:20 AM – 3:00 PM Stage Finish at Seulo Sports Field
4:00 PM Awards Ceremony

Saturday, August 31st
Stage-3 | Aritzo – Gadoni – Aritzo | 48.3 km | +1,800 m
9:00 AM Start at Seulo Sports Field
11:10 AM – 1:30 PM Stage Finish at Seulo Sports Field
3:00 PM Awards Ceremony

QUOTES

Franco Cuccureddu, Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Tourism, Crafts, and Commerce Assessor
“Our Department has supported numerous major sporting events over the years. This support stems from the belief that sports, through large-scale events capturing the interest of athletes and enthusiasts, can serve as an effective tool for promoting awareness of Sardinia and its brand, reaching target audiences that are difficult to engage with traditional and digital marketing strategies. The Rally di Sardegna MTB shines a spotlight on Sardinia’s inland areas, which are less known than our coasts but equally captivating and fascinating.”

Bruno Perra, CONI Sardegna President
“Great sports events take center stage in our mountains and in these wonderful towns: it will be a great opportunity to admire the best athletes in this discipline challenging themselves on this area’s trails. This event is not only significant from a sporting perspective but also for tourism”

Gian Domenico Nieddu, Rally di Sardegna MTB’s OC
“Our athletes will cover 200 kilometers with a 7,000-meter elevation gain over four days. After the prologue, two stages will be characterized by about 70 kilometers each, and one by 48 kilometers. The leading athletes will be able to complete the course in about three hours. I sincerely thank the Tourism, Crafts and Commerce Department, the local institutions and all the volunteers involved for their fundamental support in organizing the event”.

Paolo Fontana, Mayor of Aritzo
“We are very pleased to host this event and we thank the Regional Ministry and the Autonomous Region of Sardinia. For our territories, it is an opportunity for national and international tourism promotion, and our people deserve it. We hope this will be the starting point for a better future.”

Antonello Porcu, Municipal Council of Desulo
“We firmly believe in sports tourism. Cycle tourism and sports events linked to tourism can be a key to revitalize our territory. The Rally di Sardegna Mountain Bike will allow cycling enthusiasts to discover our areas and, in the future, visit them by choosing the tourism offerings that our towns provide.”

Cristina Patta, Mayor of Tonara:
“This will be a launching pad for us, because we wish to focus again on the mountain tourism, so popular in our areas until the 1990s. We want sports enthusiasts to fall in love with our mountains once more”.

Photos: 1) From left to right: Giandomenico Nieddu (Rally di Sardegna MTB coordinator), Bruno Perra (CONI Sardegna), Franco Cuccureddu (Tourism, Handicrafts and Commerce assessor – Autonomous Region of Sardinia), Paolo Fontana (mayor of Aritzo), Antonello Porcu (municipal councilor in Desulo), Cristina Patta (mayor of Tonara), Giovanni Pili (deputy mayor of Aritzo) (Credits Chicco Lecca); 2) Rally di Sardegna MTB 2024 leader’s jersey (Credits Chicco Lecca); 3) Today’s press conference at Autonomous Region of Sardinia – Department of Tourism, Crafts and Commerce (Credits Chicco Lecca); 4) Periklis Ilias, former Marathon Worlds’ winner (Courtesy Periklis Ilias); 5) Jaroslav Kulhavy, gold medallist at 2012 London Olympics (Courtesy Jaroslav Kulhavy); 6) Dutch Hans Becking

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Organizzazione | Organization: Wild Track
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