2024 Rally di Sardegna MTB Prologue | Highlights
Diego Rosa (Torpado Kenda Factory) and Tessa Kortekaas (Cannondale ISB) are the first leaders of the Rally di Sardegna 2024, thanks to their success in the prologue with start and finish in Aritzo held on Wednesday, August 28th.
The 35-year-old former Italian champion covered the 12.6 km-route in 30:21 preceding another former professional, countryman Riccardo Chiarini, by 1:11. Vincenzo Saitta rounded-out an all-Italian podium, a couple of seconds behind Chiarini. The prologue took place in the wonderful natural setting of the Aritzo municipal park where the Texile stands out, a majestic limestone heel shaped by millions of years of erosion, an iconic symbol of the territory.
“It was a fun prologue. It was also very tough because of the initial climb and challenging with the fast and slippery descents. Half an hour at full throttle to start warming up the engine was just perfect. When I arrived, Yesterday, I was surrounded by a beautiful chestnut grove and today the race was also great from a scenic point of view” Rosa commented.
“I had tested the course Yesterday. It was very demanding and not at all straightforward. You had to manage yourself well on the climbs and then handle the descents properly. I’ve just come from five days of racing in Switzerland with only three days of rest, but it seems I’ve absorbed it well. I didn’t expect to be in front in the prologue; I’m very happy” Chiarini said.
Fourth at both the Hero Sudtirol Dolomites and the Andorra Epic this year, and 2023 Italian Marathon champion, Diego Rosa is also known to cycling fans for his professional career, which includes participation and placements in the Grand Tours and the 2016 Rio Olympics. “I’m returning to Sardinia knowing I’ll find a wonderful atmosphere,” explains Diego Rosa, “in a stage race that has been missing in Italy. Additionally, Sardinia is the envy of the world for the nature surrounding these courses. Technically, I expect the terrain to be similar to Spain—rocky, dry at times, and wild”.
Dutch Tessa Kortekaas was the fastest in the women’s field, finishing with a time of 37:45. “The prologue was tough, starting with a hard climb for nearly 4 kilometers, nearly steep. I pushed quite hard because I knew the second part was mostly downhill. I tried to go as fast as I could downhill without taking too much riskes. In the last two kilometers I saw my competitors just in front of me and I understood I was close to win the race” Kortekaas commented.
Italian champion Claudia Peretti placed second (+1:13), whilst Spanish Monica Calderon, Kortekaas’ companion in several successes this season, rounded out the podium (+1:43). “I had tested the prologue and I knew its pitfalls, from the climbs to the natural ground. Unfortunately I suffered a punctures in the early descent but I managed not to lose too much time” Peretti commented.
On Thursday, August 29th, in the first stage, the athletes will tackle 70.7 km between Desulo and Tonara (2,500-meter elevation gain) in the historic Gennargentu Mandrolisai region before returning to Desulo. The start is at 9:15 a.m.
OFFICIAL CLASSIFICATIONS – Men Prologue
1) Diego Rosa (Torpado Kenda Factory) in 30:20.99
2) Riccardo Chiarini (Cannondale ISB Sport) +1:11
3) Vincenzo Saitta (Rolling Bike Racing Team) +1:13
4) Hans Becking (Buff Megamo) +1:15
5) Marek Rauchfuss (Ceska Sporitelna – Accolade) + 1:23
Text Credits: Rally di Sardegna MTB | Photo Credits: Antonio Caggiano, Nico Belillo | Video Credits: ICARUS Sports