Valentino Ledda and Claudio Mele win the 1st Rally Città di Cagliari
Di Giovanni takes second, beating Gessa from Arbus in the final stage. Casalloni-Figoni takes the historic rally.Video di Alberto Masu
With a time of 32'27"1, eighteen-year-old Valentino Ledda, Aci Team Italia driver and rising star of Italian motorsport and beyond, won the first edition of the Rally di Cagliari with Claudio Mele in the right-hand seat of the Skoda Fabia RS Rally2. In second place, 23" behind, was Di Giovanni-Colapietro (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2), the driver from Pomezia who celebrated his debut in a "four-wheel drive" with a podium after overtaking, in the final stage, the crew formed by Marino Gessa and Salvatore Pusceddu (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, 31"4). The driver from Arbus, after a long duel with Ledda for the lead, which he had conquered yesterday evening after the Monte Urpinu special but then ceded again to the eighteen-year-old from Burgos already in the first special today, paid for some errors made in the last tests today but also rejoiced for the victory of the special Gigi Olivari 1, in Monte 'e Cresia.
Rounding out the top five were Di Iuorio-Abatecola (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, 1'18") behind and Ardizzone-Pasini (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2, 1'35"6). Ninth overall and first among the two-wheel drives were Michael Rendina and Alex Guion (Peugeot 208 Rally4, 3'04"8). A total of 68 cars competed, 5 of which in the historic rally, won by Marco Casalloni and Giovanni Figoni (Peugeot 206) in 39'04". Mark and Stephanie Laboisse (Porsche 911 Sc, 1'01"7) finished second, ahead of Ruiu-Alicicco (Alfa Romeo 33, 6'29"5) and Olla-Scilef (Alfa Romeo 33, 10'21"3).
The event, organized by AC Cagliari and New Turbomark, was a resounding success with the public, who also enjoyed the Monte Urpinu special stage, a spectacular stage held yesterday evening on Viale Europa after the Dolianova-San Nicolò Gerrei stage. Today, the cars made double runs on Sinnai-Tasoni and Monte e Cresia. At the finish line, in Piazza dei Centomila, shortly after the Olympic flame passed, the Banda della Brigata Sassari performed Christmas carols and hymns.
