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Sardinia Rally Race 2008

Cyril Despres conquers Sardinian Rally in championship style 

KTM factory rider Cyril Despres of France put in superb last day performance in the five day Sardinian Rally to secure a solid victory and underline the champion that he is.

Riders had to tackle demanding mountain and coastal terrain on the beautiful Mediterranean island and each day presented them with new offroad challenges.

The race was never a clear cut issue until the final day. While second placed Matteo Graziani and KTM factory rider David Casteu went into the final stage still as top contenders, they were unable to overcome the power of the leading French KTM rider. In the final reckoning it was Despres on the top of the podium, Italian Matteo Graziani in second place and fellow KTM factory rider Francisco Lopez of Chile who took the minor placing in the first of the world championship series.

Fighting to stay ahead of the game Despres showed his skill, stamina and endurance. He overcame some small mistakes in the early part of the rally and some problems with his navigation in the middle of the week. But on the last day he was definitely a tour de force. He went out and took the special tests, the stage and rode to victory in the final 300 km with the same tactical skill that has won him races like the legendary Dakar.

Despres satisfied "After the cancellation of the 2008 Dakar quite a few riders have made the World Championship their principle objective and it is a great source of satisfaction to win the opening round," Despres told his fans. He also praised the beauty and variety of terrain on the island, saying he felt like "a kid in a toy shop". The next race on the hit list of the French rider is the Erzberg Rodeo in June.

Casteu finishes solidly after mid race incident David Casteu also succeeded in making up valuable ground after an incident in the middle of the rally when he was involved in a collision with Jordi Farres. The incident came about when Casteu and Lopez made a navigation mistake and were riding back on the course to correct it. While the Frenchman Casteu was able to continue to the finish, Farres was not so lucky. He fractured his foot and had to retire.

The other KTM factory riders, Jordi Viladoms (Repsol KTM), Casteu (Offroad KTM) and Frans Verhoeven (Kastle KTM Vectra) all finished in the top 10. Indeed six of the top 10 riders were riding machines from the Austrian manufacturer, making the 2008 Sardinia Rally a real success for KTM as well as the company's factory team riders.

Final Results 1. Cyril Despres, France, KTM 2. Matteo Graziani, Italy, KTM 3. Francisco Lopez, Chile, KTM 4. Massimo Chiesa, Italy, Kawasaki 5. Jordi Viladoms, Spain, KTM 6. Luca Manca, Italy, TM 7. David Casteu, France, KTM 8. Victor Rivera, Spain, PKL 9. Helder Rodrigues, Portugual, Honda 10. Frans Verhoeven, Netherlands, KTM

Sardegna Rally Race 2008 - Cross Country World Championship Final Day

One stage to go: David Casteu is the today’s winner and Despres is sttill leaqding the race. But…

One more beautiful stage, still very difficult, mainly because of the navigation problems that the rider encountered. Same damned navigation, but at this time, consequences can inspire the development of different strategies. That’s one of the exclusivities of this first Cross Country Rally date. The facts: almost 300 kilometers, between the village of Fonni and the city of Arbatax. From the deep central valleys of Sardinia to the fresh calmness of the sea. And two special tests, 39 and 51 km long.

Two winners, two “admirals” in the difficult job of navigating the today’s new world route: Chilean Francisco Lopez and French David Casteu. Casteu is also the winner of the stage, and Cyril Despres is still the leader of the race. But something has changed today, something that can foresee a completely different situation at the end of the race. Look at the leader. Today Despres was a little be nervous. Maybe because of his high sense of responsability (but maybe because of the problems he had to face with his trip computer). Anyway he has to confirm his leadership of the “last” dakar, and also that of this one never done. To win the Sardegna Rally Race could be a good opportunity for him to renew his high class reputation.

But. Behind the French, now the situation is a little bit different. Until yesterday his main competitor was a rider, even if strong, almost completely unknown on the international scene, Italian Alex Zanotti. Tomorrow the first two riders at the start will be David Casteu, as the winner of the stage, and Matteo Graziani. The italian is undoubtly one of the best specialist in this kind of “nervous” races. Togheter with Casteu, the two could made a big difference, if only they will decide to face the long stage as a team, and cooperate in order to recover the six minutes of gap and succesfully fight Cyril Despres. By the same way, some pressure could occur, and the french, even if alone, will be forced to attack. Maybe not the best way to afford the final leg of the Sardinian Rally.

Finally we only have to wait for some hours more, for the “verdict” of the “forum” of San Teodoro, and the “judge” is still the same, the timekeeper. Wich one of the three talented champions will be the winner? An answer that requires a presuppose. That one of this great, uncertain and thriling six days race named Sardegna Rally Race.

The untouchable Despres, the incident of Ceci, and the Manca’s Profecy. And the today's victory of Jordi Viladoms

Any kind of thrill events happened today in the day 4 of the Sardegna Rally Race. Not all were too much happy. First of all we have to speak about the incident that occur to Paolo Ceci. The young and strong Aprilia teammate crashed in the very final part of the second special test of the day, just few kilometers from the finish. Finally nothing really serious, but at the very first moment the organizers decided to shorter the test in order to concentrate all their resources in the emergency. Cyril Despres, the first rider behind Ceci, alerted the organization, and the medicals of RMT came in a flash. Eight minutes more and the italian was in the Nuoro town hospital. A broken arm, a deep cut in his tongue, but nothing more serious. Only the disappointing consideration that just the day before Ceci was the hero of the Rally, and then , some hours later, his dream was broken.

That’s the reason because of the cancellation of the second special test of the day. Cinically, this was one of the most expected days of the Rally, because of the related second special test was traced thinking at the historical days of the rally, when all the days were very long and demanding. This test was designed entirely across the magical Burgos Forest.

The riders enjoyed the day’s track, even without running the final section over any speed limit. The main reason is that they love the Sardinian terrain, and much more the unbelievable landsdcapes the discover kilometer after kilometer. Finally they enjoy also the screenplay of this Sardegna Rally Race.

First at the crossing of the finish line, spanish Repsol KTM official team rider Jordi Viladoms (above) finally showed his great talent, winning the first special test and the today’s leg. Non one mistake in navigating the route, like yesterday, and a very powerful performance. Some seconds over Cyril Despres, and a nothing before the strongest sardinian rallyman, Luca Manca. The last winner of the last Dakar Cyril Despres is still leading the race, but this shoulders have to be ready to sustain the pressure of Alex Zanotti and Matteo Graziani, now second and third in the general ranking.

Tomorrow the rally moves to Arbatax, a really nice beach village of the east cost, but for the 57 riders still in the race, it will be one more hard day. An almost 300 kilometers stage, with two special tests of 39 and 52 kilometers. Route to Arbatax, the shadow of the Gannargentu mountain chain darking the labirinth of the beautiful but demandin pists.

Many thanks, and please stops laughing because of my english.

Italians (but especially Paolo Ceci) do it better…

Day two for the Sardegna Rally Race. A very demanding leg, 270 kilometers long with two special tests. A “short” one, “only” 37 kilometers, and the longest one of this first edition of the Rally organized by Bike Village. A day were the experience of the Italians came out and a lot of action toke place. The difference with the African Rallies (Dakar, Pharaons and Tunisia) and the Sardegna Rally Racfe is that the Africans ones are long hard on the body, and the riders have to be able to drive on sands dunes but with just few notes on the road book. In fact you may change direction after hundreds of kilometer. In the Italian Sardegna Rally Race the main requested ability is to read suddenly changes of directions even after just hundred or few meters, speed in not the most important factor then, but not making mistake makes the difference. So today for those mistake some of the african champions were penalized for and the italians toke advantage of it to climb the overall ranking. Because of that, today we are allowed to say that “italians do it better”.

This is finally the leit motiv of the today fast journey of the 60 riders, dominated by the incredible performance of Paolo Ceci. The italian won the first special test, and was second in the second one, paying a only 3 second gap to the leader of the race, Cyril Despres. Some other italians were also smart. And at the end, from second to the fifth place of the general overall, you only can read italian names: Ceci for sure, but also Alex Zanotti, Massimo Chiesa and Matteo Graziani.

And what happened to the “stars” of the days before? Nothing exceptional. They only “loose” theirselves some times, adding more disavantage to their tireness. Many of them were involved in a sort of “mass mistake”, an involuntary “cut” of the track that is now the puzzle of the technicians of the tracking system. They have to check every single track recording, in order to “discover” the “guilts” and to penalize them. For that reason, the final results are now expected later in the night.

But the next down will reveal one of the most esciting routes of this Sardegna Raly Race, this one that will re-introduce the “historical” Burgos Forest special test. Stay in touch, looking for your riders in internet, with the Sporttraxx tracking system. Please open the official rally page, www.bikevillage.it, and look for it.

First victory for Helder Rodriguez. The Super Stars are still waiting… San Teodoro, May 4th, 2008.

The Sardegna rally Race it started! 60 of the most famous drivers of the world did the first short special test, on a dirt track just out side the door of the turistic city of San Teodoro, east coast of Sardinia. Almost 3 kilometer of dunes, jumps and short fast strechtes and of dirt land.

The winner of the first day race is the portoguese Helder Rodriguez, just ahead of Ruben Faria, also from Portugal.The two riders are very expert enduro racers, but the today race is far from the caractheristics of the cross country rally. Thirth place for another “Iberic”, the Spanish Ruben Faria, forth for Matteo Graziani. The Italian is the one of the favorites of this race, because of his almost 50 successes in the italian Motorally and Raid TT scene. Graziani has also 4 victories in in different rallies held in the country of Sardinia. Today’s race was an introduction, a sort of welcome to the Racers, useful only to establish the starting order of the tomorrow real race. The tomorrow 250 kilometers “ring”, that will have his start at Olbia and the finish in San Teodoro, will include two special test of 50 kilometer each. Tomorrow we will know the riders of this rally superstars that feel confortable in this kind of landscape and “navigating” the hard routes of this magnificent Rally race.

Other great Sardinia Rally super stars, like the french David Casteu and Cyril Despres, Francisco Lopez from Chile and the spaniards Pellicer and Villadoms, just to mention some of them, they choose the tactic of going with cautions and taking confidence with the land before laid on the field all theyr esperience. The Sardegna Rally Race 2008, organized by Bike Village, is the first “step” of the 2008 World Championship Cross Country Rally, and will end may 9 after 5 days of racing against time in the most beautiful areas of Sardinia Island. Almost 1500 kilometers, with 10 legs and over 500 KM of special tests where the racers will be forced to give the best of themself.

Prologue Results 1. Rodriguez Helder, Honda, POR 2. Faria Ruben, Honda, POR 3. Farres Gerard, KTM, SPA 4. Graziani Matteo, KTM ITA 5. Casteu David, KTM FRA 6. Pellicer, Jose, KTM SPA 7. Manca Luca, TM, ITA 8. Lopez Francisco, KTM, CHI 9. Despres Cyril, KTM, FRA 10. Viladoms Jordi, KTM, SPA

Sardinia Rally Race 2008 Cross-Country Rallies World Championship From 4 to 9 May: a memorable rally.

Missing just over a month to the World Championship Rally Raid TT, and the first test of the Championship is the Sardinia Rally Race. For several reasons the first edition of the Rally "labelled" Bike Village shows itself as the event of the season. The first, and perhaps most exciting reason, is that the Bike Village staff is working hard to achieve an unforgettable 2008 big rally race opening season. The whole Bike Village staff activities are focused on different goals, all aimed at the establishment of Rally when the most famous and beautiful races were organized.

Sardinia Rally Race won't be just a competition at the highest and most technical level, but an event where the atmosphere will be strongly and inseparably linked to Sardinia too.

A magical place where traditions, culture and spectacular sceneries are unique and live together. Well: Sardinia Rally Race will propose to its competitors the whole "weight " of this Sardinia. The Rally is competition, adventure and pleasure at the same time: in fact, Bike Village, which was created to achieve proposals for an audience of connoisseurs, is always focused not only on pilots, which will run in the first really important race of the season, but also on their guests, who are relatives and friends to the competitors. Bike Village organisation offers regal hospitality for everybody.

To let the competition be second to none, Bike Village has recruited the best technicians, by defining a fable run with special tests that will leave its mark on the history of the rally.

But the big battle that the organisers have now won was fought on the front of the costs of participation.

The Sardinia Rally Race will be the Rally World Championship (but not only) cheapest overall, with a record that probably will remain unbeaten for a long time. Have a look to the site www.bikevillage.it, to see how rates, options and opportunities that the Sardinia Rally Race reserve to its competitors and guests are competitive, and since the first glance you will realize that Bike Village job is serious, original and constructive. All this won't be possible without the a greater sense of responsibility of the organisers, guaranteed by the twenty years experience of Antonello Chiara, Bike Village chief. In a very critical moment for the specialty, which lives a period where the major rallies are disappearing and where new others are growing up only to create caos to a timetable which is already reduced to historically low, Sardinia Rally Race is a real breath of fresh air for the specialty and especially for the riders, their teams and the Houses.

The organisers have been reassured on the goodness of their project by the membership of the best pilots of the world. Bike Village, focusing its attention on the total agreement and satisfaction, does not hide the ambitious but achievable goal to counts a hundred drivers for the first edition of the Sardinia Rally Race. Champions, non-professionals and amateurs drivers all together to live an unforgettable race.

The main dates:
20 April 2008: Deadline for subscriptions. 4 May 2008: Assessment and O.P. 5 May 2008: First Step departure 9 May 2008: Arrival of Sardinia Rally Race, Awards ceremony and dinner gala

More Infos: www.bikevillage.it , +39 02 9901161, FAX +39 02 99480802