In a very tough, uncertain, spectacular and selective first day of racing, the navigation in the forests of Coiluna and Fiorentini stressed the crews and their vehicles, with many withdrawals and surprises, but also the unmistakable mark of a "small Dakar" that aims for the 2027 world title.
May 15, 2026_ First stage of the Sardegna Rally Raid, and it was immediately clear why it's a miniature Dakar, a worthy candidate for the 2027 FIA World Championship. A tough, selective, uncertain, spectacular race that punished several competitors. It makes you want to start with the shopping list, which is incomplete. This morning, the pair Paola Tagliabue and Sandra Castellani were knocked out on the transfer route with their Nissan Terrano having broken down, with setup issues to resolve for tomorrow and that's it. A mini record was set by Riccardo Ambrosetti and Lorenzo Giovanni, father and son from Como, 2 km of the Coiluna-Loelle sector, which had a total of 78.70 km, and their Can Am (T4) ended up in the woods, 3 km for the Vitara of Alberto Spinetti and Lara Giusti (T2) before burning out the clutch. Riccardo Benettolo and Irene Saderini were stranded from the Taurus (T3) due to an engine failure. Stefano Sabellico and Andrea Taloni crashed into a tree in their Vitara (T1). At the end of the day, Andrea Tomasini and Angelo Mirolo were left "lost" in the Fiorentini forest due to a lack of signal. Then it became clear that the winners of the Artugna Race had "only" torn off a wheel from their Polaris Razor (T4). And what can we say about the cold experienced by those with lightweight tubulars, some without windshields, all without side windows?
The rain also began to torment them. "What, is it so cold in Sardinia?" asked Slovakian Martin Benko in his Taurus (T3), navigated by his compatriot Marek Sikora, who was hoping for the mild weather to tickle the myrtle, but "the seasons don't exist anymore like they used to" (copyright press office, Piero Batini). Giovanni Manfrinato even stoically endured a "frostbite" in the Can Am, but the former rally driver, co-driven by his son Michele who urged him not to give up, is also one of those who always jokes about the "misfortunes" of the race. However, there were many positives, despite the penalties that reshaped the provisional standings, with surprises even late in the evening.
When Lorenzo Codecà and Gilberti Minetti's provisional lead suddenly vanished, evaporating after a slow simmer: "I was expecting it, to be honest. It didn't seem possible that we had guessed the whole track." Kudos to the multiple champion, a veteran of a thousand battles. His Suzuki Grand Vitara (T1) missed a mountain of waypoints, each costing him a 2-minute penalty, and he found himself relegated from first to twenty-second place. Thus, the Mantua cousins Alessandro and Marco Trivini Bellini in a Can Am Maverick (T4) finished the first stage in the lead with a time of 3:49:20, despite initial electronics and brake issues in the second leg. Andrea Castagnera and Alberto Marcon also finished in Can Am Maverick (T3), happy with their second place at 2:41, with a clear smile of satisfaction in the service park after a stellar performance. Slovakian drivers Benko-Sykora took third place at 3:48, with a 2-minute penalty. Christine Giampaoli Zonca, the star of Dazn Spain for F1 and MotoGP, finished fourth at 5:57, but she's really strong behind the wheel. Her best time in the "Fiorentini" class was 2:08:49 in a Polaris Razor, co-driven by Pablo Moreno. The second and decisive stage, featuring a double version of "Monte Acuto," could still offer unexpected opportunities for recovery in a Sardegna Rally Raid that takes nothing for granted. And then on Sunday, the final effort for those who want to test their skills in the world championship test race, with the "Padru" and "Terranova-Sorilis" stages.
Italian Baja Press Office
Photo Michele Barazzutti
