This morning the organizers of the Rally Italia Sardegna (ACI and Regione Sardegna), the only Italian round of the WRC 2022, unveiled the first features of its 19th edition.
If in 2021 Olbia had been the base of the Sardinian event, in 2022 Alghero will be the great protagonist again. The town in the north-west of Sardinia will host the Service Park, while Olbia will not disappear from the event because there will be the opening ceremony and the first special stage of the event.
The other 2 novelties of the event are linked to the use of the Argentiera special stage as a Power Stage, therefore the last stage which will not only close the rally, but will also assign additional points to the top 5 finishers of the stage. The last one, on the other hand, is the opening special in Olbia.
The test, the fifth round of the World Rally Championship scheduled from 2 to 5 June, will consist of 21 special stages, divided into three stages for a total of 314.31 km timed. The location returns to Alghero this year, with the assistance park set up again this time between the quays of the tourist port, the “Ramblas” and the Piazzale della Pace, while the press room, race direction and headquarters will again be hosted in the prestigious location by Lu Qualté.
The 4-day competition program
On Thursday 2 June at 9.01 there will be the shakedown of Olmedo (3.25 km) while in the afternoon there will be the transfer to Olbia, where the departure will be given and the opening special will be hosted at 18.08 at Cabu Abbas (3.23 km ), which had already been foreseen two years ago but then had not been disputed due to Covid.
The competitors will spend the night in Olbia at Molo Brin, from where the race will resume on Friday 3 at 6.10 with the continuation of the first stage consisting of 8 special stages and 132.96 km timed. In the morning there will be two special stages repeated twice in Monte Acuto in Terranova (14.36 km) and Monti di Alà 24.65 km), then in the afternoon after assistance in Alghero at 13.06, the classic two time trials are scheduled in Gallura di Tempio (12.08 km) and Erula-Tula (15.39 km) with return to the service park in Alghero at 9.34 pm.
Saturday 4 June, as usual, the classic day on the dirt roads of Monte Acuto is scheduled, consisting of 8 special stages and 134.84 km timed. It starts with two passes in Coiluna-Loelle (22.91 km) and Monte Lerno (16.57 km), this special stage famous for the Micky’s Jump and the only one ever present in all 19 editions of the race. In the afternoon there will be the time trials of Osilo-Tergu (14.91 km), which returns after a year’s stop, and Castelsardo (13.03 km) with the return of the drivers to Alghero at 8.48 pm.
Finally, on Sunday 5th June, the timed km to cover are 43.28 divided into four special stages, with two passages at Monte Baranta (14.51 km) and in the power stage of Sassari-Argentiera (7.13 km), which in the second pass of the 12.18 pm will be broadcast live on television all over the world. This is really a welcome return, given its unique and inimitable layout, which represents an important image of the event. Only then will we know with certainty the name of the winner of this 19th edition of the tricolor round of the world rally, the winner who will then, as usual, dive with the whole team into the waters of the port of Alghero.
#WRC #Rally #Italia #Sardegna #news #route