the Rally Italia Sardegna, sixth round of the WRC 2023, is approaching day after day. The island event, scheduled in northern Sardinia from 2 to 4 June, took shape according to the ideas and work of one of the greatest protagonists of Italian and international rallying: Tiziano Siviero.
Miki Biasion’s former navigator designed the Rally Italia Sardegna route, introducing after several years the long version of the Monte Lerno – Sa Conchedda, the longest special stage of the entire route with almost 50 kilometers of route.
Tiziano, still recovering after the terrible road accident in which he was involved last September 19th, recounted his choices, his journey and his hopes on the official website of the Sardinian event.
How did you carry out the preparation work for the Rally Italia Sardegna route?
“The idea started in mid-September before my accident happened, then we gradually refined it a little at a time. We structured ourselves with some people who went on the route, in this case Vittorio Carlino and Edoardo Di Lauro, they made films and I made my choices.Certainly it’s not the same thing as when you go there personally, but then I wanted very expert people to go to the site, such as Lucio De Mori and Antonio Turitto, who confirmed what were the my perceptions”.
How did the idea of a tough course come about with the Monte Lerno test extended to 50 km which aroused the curiosity of all insiders?
“I had wanted to do something like this for a few years. In 2014 when I returned to take care of the route, we had done it 60 km long, let’s say that the long stage, the complicated stage is a bit of my trademark. Back then we had it proposed because it was a bit of a challenge like the Cagliari test at the time because we had to get people talking about us, and also from that point of view there was the transfer of the base of the race to Alghero.This time instead the long test was born from the need to put together all the most beautiful points of Monte Lerno, Monti di Alà to finish the special in the Alà dei Sardi arena where the last 2 km are all on sight for the joy of the spectators”.
When is the famous jump expected?
“Midway through the test, my intention was to propose a fast test, with an average speed of 100 km/h given that in some points, especially after the jump, there are a series of slow corners which lower the average speed. A test in which the driver enjoyed driving, which is why I asked Vittorio Carlino to ride it in complete safety as if he were driving in a race, and he confided in me that it was “crazy cool” confirming that my sensations were the right ones”.
And why is it proposed immediately in the stage on Friday and not on Saturday?
“Simply for television reasons: on Saturday we have to offer Coiluna-Loelle on live TV which, with its 16 km, would have made the lap too long for the tires if we had Monte Lerno on the same day. And so a first stage came about in which we dusted off after 19 Tantariles editions, and then after Terranova we will go to Monte Lerno. Tantariles was the first special stage of 2004 and in the first stretch it is the same as it was then, but then we get to the top and we can no longer turn right because there are crops, and so we continue to the left with an unprecedented descent that should prove to be very difficult.As for Terranova, we had to make a test that did not exceed 10 km and so we decided to include in the final part the spectacular descent of Kitzbühel, which after 10 years a welcome return”.
And what does Saturday’s stage include?
“For Saturday, in addition to Coiluna and Su Filigosu, we carried out painstaking work on the Tula time trial, trying to make it a difficult and selective test, with constant changes of pace and an alternation of beautiful and very ugly backgrounds, all enriched even with five-six jumps. A test where the grip changes continuously and where you can make a difference. Then in Tempio we do the 2005 version, with a totally different final part from that of the last editions which goes from San Bachisio to the Agnata, a tortuous and insidious road that is a continuous slalom where if you make a mistake you can detach a wheel”.
Is the grand finale Sunday a 2021 remake?
“For Sunday’s stage, I preferred to confirm the route from two years ago that I liked, rather than risking something new, given that the final stop is also on the beach as is the prize giving after the Power Stage. Then the special on The pilots like Braniatogghiu, some consider it one of the most beautiful in the world championship, because apart from the passage between the houses with a slow km, it is all very fast with a thrilling finale”.
Will we see you in June in Olbia?
“If it depended on me I would go there immediately, it will depend on my conditions. I really hope to be there”.
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