RALLY DI SARDEGNA MTB STAGE-1: FROM THE HEART OF DESULO TO THE SOUL OF GENNARGENTU

After the prologue in Aritzo on August 28th, the first stage of the Rally di Sardegna MTB will start and finish in the heart of Desulo town, after 70,7 km with a 2,158-meter difference in altitude on Thursday, August 29th.

The biker will race through thousand-year-old woods, a green carpet extended between Desulo and Tonara plowed by dirty tracks (the first after 4 km) and short sections on concrete and asphalt. Descents and climbs alternate, the most demanding uphill features an average gradient of 8% and a 3-km length. After reaching the suggestive Tascusì Pass (the second highest car pass in Sardinia) and a short passage on the provincial road, the route climbs towards the majestic Gennargentu peaks. 

The dirt roads comes back under the wheels on the way to Punta Paulinu, standing at around 1700 meters above sea level. This is the summit of the day from which the long descent towards Girgini begins. Difficulties are always around the corner: a 5-km further uphill is waiting for the Rally di Sardegna bikers, then a wide descent and a final steep climb leading the riders back to the start, in the town of Desulo.

The route designed for the first day of the Sardinia MTB Rally offers a huge variety of both landscapes and terrains. This means that the competition becomes not only a physical challenge but also a visual and immersive experience in the extraordinary nature of Sardinia.

The town of Desulo is deeply linked to its wonderful mountain, jealously protectd and preserved by the local people. Its inhabitants have always developed a symbiotic relationship with this environment. The mountain provided them with essential resources such as timber, chestnuts and mushrooms, as well as pastures for their livestock. Even today, agricultural and pastoral traditions remain alive and are a distinctive element of local culture.