The Rallye de Sardaigne was created in 1984 by Renato Zocchi, a former Dakar competitor with a motocross background and the first Italian to take part in this race as part of the Yamaha Belgarda team aboard a Ténéré XT 600.
He came up with the idea of transposing the legendary African rally to this breathtaking island. Antonello Chiara designed the first route through centuries-old forests and almost inaccessible mountains, in this rugged wilderness bordered by idyllic beaches: pure beauty of great contrasts between sky and sea.
The race consists of five stages, all of them over 300 km long, on “zero asphalt”, with bivouacs in tents every evening. Andrea Balestrieri, the greatest rider of the time, won the first edition, with a final stage in the capital, Cagliari.
The Ténéré 700 Extreme 2024 in the spotlight
Times have changed, but Sardinia has retained its magic. The modern race is an important event in the Italian MotoRally championship.
This is where Pol Tarrés and Alessandro Botturiinaugurated the Ténéré 700 Extrême 2024, an updated version of the already legendary T700, in the Bycilinder category.
As for Pol Tarrès, the young acrobatic prodigy finished third, with his disarming panache and smile.
Forty years later, Botturi battles for the title
For Alessandro Botturi, it was 3 days of hard battling for the championship win! Battle after battle, he led this race with confidence and determination with one goal: beat his rival Jacopo Cerutti. Ultimately, after a fiercely contested and strategically controlled race, he finished second.
“I fought for a whole season, I won, I also lost, but I never gave up. Credit to the winners, but it’s also a warning: it’s far from over!!!!
Alessandro Botturi
