Rally di Sardegna: „International Mountainbike Stage Race“
More than 300km and almost 9000hm divided over 4 days made this race extra hard. We traveled on Sunday. Direct flight from Vienna to Cagliari (Sardinia), then it was 2 hours into the mountains to a pretty little old town, from where the first stage started on Wednesday. Around 50 starters at the starting line started at 9am. I pushed the pace and was able to keep up well, it was really fun to step on the gas again on the mountain bike.
Stage: 51km & 1765hm
Stage: 112km & 3652hm
Stage: 103km & 2276hm
Stage: 46km & 1080hm
Steep climbs and technical descents paired with amazing views made the many meters and kilometers a really cool ride. The sun beat down on us, but with perfectly planned hydration it was no problem for me. Stage 1, 2 and 3 started from the same small village, but stage 4 started at the sea, which gave us motivation again, because the beach was already waiting for us. I finished the race without any mechanicals and (almost) uninjured. After I finished each stage in 5th position, I also finished 5th overall. Super happy about my first MTB stage race podium, I will now add 4 days of vacation in Sardinia to enjoy the amazing beaches and the Italian food.
