Andrea Crugnola, TV star, Campedelli wins the next two stages

The 71st Rallye Sanremo starts with the live TV stage and it is immediately Crugnola who emerges, but in the following special stages in the undergrowth of Ghimbegna-San Romolo and San Romolo-Perinaldo Campedelli stands out.

SANREMO (IM), 18 October – After torrential rain and thunderstorms in the morning, the 71st Rallye Sanremo starts from the platform of Corso Imperatrice under a beautiful sun. It starts, for television requirements, with six trophy crews leading the way, then the first eighteen CIAR crews in reverse order.

It starts with the Montalto-Molini di Triora under the eye of the cameras that broadcast the special stage live and it’s immediately Andrea Crugnola, co-driven by Pietro Ometto, who dives on the 2.6 km of asphalt, full of pitfalls with puddles of water that mix with the asphalt covered with moisture that covers the entire special. Crugnola proves he wants to conquer his first Sanremo at all costs, in his twelfth participation (twice second) by starting from the starting grid in Corso Imperatrice in Sanremo without the additional headlights (the only one of the whole lot) to make his Citroën C3 as light and aerodynamic as possible. Behind the driver from Como is the Slovenian crew of Bostjan Avbelj-Damijan Andrejka, Škoda Fabia RS, second overall last year and runner-up Italian Promotion 2024, who pay Crugnola 1’3, preceding IRC Championship winners Simone Campedelli with Tania Canton at the pace notes at 2’4 and the Toyota GR Yaris Rally2 of Giandomenico Basso-Lorenzo Granai, then Andrea Mabellini-Virginia Lenzi and Promotion champion Marco Signor co-driven by Daniele Michi.

A one-hour regrouping at Molini di Triora allows the competitors to tidy up in number, order with Crugnola opening the dances on the following Ghimbegna-San Romolo of 10.51 km, covered in damp and undergrowth foliage. On this occasion it is Campedelli who lays down the law, taking the lead of the race, with Basso who allows just 1/10 while Crugnola pays 8″4 sliding into third place with Andreucci-Briani who rise to fourth place, passing Avbelj and Mabellini.

There are just 830 metres between the end of stage one and the start of stage three, the 7.13 km San Romolo-Perinaldo. Campedelli wins in this stage, again ahead of Basso, Crugnola and Andreucci who finish the first three special stages in that order.