The winning streak continues for Aprilia Tuareg Racing Team in the European Tout Terrain Rally Cup. At the Ro Rally Marathon in Romania, Thomas Marini was the standout performer, claiming his first overall victory of the season and, consequently, his first success in the M5 class. At the conclusion of the seven stages, Thomas Marini secured four overall stage wins and five class victories, finishing on the podium in every single special stage. This performance confirms his steady growth and great feeling aboard the Tuareg Rally. Thanks to this victory in Romania, Marini now leads the TT Rally Cup general standings with just one race left in the season.
Once again, the Tuareg Rally stood out for its exceptional performance under extreme conditions, proving to be both a winning and reliable bike. This result certifies the competitiveness of the twin-cylinder machine from Noale, as well as the outstanding work of Team Guareschi. Furthermore, the surgery undergone by Jacopo Cerutti to reduce fractures to the tibia and fibula of his right leg, and the patella of his left leg, was successfully completed. The rider was involved in an accident during the sixth day of racing, following a collision with a car traveling in the opposite direction during a special stage. Cerutti is currently under observation at the Bucharest University Hospital, where the operation was performed; he will return to Italy in the coming days and will need to observe a period of absolute rest for five weeks.
The next appointment for Aprilia Tuareg Racing is the fourth round of the Italian Motorally Championship, scheduled on 12-13 September in Umbertide, Umbria. The event will feature Thomas Marini—current leader of the G-1000 class standings—alongside Marco Menichini and Francesco Montanari. Following that, Marini will take to the fourth and final round of the Tout Terrain Rally Cup, scheduled on 13-17 October in Olbia, Italy.
THOMAS MARINI
“First of all, I want to send my best wishes and hope for a speedy recovery to Jacopo and Sebastien Vry, who both suffered bad crashes. I hope they recover quickly and get back on their bikes soon. I can’t wait to be able to train and race with Jacopo again. As for my race, it was very positive. I managed to maintain a strong pace right from day one, making very few mistakes. The bike was perfect, the team worked perfectly as always, and I felt completely at ease on the Tuareg Rally. I am very happy, we are doing a great job, and the results are proving it, so we must keep pushing in this direction.”
VITTORIANO GUARESCHI
“Naturally, our first thoughts go to Jacopo. The surgery went according to plan, and the fractures were successfully reduced. He is feeling better overall, including psychologically, so now we can only wait and hope that he recovers as quickly as possible. We are waiting for him with open arms, and in the meantime, we will keep working to make sure his bike is ready for the Africa Eco Race. Thomas did an excellent job in the race, and, thanks to his victory, he is now leading the overall standings, just ahead of Jacopo. We will now continue our work with him, Marco and Francesco focusing on the next round of the Italian Motorally and the upcoming tests ahead of the Africa Eco Race.”
