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Rally A Estrada Adventure Galicia.

Chronicle of the 4th round of the European Rally TT Championship.

In the last week of September, the fourth round of the European Rally TT Championship took place in the Galician town of A Estrada. Drivers from all over Europe gathered to compete in a rally that would be dominated by the fifteen-time Dakar veteran, Joan Pedrero, from the first to the last stage, in a unique natural setting and under demanding navigation.

Prologue.
At half past six in the evening, the prologue began on a clear day, with temperatures above twenty-two degrees and a declining autumn sun that promised added difficulty. Only a ten-kilometer asphalt link separated the bivouac from the start of a 20-kilometer special stage that would determine the starting order for the first stage. As expected, the Galician terrain and a challenging roadbook demanded a restrained pace from all the drivers. Note by note, on a green track with ruts, they became aware of what awaited them in the next five days of competition.

Madrid's Javi Vega stopped the clock at 24 minutes and 41 seconds, just 5 seconds ahead of Italian Matteo Bottino in second place, followed by the Czech Matýas Cervenka with a time of 25 minutes and 38 seconds, Galician Eduardo Iglesias with 25 minutes and 48 seconds, and the experienced Joan Pedrero, who lost valuable seconds deciphering a waypoint, placing fifth with a time of 26 minutes and 3 seconds.

Javi Vega:
"This is so different from what we're used to that it's like training for something we never do. We've covered twenty kilometers, and my head is already fried. The truth is, here in Galicia, you have to take it easy. In the first kilometer, I went all out and had a couple of scares with the rear wheel. You can't rush. So, it's a mental workout. I think my trick will be to stay well hydrated so my head doesn't get foggy because if you're not well hydrated, you'll start losing it."

Stage 1.
As the sun rose, the riders set off from the bivouac, one minute apart, heading towards a stage that would prove to be longer than expected, with 105 kilometers of timed sections. A challenging course with lots of rocks and rough terrain, coupled with a precise roadbook that required constant interpretation of each note, created the perfect combination for that moment no rider wants to experience.
On more than one occasion, the riders had to backtrack to find their way after misinterpreting a note. During one of these moments, Joan Pedrero was the first to solve the puzzle, finding the correct line to take the lead and attack during the last part of the special stage, securing the first position at the finish line.

Joan stopped the clock at 2 hours and 45 minutes. Brian Gómez Garijo finished second with a gap of just 37 seconds, Charlie Julia Barther took third place, 7 minutes and 49 seconds behind, Xavier Amo Floguts was fourth, 9 minutes and 21 seconds behind, and Rubén Saldaña Goñi secured the fifth place, 10 minutes and 40 seconds behind Pedrero. Javi Vega, who won the prologue the day before, lost up to 17 minutes compared to Joan Pedrero.

After the first stage, the overall standings placed Pedrero in first position, followed by Vega at 5 minutes and 44 seconds, and Italian Matteo Bottino at 12 minutes and 55 seconds.

Joan Pedrero:
"Yesterday in the prologue, it was very tough for me, and this morning, I got lost around kilometer 40 for about ten minutes, and I thought, 'Wow, I'm navigating as if I've made the roadbook myself, and I need to change my mindset and think that Javi made the roadbook.' I went back and found it. The same thing happened at kilometer 50. It was very tricky. We were all going in circles, but I told myself again: go to the right reference and forget about the others. I found it again, hid a bit so they couldn't see me, and I went all out until the end. So, very happy."

Stage 2.
At eight hours and forty minutes in the morning, the longest special stage of the Rally de A Estrada began, covering a total of 237 kilometers.

The race was divided into three clearly distinct sections, alternating with two neutralization zones for refueling and rider replenishment. The first part was a warm-up with moderately challenging navigation, but it covered more than 70 kilometers, providing a significant challenge. The second section, between the two neutralization zones, tested the riders' riding skills and roadbook interpretation. There were navigation sections that required riders to slow down and hit the dirt if necessary to reach all the waypoints and continue the race. After the final refueling and completing the most challenging section, the riders enjoyed a final stretch of fast tracks, interspersed with trails, crossing the finish line with a great sense of accomplishment.

Joan Pedrero, who was the first rider to start, would not relinquish the lead throughout the 6 hours and 25 minutes it took to complete this extremely long second day of racing. He took an early lead, establishing a gap of up to seven minutes at the first refueling. Marc Calmet finished second, 11 minutes and 47 seconds behind, Rubén Saldaña took third place, 16 minutes and 50 seconds behind, Matteo Bottino finished fourth, 17 minutes and 35 seconds behind, and Juan Jesús Sánchez secured fifth place, 20 minutes and 52 seconds behind Pedrero. Joan Pedrero solidified his lead in the overall standings with a total time of 11 hours and 20 minutes, followed by Matteo Bottino at 30 minutes and 31 seconds, and Rubén Saldaña at 33 minutes and 5 seconds.

Joan Pedrero:
"I set a pace and don't look back. I don't have rearview mirrors. I have a good feeling, so why stop? If I slow down, I lose focus, and now I've got the roadbook figured out. Not getting nervous and being a veteran helps you stay calm, and in the end, we were able to win all the stages, especially when opening the trail. I'm saying it every day: congratulations to the organization, it's been impressive. It's an incredible race with exceptional terrain and forests. I highly recommend it, and I hope it continues to be held every year."

Stage 3.
Under excellent ambient temperature and terrain humidity conditions for Rally Raid, the third stage of the Rally de A Estrada began, covering a total of 214 kilometers of special stages.

With two neutralization zones for necessary supplies, the organizers had prepared a race that was homogenous to enjoy many fast tracks and even faster ones, interspersed with more challenging sections and small sections of asphalt that riders used to hydrate before the next challenge.

For the second consecutive day, Joan Pedrero started in the lead and with minor navigation errors that allowed his pursuers to catch up, creating exciting battles. Joan ultimately prevailed, securing first place with a time of 4 hours and 50 minutes and a 14-minute gap over his nearest pursuer, Czech rider Matyás Cervenka. The top five included Adriá Pascuet Copte in third place, Matteo Bottino in fourth, and Ruben Saldaña in fifth, all within 15 minutes of Pedrero and with just seconds separating them. Joan Pedrero extended his lead in the overall standings to 16 hours and 11 minutes, followed by Matteo Bottino at 45 minutes and 42 seconds, and Rubén Saldaña at 48 minutes and 50 seconds.

Joan Pedrero:
"I set a rhythm and don't look back. I have no rearview mirrors. I have a good feeling, so why stop? If I slow down, I lose focus. Today the terrain was marked a lot, and it was challenging to break away. We reached a point with five or six waypoints close together. One indicated a barely visible track with vegetation; I arrived at the spot, confirmed it was the right one, turned as if it wasn't, and he also turned back. At that moment, I got onto the track and pushed hard to drop him. It was tough psychologically because opening the trail was very difficult, but in the end, I created a good gap."

Stage 4.
With the arrival of the late summer, the riders prepared to start the fourth stage, which, despite being short, had its own unique characteristics, just like each of the stages in this inaugural edition of the Galician rally. Spectacular landscapes of the mountainous interior of the province of Pontevedra, crossed by tracks, trails, and paths with constant elevation changes, made up the fantastic menu for the day, covering 100 kilometers of special stages.

Precise navigation required all senses to be on high alert to avoid any misinterpretations in a roadbook that seemed determined to keep its secrets, adding an extra layer of challenge to the penultimate stage. Joan Pedrero started as the first rider for the third consecutive day, with minor navigation errors that allowed his pursuers to catch up and create exciting battles.

Joan ultimately won the stage, clocking in at 2 hours and 5 minutes. Javi Vega had a fantastic stage, starting from the twenty-second position and finishing second, 8 minutes and 29 seconds behind Pedrero. Cristian Pastori secured the third position, 9 minutes and 29 seconds behind, and the top five were completed by Italians Fabio Lottero and Matteo Bottino, who finished 10 minutes and 7 seconds and 10 minutes and 9 seconds behind, respectively. The overall standings remained unchanged, with Joan Pedrero leading with a total of 18 hours and 16 minutes of racing, followed by Matteo Bottino at 55 minutes and 51 seconds, and Rubén Saldaña at 1 hour and 5 minutes.

Joan Pedrero:
"It was a challenging day. I started to attack to maintain my pace. I got lost in one place, and when I returned, I found a rider who latched onto my rear wheel. Today, the terrain was marked a lot, and it was challenging to break away. We reached a point with five or six waypoints close together. One indicated a barely visible track with vegetation; I arrived at the spot, confirmed it was the right one, turned as if it wasn't, and he also turned back. At that moment, I got onto the track and pushed hard to drop him. It was tough psychologically because opening the trail was very difficult, but in the end, I created a good gap."

Stage 5.
The fifth and final stage of the Rally de A Estrada, with a 105-kilometer special stage, began with the overall standings frozen in their podium positions since the second day of racing when Joan Pedrero solidified his first-place position. Matteo Bottino and Rubén Saldaña moved up to second and third place, respectively.

With a significant lead in the overall standings of 55 minutes and 51 seconds over his nearest pursuer, Joan Pedrero launched an attack in this final stage to extend his lead by another 15 minutes. The rider from Canet de Mar secured the victory in this fantastic Galician rally, dominating from the first stage and adding more and more minutes of lead in each stage over his immediate rivals. Matteo Bottino and Rubén Saldaña were unable to reduce the gap in their pursuit of the top spot but defended their positions with excellent performance, securing second and third places, respectively, on the overall podium.

Joan Pedrero:
"I've won five out of five stages, and it's something that makes me very happy because I haven't trained much with this bike, just the week before coming, and I've felt really good with the navigation. I got the hang of how the organizer draws the roadbook, and I think that's been the key. Not getting nervous and being a veteran helps you stay calm, and in the end, we were able to win all the stages, especially when opening the trail. I'm saying it every day: congratulations to the organization; it's been impressive. It's an incredible race with exceptional terrain and forests. I highly recommend it, and I hope it continues to be held every year."

Matteo Bottino:
"The race has been fantastic. Incredible landscapes, and the roadbook was very good, with some incorrect notes, but considering it was a six-day race, it was really good. The organization has also been very good. I'm sure I'll be back next year. My feelings about the terrain and the race were good, even though the bike was new, and I hadn't tested it before the prologue, so I can do better. I'll try to make my bike the winner next year."

Rubén Saldaña:
"I'm very happy with the third position. The race went well, but in the prologue, right at the start, I had a setback that set me back quite a bit, and I lost fifteen minutes that I had to recover little by little. As the stages went by, I tried to be consistent, and I stayed more or less with the rest, with mistakes and issues but solving them day by day. We reached the last day with a chance to finish third, and we maintained it, so I'm very happy. A Estrada and Galicia have welcomed us wonderfully. I want to thank the municipalities and the moto club because I know that in these times, it's not easy to organize this kind of event, so infinite thanks."

Scoring for the European Rally TT Championship, the three fastest riders were Matteo Bottino, Christian Pastori, and Milos Sochor. In the Spanish Rally TT Championship, Joan Pedrero, Rubén Saldaña, and Adriá Pascuet took the first, second, and third positions, respectively. In the Enduro category, Rubén Saldaña took the top spot on the podium, followed by Adriá Pascuet and Xavier Amo. In the Trail category, Joan Pedrero, Charlie Julia, and Brian Gómez occupied the top positions in the classification, and in the Maxitrail category, Alberto Yañez, Toni Povedano, and Francisco Javier Sola were the leaders. In the Open Adventure category, the fastest riders were Matyas Cervenka, Franck Poulet, and Santos Pastor, taking the first, second, and third positions, respectively.

The Rally de A Estrada closes its inaugural edition, leaving a fantastic impression on riders, support teams, and fans who didn't want to miss the international Rally TT event in Spanish territory. With top-notch organization and a meticulously prepared roadbook in the stunning landscapes of the Galician region, this event, with its distinctive touch, showcases the excellent health of Rally TT racing in Spain.

All rankings: https://clasif.anube.es/ss?rallyId=105

Source: Pablo Pillado. Photos: Ingine Creators.