The reigning champions in their Citroen C3 extended their lead after winning the Power Stage and SS2, finishing 5.9 seconds ahead of Campedelli-Canton in their Skoda, who hold second place. Albertini-Fappani follow in third, just 8 seconds behind. Meanwhile, the battle between Cogni and Di Pietro continues in the Two-Wheel Drive category, with Doretto-Frigo taking the lead in the Junior category. In the Paperini trophies, the GR Yaris Rally Cup looks almost decided, while the Suzuki Rally Cup remains competitive with Fichera in the lead.
Andrea Crugnola and Pietro Ometto dominated the first day of the Rally 1000 Miglia, winning all three special stages, including the Power Stage and the challenging “Pertiche,” the longest of the day, run under headlights and surrounded by a fiery crowd. After 31 kilometers of racing, the reigning champions have built a 5.9-second lead over their closest rivals, Simone Campedelli and Tania Canton, who managed to close the gap slightly in the night stage. Campedelli, driving a Skoda Fabia RS, set a time just 1 second slower than Crugnola in the final stage of the day, securing second place and keeping the competition open for the next day. Last year’s winners, Stefano Albertini and Danilo Fappani, also in a Skoda RS, hold third place in this hometown race.
Andrea Mabellini and Virginia Lenzi had an excellent start, securing 1.5 points in the Power Stage and finishing fourth, 10.2 seconds behind Crugnola. Their pace has significantly improved compared to previous events. Giandomenico Basso and Lorenzo Granai, in a Toyota, are just 0.3 seconds behind, adding to the fierce battle for fourth place. Further back, Nucita-Pollet in a Hyundai I20 sit sixth, 21.7 seconds behind the leader, with Daprà-Guglielmetti (Skoda) and Scattolon-Magrini (Citroen) in a tight contest for seventh and the lead of the CIRP. The top 10 is rounded out by Re-Vozzo and Avbelj-Andrejka, the latter spinning out in SS2.
In the CIAR Junior category, Matteo Doretto and Marco Frigo lead the pack. Doretto, in a Renault Clio Rally 5 with Pirelli tires, took the top spot after a stellar performance in the night stage, capitalizing on Zanin’s time loss. However, the title race is still wide open, with Francesco Dei Ceci and Nicolò Lazzarini just 0.7 seconds behind after over 30 kilometers of racing. Zanin-Pizzol currently sit in third, 16.5 seconds back, having lost 17.6 seconds on the final stage alone.
In the CIAR Two-Wheel Drive category, Gabriel Di Pietro and Andrea Dresti have a slight edge over Giorgio Cogni and Simone Brachi, leading by just 4.5 seconds, making tomorrow’s outcome unpredictable. The GR Yaris Rally Cup, however, appears much clearer, with Thomas Paperini and Andrea Gabelloni holding a commanding 25-second lead, looking poised to claim the trophy. Meanwhile, the Suzuki Rally Cup is wide open, with Fichera-Colombaro in the lead after the first two stages, but leaders Pellè-Franceschini set the fastest time on the long stage. Dallapiccola-Andrian are also in close contention, just 5 seconds behind the leaders.
Overall Ranking after SS3:
01: A. Crugnola/P. Ometto (Citroen C3 Rally2) – 20m 26.5s
02: S. Campedelli/T. Canton (Skoda Fabia Rally2) + 5.9s
03: S. Albertini/D. Fappani (Skoda Fabia Rally2) + 8.1s
04: A. Mabellini/V. Lenzi (Skoda Fabia Rally2) + 10.2s
05: G. Basso/L. Granai (Toyota Yaris GR Rally2) + 10.5s
06: A. Nucita/R. Pollet (Hyundai i20 N Rally2) + 21.7s
07: R. Dapra/L. Guglielmetti (Skoda Fabia Rally2) + 23.6s
08: G. Scattolon/F. Magrini (Citroen C3 Rally2) + 24.6s
09: A. Re/M. Vozzo (Volkswagen Polo GTI R5) + 29.2s
10: B. Avbelj/D. Andrejka (Skoda Fabia Rally2) + 32.4s