In a thrilling battle on the gravel roads of Cingoli, reigning champions Alberto Battistolli and Simone Scattolin seized their first win of the 2025 season at the 32nd Rally Adriatico, third round of the Italian Rally Gravel Championship (CIRT). Their performance, marked by precision and grit, saw them outduel main rivals Tommaso Ciuffi and Pietro Cigni in a Skoda versus Skoda duel that went down to the wire.
A tactical triumph on treacherous terrain
The rally’s 70 competitive kilometres—across nine demanding special stages on the gritty roads of Macerata province—offered little room for error. Battistolli and Scattolin, in their Skoda Fabia RS prepared by Delta Rally, executed a perfect strategy. They clinched three stage wins, including two on the final loop, fending off Ciuffi’s late charge to take victory by 6.2 seconds.
🗣️ “We’re incredibly happy to add our name to the Rally Adriatico roll of honour,” said Battistolli at the finish. “It was far from easy—the pace and pressure were relentless. After Val d’Orcia, I needed to re-centre, and today I just focused on driving like I know how. Huge credit to Simone—he’s the brain in this partnership (laughs)—and to the team, our families, and everyone who supported us.”
This win makes Battistolli the third different winner in three CIRT rounds this year. However, thanks to his consistency, Ciuffi retains the overall championship lead, though his advantage over Battistolli has now narrowed to just two points.
Ciuffi stays consistent, Andreucci drops out
Despite losing out on the win, Ciuffi and Cigni’s second-place finish keeps them at the top of the CIRT standings. Paolo Andreucci, winner at Val d’Orcia, failed to finish due to mechanical issues with his Citroën C3 Rally2, retiring early after the first loop.
ERC stars and rising talents leave their mark
Third overall went to Miko Marczyk and co-driver Damian Trzonkowski (Skoda Fabia RS), competing as guests ahead of their next ERC round in Hungary. The Polish duo were competitive from the outset, even setting the pace on the opening “Dei Laghi” stage, before settling into a measured third-place finish, 11.2 seconds off the win.
In fourth place—and third among the CIRT-registered crews—was 18-year-old Giovanni Trentin, once again impressing in his Skoda Fabia RS with co-driver Alessandro Franco. The ACI Team Italia young gun now jumps to third in the overall championship standings, just two points behind Andreucci, and extends his lead in the Under 25 Pucci Grossi Trophy.
Top 10 Round-Up: Familiar faces, consistent climbers
- Simone Tempestini (Romania) and co-driver Sergiu Itu took fifth overall in what was a training outing for their ERC campaign.
- Mille Johansson (Sweden) continued his Italian gravel development with a solid sixth, scoring fourth-place CIRT points.
- Giacomo Costenaro, fifth at Val d’Orcia, matched that with another fifth in CIRT classification.
- Fabio Farina, still learning the ropes on gravel, placed eighth overall in another confidence-building result.
- Matteo Fontana and Alessandro Arnaboldi, in a Ford Fiesta Rally3, impressed with a ninth-place finish, punching above their class among a Skoda-dominated field.
- Christian Tiramani rounded out the top ten in his Skoda Fabia Evo.
Two-Wheel Drive glory for Zanin
The Two-Wheel Drive (2WD) class was dominated by another ACI Team Italia prodigy, Marco Zanin, who, with co-driver Elia De Guio, guided their Peugeot 208 Rally4 to class victory. Just behind them, Davide Bartolini and Nicola Cazzaro were split by only one second in a thrilling battle for second and third in class.
Looking Ahead: Mid-season reset
With three of six rounds now complete, the Italian Rally Terra Championship enters its second half with everything to play for. Next up: the San Marino Rally in mid-July, followed by Rally dei Nuraghi e del Vermentino in late September, and the season finale at Rally delle Marche in October.
Overall Rally Adriatico Results
- A. Battistolli/S. Scattolin (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) – 46m 04.4s
- T. Ciuffi/P. Cigni (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 6.2s
- M. Marczyk/D. Trzonkowski (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 11.2s
- G. Trentin/A. Franco (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 26.2s
- S. Tempestini/S. Itu (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 34.6s
- M. Johansson/J. Gronvall (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 44.1s
- G. Costenaro/J. Bardini (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 48.6s
- F. Farina/S. Raccuia (Skoda Fabia RS Rally2) + 1m 07.2s
- M. Fontana/A. Arnaboldi (Ford Fiesta Rally3) + 1m 21.4s
- C. Tiramani/F. Grimaldi (Skoda Fabia Evo Rally2) + 2m 18.1s
See the event’s full results here.