Aprilia's Rally Domination - Traffic Network Ph

Aprilia Tuareg Racing Dominates Ro Rally Marathon with Historic One-Two Finish and Class Hat-Trick for 2026 Africa Eco Race

Aprilia Tuareg Racing achieved a historic one-two finish and class hat-trick at the Ro Rally Marathon, dominating the demanding seven-day race in Romania. Jacopo Cerutti led the charge, securing the overall victory and winning every stage but one. Teammate Marco Menichini finished second overall, and Francesco Montanari took third in their class, completing the team’s sweep. This resounding success on varied, challenging terrain serves as a crucial and highly positive test for the team’s preparations for the 2026 Africa Eco Race.

– Diana A | Traffic Network PH

TOTAL DOMINATION BY APRILIA TUAREG RACING AT THE RO RALLY MARATHON: ONE–TWO FINISH OVERALL AND CLASS HAT-TRICK

JACOPO CERUTTI TAKES A TWIN-CYLINDER BIKE TO THE TOP STEP OF THE OVERALL PODIUM IN ROMANIA, MENICHINI SECOND. CLASS HAT-TRICK FOR CERUTTI, MENICHINI AND MONTANARI

OFFICIAL RELEASE: Aprilia Philippines | PUBLISHER: ADVAI

Milan, 20 July 2025 – Jacopo Cerutti and the Aprilia Tuareg Racing Team delivered a historic performance in their first ever participation at the Ro Rally Marathon, held in Romania, claiming not only the win in the FIM 5 class but also the overall victory. It was an extraordinary result for the team, who completed their dominance with a one two finish in the overall standings thanks to Marco Menichini’s second place, and a class hat-trick with Cerutti, Menichini, and Montanari taking first, second, and third respectively.

The seven-day challenge in Romania involved more than 1,800 km of special stages, covering a total distance of 2,000 km — demanding distances tackled across extremely varied and challenging terrain. The competition took place under a wide range of conditions, including mud, dust, high temperatures, and rain.

At the end of the seven stages, one of which was cancelled due to bad weather, Jacopo Cerutti dominated the rally raid, claiming both overall and class victories in every stage except the fourth, which was won by his teammate Marco Menichini. Cerutti once again showed an exceptional feeling with the Tuareg Rally on all types of terrain, securing the overall and FIM 5 class titles in his debut appearance at this rally raid.

A high-level performance also from Marco Menichini, who finished second in both the overall and class standings. Menichini showcased impressive speed and consistency, also claiming both the overall and class victory in the fourth stage.

Completing the hat-trick in FIM 5 class was Francesco Montanari, who finished third in class and fourth overall. Consistently among the front-runners, he confirmed his strong potential and excellent feeling with the Aprilia Tuareg Rally.

The goal of participating in the Ro Rally Marathon was to gather as much information as possible in preparation for the 2026 edition of the Africa Eco Race, and the final outcome was extremely positive. The Tuareg Rally, developed in collaboration with GCorse of the Guareschi brothers, proved once again to be versatile, reliable, and competitive in all conditions and on all types of terrain.

JACOPO CERUTTI
“It went great! We had some excellent stages, Marco and Cecco performed strongly, but above all, it was a great test for the tires and engines. There was no speed limit, so we were able to fully exploit the engine, conducting very important endurance tests on all components in preparation for the Africa Eco Race 2026. The Tuareg Rally always performs very well, the feeling is excellent, and that’s the secret behind these consecutive successes.”

MARCO MENICHINI
“It was a beautiful and very fast race. I tried to maintain a good pace without making any mistakes, and I succeeded. I also tried to manage the advantage; in the last days there were some setbacks, but I still managed to bring home the result. Above all, it was a test race, especially to assess the engine durability, since it was a very fast rally. It was a very positive week, now we look forward to the next challenges.”

FRANCESCO MONTANARI
“I’m satisfied with how the rally went. It was useful for testing ahead of the Africa Eco Race, as well as for continuing to develop the bike, which was the main goal. Certainly, without a few setbacks, we could have done even better in the overall standings. I’m glad I managed to do the long special stage alongside Jacopo — we kept a strong pace and had fun. In any case, it was a great race. We worked hard, but we won’t stop here. We’ll keep pushing to improve even more and be at our best for the most important event, the Africa Eco Race 2026.”