Nagle: Monte Grighine stage will be best

Intercontinental Rally Challenge champion co-driver Paul Nagle says the Monte Grighine stage will be Rally d’Italia-Sardegna’s best stage following reconnaissance of the 28.66-kilometre test yesterday.

The run will be televised live on Eurosport at 08:30hrs and 12:00hrs central European time on Saturday 5 June and count as the first and third stages on leg one of the two day gravel event.

Nagle, who partners Kris Meeke in a Peugeot UK 207 Super 2000, said: “It’s a man-made road through wind farms and is the best stage of the rally no question,” said Nagle. “It starts very, very fast but gets very narrow but is simply fantastic the way it works through the 100 or so wind turbines.”

Despite light showers in Olbia on Thursday afternoon, conditions for the recce were hot and dry throughout.

“The weather has been scorching and I can’t wait to do the Saturday stages,” said Nagle, from Ireland. “They have never been rallied before so they are in a great condition and a pleasure to drive.”

Meeke and Nagle are due to be the third crew to tackle the Monte Grighine stage behind Sébastien Ogier/Julien Ingrassia and Juho Hänninen/Mikko Markkula.