From July 11-19, the rugged landscapes of Buzău County in Romania hosted the third round of the 2025 TT Rally Cup: the Ro Rally Marathon. With its mix of riverbeds, rolling hills, and mountain terrain, this Romanian region proved once again to be a prime destination for world-class off-road competition.
In their first ever participation at the Ro Rally Marathon, Jacopo Cerutti and the Aprilia Tuareg Racing Team claimed the overall victory in the FIM 5 class.
Photos Courtesy of Aprilia…
The following is from press release / race recap from the FIM…
The rally began with the Prologue, which saw all riders parade through Râmnicu Sărat’s city center to the delight of a large local crowd. The actual prologue stage unfolded in a technical 8-kilometer riverbed course nearby. Italian star Jacopo Cerutti (Aprilia) set the tone early, claiming the fastest time ahead of Thomas Zoldos (Beta) and Francesco Montanari (Aprilia).
Stage 1
261 km long route along fields, riverbeds, and hills: a scenic but demanding terrain around Buzău and the Vrancea region. Cerutti led from the front, followed closely by teammates Marco Menichini (Aprilia) and Turkish rider Eristi Tekin Ejder (KTM).
Stage 2
276 km route always around Buzău and the Vrancea region. Cerutti confirmed the leadership ahead of Menichini. Third position was conquered by Montanari.
Stage 3
Stage 3 was unfortunately cancelled due to torrential rain, but a voluntary training session allowed riders to stay sharp and the organization to reset for the coming days.
Stage 4
Stage 4 was a new track of 150 km through mountain ridges and hills, skirting iconic Romanian landmarks like the Mud Volcanoes of Berca. Cerutti again topped the standings, joined on the podium by Matteo Bottini (Kove) and Josep Pedro Subirats (Rieju).
Stage 5
Stage 5 was affected by heavy rain. The 130 km route included about 3 km of muddy roads at the start, but the rest of the day was raced on dry terrain and gravel roads. Cerutti eased his pace slightly, allowing Menichini to take the stage win. The top three was completed by fellow Italian Montanari.
Stage 6
Also impacted by overnight rain, the first section of Stage 6 was cancelled. Nevertheless, riders faced a demanding 430 km of rally track. Cerutti regained the lead, finishing ahead of Subirats and Montanari.
Stage 7
The final day featured a 49 km special stage following a 30 km transit section. Riders praised the flow of the track and the professionalism of the organizers, enjoying the varied and stunning views of Romania’s flatlands and mountains. Cerutti confirmed his dominance by winning the last stage, followed by Montanari and Menichini.
With multiple stage wins, consistent speed, and control under pressure, Cerutti claimed overall victory in Romania. His flawless navigation, pace, and endurance throughout the week solidified his lead in the TT Rally European Cup standings.
The following is a press release / race recap from Aprilia…
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.”
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