Retired cyclist Paolo Bettini will make his Intercontinental Rally Challenge debut when he contests the Ypres Rally in Belgium from June 18-20.
Bettini, a long-term rally fan, has contested a handful of events in his native Italy in the past.
He has linked up with fellow cyclist Franco Ballarin for an attack on the asphalt-based Ypres Rally in Belgium driving an Abarth Grande Punto. Ballarin will co-drive.
They chose the Ypres Rally because of its location to the Flanders region of Belgium, where they tackled several major cycling races in the past.
Bettini, 34, won several major titles in cycling, including at Olympic and world championship-level. He retired from competing in 2008 following a series of injuries.
Despite having some experience of rallying, Bettini will face a major challenge to adapt to the rigours of driving on the tight and twisty Belgian roads. However, there is a strong precedent for drivers switching from two wheels to four on the IRC: the reining IRC champion Nicolas Vouilloz is a former 10-time downhill mountain bike champion.
Press Release
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Tags: abarth grande punto, ballarin, bettini, cycling, cycling world championship, cyclist, franco ballarin, IRC, paolo bettini, punto s2000, ypres rally, ypres rally 2009
[...] Speaking of Boonen and Bettini, it looks like neither will be riding in this year’s Tour de France. Boonen of course was banned for having “indirect contact with cocaine” (which somehow sounds even worse than having direct contact with it, like maybe there was an assistant and a suppository involved), and Bettini of course is retired from cycling and has moved on to rally racing: [...]