More than a decade after winning the Bronze medal in cross-country cycling at the 2012 Olympic Games, Marco Aurelo Fontana faces a unique adventure these days – participating for the first time in a major off-road rally, the Africa Eco Race.
The Italian, three-time MTB cycling world champion, is part of the RS Moto team and has a Honda CRF450 in his hands. Previously, he has participated in amateur rallies, such as the Swank Rally di Serdagna, and reaching the Dakar is a dream.
For now, Fontana has not been able to reach the mythical race, but he competes in the African routes that marked the origin of the Dakar. Interestingly, other Olympic medal-winning riders have already participated or are participating in the Dakar, such as the most media-covered case of Nasser Al-Attiyah.