More than a decade after winning the Bronze medal in cross-country cycling at the 2012 Olympic Games, Marco Aurelio Fontana is embarking on a unique adventure these days – participating for the first time in a major rally-raid, the Africa Eco Race.
The Italian, a three-time MTB cycling world champion, is part of the RS Moto team and is riding a Honda CRF450. Previously, he has participated in amateur rallies, such as the Swank Rally di Serdagna, and reaching the Dakar is a dream for him.
For now, Fontana hasn’t yet got into the legendary rally, but he’s competing on the African routes that marked the origins of the Dakar. Interestingly, other Olympic medalist riders have already participated or are participating in the Dakar, as is the most notable case of Nasser Al-Attiyah.