Sanxenxo confirmed as base for June 5–7 Rali de Pontevedra

Sanxenxo will again serve as the operational center of the VIII Rallye de Pontevedra when the event runs from June 5 to June 7, according to organizers and the Galician motorsport federation. Escudería Congostra Team, which organizes the asphalt rally, has concentrated the service park, ceremonial start, closed park and prize ceremony in the coastal municipality. The event is the fourth counting round of the Campionato Xunta de Galicia de Rallyes – Recalvi, the Federación Galega de Automobilismo said. Organizers said the rally reached its cap of 140 entries within three days of opening registration. ### Why is Sanxenxo the center of the event again? Sanxenxo was presented on May 20 at the Real Club Náutico as the base of operations for the 2026 edition, local media and organizers said. The municipality will host the service park near the Baltar football field in Portonovo, while technical scrutineering is set for Adina and the ceremonial start and closed park are scheduled for Praza do Mar. (farodevigo.es) Marcos Guisasola, acting mayor of Sanxenxo and the town’s sports councillor, said at the presentation that the municipality supports more than 75 sports events over the year and that motorsport broadens that calendar. Faro de Vigo quoted him saying Sanxenxo collaborates in organizing “máis de 75 eventos deportivos de gran nivel.” (farodevigo.es) ### What exactly happens in Sanxenxo during race weekend? Praza do Mar in Sanxenxo is scheduled to host the official start ceremony at 19:45 on Friday, June 5, with all participants present, organizers said. The same municipality will also host the closed park and the trophy ceremony after Saturday’s competition. (farodevigo.es) The Baltar service area in Portonovo gives teams a single operational base during the rally weekend, according to the event website. That concentration of logistics in one municipality is the main practical reason Sanxenxo is described by organizers as the “heart” of the event. ### How is the 2026 route different from earlier editions? Diana Rivas, the rally director, said the organizers changed the format to use three stages run twice, raising the competitive distance to 105 timed kilometers. (farodevigo.es) PontevedraViva quoted Rivas as saying the route has “tramos moito máis longos e con menos enlace,” while Faro de Vigo cited her saying the revised format increased the timed distance to 105 kilometers. (rallyedepontevedra.com) The official event site lists three main Saturday stages: Cerdedo-Cotobade, Moraña-Barro and Sanxenxo-Meaño. Organizers said Sanxenxo-Meaño is the only stage unchanged from 2025, while the others were revised for 2026. ### What is new on Friday before the main stages? Poio will host the main novelty of the 2026 edition: a shakedown, or exhibition-style test stage, in the Monte de A Escusa area on the morning of Friday, June 5. (farodevigo.es) Organizers said the 4-kilometer section will not count toward the final classification and will be limited to 60 vehicles out of the 140 entered in the rally. (rallyedepontevedra.com) The Friday program adds a public-facing opening before the full competitive day on Saturday. Faro de Vigo said the first competitive activity on Saturday begins at 8 a.m., when the first drivers set off for four timed runs across the day. ### Who is involved beyond the organizers? Antonio Rodríguez, president of the Federación Galega de Automobilismo, attended the presentation alongside Xisela Aranda, sports director at the Pontevedra provincial council, and Daniel Benavides, head of sports services for the Xunta in the area, local reports said. (farodevigo.es) Mayors from Sanxenxo, Cerdedo-Cotobade, Meaño, Barro, Moraña and Poio also took part because the route crosses their municipalities. The federation’s calendar page lists the Rally de Pontevedra on June 5, 6 and 7 as the fourth scoring event in the Galician championship. Organizers direct participants and followers to the federation materials and the event’s Sportity channel for regulations and updates ahead of the start. ### What comes next before the cars start? June 5 is the next fixed date on the rally schedule, with the Monte de A Escusa shakedown in Poio in the morning and the 19:45 ceremonial start in Praza do Mar, Sanxenxo, in the evening. (farodevigo.es) Saturday, June 6, then carries the main timed stages in Cerdedo-Cotobade, Moraña-Barro and Sanxenxo-Meaño, with trophies to be handed out afterward in Sanxenxo. (fga.es)