This year the race moved to Loutraki, with the Service Park set up at the Engineering School and the route spread across Attica, the Peloponnese, and Central Greece. The change of host city wasn't the only new thing. The super special stage was held at The Ellinikon Sports Park in Athens, and afterwards the crews spent the night at sea, crossing from Corinth to Itea on a Superfast ferry - something that hadn't happened since 1991. A pretty bold idea for the organizers, but a really striking image.
This year, because of other commitments, I didn't have the luxury of being at the race for the whole weekend like I usually do. I only managed to go on Saturday morning, for the early pass through Maenalon, and that was enough to understand why everyone had been talking about this stage in the weeks before.
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The biggest novelty of this year's route was the return of Arcadia to the Acropolis Rally, almost four decades after the last time. The new Kollines and Maenalon stages brought the race close to the ski resort, on roads that had only seen a rally car once before, back in 2009, during Citroën's testing with Loeb. Maenalon featured twice in Saturday's schedule, and no matter how much I'd read about it in the previews before the race, nothing really prepares you for what it's like up close. A paved route through the forest, steep climbs and descents, with the light flickering through the fir trees - a completely different picture from the gravel we're used to at the Acropolis.
What impressed me most, though, was the crowd. The access road was packed from early morning, with spectators hunting for a spot with a good view, and areas like Nymfasia had been getting ready for a while to welcome people. For a brand-new stage, without the benefit of previous years' experience in planning access, the organization kept things flowing reasonably well. I felt like the rally is winning back an audience it had somewhat lost touch with in recent years, and the return to the Peloponnese seems to have been exactly what it needed.
At the top of the standings, Sebastien Ogier celebrated his second Acropolis Rally win, 15 years after his first. He drove smart in a race that punished punctures and mistakes, leaving Neuville and Fourmaux out of contention on the final stretch.
EKO Acropolis Rally 2026!
Less time on the mountain this year, but enough to realize that the Acropolis changed its setting without losing any of its toughness or charm. Loutraki, the ferry to Itea, Maenalon, and the crowds that came down to Arcadia all point to a race that wants to reinvent itself.
Looking forward to seeing what next year's route has in store...
