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The start of the Rally d’Italia Sardegna
First Leg will be tomorrow in Olbia.
The enchanting scenario of Marina
Vecchia in Porto Cervo will give the
start to the Rally d’Italia Sardegna
2006.
With the spectacular background of a
Mediterranean sunset, tomorrow at 20.00
the 79 crews will parade on the ramp to
receive the welcome by authorities and
fan for the seventh round of World Rally
Champ and fourth one of Junior World
Rally Cup.
After the Ceremonial Start and a
precious night of rest, tomorrow, at the
8.00 a.m., a thrilling challenge between
the major protagonists of the
international scene will start in an
itinerary that will make much more tough
and selective the sporting and technical
competition.
In fact this is what world rally aces
think after the practice and shakedown
of today on the 4,3 km in Sant’Antonio
di Gallura. A precious test just because
it was at the wheel of the car set for
the race.
Sébastien Loeb, world champion and
winner in the past edition, has no
doubts.
“Here it is always very easy to make
some mistakes and to compromise
everything - says the 32 years old
driver assisted by Daniel Elena on
Citroen Xsara WRC of Kronos Total team –
I’ve to see which position I’ll have
after the three first stages, but
obviously we’ll push very hard from the
first kilometre. I like very much the
Rally d’Italia Sardegna for stages,
people and scenario too. I’ve seen a lot
of good changes and now I want to see
how the Siniscola stage will be. It is
very sinuous and there are a lot of
changes in the drive’s rhythm. My goal
is to lengthen my list of consecutive
wins in this championship”.
Gigi Galli, with Giovanni Bernacchini on
the Peugeot 307 WRC in the Pirelli
colors, is the only Italian at the wheel
of a WRC car and after the shakedown was
trusting.
“Rally d’Italia Sardegna is very
improved compared with the 2004 edition
– the 33years Italian driver said - The
organization made an extraordinary job
in this two years and the stages are
beautiful. Also in this morning we’ve
made a good job in the shakedown on
setting the car and tyres. I’m sure we’ll
be competitive and my goal is getting on
the podium. In Argentina I’ve seen it’s
a very nice place to be…”.
Marcus Gronholm, winner of two races in
2006 champ in couple with Timo
Rautiainen on Ford Focus run by BP-Ford
World Rally Team, aspires to the major
goal. “In Sardinia I have to race for
the win - the Finnish explains – In four
races I didn’t do better than Loeb, so
now I have not alternatives. I’ve found
a lot of dust in the shakedown. I hope
I’ll not find it anymore, differently it
could be a big problem because two
minutes between the cars could be few. I
like very much this rally and the stage
are better than the one of the past
years. The organization made a very good
job”.
Meanwhile the shakedown was only a
prologue of a spectacular three days of
race that will be at the start in Olbia
tomorrow.
The first leg will take place on the
gravel roads of Monte Acuto and will
have three special stages (Terranova,
Mamone and Siniscola) to be repeated
twice for a total of 129 timed
kilometers, a total of 137 timed
kilometers. The Siniscola stage is a new
one. The second leg will take place on
Saturday May 20th and will have six
stages (three to be repeated twice). Two
long ones Loelle (25 km) and Monte Lerno
(31 km) and Filigosu (12 km). The Loelle
special stage will once again pass near
the nuraghe (a special archeological
Sardinian monuments) with the same name,
while at the Monte Lerno stage drivers
will go over two spectacular jumps one
of them known as “The camel humps”. The
third leg on Sunday May 21st will start
with the classic special stage of San
Giacomo and will go on in the area of
Gallura on the gravel roads of La
Prugnola and Campovaglio. The last leg
will be composed of three stages to be
repeated twice, two of them new, for a
total of 78 timed kilometers and there
will be no Service Park, only a
Regrouping at Arzachena.
The Service Park in Olbia (Porto
industriale Località Cala Saccaia) will
be the logistical centre of the event
where cars and drivers will return in
the first two Leg after the first
passage on the special stages
(13.00-13.50 tomorrow and 12.30-13.20 on
Saturday) as well as in the closing of
the three race-days (18.50 on Friday;
17.40 on Saturday; 13.14 on Sunday,
before the transfer to Porto Cervo).
Only the third Leg of Sunday doesn’t see
the return in Olbia at the middle of the
day, but only a regrouping in Arzachena.
Service Park and Special Stages (in
specific safety area) will be in free
entry for spectators.
The interviews of the other protagonists
at the end of Shakedown.
2 XAVI PONS (KRONOS CITROEN)
There was a lot of dust in the shakedown
and we couldn’t do the best. It’s a very
difficult rally and I hope to get some
luck and make a good job for me and my
team.
4 MIKKO HIRVONEN (FORD)
I’m very happy for the car and its
set-up. I would like to be protagonist
in Sardinia where I always made good
races. My goal is the podium.
5 PETTER SOLBERG (SUBARU)
The special stages are very difficult,
but they are typical of Sardinia round.
Today we have tested a lot of solutions
for the race set-up and I think that
everything is going well. I hope this
time could be the right one, we need to
win because the championship has been
dominated by Loeb. Only if he’ll make
some mistakes we’ll be in the conditions
to fight for the championship. In
Argentina we was competitive and here we
hope to be protagonists of the race.
6 CHRIS ATKINSON (SUBARU)
Everything is going well and the set-up
is good. It will be a very tough rally
and I will try to arrive in the first
five positions. I like very much this
rally and it will be a very strong fight
between all the drivers.
7 MANFRED STOHL (OMV PEUGEOT)
It should be fantastic getting on the
podium, but this is a very tough rally.
I’ll try to do my best and I would be
very happy to finish in the first six
positions. The car goes very good but
it’s too much long to make some show.
11 HARRI ROVANPERA (RED BULL SKODA)
I’ve found a good grip. This is a
confirmation of all the tests we’ve
already done last week-end. I hope to
arrive at least sixth. Obviously a
better position should be a brilliant
result for me. It’s the first time that
SKoda Fabia WRC RedBull Team is on the
gravel and it is alo the first time that
we use mechanical differentials.
12 ANDREAS AIGNER (Red Bull Skoda)
This is my debut in Sardinia. It’s a
rally with very difficult stages, with a
lot of changes in the drive’s rhythm.
Thinking about all the rocks near the
route, we’ve to be very careful. My goal
is finishing the race.
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