RALLY OF TUNISIA
author: Leon Botha
RALLY OF TUNISIA
LEG 1: OUED SHILI – SABRIA – Monday 7 April 2003
Special Stage/ 1st section : 121 km – Special Stage / 2nd section :148km – Liaison 25km
Giniel De Villiers and the Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody on the podium…
Split into two special stages, of 121 and 148 km respectively, due to the recent bad weather, this first leg of the OPTIC 2000 Rally of Tunisia between Oued Shili and Sabria has already provided a number of developments. Whilst going round the famous Chott El Jerid, the Proudly South African Nissan Pickup driven by Giniel De Villiers and Tina Thörner, winners of the Toulon prologue on Saturday, stayed with the two Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution vehicles. In the overall classification after the first two timed sectors, the Nissan Rally Raid Team leads the Schlesser-Ford buggy.
“After winning the prologue on Saturday, we decided it would be wiser to allow our rivals to open up the route today,” Giniel De Villiers explained on the finish line in Sabria. “But although our car is handling really well in the winding sections, we still lack some power in order to be able to make a difference on the sort of fast stretches we covered in the second part of the first day. Like everyone, we got slightly lost thirty kilometres from the finish of the day’s second special stage. But I am certain we have the potential to get a good result here in Tunisia…”
We should also mention the excellent start made by young Spanish driver Marc Blazquez (aged 24) who is taking part in his first African rally, at the wheel of a Nissan Patrol entered by team Tecnosport. Co-driven by Frenchman Pascal Maimon, the Iberian rally driver set the 8th fastest time during the day’s first special stage. Unfortunately, he suffered problems with the front drive axle in the second sector of this first leg.
Tomorrow’s 300 km leg will include 291 kilometres of special stage. The competitors will reach Ksar Ghilane after crossing the white dunes of El Faouar, the Bir Soltane Fort and a number of riverbeds…the day will be far from restful…
General Classification after Leg 1: OUED SHILI - SABRIA
Pos N° Crews Nat Make Gr/Cla Time Gap
1 201 PETERHANSEL-COTTRET FRA MITSUBISHI 2/11.1/1 02h25'10 00h00'00
2 207 BIASION-SIVIERO ITA MITSUBISHI 2/21.1/2 02h26'54 00h01'44
3 210 DE VILLIERS-THORNER AFS NISSAN 2/3 1.1/3 02h30'18 00h05'08
4 200 SCHLESSER-LURQUIN FRA SCHLESSER 2/4 2.1/1 02h34'11 00h09'01
5 230 MISSLIN-POLATO FRA MITSUBISHI 2/5 1.1/4 02h42'00 00h16'50
6 229 MAYER-SCHULZ ALL MITSUBISHI 2/6 1.2/1 02h54'03 00h28'53
7 219 GUINOT-KROISS FRA MITSUBISHI 2/7 1.1/5 02h57'06 00h31'56
8 202 MONTERDE-TORNABELL ESP MITSUBISHI 2/8 1.2/2 02h57'09 00h31'59
9 212 KOMORNICKI-MARTON POL MITSUBISHI 2/9 1.1/6 02h57'12 00h32'02
10 214 GACHE-GAUTHIER RTC FORD 2/10 2.1/2 03h03'18 00h38'08
11 227 LECHLEITER-GUYON FRA VOLKSWAGEN 2/11 2.2/1 03h06'26 00h41'16
12 206 STRUGO-LARROQUE FRA MERCEDES 1/1 1/1 03h12'58 00h47'48
13 215 CHIARAVITA-CATTARELLI FRA MITSUBISHI 2/12 1.2/3 03h15'28 00h50'18
14 237 SHMAKOV-MISHIN RUS MERCEDES 1/2 1/2 03h17'42 00h52'32
15 222 MIRANDE-DELLI ZOTTI FRA PROTO 2/13 1.1/7 03h19'47 00h54'37
16 223 VANDROMME-FAGOT FRA NISSAN 2/14 1.1/8 03h19'58 00h54'48
17 295 POSTEAU-ANTONIOLLI FRA NISSAN 2/15 1.1/9 03h21'32 00h56'22
…
21 211 LARTIGUE-MORIN AND NISSAN 2/18 1.2/5 03h25'23 01h00'13
27 224 BARBIER-BARBIER FRA NISSAN 2/23 1.2/7 03h34'02 01h08'52
28 232 MICHELARD-COIRIER TUN NISSAN 2/24 1.1/13 03h35'42 01h10'32
30 276 CONREAU-VINEL FRA NISSAN 2/26 1.1/15 03h44'01 01h18'51
34 301 BROUSSE-VOISIN FRA NISSAN 2/29 1.1/17 03h49'03 01h23'53
36 228 PELICHET-MEYGRET FRA NISSAN 2/31 1.2/10 03h51'08 01h25'58
47 298 LEFEUVRE-CRAEYE FRA NISSAN 2/37 1.1/19 04h21'16 01h56'06
52 261 COLLIGNON-COLLIGNON FRA NISSAN 1/12 2/6 04h24'41 01h59'31
53 273 THIERCELIN-VERNIER FRA NISSAN 2/41 1.1/20 04h26'25 02h01'15
55 234 BLAZQUEZ-MAIMON ESP NISSAN 2/42 1.1/21 04h34'52 02h09'42
…
Giniel DE VILLIERS (RSA) – Tina THORNER (S) – NISSAN PICKUP
Jean Bernard VIEU (Logistics Manager Nissan Rally Raid Team)
Tina THORNER / Giniel de VILLIERS
|
|
