RALLY OF TUNISIA - Giniel retires
author: Leon Botha
STAGE 3: KSAR GHILANE – EL BORMA- Wednesday 9 April 2003
Special Stage: 300km – Liaison: 47km – TOTAL: 347km
A long stage…
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Leon Botha
The last we will see of de Villiers on this rally, but there is much, much more to come.
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In a rally where he had to "defend" the ability of any other vehicle to match the incredible Mitsubishi's, one thing is for sure, Giniel proved that he can keep up with the best and that awesome Nissan Hardbody, proved that in bakkie terms it is also human! It can actually also pick up problems and not only a load.
Tuesday's mechanical problems attracted the full attention of the technical team at the Sar Chilean bivouac. Having checked a number of things, and changed some engine parts, the problem appeared to have been solved. At the start, this morning, after Giniel had completed a number of tests, everything appeared to be working correctly.
Therefore, the Proudly South African Nissan Hardbody set off on the 300 km special stage towards El Borma, with its driver totally unaware of the unfortunate turn the day would take. The car was performing well until the first checkpoint, but at the 66th kilometre the Pickup stopped abruptly. Totally helpless, the team had to wait for the assistance vehicle in order to be pulled to the bivouac. The verdict was implacable: it was time to retire.
Still in the development phase, the Nissan Hardbody once more proved its potential. All the work which has taken place since the Dakar has proved to be very positive. And despite today’s engine problems, it will definitely be an adversary to be reckoned with this season.
As far as the private Teams are concerned, the Spanish driver Marc Blazquez had another excellent day, being classified 8th in spite of a broken transmission, which meant that the Nissan Patrol had to complete the final hundred kilometres in two wheel drive.
The Nissan Dessoude clan is still close together. After this third day, Philippe Vandromme and Loïc Fagot, with a Pathfinder, finished 12th in the stage and are now 9th overall, the first of the Nissan cars… at the service area, Posteau and Antoniolli changed the rear shock absorbers on their Patrol; they finished 29th , and are currently 14th overall. Finally, Conreau and Vinel, 17th in the special stage and
25th overall, complete these good results.
Tomorrow’s fourth leg, the formidable El Borma loop, will get underway without one of the main stars of this Rally, Giniel de Villiers, whose main regret is not being able to discover this sea of sand, about which the other competitors have spoken so much...
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Leon Botha
Komornicki and Marton doing their best to undo the Mitsubishi
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• Classification of the leg KSAR GHILANE- EL BORMA
Pos N° Crew Nat Make Gr/Cl Time Gap
1 201 PETERHANSEL-COTTRET FRA MITSUBISHI 2/1 1.1/1 02h41'38 00h00'00
2 200 SCHLESSER-LURQUIN FRA SCHLESSER 2/22.1/1 02h44'41 00h03'03
3 230 MISSLIN-POLATO FRA MITSUBISHI 2/31.1/2 02h54'26 00h12'48
4 207 BIASION-SIVIERO ITA MITSUBISHI 2/41.1/3 02h55'53 00h14'15
5 202 MONTERDE-TORNABELL ESP MITSUBISHI 2/51.2/1 03h04'19 00h22'41
6 212 KOMORNICKIMARTON POL MITSUBISHI 2/61.1/4 03h10'57 00h29'19
7 229 MAYER-SCHULZ ALL MITSUBISHI 2/71.2/2 03h19'26 00h37'48
8 234 BLAZQUER-MAIMON ESP NISSAN 2/81.1/5 03h22'21 00h40'43
9 206 STRUGO-LARROQUE FRA MERCEDES 1/11/1 03h26'53 00h45'15
10 227 LECHLEITER-GUYON FRA VOLKSWAGEN 2/92.2/1 03h27'36 00h45'58
11 237 SHMAKOV-MISHIN RUS MERCEDES 1/21/2 03h28'54 00h47'16
12 223 VANDROMME-FAGOT FRA NISSAN 2/101.1/6 03h33'52 00h52'14
13 306 TERRIER-DUBOIS SUI BOWLER 2/111.1/7 03h40'36 00h58'58
14 301 BROUSSE-VOISIN FRA NISSAN 2/121.1/8 03h43'41 01h02'03
17 276 CONREAU-VINEL FRA NISSAN 2/141.1/9 03h47'56 01h06'18
26 211 LARTIGUE-MORIN AND NISSAN 2/221.2/6 04h04'53 01h23'15
27 224 BARBIER-BARBIER FRA NISSAN 2/231.2/7 04h04'53 01h23'15
29 295 POSTEAU-ANTONIOLLI FRA NISSAN 2/25 1.1/14 04h09'55 01h28'17
31 232 MICHELARD-COIRIER TUN NISSAN 2/261.1/15 04h16'51 01h35'13
33 273 THIERCELIN-VERNIER FRA NISSAN 2/281.1/16 04h20'33 01h38'55
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• General Classification after KSAR GHILANE – EL BORMA
Pos N° Crew Nat Make Gr/Cl Time Gap
1 201 PETERHANSEL-COTTRET FRA MITSUBISHI 2/11.1/1 08h22'16 00h00'00
2 207 BIASION-SIVIERO ITA MITSUBISHI 2/21.1/2 08h47'39 00h25'23
3 200 SCHLESSER-LURQUIN FRA SCHLESSER 2/32.1/1 09h10'49 00h48'33
4 230 MISSLIN-POLATO FRA MITSUBISHI 2/41.1/3 09h20'43 00h58'27
5 212 KOMORNICKI-MARTON POL MITSUBISHI 2/51.1/4 10h18'54 01h56'38
6 202 MONTERDE-TORNABELL ESP MITSUBISHI 2/61.2/1 10h28'19 02h06'03
7 229 MAYER-SCHULZ ALL MITSUBISHI 2/71.2/2 11h02'17 02h40'01
8 227 LECHLEITER-GUYON FRA VOLKSWAGEN 2/82.2/1 11h13'57 02h51'41
9 223 VANDROMME-FAGOT FRA NISSAN 2/91.1/5 11h47'28 03h25'12
10 222 MIRANDE-DELLI ZOTTI FRA PROTO 2/101.1/6 11h47'48 03h25'32
13 234 BLAZQUER-MAIMON ESP NISSAN 2/121.1/7 12h15'32 03h53'16
14 295 POSTEAU-ANTONIOLLI FRA NISSAN 2/131.1/8 12h16'31 03h54'15
17 211 LARTIGUE-MORIN AND NISSAN 2/151.2/4 12h22'48 04h00'32
22 224 BARBIER-BARBIER FRA NISSAN 2/191.2/6 12h54'23 04h32'07
25 276 CONREAU-VINEL FRA NISSAN 2/221.1/12 13h14'12 04h51'56
26 232 MICHELARD-COIRIER TUN NISSAN 2/231.1/13 13h15'02 04h52'46
27 273 THIERCELIN-VERNIER FRA NISSAN 2/281.1/16 14h38'22 06h16'06
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