Ägypten Rallye

Verfasst am : Mo, 29. Sep 2003, 19:19 Titel:

Hallo,
Zwischenstand am zweiten Tag:

1. Platz Roma auf LC8

mit sportlichen Grüßen SOMMER KTM Rainer Kroll

Verfasst am : Mo, 29. Sep 2003, 19:21 Titel:

Gibts in der Glotze nichts davon zu sehen?

Verfasst am : Mo, 29. Sep 2003, 19:42 Titel:

Verfasst am : Mo, 29. Sep 2003, 21:01 Titel:

Rallye of Egypt 1st stage
29.09.2003

Cairo - Baharija / Liaison 57 km / SS 230 km / Liaison 79 km / Total 366 km

Ready to race!

The crème de la crème of rallye sports has lined up at the start line for the Rallye des Pharaons 2003. The Gauloises KTM Team with their five riders
(Brucy, Cox, Despres, Meoni, Sainct), and the Repsol KTM Team (Coma, Esteve, Roma). The field is completed by Carlo de Gavardo and the good privateers Dabrowski, Flick and Graziani. All KTM riders are highly motivated and the
competition is on, between the teams (Gauloises/Repsol) and between the
bikes (LC4/LC8). This is the last big test and motivation race before Dakar, so everybody wants to be in front at this prestiguous rallye.

In yesterday’s briefing, Jacky Ickx promised that this will be a fast rallye, so it will be interesting to see how far the powerfull LC8 950 rallye twin can profit from the characteristics of this race course.

The race started today for the 79 bikes and 22 cars at the Pyramids of Giza,leading the competitors to Baharija, a stage well known from the last years. The track was very fast and Cyril Despres had to open the track, followed by Marek Dabrowski and Fabrizio Meoni. It was clear from the start
that the riders starting behind will be in front at the end of the day, as the riders started one minute by one which made it easy to catch up. Richard
Sainct started seventh and was the fastest man today. Nani Roma was on the gas with his LC8 twin and marked the 2nd position. Fabrizio Meoni was
leading for a while, but then had a problem with his GPS which forced him to back off and wait for the others so he could follow. Carlo de Gavardo has
rediscovered the pleasure of going fast. Still on his long way back from the injuries he suffered in the last year, he is regaining confidence and has no
problem in keeping the pace. A good start also for Marek Dabrowski who did not lose too much time after starting second in the morning.

The new regulations of the rallye des Pharaons sais that the first five riders can chose their starting positions for the next day. And from
tomorrow on the start will be every 3 Minutes. We can expect the first five to chose their start positions beyond the first ten, so they can make time
tomorrow.

Tomorrow the longest special stage of the rallye is waiting for the riders, and it will be a crucial day for the determination of the final result.

1 st stage Cairo - Baharija
29.09.2003

Liaison 57 km / SS 230 km / Liaison 79 km / Total 366 km

1. Sainct
2. Roma 02’57
3. De Gavardo 03’27
4. Dabrowski 05’01
5. Despres 05’59
6. Meoni 06’02
7. Cox 06’51
8. Flick 07’11
9. Esteve 08’21
10. Coma 09’31

Verfasst am : Mo, 29. Sep 2003, 21:02 Titel:

Rallye of Egypt 2nd stage
29.09.2003

Baharija - Mut / 440 km SS / 36 km Liaison / 436 km Total

Not for chicken...

It was a very very fast day, except for the last 15 km of the special. Fabrizio Meoni started first this morning, followed by Alfie Cox. Both had
to pay for their positions six and seven of yesterday, as the first five could chose their start position and certainly chose to start behind today.
So Meoni had to open the track and do the navigation. There are not many riders who can navigate and go really fast at the same time - he can! Alfie Cox had difficulties to follow him because the track was extremely fast - and dangerous. "Sometimes Fabrizio was only a small spot on the horizon, and I thought: If he can go that fast without crashing, I can as well! and kept
the gas wide open hoping that there are no bad surprises not marked in the roadbook. A tough day for the motorbikes, too, the engines had to work hard
but no problem for our rallybikes."

Everybody else plaid their tactics. Richard Sainct chose to start in 10th position hoping to make a lot of time, unfortunately it was very dusty today
so he ended up only in 4th position. Despres and Roma started 5 and 6 this morning, and their tactics worked out, they could make time and Nani Roma is
now taking the lead in the overall standings.
Meoni ended up in the unfortunate 6th place again today thanks to Marek Dabrowski who had a very good day today marking 5th position.

The temperatures in Mut ar around 40°C, and heading south the next three days will be even hotter, this goes for the temparatures as well as for the race.

2nd stage Baharija - Mut
29.09.2003

440 km SS / 36 km Liaison / 436 km Total

Stage
1. Roma 4’30’39
2. Despres 3’25
3. Cox 4’33
4. Sainct 5’42
5. Dabrowski 6’10
6. Meoni 7’26
7. Coma 8’14
8. De Gavardo 10’21
9. Esteve 11’41
10. Flick 30’11
11. Graziani 32’56
12. Brucy (450) 35’25

Results overall
1.Roma 6’43’46
2. Sainct 2’45
3. Despres 6’27
4. Dabrowski 8’14
5. Cox 8’27
6. Meoni 10’31
7. De Gavardo 10’51
8. Coma 14’48
9. Esteve 17’05
10. Flick 34’25
11. Graziani 42’51
12. Polli 46’46
13. Brucy 50’11

Verfasst am : Di, 30. Sep 2003, 17:19 Titel:

Rallye of Egypt 3rd stage
30.09.2003

Mut - El Oweinat / 7,5 km Liaison / 386 km SS / 393,5 km Total

A very "tiring" day...

As the Italians would say: "A la manetta" - full gas!! again today. The riders burnt down the 386 km special stage in less than 3 hours. A stage for the V-twin LC8, high speed of Nani Roma today 199 km/h, average speed of the whole stage 147 km/h. Who of you dares to go that fast on a highway??? So Roma won today, followed by Richard Sainct and Cyril Despres who did their best to lose as little time as possible on this extremely fast track. The name of the problem today was bib mousse. It was hot today, the temperature of the sand was close to 50°C already in the morning. The bib mousse of Alfie Cox was melted about 30 km before the assistance point and he lost precious minutes riding with a flat tire. Nani Roma made it to the assistance, but then had to change. Unfortunately, Fabrizio Meoni’s rear mousse broke only after the assistance point, so he rode the last 100 km of the special on the plain rim and lost 32 min., a fabulous job but it doesn’t make him any happier after the misfortunes of the last days. Isidre Esteve seems to have found his rhythm marking 4th position, and privateer Dabrowski keeps the pace with the "big boys". Jean Brucy is doing a very good race on his 450 rally prototype leading his class. The fast pists of this race are definitely in the favour of the bigger engines, but Jean keeps fighting for a top ten position.

3rd stage Mut - El Oweinat
30.09.2003

7,5 km Liaison / 386 km SS / 393,5 km Total

Stage
1. Roma 2’53’42
2. Sainct 4’19
3. Despres 7’16
4. Esteve 7’56
5. Dabrowski 9’03
6. De Gavardo 10’02
7. Coma 11’14
8. Flick 12’28
9. Cox 14’06
10. Polli 14’58
11. Graziani 15’11
12. Brucy (450) 18’27

Results overall
1.Roma 9’37’28
2. Sainct 7’04
3. Despres 13’43
4. Dabrowski 17’17
5. De Gavardo 20’53
6. Cox 22’33
7. Esteve 25’01
8. Coma 26’02
9. Meoni 43’15
10. Flick 46’53
11. Graziani 58’02
12. Polli 1’01’44
13. Brucy 1’08’38