X-RAID TEAM NEWS
CENTRAL EUROPE RALLY (April 19th-26th, 2008)
Dakar Series, round 1
Leg 6: Veszprém, Hungary – Veszprém, Hungary: connection, 11 km; special, 157 km; connection 35.5km; special, 54 km; connection, 61 km; total, 317 km.
For immediate release
Friday, April 25th, 2008
X-RAID’S BRUNO SABY MAINTAINS PUSH
FOR TOP FIVE IN CENTRAL EUROPE RALLY
Saby and Chicherit maintain pressure on second Veszprém loop
Spaniard Sainz edges away from Frenchman Peterhansel
VESZPREM (Hungary): The AlgoDyne Green Power Racing Team completed the penultimate leg of the new Central Europe Rally around Veszprém in Hungary in seventh and ninth positions on Friday.
X-raid team driver Bruno Saby and co-driver Alain Guehennec now hold sixth in the general classification. Spaniard Carlos Sainz edged 18 seconds ahead of French arch rival Stephane Peterhansel in the overall standings after a thrilling battle over the challenging Hungarian terrain.
“Guerlain had a puncture today, but otherwise we had no problems at all,” admitted X-raid team director Sven Quandt. “Now both Bruno and Guerlain will take it carefully and make sure we reach the finish. Guerlain can, maybe, have some fun on the last day and try and take a fastest time.”
Today’s leg was a repeat of Thursday’s two stages to the north of Lake Balaton. Saby and Chicherit began the day in seventh and 26th in the overall standings, after American Robbie Gordon reappeared on the leader board after Thursday’s problems.
Saby, a Dakar Rally winner in 1993, needed to gain 10 minutes over Carlos Sousa to stand a chance of wresting seventh position from the Portuguese driver’s clutches.
Peterhansel and Sainz were the fastest out of the blocks and were the pace setters through the first passage control, with Chicherit running in third place and Saby in 10th. But Sainz eventually won the stage by 28 seconds and snatched a six-second overall lead. Chicherit set the third quickest time for the X-raid team and Saby was ninth.
Sainz extended his lead over Peterhansel to 18 seconds on the shorter second stage, although he was beaten by a second by Robbie Gordon for the fastest time. Saby and Chicherit set the eighth and 10th fastest times and were ninth and seventh on the leg, when the two times were added together.
Tomorrow (Saturday) the Central Europe Rally reaches a conclusion near the shores of Lake Balaton after the seventh and final leg of the new ASO-organised event. Teams will tackle a 155km selective section, before a straightforward 11km liaison section steers crews to the official finishing ceremony at the tourist resort of Balatonfüred on the northern shores of the lake.
Balaton is the largest lake in Central Europe and a popular tourist destination. It is 77km long and ranges in width from four kilometres to 14, although it is relatively shallow and is no more than 12 metres deep.
2008 Central Europe Rally – positions on SS6 section 1 (unofficial):
1. Carlos Sainz (E)/Michel Perin (F) Volkswagen Touareg 1h 37m 23s
2. Stéphane Peterhansel (F)/Jean-Paul Cottret (F) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 1h 37m 51s
3. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Matthieu Baumel (F) BMW X3 CC 1h 39m 24s
4. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero 1h 39m 35s
5. Dieter Depping (D)/Timo Gottschalk (D) Volkswagen Touareg 1h 39m 39s
6. Robby Gordon (USA)/Andy Grider (USA) Hummer 1h 40m 26s
7. BJ Baldwin (USA)/Kevin Heath (USA) Hummer 1h 40m 44s
8. Carlos Sousa (P)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 1h 43m 08s
9. Bruno Saby (F)/Alain Guehennec (F) BMW X3 CC 1h 43m 57s
2008 Central Europe Rally – positions on SS6 section 2 (unofficial):
1. Robby Gordon (USA)/Andy Grider (USA) Hummer 32m 58s
2. Carlos Sainz (E)/Michel Perin (F) Volkswagen Touareg 32m 59s
3. Stéphane Peterhansel (F)/Jean-Paul Cottret (F) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 33m 11s
4. BJ Baldwin (USA)/Kevin Heath (USA) Hummer 33m 17s
5. Dieter Depping (D)/Timo Gottschalk (D) Volkswagen Touareg 34m 05s
6. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 34m 15s
7. Carlos Sousa (P)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 35m 42s
8. Bruno Saby (F)/Alain Guehennec (F) BMW X3 CC 35m 51s
10. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Matthieu Baumel (F) BMW X3 CC 36m 44s
2008 Central Europe Rally – overall positions after leg 6 (unofficial):
1. Carlos Sainz (E)/Michel Perin (F) Volkswagen Touareg 9h 40m 37s
2. Stéphane Peterhansel (F)/Jean-Paul Cottret (F) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 9h 40m 55s
3. Dieter Depping (D)/Timo Gottschalk (D) Volkswagen Touareg 9h 46m 44s
4. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution 9h 46m 51s
5. Carlos Sousa (P)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 10h 09m 54s
6. Bruno Saby (F)/Alain Guehennec (F) BMW X3 CC 10h 20m 53s
7. BJ Baldwin (USA)/Kevin Heath (USA) Hummer 10h 33m 48s
TBA. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Matthieu Baumel (F) BMW X3 CC 12h 26m 01s
Ends
Further information and photos are available at www.x-raid.de or contact Yvette Theisen at X-raid GmbH, Tel: + 49 (0) 6147 204670, E-mail: y.theisen@x-raid.de.