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Last January, auto sports in general and all the Portuguese lived the
frustration of the early end of the Euromilhoes Lisbon-Dakar Rally
because of threats made by terrorist organizations. However, while most
people accepted this end with their heads down, others immediately
began to draw up plans to re-light the flame of adventure that pits man
and machine against great adversity, in a struggle that has thrilled
the world over the past 30 years.
Based on the experience of past editions, local organizers of the
event, Joao Lagos Sports, have successfully brought back to Portugal an
event of the Dakar Series, the ‘Pax Rally 2008', which will be held
between September 10 and 14, between Lisbon and Portimao. The rally
will play host to the national and international elite of cross-country
drivers, along with a number of amateurs, who are also eligible to
enter. Following the tradition of the Dakar, the ‘Pax Rally' is a
cross-country competition open to cars, motorbikes and quads. It will
represent the final battle before the Argentina-Chile Dakar.
In late April, in Budapest, Carlos
Sainz (Volkswagen) won the Central Europe Rally with just 2m 01s
advantage over Stephane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi) and 6m 34s over the
German, Dieter Depping (Volkswagen). These three names will be once
again face-to-face in the Portuguese Rally, but the victory has more
suitors. Nani Roma and Luc Alphand strengthen the squad of Mitsubishi,
while Volkswagen has in Giniel de Villiers, another asset to be taken
into account. But if, at international level, the competition is packed
with stars, the top Portuguese teams will also be present.
The possibility of confrontation with
the main international teams, high media coverage (since the Pax Rally
will be broadcast throughout the world through various agreements with
Eurosport channel) and strong national coverage from RTP, were the main
ingredients to encourage the presence of drivers like Ricardo Santos,
Helder Oliveira and Filipe Campos, the current leader of the Portuguese
Cross-Country Championship, who finished in a fantastic third place in
the last ‘Baja Spain'.
The motorbike competition will also
have some of the best in the world, including Cyrill Despres, Marc Coma
and David Casteu, who won the first Dakar Series event. Among the
Portuguese competitors, the emphasis will be on the presence of
Algarve's, Ruben Faria, who is considered one of the top candidates for
victory. Joana Lemos, President of the Organizing Committee, said, "I
am very confident in, and above all very pleased with, the high level
of competitors we have in all categories. It is, without doubt, a
strong guarantee for a great spectacle and high competitiveness that
they will provide for all lovers of the cross-country discipline."
After a short stay in Lisbon, where, after technical scrutineering, the
rally will start on September 10, the competitors will face a hard
five-day event, over almost 2,000km.
Each day, a special stage will be
held, of between 65 and 300km in length, over varying types of terrain,
aiming to force competitors to utilise all their driving skills. During
the event, the drivers will head north first, from Lisbon to Castelo
Branco, over a notoriously rocky landscape. Turning south, between
plains and mountains, the Pax Rally will come to an end in the
cosmopolitan city of Portimao.
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