The first big navigating leg of the 8th Master Rallye kept its promises, and the famous ford passage at km 53 was the day’s piece of bravery. Exacting, superb in the general opinion, the special will leave most of the competitors wonderful souvenirs, such as Yves Loubet (Nissan),
9th in the special but as happy as a winner when he expressed his delight.
"Incredible, incredible, incredible! 200 kilometres in a special, that’s a tremendous steak. We got our oats with the Mercedes, on a fabulous
terrain."
The real winner of the day: once more Jean-Louis Schlesser, who arrived at the wheel of his buggy half an hour in advance of the theoretically scheduled time! But only 1’28” on the second leg, as in the overall, Christophe Tinseau (Protruck), who proves his talent each time he sets off, greatly assisted by his new co-driver, Baptiste Vallet.
"The difference must have arisen at the end of the special, analysed Schlesser, delighted but worn out when getting out of his buggy. It was very hard from the navigating point of view from the beginning to the end. We had to get back on course, cut across a field and opening the route is never easy. Our dust probably helped our
pursuers." Tinseau, at 1’51” in the overall, did not deny this bit of help but remembers above all
"the wonderful fight at a distance with Jean-Louis. We are more than pleased with Baptiste, who did a super job navigating. The Protruck is very much at ease on this type of
course."
Behind the duo in good form in this rally beginning, the Russian, Alexander Khrol achieved a splendid day’s operation on signing the
3rd place in the special, also gaining a place on the podium for the overall, at 1’51” from Schlesser. On board his Mitsubishi, he can rely on his knowledge of the local tracks and also on the warm support of the public.
"I am on home ground, I would very much like to become the first Russian to win a great rally-raid. Since Rakitiansky withdrew, a lot is being expected of me on this Master. There is pressure on me but for the time being everything is going well, touch
wood!"
Also to be noted, the good performance of Bernard Errandonea’s Nissan,
4th in the special as well as in the overall. A more difficult day for Magnaldi (Mercedes),
23rd in the leg. Jean-Pierre Strugo, also in a Mercedes, is therefore the new leader in the T 1 category. But the big loser this evening is called Nicolas Misslin. Third in the overall this morning, he is now
32nd at more than two hours from Schlesser, after having finished in the
45th place of the special, losing long minutes to negotiate the famous ford passage at km 53, where almost 90 cm of water awaited the competitors. Submerged engine, he was rescued by his father, also a competitor, but he will certainly not have good memories of this Sunday.
Just as enthusiastic on commenting their day as the car drivers, the motorcyclists, like the four-wheelers, experienced varied luck on a terrain filled with traps. Although Per-Gunnar Lundmark (KTM) is still leader in the overall ranking, he only finished third in the special, outdistanced by the Franco-Uruguayan Laurent Lazard (KTM) and the Dutchman Harry Oosting (KTM), his new heir apparent in the overall. Lundmark, who opened the track, was able to discover that it was not always the easiest.
"Now I know what my friend Fabrizio Meoni feels when he sets off in the lead, it is not at all easy to read one’s road-book and drive at the same time. I was perhaps at 60% of what I can do on a terrain such as
this." Handicapped furthermore by water in his carburettor, near a difficult ford crossing, the Swede showed enormous fair-play on assisting François Flick, lending a gear-box selector to a potential rival for the victory!
"I hope that I will have no cause to regret this at the finish, otherwise François will have to pay me two beers or at least a good
vodka!"
Lundmark can be reassured, Flick did not really take advantage of this helping hand. Eleventh in the special after a slight “gardening” session across the fields, he goes back to the 5th place in the overall, leaving two other French motorcyclists, Lazard and Sireyjol, to get closer to the virtual podium. On the latter are to be found this evening in second place Oosting, who has therefore signed his first scratch on the Master Rallye.
"This is a unique success in a race in this edition, said the driver originating from Emmen in the north of the Netherlands. It was very humid, very difficult and you had to succeed in driving quite finely. Today the handful of gas was probably less important than the road-book."
A nice phrase to finish up with.
Tomorrow’s programme
The first portion of this fifth leg will skirt fields and meadows, small difficulties, i.e. simple navigation with less crossings, but the layout will be less driveable than in the second portion.
In the middle of the special, the competitors will have to negotiate a very soft sandy hill, a large number of ford crossings with very soft passages again, lakes to be skirted, small tracks in the sides of hills. All this may appear to be very bucolic but be careful, this leg will not tolerate the least error. It is very strongly advised not to leave the track by even one meter, subject to finishing the course in a big invisible crevasse.
