ROUND 8 FIA WORLD RALLY CHAMPIONSHIP 1 - 4 June 2006
Thursday 1 June: Leg 1 Athens - Athens
Start Olympic Stadium, Athens 17.50 SS1 SSS OAKA 1 2.80km 18.00 Finish Olympic Stadium, Athens 18.15
Friday 2 June: Leg 1 (continued) Athens - Athens
Serv A Athens (10 mins) 08.00 SS2 Imittos 1 11.44km 08.38 SS3 Skourta 1 23.80km 09.56 SS4 Thiva 1 23.76km 11.14 Serv B Athens (30 mins) 13.22 SS5 Imittos 2 11.44km 14.20 SS6 Skourta 2 23.80km 15.38 SS7 Thiva 2 23.76km 16.56 Serv C Athens (45 mins) 18.46 Finish Athens 19.31
Total 120.80km
Saturday 3 June: Leg 2 Athens - Athens
Serv D Athens (10 mins) 08.00 SS8 Mandra 1 12.60km 08.57 SS9 Kineta 1 37.33km 09.50 SS10 Psatha 1 17.41km 11.13 Serv E Athens (30 mins) 12.51 SS11 Mandra 2 12.60km 14.08 SS12 Kineta 2 37.33km 15.01 SS13 Psatha 2 17.41km 16.24 Serv F Athens (45 mins) 17.44 Finish Athens 18.29
Total 134.68km
Sunday 4 June: Leg 3 Athens - Athens
Serv G Athens (10 mins) 06.40 SS14 Avlonas 1 23.90km 07.47 SS15 Agia Sotira 1 24.77km 08.55 Serv H Athens (30 mins) 10.08 SS16 Avlonas 2 23.90km 11.35 SS17 Agia Sotira 2 24.77km 12.43 SS18 SSS OAKA 2 2.80km 14.15 Finish Olympic Stadium, Athens Finish at stop control
Total 100.14km Rally Total 355.62km
Rally Route
The rally has undergone a complete facelift. Following the phenomenal success of last year's super special stage at Athens' Olympic Stadium, organisers have based the entire event there. The stadium will again host the opening action on Thursday evening with live television and an expected 65,000 capacity crowd, with a repeat of the 2.80km test bringing the rally to a close on Sunday afternoon.
Apart from the stadium tests, all the remaining stages are different to 2005. Some are completely new, while others have been used in a different format several years ago. The opening leg begins with a test on the very edge of Athens before heading north-west of the city. The second, and longest, day is located to the west while the final day is based on roads already used but run in the opposite direction. Each leg comprises two loops of identical stages, split by service at the Olympic Stadium, with the super special added to the end of Sunday's itinerary.
Drivers tackle 18 stages, which are at a lower altitude than in recent times and are hilly rather than mountainous, covering 355.62km in a route of 1279.29km.
