ON THE FIA CROSS-COUNTRY RALLY WORLD CUP CURTAIN-RAISER

Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and its motorsport unit MMSP kicks off the 2007 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup with the Rally Vodafone Transiberico which starts in Estoril, Portugal, on Thursday May 31. Mitsubishi Pajero/Monteros have been entered for Spaniards Joan 'Nani' Roma and his co-driver Lucas Cruz, as well as for Frenchman Luc Alphand and his right-hand man Gilles Picard.

The four-day event features a total distance of 2,220.98km, including 1,139.51km divided into seven selective sections. The route also includes an overnight halt in the Spanish town of Badajoz.

In addition to getting its World Cup campaign under way, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart squad will be looking for revenge following the conclusion of last season's visit to the Iberian Peninsula's western tip when Nani Roma was squeezed out of first place in the very last kilometres of the event. The Spaniard ultimately took silver, with team-mate Luc Alphand following in 3rd spot to put two Mitsubishi Pajero/Monteros on the final podium.

This year's Transiberico will also be the team's first outing since the latest MPR13 evolution claimed an historic seventh consecutive Dakar win for Mitsubishi in January in the hands of Stéphane Peterhansel, and team boss Dominique Serieys is looking forward to this week's return to the competitive arena. "The FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup has really come of age, with an extremely competitive field in terms of both the cars and driver line-up," he observes.

"This rally will also mark the debut on this type of event for the MPR13 which first competed in the UAE last year and which has only contested the Dakar since. Recent development work has focused on lightening the car to get it down to the minimum authorised weight, as well as on optimising the distribution of that weight. We have also worked on establishing a set-up that is suited to events like the Transiberico whose smooth stages call for agility and precision rather than the need for improvisation and an ability to cope with extremely rough, rocky or very sandy terrain you have to dial in for a marathon like the Dakar. Last year's Transiberico was a very close run thing, with Nani only losing the lead very near the end. However, I think the experience has made him an even stronger driver and, along with Luc, who also led at one point last year, I believe we have a car and driver package that will certainly be competitive, although nobody can ever be sure of winning."

Indeed, Nani Roma still vividly remembers the sting of having victory snatched from his grasp at the last moment in 2006:

"This week will be a chance for me to take revenge after leading for much of last year's event and then being passed just 20km from home," comments the Spaniard.

"It won't be easy against such a high quality field, but I think the MPR13 should be very strong on this sort of event. The stages, which are very narrow and technically challenging from the driving angle, and which leave no margin for error, are not unlike what can be found in the WRC. Fittingly, the new car's handling is also reminiscent of that of a WRC car and its lower centre of gravity should ensure it is agile enough for this type of terrain. Although the Transiberico is essentially a Portuguese event, it does cross over into Spain and I am looking forward to that. It may be a long way from my native Catalonia but there should be lots of interest in the team from the local Spanish fans who rarely get a chance to see top motorsport in this part of the country."

Luc Alphand is also extremely fired up prior to the opening fixture of the 2007 World Cup. "It's been a bit too quiet on the rally-raid front since the Dakar, so it will be great to be back in action," enthuses the former skiing champion who came 3rd on this event last year.

"It's especially motivating to be starting the calendar with such an enjoyable rally as the Transiberico, although with twisty stages of up to and over 200km at a time it can be a physically demanding ride and I've been working out to be as fit as possible; doing lots of cycling, for example. One of the challenges after such a long break will be to find just the right pace over such long stages. That said, the chassis of the MPR13 is really nicely balanced, with plenty of torque, good traction and much less understeer now. I wasn't a big fan of this year's Dakar prologue in the Algarve, but I really love this part of the world and the Transiberico kicks off with an interesting spectator stage before heading out to the real stages. They are such a challenge and so varied. Last year's event was extremely close, and I'm not just talking about the photo finish. Earlier in the event, too, the top three or four were bunched in a tight group after the opening tests. It will be fantastic if it's that close again this time round"

The 2007 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup features four rounds and, in addition to the Rally Transiberico, visits South Africa (African heritage Cross Country), Argentina (Por las Pampas Rally) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE Desert Challenge). In addition to its score of seven Dakar wins since 2001, Mitsubishi has won the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup on two previous occasions, in 2003 and 2004.