Elisabete Jacinto is going to fight to win - The Portuguese driver has been the fastest among trucks
Completed the first week of Africa Eco Race, today was a day of rest in Agadir for all those who take part in this big African marathon. Elisabete Jacinto, who is the only Portuguese competitor, drives her MAN TGS hopefully till Lac Rose, in Dakar, where the race ends on January the 10th. Though she is now at an excellent 2nd position, the driver for Team Oleoban Man Portugal has shown the potential to fight for victory, and Elisabete Jacinto herself admits that is her aim.
“For reasons of timetable, this day to rest comes much before the middle of the race; therefore, we still have a hard task in front of us, prior to enjoying running through the tracks at Lac Rose and reaching Dakar. The four streaks for which I have already competed gave me an enormous pleasure. René Metge is to be congratulated on the magnificent specials he prepared; in some cases, they even surprised me, and I was convinced I already knew most of Morocco. On the other hand, the fact that I have been among the first to drive through ground not yet trampled makes it completely different for the better, although that is much more demanding for the navigator, but Álvaro has performed excellently. At sports level, we started well, we won the first streak, we were leaders and we kept a very lively competition with Scania Hungarian team, which is now in first place. During the two latest streaks, we had the unpleasant surprises of a tyre to blow up, which is quite different from a puncture and made us loose a long time, but the most complicated situation, because it had to do with electronics, occurred yesterday, and it came from damaged high pressure pump and Common Rail valves. We were doing very well, always at a very good pace, and I felt sure we could assume the leading position, when we were forced to stop 20kms before the end. These are situations which occur during races, and I am convinced we shall overcome them, with me still fighting to win streaks and to reach the end of the competition in first place”, stresses Elisabete Jacinto.
Tomorrow the caravan leaves Agadir towards Greid Lareich, in the south of Morocco, for the last Moroccan stretch of Africa Eco Race. There will be 304 timed kilometers.
General Classification after 4 streaks:Cars: 1st Schlesser/Debron (Buggy Schlesser), 14h51m37s; 2nd Lethier/Lurquin (Buggy Schlesser) plus 5m15s.Trucks: 1st Kovacs/Czegledi/Toth (Scania), 17h27m59s; 2nd Elisabete/Velhinho/Cochinho (MAN), plus 22m50s.
