Main objective is to triumph among trucks Being one of the top ten in general classification is another goal José Marques in Charly Gotlib's place
From today until January 9th 2011, Team Oleoban /MAN Portugal is going to take part in the 3rd edition of Africa Eco Race rally, a competition which is organized by René Metge and which will run through tracks in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, with its finishing line at Lac Rose, in Dakar.
For Elisabete Jacinto this is going to be the great challenge of the season, having won in Tunisia and in Morocco.
Elisabete Jacinto: "Africa Race will be decided in the Mauritanian streaks"
Following a course Elisabete Jacinto considers exciting, the 3rd edition of the Africa Eco Race rally starts from Château de Lastours, in the south of France, and will take the competitors on a marathon a course of 5,307kms, with trails in Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal, until Dakar.
“One of the things I was most favourably impressed with at Africa Eco Race was the quality of the trails chosen by René Metge. There is the idea that in Morocco the trails are demolishing, with lots of stones and ditches. What we face are trails in good ground, giving an enormous pleasure to drive on, and where the greatest difficulty consists of navigating”, explains Elisabete Jacinto, who adds:
“On the other hand, the fact that the connections were reduced to the minimum allows us to concentrate on the competition and to have more time to rest”.
In fact, the mains connections in Africa Eco Race are concentrated in Europe and in crossing the borders from Morocco into Mauritania and from the latter to Senegal. In Europe there is no competition, therefore Portuguese and Spanish entrants are allowed to join the caravan only at Almeida, on the 28th.
Sunday, January 2nd will be the resting day, without competition. The whole company will just make a connection meant to diminish the many kilometres foreseen for the following day, when the rally enters Mauritania. From then on, the competition will be almost 100% on sand. Four streaks with one single connection of only 20kms.
“A streak with no more than 200kms, starting and finishing at the camp, means it will be ‘long’ and including enormous difficulties. With such a pattern it is undoubtedly in Mauritania that everything will be decided in sports terms”
2011 ROUTE
LEG 1 : Wednesday 29th December 2010NADOR / BORJ BEL FREISSATLiaison : 181,70 km - SS1 : 150,28 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 2 : Thursday 30th December 2010 BORJ BEL FREISSAT / EL MDOUARALiaison : 0,00 km – SS 2 : 318,21 km – Liaison : 142,51 km
LEG 3: Friday 31st December 2010EL MDOUARA / WAD TISSINT Liaison : 4,21 km – SS 3 : 416,14 km – Liaison : 50,53 kmLEG 4: Saturday 1st January 2011 WAD TISSINT /CHEBEIKA Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 4 : 341,33 km – Liaison : 290,89 km
LEG 5: Sunday 2nd January 2011CHEBEIKA / GREID LAREICH Liaison : 306,91 km
LEG 6: Monday 3rd January 2011GREID LAREICH / BOULANOUAR Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 5 : 183,33 km – Liaison : 714,74 km
LEG 7 : Tuesday 4th January 2011BOULANOUAR / GUEL AGANTOURLiaison : 0,00 km – SS 6 : 371,72 km – Liaison : 20,45 km
LEG 8: Wednesday 5th January 2011 GUELB AGANTOUR / GUELB AGANTOUR Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 7 : 408,06 km – Liaison : 0,00 kmLEG 9: Thursday 6th January 2011 GUELB AGANTOUR / TENADI Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 8: 380,66 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 10 : Friday 7th January 2011 TENADI / TENADI Liaison : 0,00 km – SS 9 : 232,41 km – Liaison : 0,00 km
LEG 11: Saturday 8th January 2011TENADI / KEBEMERLiaison : 0,00 km – SS 10 : 203,36 km – Liaison : 394,26 km
LEG 12 : Sunday 9th January 2011KEBEMER / DAKAR Liaison : 131,11km – SS 11 : 23,68 km – Liaison : 41,00 km
