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 | Pharaons Rally: The big desert battle and FIA Worldcup Final is coming.
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Registrations for Pharaons Rally are now closed. 142 crews with a record number in bikes and quads will be at the start of JVD´s contest in two weeks, to conclude the FIA World Cup and the FIM World Championship.
The count back to the thirteenth edition of Pharaons International Cross Country Rally has begun. The race will be the last leg of the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup and the FIM Cross Country Rally Championship.
In fact, the appointment in the Egyptian desert is only two weeks away. Registrations were just closed and competitors are getting ready to embark their vehicles in the Visemar One, the new line that connects Venice and Alexandria.
Finally, the hundred and forty two crews that will take part of Pharaons 2010 are revealed. All riders and drivers will start the challenge on October 4th, for six beautiful stages in the Egyptian desert, starting from one of the world´s wonder, the Giza Pyramids, to arrive to the fabulous Porto Marina Resort in El Alamein in October 9th.
So now, let´s see in detail the protagonists that will fight kilometer after kilometer, dune after dune, in order to write their own name in the prestigious golden book of Pharaons Rally.
In cars, the role of the favorite goes to the experienced Jean Louis Schlesser, who comes to Pharaons Rally for the first time. The Frenchman aims the title in two wheel drive with his "Schlesser Buggy", which also motivates Eric Vigouroux, current leader of this classification on his Chevrolet Trophy-Truck. Both drivers will give life to one of the greatest battle during the race.
On his side, last year´s winner, Jerome Pelichet, will not hesitate to get into the fight, same for Roberto Tonetti, both on their Wildcat that they placed in the podium, first and second place respectively, in 2009.
The second "Schlesser buggy" in the race will be driven by the French driver who now lives in Morocco, François Lethier. Also, Maurizio Traglio´s Nissan Pathfinder and Michelle de Nora´s Toyota VDJ200 will give everything to cross the finish line, like the two Japanese drivers, Jun Mitsuhashi and Masahiro Terada that will arrive to Egypt with Toyota.
Particularly important will be the presence of the Egyptian team headed by Ahmed El Shamy, fifth overall last year.
Among trucks, there will be a solitary race for Luisa Trucco and Corrado Pattono.
This year, Pharaons has a record participation in bikes: ninety riders, between bikes and quads, the biggest number of the year for a Cross Country Rally World Championship appointment, which confirms the appeal of Pharaons Rally among competitors.
Marc Coma, winner in 2008, will not miss the race and look for the two necessary points to become World Champion of the Open Class. These two points would shelter him from talented Polish rider Jakub Przygonski, who will attend along with team mates Jacek Czachor and Marek Dabrowski.
Another important presence will be that of Ivan Boano, who will ride his new Beta prepared in the "Boano Factory", or that of the rising Spanish star, Joan Barreda.
The duel of the 450 cc class, the mandatory class for next Dakar, will be equally important, and Pharaons will be the scene for Aprilia. The team will be composed by Chilean top rider Francisco López, and his team mates Gerard Farres and Alex Zanotti, accompanied by the Italian rider Matteo Graziani, who joins Aprilia for the rally. The Aprilia army will have to face Helder Rodrigues´Yamaha and look for a moment of glory against Coma & Co: The small bikes against the big KTM that will soon arrive to retirement.
Other names to keep in mind will be Francisco Arredondo, in Aprilia and Oscar Polli, who comes back to a race after the incident he suffered in Tunisia. Also, former Enduro rider Chicco Muraglia and "forever young" Franco Picco will be there to follow.
Among the ten quads in the contest there will be the Dakar Winner, Argentina´s Marcos Patronelli. He won´t have an easy life against the World Championship leader, Rafal Sonik and his pursuer, Russian rider Dmitry Pavlov. The only woman in the race will be the Italian-French rider Camelia Liparoti, ready to embrace the title in Women´s class for the second time.
2010/09/23 | 10:30 CET | EDITOR: MR/HS/BAUER
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