Wrc Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2013

[jbmarcus21]

#WRC Vodafone Rally de Portugal road program is out with a Power Stage of 52.30kms !!!
Wrc Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2013

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Good. I hate those little four-kilometre sprint stages around city streets that are filled with chicanes and hairpins and are designed to emphasise spectator accessibility over challenging, competitive stages.

Perhaps the FIA should introduce a rule whereby all rallies must ave one stage that is at least fifty kilometres long.

[tommeke_B]

Quite poor itinerary (for spectators) compared to how it was this year.

[makinen_fan]

Indeed a bit poor program. Friday finishes by 1400-1500 and Saturday does not even start until 1100. This just to go to Lisbon and back for 3km street stage... I hope to see this kind of stages start to be removed from events, they do not contribute much in my view. Does the street stage in Lisbon gather big crowds, like France this year?

[Kielder]

Does the street stage in Lisbon gather big crowds, like France this year?

No, it doesn't. It's expected more people attending to the SSS running it on Friday and three hours later than this year. However, despite this change, I believe there will be approximately the same people as last year because almost everybody who will follow the morning stages won't go to Lisbon.
I was there in 2010, but last year I preferred going to the South directly. Seeing that street stage once is enough and of course it doesn't deserve to drive more than 400 kilometres to see it. This year's Friday's itinerary is nonsense.

[millbrook]

Rallyguide 1, Overview-maps & Itinerary online now :
R.Guide1

Looking forward to it

[MartijnS]

Third Rally Portugal thread

http://www.motorsportforums.com/rall...al-2013-a.html

http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...al-2013-a.html

[millbrook]

Oops ...

Third Rally Portugal thread

http://www.motorsportforums.com/rall...al-2013-a.html

http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...al-2013-a.html

[Brother John]

Third Rally Portugal thread
http://www.motorsportforums.com/rall...al-2013-a.html

http://www.motorsportforums.com/wrc/...al-2013-a.html

I,l move it to one thread.

[Prisoner Monkeys]

Good. I hate those little four-kilometre sprint stages around city streets that are filled with chicanes and hairpins and are designed to emphasise spectator accessibility over challenging, competitive stages.

Having said this, I think it is also important that the sport becomes accessible to fans, and it's not going to do that when you need to get up at four in the morning, squat yourself out in the middle of a frozen forest and try to distract yourself from worrying over whether or not your unmentionables might fall off in the cold by wondering why you ever thought this was a good idea until a rally car blasts past and coats you in a thick layer of slush that is equal parts mud and crushed ice. The fanatics might get that this is all part of the fun, but newcomers to the sport would probably rather stay in bed.

With that in mind, perhaps organisers could consider an informal, untimed "stage" as part of the official rally launch. I can't remember if they still do it, but the organisers of the Rally Mexico used to start the first stage on the rostrum, and the cars would then blast down through the city's underground roadways and into a spectator section. It was only about a kilometre long and featured a roundabout for the cars to do a donut around (ugh!), but it really revved the crowds up.

So if I was organising a rally, the first thing I would do is find a nice, large, open area where spectators could arrange themselves and see plenty, kind of like Walters' Arena. I'd start the cars at one end and encourage the drivers to put on a bit of a show, but with none of the pressure of a timed run. The, when we get out into the forests, the serious business begins.