Cyprus - Back in WRC

[Elgin Man]

http://www.cyprusrally.com.cy/

Back in for 2009

[ProRally]

Hope 'they' don't cut any trees across the stages then :D :D :D :D like last year

[SubaruNorway]

Whats the story on that?

[J4MIE]

Great, I am sure to be there!! :D :up:

[ProRally]

Whats the story on that?

Last year there was MERC round of Cyprus rally, there are 2 'clubs' in Cyprus, 1 that organises the rally and a 'other' club, the rival club cut some trees which fell across the stages just before the stage went live.

For sure some forum members from that area know more.

[N]

Yes, I was at that stage where they cut the trees.
Simply put, there is the Cyprus AA which is FIA accredited and runs the middle east round and WRC round. The local motorclubs were unhappy with their organization of the local championship by the AA and started their own organization, the CMO. Now, the CMO wants to get FIA accreditation and run all the rallies including the WRC.
So, it's all about politics and money.

Sadly, last year, I was on the first stage, after the 0 cars, one car came through and the yellow flags came up, the stage was canceled. Then we went to the next stage, which was delayed by more than an hour and we didn't know. After like 8 cars came through, some guys cut some trees and blocked the road, so that stage was canceled. If you consider that this was a 2 day event, they screwed up things a lot by doing this.

And to all the people who think that Cyprus rally is boring - it is not, it has some of the most demanding roads in the WRC, it might be "slower" than other rallies, but only the best can win it. I've driven through all of the stages used in the 2006 and 2007 rallies and it's not an easy rally.

[cosmicpanda]

Cyprus in its last few runnings was rougher than the Acropolis, I think, and probably the modern equivalent of Safari conditions. I always liked it, although it was unpopular with others.

[N]

The thing people probably don't realize is the the roads have a lot of bumps, your car is constantly going up and down with lots of small jumps and this is very tricky, whereas, for example, I drove on some roads used as stages in New Zealand and over there it's like driving on tarmac, completely straight.

Regarding the roughness of the roads, last year, they full regraded the roads. I went to check the stages the week before the rally and came across a bulldozer coming the other way, :D
They also did the same thing in 2006, so as far as the roughness is concerned, they will tidy up all the roads, it's just that with the rally, the rocks fall down from the side of the road and the cars dig up the roads, so it becomes rough on 2nd pass.

[WRCfan]

NZ straight? I think you landed in the wrong country my friend.

Although at keeping to speed limits on the gravel roads may make them seem a bit straight, all depends on where you were....

NZ has some amazing stages, tight and twisty (Motu) and then the smooth long winding (Whaanga Coast aka Possum)...

Roads speak for themselves and the drivers back them up with their comments...

Cyprus was the rally where Auriol lost his power steering back in the day right? Drove the stage and at the end his arms were limp with pain, he had to co-drive back to service...

[ProRally]

NZ straight? I think you landed in the wrong country my friend.

Although at keeping to speed limits on the gravel roads may make them seem a bit straight, all depends on where you were....

NZ has some amazing stages, tight and twisty (Motu) and then the smooth long winding (Whaanga Coast aka Possum)...

Roads speak for themselves and the drivers back them up with their comments...

Cyprus was the rally where Auriol lost his power steering back in the day right? Drove the stage and at the end his arms were limp with pain, he had to co-drive back to service...

I think he meant NZ is like billiard table compared with Cyprus :D :D

[N]

Yes, I meant straight as in, the road surface elevation does not change all the time and I also love the cambered corners in NZ.

[WRCfan]

Ahh, yes the rally is very flat. Good for the long walks into stages, not trudging up 5 km of hills haha.