2005
WRC STANDING:
after rally
1 Loeb 45
2 Solberg 34
2 Martin 34
4 Gardemeister 28
5 Gronholm 26
6 Rovanpera 13
Stohl 11
H. Solberg 9
Kresta 8
Panizzi 7
Duval 5
Carlsson 4
Warmbold 4
Galli 3
Atkinson 2
Galli 1
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- 33rd
Cyprus Rally
- 6th year in
World Rally Championship (first WRC rally in 2000)
- LOCATION: Island
of Cyprus, Troodos Mountains, cedar and pine forest
- SURFACE: loose
gravel
- TRACK: narrow,
twisty, slow track
- WEATHER: hot
- local time: GMT+3
HRS (daylight summer time)
- 18 special stages;
total distance 326.68km
- 2004 WINNER:
S Loeb, Citroen; Gronholm finished first but was disqualified after
race for illeagl water pump
RALLY
RESULT: 2005 CYPRUS RALLY
FINAL
- Sunday 15 May, 2005:
- 1
Sebastien Loeb, Citroen Xsara , Michelin, WON 14
STAGES
- 2
Manfred Stohl, Citroen Xsara* +4m 9s
- 3
Markko Martin , Peugeot 307 +4m 41s
I knew that if I wanted to be on the podium
I had to push hard today. It was quite difficult,
because I did not want to take any risks with the
manufacturer points I already had in the bag for
Peugeot. Luckily
we were able to do it, after what has been a very
difficult rally for us. We lost a lot of time on
the first day, but I knew that if we stayed out
of trouble we would be able to get a good result.
The car has been perfect, and with every rally I
feel a bit more comfortable with it."
- 4
Henning Solberg, Ford Focus RS* +5m 15s
"We
took a gamble with our tyres this afternoon to try
to catch Markko but it didn't work out. But I'm
not disappointed with fourth, I'm really happy.
My previous best result was fifth. Now I've finished
fourth, so next it will be a podium!"
- 5
GARDEMEISTER, Ford Focus RS
"The
times might not suggest it, but I actually drove
quite slowly todaY. It's hard to find a good rhythm
when the pace is not 100 per cent and you're driving
at a speed so that you don't make a mistake. We
weren't on full attack but couldn't drop our speed
too much. But generally we've had a good pace and
it's a pity we lost time with two punctures earlier
in the event."
- 6
KRESTA, Ford
"This
is the hardest rally I've ever driven, apart from
the Safari Rally in Kenya which is unlike any other
event. It's been tough for co-drivers and drivers.
It was hot in the car and the stages were long and
difficult. I'm pleased that I was well prepared
and fit. I'm not sure how I would have coped if
I wasn't fit. We scored good points and this is
a great achievement for everyone in Ford."
- 7
ROVANPERA, Mitsubishi
"We
weren't cruising today, but the gaps in front and
behind were big enough that there was no sense in
pushing hard and risking the car. These were some
of the worst roads I have seen in years, maybe only
matched by the Acropolis many years ago. We have
a test coming up next week where we can focus on
issues from this event and hopefully make some more
improvements to help us in Turkey and Greece. Overall
I'm pleased; I think without problems we could have
been fighting with Manfred (Stohl) and had a very
good result."
- 8
CARLSSON, Peugeot 206
- 9
TUOHINO, Skoda
- 10
Atkinson , Subaru
"The event didn't get off to the best start
for us, but in fact, once the competitive pressure
lifted, we had a great opportunity to experiment
with the car and learn more about the conditions.
We ran at a consistent and safe pace and I think
we've made some useful steps ahead of Greece and
Turkey. We've still got some more work to do of
course, especially in the slow corners, but I'm
pleased with what we've achieved here this weekend."
- 11
Panizzi 12 Tirabassi 13 Schwarz 14 Beltran 15 Tsouloftas
- *privateer
- RETIREMENT
- Gronholm
(Leg 1), P Solberg (Leg 1), Duval (Leg 3)
LEG
2 - Saturday 14 May:
- 1
Sebastien Loeb, Citroen Xsara , Michelin
"I am pleased, of course. We didn't have any
problems with the car and I didn't make any mistakes. Those
two points were essential today and will be again tomorrow.
I can't remember having previously led a WRC rally by such
a big margin and it's a weird feeling. I tell myself that
I am my own biggest rival. I must stay concentrated to avoid
the sort of troubles that have decimated the field, especially
since today's stages were in a better condition than yesterday's.
Tomorrow's are rougher. When it's like that, when you haven't
got a fight on your hands, you suffer at the same time as
your car and it's difficult to derive any real pleasure."
- 2
Manfred Stohl, Citroen Xsara* +3m 11s
- 3
Henning Solberg, Ford Focus RS* +4m 15s
- 4
Markko Martin , Peugeot 307 +4m 34s
"It's not been a bad day, and I've had no real problems.
I've just concentrated on keeping the car on the road and
avoiding all the dramas that seem to have affected everybody
else. I am currently second of the manufacturer entries,
and with no chance of taking the lead there is no point
in pushing. This rally has been a real trial, and I'm just
looking forward to getting to the finish tomorrow."
- 5
GARDEMEISTER, Ford Focus RS
"I
must have hit something but I don't know what. The mousse
came out of the tyre and I had to continue to the finish
like that. I've been happy with the car. I tried to drive
smoothly and straight to avoid the stones but this is not
what rallying is about for me. I'm not pushing too hard
because if I try to drive flat out on these rocky roads
then there is a chance that something will break. It's the
same for everyone. I will try to continue at the same speed
tomorrow."
- 6
KRESTA, Ford
"The
roads were less rough today and the afternoon pass through
the stages was easier than the first run this morning. There
was quite a lot of loose gravel on the surface this morning
but I prefer that to what we had yesterday. On the last
stage we had a couple of close escapes with big rocks that
were lying right in the middle of the track."
- 7 ROVANPERA,
Mitsubishi
- 8 TUOHINO,
Skoda
- 9 CARLSSON,
Peugeot 206
- 10
WARMBOLD 11 ATKINSON 12 PANIZZI 13 SCHWARZ
- RETIREMENT:
Gronholm (Leg 1), P Solberg (Leg 1)
LEG
1 - Friday 13 May:
- 1
Sebastien Loeb, Citroen Xsara , Michelin
"We always knew Cyprus was going to be tough. But
not this tough! The stages are just as we left them last year. Today's
long test [SS1 and 4, Lagoudera/Spilia, more than 38 km] was the
worst of all. Incredible! Even driving at a snail's pace it was
an absolute bone-shaker. There's no gravel left. We're driving directly
over rocks."
- 2
Manfred Stohl, Citroen Xsara* +2m 4s
- 3
Henning Solberg, Ford Focus RS* +3m 1s
- 4 Markko
Martin , Peugeot 307 +3m 16s
"Actually today has not been such a surprise to me. As soon
as I saw the conditions of the stages in the recce I knew it would
be like this. I lost time on the first stage but I thought that
if I stayed out of trouble I would get it back. During the afternoon
I had no problems at all so I was able to get back up to fourth.
I can't say that I have really enjoyed today, as everything here
is a bit of a lottery. But if I continue to steer clear of problems
then everything is possible. It's that sort of rally."
- 5 Antony
Warmbold, Ford Focus RS* +3m 44s
- 6 Francois
Duval Citroen Xsara , Michelin +4m 47s
- 7 Harri Rovanpera
- 8 Toni Gardemeister
- 9 Janne Tuohino
- 10 Roman Kresta
- 11 Carlsson
12 Schwarz 13 Tsouloftas 14 Aigner 15 Atkinson 16 Panizzi 17 Aigner
- *privateer
- ATKINSON
(broken clutch, SS2): "We started this rally at a
comfortable pace because we knew the roads would be rough and cut
up quickly. Perhaps through the first stage we were almost too safe,
but we quickly gathered the pace and my confidence increased. But
before we could make any real impact the clutch started to slip
and that was the end of our day. It's certainly a shame to finish
another Leg like this, as personally I wanted to get the car all
the way to the finish. But, looking at my development programme,
the opportunity to get more experience is the far bigger priority
and I have to be grateful that the rules allow me to do that."
- SUBARU
(David Lapworth, Team Principal):
"Not one of our better days. It's been frustrating for both
drivers. We've had a number of totally unexpected technical problems
and now both drivers will have to fight their way back up the field.
There is some consolation for Petter that all of his rivals, except
for Sebastien, have had problems of their own and it is still possible
that Petter can salvage a reasonable points haul. Chris will continue
to gain experience tomorrow and despite today's disappointment he
can still achieve most of the development objectives he came here
for. It's just a shame he's missed his chance of a good finish on
this occasion."
- Marcus
Gronholm (SS1):
mechanical - broken cam belt: "There was nothing I could do.
The engine gradually lost power and the water temperature rose steadily
for about six or seven kilometres before it died altogether. Before
I saw from our screen that we were fastest on the split times, without
pushing especially hard. The car and tyres work well in conditions
which are quite awful: the first part of the stage reminded me of
the Safari in Kenya! I'm obviously very disappointed - I would have
liked to have scored some precious points here."
- SOLBERG
(had electrical problem): "It's very disappointing. Today has
been so difficult I can't really believe it. The conditions were
terrible; it was an effort just to complete the stages,
as they were so rough. We had worked hard to prepare for this rally,
but we weren't expecting any of the problems that we have encountered
today. It's a very unusual rally and a very unusual situation. We'll
wait and see how the car is, but of course I hope to start again
tomorrow. That's the plan and I really believe that after what we've
seen today it's possible for me to finish on the podium. I've often
said anything is possible and tonight I believe that more than ever."
RALLY
ROUTE:
SKODA
- SCHWARZ:
"Cyprus is famous for its tight and twisty stages that are renowned
for being tough on both car and driver. It's always a difficult rally
but it is a lovely place to be if it's sunny although the weather
in the mountains can sometimes be very different from what it is on
the coast."
- TUOHINO:
"Like Sardinia this is a technical event where you have to be
a little bit smart and clever. If you try to go flat out you will
have problems."
CITROEN
- LOEB:
"In
Cyprus, being first on the road isn't easy. It can even be a big handicap
on Friday's opening loop. The stages are the same as 2004 and I hope
they don't cut up too much. Last year we had the impression that they
were just as we had left them after two runs in 2003! As I have said
before, the fact that I will serve as 'road sweeper' on the Friday implies
that I am leading the championship. For that reason, I would be happy
to start every event first on the road."
- DUVAL:
"A podium would be nice! In Sardinia, I made a costly
mistake when I turned in a little late on a crest and stupidly lost
points. I have got to stay on the road and finish. Given how competitive
our car is at the moment, I should be able to keep up with the top three.
And with a little luck, I could finish on the podium."
FORD
- GARDEMEISTER:
"Cyprus
is twisty, slow and rough and it's not one of my favourite events. It's
important to drive straight and avoid breaking the car because there
are many stones on the road that can inflict heavy damage. It's difficult
to keep a smooth rhythm because the speeds are so low and there is always
the temptation to push harder. The roads are quite flowing but if a
driver pushes too hard then the car slides off line, it loses momentum
and risks picking up punctures. Cyprus is hard on tyres. The roads are
abrasive and there is so much acceleration out of corners that there
is always the danger of excessive wheelspin. It's necessary to look
after the tyres to ensure they are still working to the maximum towards
the end of a group of stages. It's also important for an engine to have
good torque to make the most from the constant acceleration,"
SUBARU
- SOLBERG:
"I'm
going to go to Cyprus with a different approach; of course we're going
to try to win, but we know how difficult it is to do that these days.
I'm going to start calm, see where the level is and then go for maximum
attack on Saturday. From what I've heard, I think the rally is going
to be very rough this year, it depends on how much they've worked on
the roads. It's always a hard rally, very rough and bumpy with lots
of loose rocks, but it's a rally that I like. We completed a tyre test
this week, there was some improvement, but we'll have to wait and see
how it works on the rally. You never know properly before you are fighting
against the other guys."
- ATKINSON:
"Italy was good preparation for Cyprus I think. In Cyprus,
we're expecting slightly higher temperatures and slower conditions,
which will mean less airflow and higher in-car temperatures. We hope
to avoid a repeat of the small incidents we had in Sardinia but continue
with the same speeds. It's going to be very rough and I've heard that
the stages haven't been repaired from last year, so they're likely to
become rutted straight away. With average speeds below 60kph on some
stages, it's important to quickly get into a good driving rhythm and
avoid losing a lot of time through the long stages. I've been watching
video footage of last year's route to familiarise myself with the conditions
and am looking to gain as much experience as possible."
MITSUBISHI
- ROVANPERA:
"Cyprus has very twisty mountain roads and it's a very rough, bumpy
and difficult rally ... we can see that our current set-up for rough
events is working well, having set some good times in Sardinia, and
I am quite confident the small changes we will make for Cyprus will
work well; we had a long test a few weeks ago and our work focused on
this event. We know the car is strong and hopefully we can perform in
the same way as Sardinia. It's not one of my favorite events; it's so
hot, twisty and rough - a Mitsubishi Pajero is more suited to this event
than a rally car!"
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2005
SEASON
Rally
of Monte Carlo
Rally of Sweden
Rally of Mexico
Rally of ITALY
Rally of Italy-Sardinia
Rally of Cyprus
Rally of Turkey
Rally of Greece
Rally of Argentina
Rally of Finland
Rally of Germany
Rally of Great Britain
Rally of Japan
Rally of France-Corsica
Rally of Catalunya
Rally of Australia
WRC
Manufacturer Champions:
2004: Citroen
2003:
Citroen
2002: Peugeot
2001: Peugeot
2000: Peugeot
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