Photo 1: On the Start Ramp at 7:09 a.m.
Photo 2: At the end of Stage 1 Special Section
FROM DAVID - Saturday January 06 2007
(connection 115km, special 117km, connection 232km, total 464km)
Patricia set of at 7.09am today (Saturday) from Lisbon, leaving the Start Ramp alongside Tom Classen (also RallyRaid) from South Africa, as she did last year. The bike started fine this morning, despite being in Parc Ferme for 2 days after scutineering - always a relief. Testament to KTM and Schek build quality.
The first 115km Connection section, south from Lisbon, was foggy and chilly, but no problems were encountered by Patricia. The same cannot said for your reporter, who after being diverted 100km in his car by Portugese police whilst trying to get to the Special Section start, lost his sense of humour and jumped a road block to reach his destination !
This first stage Special was very sandy.… a foretaste of Africa. The technical riders aimed to snatch back a few seconds in the bends through the forests of pines and corks.
Patricia had one minor fall on the 117km Special, but she was fine and smiling at the end. She then completed the final 232km Connection section to Portimao, in warmer weather, and arrived about 4pm. So Stage 1 was successfully completed.
Patricia's provisional statistics for the Special Section are as follows Time 2hrs 28min, Position 176th (across men and women).
The first 115km Connection section, south from Lisbon, was foggy and chilly, but no problems were encountered by Patricia. The same cannot said for your reporter, who after being diverted 100km in his car by Portugese police whilst trying to get to the Special Section start, lost his sense of humour and jumped a road block to reach his destination !
This first stage Special was very sandy.… a foretaste of Africa. The technical riders aimed to snatch back a few seconds in the bends through the forests of pines and corks.
Patricia had one minor fall on the 117km Special, but she was fine and smiling at the end. She then completed the final 232km Connection section to Portimao, in warmer weather, and arrived about 4pm. So Stage 1 was successfully completed.
Patricia's provisional statistics for the Special Section are as follows Time 2hrs 28min, Position 176th (across men and women).
Looking ahead to Sunday: Connection: 15 km, Special: 67 km, Connection: 463 km. Patricia's Special Section starts at 8.54am, following the very short Connection to reach it. The terrain in the Special is tortuous, the ground quite hard. One false move on this route, and the drop can be a severe one. Then she travels to Malaga for the overnight ferry to Africa.
No comments:
Post a Comment