Month: June 2003

Last day of rally. We’ve planned to see only one stage today. It was very close to Limassol and they even had a bus to take people from the parking to the finish line. We’ve covered half the way by car and another half by foot. Good spot that was – medium right turn and long and fast straigt road downhill, then sharp left and straight to finish. I’ve made few nice pictures again, but Vladimir still cannot find the cable to read them off the camera.

After the stage we went to Molos area in Limassol to see the official prize-giving ceremony. We’ve got somewhat separated due to me parking the car for a long time, but finally I got the best spot of all immidiately near to podium. My favorite team of blue and yellow won, which resulted in much victorius shouting and whistling from my side. Subaru (with Solberg and Mills) are the CHAMPIONS!

Action day! In the morning we went to the mountains (Kato Platres area) to watch the first of two planned rally stages (SS9). Nice place, but we didn’t have the best spot – crowded. Cars were coming fast straight downhill, where they had a 180 degrees turn right then a short and fast downhill again, where they turned about 120 degrees left and went through a small river. Stage description was boasting a bridge, but none could be seen. Subaru looked best of all with Solberg almost overturning the car. There was also a change from tarmac to gravel on that 180 degree turn. Anyway, we’ve watched most of the cars. There were few Finnish spectators with the flag and everything, so we joined them and had some beer together. Nice people.

After this stage we went up to Platres to have some food in Psilo Dentro, which is a nice restaraunt with the Trout Farm. I had a pork chop as usual, though.

Filled and refilled we went down to the highway and drove to Paphos fast to see the second planned stage (SS12). This was marvelous! Fast track along the almost dried river with water crossing in three places. Lots of stones on the road. After a somewhat longish walk we were standing in about 10 meters from the water, which was frequently speed crossed by rally cars. Again, Subaru was the most impressive here! Hyndai cars were looking not bad, also.

On the way back, we watched one crazy spectator driving and jumping around and killing his Renegade jeep. He managed to destroy the car effectively and quickly. Idiots are everywhere…

First day of the rally. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make, since it’s Friday, but I guess I haven’t lost much. There were only 4 stages and all the real meat comes tomorrow and on Sunday. My preparations included buying a Golden Pass set with the journal, cap, and all maps hard copied. Carefull study and planning of tomorrow’s day. If everything goes as planned, we’ll watch 2 stages: 9 and 12.

Keeping up with the results of the first day pushed me to a little effort. “WRC Online” site is down for most of the day, and all the rest have no idea how to put the results up. Of course they have driver tables and all that, but, for some strange reason, noone is publishing results in the form DRIVER/CAR MAKE/POSITION/TIME. It’s either the car make or the driver. Everyone is expected to be knowledgable about the issue, it seems. Anyway, RallySport.com is the proper place to check the results as well as to read some fine articles.

Keeping up with the mood, I’ve ordered a couple of DVDs about rally sport early in the morning (from the WRC Online, while it was still up).

I couldn’t have a very productive day, due to the fact that today is the official start of Cyprus stage of World Rally Championship.

Hazard, Lev, Olga and I went to see the service area first, but we were not allowed. We didn’t have some mystical “pass” that was required. The guard there couldn’t speak enough english to explain WTF that was and where to get it. Anyway, we went to Molos area to see the official opening. Hazard was filming the whole thing on his new ditital video camera, so I got the pleasure of using his digital photo camera to make a LOT of pictures. Most of them will look the same though.

There were suprisingly many cars. It’s the first time I actually see the opening, but there were usually about 20 cars in the race, plus few cypriot cars. On the opening though, I think we’ve seen about 80 cars or something like that. Now I am waiting for Vladimir to publish the pictures, so that I could resize them properly and put them here.

Here are a couple of links for the event: Cyprus Rally Official Website – a place where Rally Guide and all the maps can be obtained in PDF format. WRC Online – the best place for rally coverage that I’ve found. All the latest photos, interviews and other cool stuff are published there regularly.

Event closed with extensive fireworks and disco. Disco was something that we didn’t even think of attending…