Golden Stage will thrill, says course designer

Dennis Giraudet, who along with Intercontinental Rally Challenge Motorsport Development Manager Jean-Pierre Nicolas, helped to design the all-new route of this year’s Cyprus Golden Stage Rally, believes a thrilling contest is in store when the event takes place this Sunday (6 November).

Giraudet, a highly-respected international co-driver, and Nicolas, a former winner of the legendary Rallye Monte-Carlo, used their vast competition experience to produce a layout that would challenge crews but also create excitement for the millions of fans around the world who are set to watch the drama unfold live on television.

The stage, which uses a combination of gravel and asphalt roads over a distance of 19.43 kilometres, will be run twice with the combined results used to determine the overall classification. A prize fund of 150,000 Euros will be shared between the various leading drivers and category winners.

“It will be a challenge because you have two types of surface but it’s also not like traditional stages in Cyprus because it’s much faster than you would expect,” said Giraudet. “There are some twisty sections, which are more typical of the roads in Cyprus. In fact, one of the biggest challenges for the drivers will be to stay concentrated because the scenery really is beautiful by the Mediterranean Sea.”

The Golden Stage, which is made up of approximately 30 per cent of Tarmac and 70 per cent gravel, starts by going uphill before it levels out prior to a descent through the picturesque village of Polis north of Pafos, where the event’s service park will be housed.

“You start on Tarmac on a very fast road,” said Giraudet. “Then you hit the gravel and you have two kilometres back on Tarmac before a gravel section prior to the finish. It’s going to be fantastic because every driver will push flat out. There will be no strategy. It will also be great for the fans watching on television.”

Nicolas added: “The surface is fantastic and will bring a lot of enjoyment to the drivers and the fans watching on the stage or at home on television, especially with the spectacular views of the Mediterranean coastline. It’s going to be a very exciting event enhanced by tremendous live television coverage.”

The Cyprus Golden Stage Rally takes place the day after the 2011 Intercontinental Rally Challenge concludes with the Cyprus Rally from 3-5 November.