Cyprus Rally - 19-21 Sep 14

GAIN FOR KAJETANOWICZ, PAIN FOR AL-ATTIYAH IN CYPRUS ERC QUALIFYING

Posted: September 19, 2014 3:18 PM

While Kajetan Kajetanowicz was elated after setting the fastest time on the Qualifying Stage for round nine of the FIA European Rally Championship on Thursday afternoon, three-time Cyprus winner Nasser Al-Attiyah was left deflated.

The Qatari, the top seed for the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally, stopped shortly after the start of the rain-hit 4.47-kilometre stage with a mechanical fault on his Ford Fiesta RRC. His failure to set a top time meant he was the last driver to select his starting position. As a result he will run first on the road during leg one.

“It’s not going to be easy for me to start number one here but we have a lot of experience and we will do our best to fight,” said Al-Attiyah. “We had a small problem with the ECU. The computer was reading the wrong information. We decided to stop and not damage the engine.”

But there were no such problems for Kajetanowicz whose time of 2m56.897s in a Ford Fiesta R5 couldn’t be bettered by his rivals. “This stage wasn’t too similar to the rally stages because this was fast and the rally is not too fast,” said the LOTOS Rally Team ace. “But it was a nice stage.”

Title-chasing ERC stars set for mixed-surface spectacular in Cyprus

Posted: September 19, 2014 3:15 PM

Playing catch-up will be key when the FIA European Rally Championship heads back to Cyprus for the first time since 1999 next week. With three scoring opportunities remaining before the all-action 2014 ERC season reaches its climax in Corsica, Craig Breen and Zoltán Bessenyey will both be anxious to score strong points on the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally from 19-21 September.

Based in Nicosia and using mixed-surface stages, the legendary event represents an enormous opportunity for Irishman Breen and Hungarian Bessenyey to make inroads in their pursuit of the overall ERC drivers’ crown and the ERC 2WD title respectively.

Following last month’s Barum Czech Rally Zlín, Breen is 53 points behind Esapekka Lappi in the race to become 2014 European champion, while Bessenyey trails Stéphane Lefebvre by 15 points in the ERC 2WD standings.

With neither Lappi nor Lefebvre including the Cyprus Rally on their schedules for 2014, Breen (Peugeot Rally Academy 208T16) and Bessenyey (Eurosol Racing Team Hungary Honda Civic Type R) are well placed to capitalise with a maximum of 39 points up for grabs for both drivers.

However, they won’t just be facing serious competition ahead but a tough challenge too, with drivers required to master the art of competing against the clock on a combination of asphalt and gravel roads on the same special stage, and with a compromised car set-up. While a move away from the famous Troodos Mountains due to the risk of forest fires means faster and less punishing stages, high ambient and ground temperatures will provide a big test for car and crew.

Following Free Practice and the Qualifying Stage on Thursday 18 September, the action begins in earnest with a landmark test through the streets of the Cypriot capital Nicosia on Friday 19 September. Part of the route runs through the United Nations-controlled buffer zone between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish areas of the historic city. Saturday’s action consists of four repeated stages south of Nicosia with three visits to the permanent service park in the capital. Sunday’s route features three repeated stages, including two west of Nicosia. There will be another three service park visits ahead of the finish in Nicosia at 18:30hrs local time.

A game of percentages in the ERC

Round nine of the FIA European Rally Championship will be an event like no other with mixed-surface stages featuring extensively on the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally. Although the event is designated a gravel rally, which will require crews to use gravel settings and tyres, 35.76 per cent of the competitive route – or rather 82.98 kilometres – will run on asphalt with the remaining 64.24 per cent (149.04 kilometres) on loose-surface roads. However, the 14.25-kilometre Tseri stage, which is used twice on Sunday, uses gravel roads only.

CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally stage surface breakdown

CNP Asfalistiki SSS: Asphalt 82 per cent, Gravel 18 per cent
Kotsiatis: Asphalt 21%, Gravel 79%
Lythrodontas: Asphalt 86%, Gravel 14%
Lefkara: Asphalt 26%, Gravel: 74%
Klavdia: Asphalt 62%, Gravel 38%
Tseri: Gravel 100%
Asinou: Asphalt 4%, Gravel 96%
Xerarkaka: Asphalt 25%, Gravel 75%

Showroom showdown in Cyprus

A single point separates FIA ERC Production Car Cup contenders Martin Hudec (Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX) and Vitaliy Pushkar (Lancer Evolution X) starting the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally. Hudec, from Czech Republic, holds the showroom class lead following his podium finish on his home event last time out.

However, Ukrainian Pushkar was victorious when the ERC visited Greece for the Acropolis Rally in late March, which featured a day on asphalt and a day on gravel. Hudec and Pushkar will face strong opposition from several leading Cypriot drivers, plus ERC Ladies’ Trophy contender Inessa Tushkanova.

Breen versus Kajetanowicz in ERC Gravel Masters

Craig Breen and Kajetan Kajetanowicz will face off to become the inaugural ERC Gravel Master on the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally. The event marks the fourth and final scoring opportunity for ERC drivers to chase ERC Gravel Masters points. With current leader Ott Tänak not competing on the Nicosia-based event, Peugeot Rally Academy’s Craig Breen is the driver in the ascendancy with 108 points compared to the 81 scored by LOTOS Rally Team’s Kajetanowicz. Introduced for the 2014 season, the ERC Masters recognises the achievements of surface specialists competing in the European championship. Robert Kubica clinched the ERC Ice Master award in February. Esapekka Lappi heads the ERC Asphalt Master table with two events remaining. Points are awarded on a 10-6-4-2-1 scale to the fastest five ERC drivers on each stage.

One rally, two FIA championships

The CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally will not only host round nine of the FIA European Rally Championship, it also marks the penultimate event in the FIA Middle East Rally Championship season. While there will only be one overall classification for the rally, drivers will register for the ERC or MERC championship and will score points in their respective series due to a slight variation in the sporting regulations concerning the distribution of points and restart rules in the event of a retirement. Several MERC drivers will be competing in Cyprus including multiple champion and three-time Cyprus Rally winner Nasser Al-Attiyah, Khalid Al-Qassimi, Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari and Yazeed Al-Rajhi.

Happy hunting ground for Consani

While Robert Consani has no experience of the stages included on this year’s CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally, the ERC regular has competed in Cyprus before when the country hosted the Intercontinental Rally Challenge finale in 2012. Although gearbox failure forced his exit from the then Pafos-based event, the Frenchman did enough to clinch the IRC Production Car Cup spoils. He will return in a Delta Racing Peugeot 207 S2000.

New-generation cars set for Cyprus action

Three new-generation R5 cars will be competing on the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally: Craig Breen and Bruno Magalhães will contest the ERC qualifier in a brace of Peugeot 208T16s, while Kajetan Kajetanowicz will compete in a Ford Fiesta R5. Breen gave the Peugeot a debut ERC victory on the Acropolis Rally in March, while Magalhães used the car in the ERC for the first time in Czech Republic last month, finishing 10th overall. Kajetanowicz became the first driver to win a round of the ERC in an R5 car when he triumphed on Rally Poland last September.

Q&A: Kajetan Kajetanowicz

A winner of the Polish championship on four occasions, Kajetan ‘Kajto’ Kajetanowicz is applying his considerable pace and ability to the ERC in 2014. The LOTOS Rally Team ace looks ahead to his Cyprus Rally debut.

The Cyprus Rally is unique in that the stages are a mix of asphalt and gravel. How much experience do you have of mixed-surface stages and how much of a challenge will this be?
“It is easy to guess that this is a huge challenge for me, especially if I tell you that only once in my career did I start in a similar mixed-surface event. It was last year's Rallye Waldviertel and compared to what is awaiting us in Cyprus I can say that those were just a couple of short Tarmac sections on gravel roads. I think that everything we can expect in Cyprus will be new to us. I heard the gravel there really hits the tyres so this is the next rally in which the word ‘compromise’ will have new meaning. I can say I am happy because once again I will have a chance to compete on new territory, with new opponents.”

It's another new event for you, how do you prepare for a rally you have no experience of?
“Preparation for a new event means gathering information about it – from my colleagues and other teams and from the internet. However, nothing compares to the knowledge we can gain by competing in a rally. On one hand I want to discover these beautiful events and learn new lessons, but on the other hand it is nice to come back and take part in a rally for the second time. Our work is much easier then and we can focus on other things. This year we don't have such a chance – except for Jännerrallye, which we tackled for the second time. Every round of FIA ERC is new to my team. We don't have baseline set-ups for specific surfaces, prepared for characteristics of each event. And all of them are different; every start is a big adventure. We drive on melting ice, on snow, in 30-degrees heat around Acropolis, then on the slopes of a volcano. This is absolutely unique because we have never experienced such diversity in Poland. Of course our job is not as easy as is the case with some of our opponents – drivers of factory cars and privateers who compete in FIA ERC for some time – but I am happy because it is another challenge for me.”

Realistically, what result can you achieve in Cyprus and if you did win what does a traditional Kajto celebration involve?
“In Poland we had practised our celebration to perfection! I know that here we must be patient and always work hard. Above all, we compete because we want to fight and competition itself gives me pleasure – celebration is just an addition. Of course I will do my best, together with my team.”

There hasn't been much time between Zlín and Cyprus but how have you kept busy?
“Well, I am happy that I don't have to wait too long for the next rally! Of course it is a busy period, we have to organise everything and at the same time we must not forget about the media. A couple of days ago I met my fellow competitors and journalists during Rally Wis?y, a round of the Polish championship, which I won last year and is close to my home. I also had a mild cold but now everything is okay and I am back to everyday training. Now I am gearing up for the journey to Cyprus – doing laundry and other ordinary daily activities.”

As well as some regular ERC rivals, you'll also be up against some top drivers from the Middle East championship. What do you know about them and how strong do you think they will be?
“Of course the most well-known driver is Nasser Al-Attiyah. I am impressed by his versatility. I am happy that we will fight in the same rally. I have also heard about some other drivers, these are top names in MERC and I suppose they will be quick – just like my fellow rivals with whom I fight in most FIA ERC rounds.”

FIVE FACTS
*The Cyprus Rally’s links with the ERC date back to 1978 when a coefficient 3 event was run. It achieved full coefficient 20 status in 1988 but has never appeared on the calendar since the restructuring in 2004 until now.

*Cyprus is the third largest island in the Mediterranean – only Sicily and Sardinia are bigger. It has a population just short of one million people.

*The capitol Nicosia, or Lefkosia in Greek, is situated roughly in the centre of the island in the Mesaoria Plain.

*Unlike the majority of member states in the European Union, traffic moves on the left-hand side of the road, not on the right.

*A visit to Cyprus wouldn’t be complete without a meal of meze – a collection of more than 20 different appetisers and savoury dishes. But if you’re in a hurry, like the ERC drivers, then souvlaki (small chunks of charcoal grilled pork or chicken served in pitta bread with salad) is highly recommended.

Craig’s championship chase moves to Cyprus.

Posted: September 19, 2014 3:14 PM

Anyone that has followed the career of Peugeot Rally Academy driver Craig Breen will be well aware that you can never write him off when it comes to a championship fight. Even when lady luck has slapped him in the face over the years, and even when things might look impossibly out of reach he has always managed to pull an extra something out of somewhere to achieve his goals. As the 2014 FIA European Rally Championship moves to round nine the CNP Asfalistiki Cyprus Rally (19-21 September) Craig and his co-driver Scott Martin will be very much hoping to capitalize on absence of some key championship rivals to take maximum points in his Peugeot 208T16 as the FIA ERC enters the final three events of the season. Not used in the FIA ERC since 1999 the Nicosia based rally offers drivers the rare opportunity and challenge of a mixed road surface on all but two of the fifteen stages that will make up 232 competitive kilometres over the weekend.

Craig proved his ability in the Peugeot 208T16 on mixed surface events earlier this year when he took his own and the car’s maiden FIA European Rally Championship round victory at the Acropolis Rally in Greece so this together with the absence of Championship leader Lappi is a massive opportunity for the Peugeot Rally Academy driver to reduce his 53 point deficit. He won’t have it all his own way however as not only will he have to adapt his driving to suit the challenge of changing surfaces in a car set up for gravel but other FIA ERC regulars like Kajetanowicz, Magalhães and Consani will certainly keep him on his toes.

The event gets underway as normal with a Qualifying Stage on Thursday the 18th but the real action begins with a spectator stage through the streets of the Cypriot capital on Friday evening. Saturday consists of four repeated stages south of Nicosia, Sunday’s route features three repeated stages, including two west of Nicosia and both days will have three visits to the permanent service park in the capital.

Seeded Entry List

Posted: September 19, 2014 2:34 PM

Cyprus Rally - 19-21 Sep 14 - ENTRY LIST

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Posted: July 18, 2014 12:49 AM

Cyprus Rally