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10 June 2003 - 23:36
Victory at Marrakech for Giniel De Villiers and Cyril Despres
Orpi Morocco Cross-Country Rally
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The 4th Rallye ORPI Maroc came to an end at 9/06/2003 under brilliant sunshine, after a 123km special that bought the competitors from Ouirgane to the vicinity of Marrakech. Fate didn't come and spoil the plans of the two favourites, South- African Giniel De Villiers for the cars (Nissan Pick-up) and the Frenchman Cyril Despres for the motorcycles (KTM LC4), who both win in their field this year's second African event of the FIA World Cup and FIM World Championship.

To achieve this first victory on a Cross-Country Rally event, Nissan and de Villiers outmanoeuvred the Portuguese Sousa's Mitsubishi L200 in spite of its posting today's special's best time, as well as the Spaniard Jose Maria Servia's Ford buggy. As for young Cyril Despres, who won the first Rallye ORPI Maroc back in 2000, the victor of 5 out of 7 specials dominated his KTM team mates throughout. Richard Sainct (KTM LC4), winner the past two years of the Rallye ORPI Maroc, is today second overall, just ahead of the Spaniard Joan Roma (KTM LC8).

It was all champagne and smiles today at Tizguine, near Marrakech, at the finish line of the last stage of the 4th Rallye ORPI Maroc. Sitting on top of their official Nissan Pick-up's roof, Giniel de Villiers and his Swedish female co-driver Tina Thorner savoured their first Cross-Country Rally victory.

“I was more than 3 quarters of an hour ahead so I took things smoothly. I didn't try to listen for ominous noises as we were going along because you can always hear something wrong if you try hard enough. I knew we'd be good cross-country challengers when we started at the last Dakar,” said Giniel De Villiers. “To win an event at the third attempt is remarkable, both form me and for the whole of the Nissan Rally Raid Team. Since last January the whole team as made an incredible effort to make our Pick-up more reliable. Today, we're reaping the fruits of this work. But there's still much to be done...”

This was the South-African 31 year-old's third attempt in the field, and the rising star of the Dakar successfully thrusts a first victory into the hands of the Nissan Rally Raid Team. Things had started badly as he'd been almost 20 minutes behind the leader on the first stage. It was in fact on Saturday, on the hardest stage of the Rallye, between Ouled Driss and the barrage of Taghdoute, that Giniel de Villiers showed what he could do and seized the top place overall.

At the end of today's stage, the man from Robertson, near Capetown, is finally a good 43 minutes ahead of the Mitsubishi L200 driven by the Portuguese Sousa. The latter, who's the current leader of the European Bajas Cup, wins today's stage and thanks to Jean-Louis Schlesser's retiring from the race is for the moment first overall of the Cross-Country Rally FIA World Cup.

“De Villiers did a wonderful race. Without our power steering trouble we would have been good contenders for the top place. It was a good experience,” said Carlos Sousa. “It's very important that there should be another manufacturer to come and sharpen the fight for the victory. I'm currently top overall for the FIA World Cup. My next race is the Baja in Greece towards the end of June, and then we'll do the Spanish Baja, and then we'll have a much clearer idea of our plans for 2003.”

The T1 production class kept everyone in suspense till the end, with Jean- Pierre Strugo (Mercedes ML) getting stuck at the exit of a wadi and falling victim to electronic control problems. He saw his 23 minute advantage over Paul Belmondo's Nissan Pathfinder slowly start to melt away before his very eyes... In this class it was the Spaniard Blazquez and his Nissan Patrol that made it first and who fills the last step of the T1 podium.

“We had a few small problems on this last stage,” added Jean-Pierre Strugo. “We were 23 minutes ahead overall at the starting line (on Belmondo), and we lost more than ten in this race. It was worrying till the very end !”

On two wheels, Cyril Despres (KTM LC4) confirmed the impression he'd made all along. The young Parisian biker was clearly ahead throughout. This for him a brilliant victory in an event raced by the whole of the official KTM team, especially after his coming second at the Dakar and second on the Rallye OPTIC 2000 in Tunisia.

“This is my greatest victory ever, because all the best riders were in the race,” said Despres. “They'll be a massive party this evening! At last I'm getting something back for the enormous amount of work I did these 3 last years. I've been through some hard times. For me 2003 is an excellent year. I was 2nd on the Dakar, despite breaking my collar bone three weeks earlier. I was 2nd on the Rallye OPTIC 2000 Tunisie. And now, I've got to the top and I hope to stay there some time. Before, I wondered how Sainct, Roma and Meoni did to ride their bikes so fast. I've learnt a lot at their sides...”

Richard Sainct, who was suffering from a still painful shoulder, captures the second place overall and confirms the Austrian firm's single cylinder bikes' supremacy on technical and twisty terrains.

“I really haven't been lucky with my starting orders the first 3 days,” added Sainct. “And my recently dislocated shoulder hasn't helped things. Overall I must have lost a minute each day, which isn't too worrying. Cyril really deserves this victory. He was the best from end to end.”

The Spaniard Joan Roma (KTM LC8) manages to make it third ahead of Fabrizio Meoni. Both will wait for stages that are kinder on their bikes and most of all let them go faster to try and make it back to the top. Just behind them, Matteo Graziani (KTM 660) wins in the marathon category. And in the 500cc class, the Frenchman David Fretigne,

“With 60 kilos more than a single cylinder model my KTM LC8 really wasn't the ideal weapon for winning this event,” explained Roma. “I knew that it would be hard to win here on such a technical race. Nevertheless I'm satisfied with what I did, after several falls on the Dakar and the Rallye OPTIC 2000 Tunisie.”

French champion several times over of enduro racing, set the speed with his Yamaha WR450F on this first appearance in a World Championship. The official Yamaha Motor France rider is ahead of Franck Olmi and his Honda 400, who as first amateur overall is offered, courtesy of NPO, a free ticket to the next Rallye OPTIC 2000 Tunisie. He also comes first in the prototype class.

De Villiers unhindered, Schlesser out of the race
Leg 3 was probably the 4th Rallye ORPI Maroc's hardest and most exhilarating one and had the effect of an earthquake on the overall results. It comprised two specials that took the competitors into the treacherous grounds of the Chegaga erg before letting them loose on the Iriqui chott.

Finally, they had to plunge into a maze of twisty pistes at the foot of the Atlas Mountains. Jean-Louis Schlesser (Ford buggy), who'd led the cars since day 1 and had won the last three editions of the Event, was forced to retire from the race after having rolled over several times. Luckily he and his co- driver were unscathed.

The Mitsubishi L200 driven by Portuguese Carlos Sousa ran into technical trouble and it's once again South-African Giniel de Villiers and his official Nissan Pick-up that win today's leg. Nissan Motorsport's driver's definitely on a winning streak as he was fastest on both specials and grabs the first position on the overall results, more than half an hour ahead of Sousa!

Cyril Neveu was bang on the mark at yesterday's briefing at Ouled Driss when he forecasted the leg as a beautiful but tough one. Straight after the first special's starting line, the huge yellow dunes of the Chegaga erg were quickly claiming their first victims. And having got clear of them, Jean-Louis Schlesser (Ford buggy) and Nicolas Misslin (Mitsubishi Pajero) who was hot on his trail drove head on into a large depression at km 88, right at the heart of the Iriqui chott, that they just weren't expecting.

While Schlesser's Ford went flipping, the Pajero lost half of its front axle. Both teams came out unhurt but for them this was the end of the race.

A jiffy later, just after having witnessed his arch rival's unhappy state, Portuguese Sousa's Mitsubishi L2OO Strakar's power steering collapsed.

South- African Giniel de Villiers was determined to make the most of all this. The Nissan Motorsport driver did again perfect race and came first just like yesterday, for the second time in his Cross-Country Raid career. He's now at the top of the overall results, 36 minutes ahead of Sousa.

Fatal accident in Orpi Morocco Rally
French Motorcycle rider Daniel Vimpierre died during the third leg in a tragic fall around ''kilometre 73'' of the first timed sector of the day. The 49 year-old Frenchman was a resident of Casablanca, Morocco. He was found in a coma on the site of the accident and even with all the efforts of the medical team, he could not be resuscitated.

Sousa takes world championship lead
Mitsubishi's Carlos Sousa moved into the outright lead of the FIA World Cup Drivers' Championship by finishing second overall in the Orpi Rally of Morocco.

After losing their chance of taking outright victory in the five-day rally with power steering problems on Saturday, Portugal's Sousa and French co-driver Henri Magne stayed clear of problems over the final 123 kms stage into Marrakech to win the section and move 25 points clear of the defending World Champion Jean-Louis Schlesser in the points' table at the wheel of a Mitsubishi L200 Strakar.

"After the power steering problem, second place was all I could realistically hope for," said Sousa. "But it could have been much worse. Now I must look ahead to Spain and make sure that I have a good result. Spain is a very different race. Delays in the dust and a good starting position are crucial. I have finished second there twice before. A win would be perfect."

"Carlos drove a very good rally," said Mitsubishi's Team Director Dominique Serieys. "I am very pleased that he now has a clear advantage in the World Championship."

Press release - Orpi Morocco Rally

General Ranking - Orpi Morocco Rally

Cars

1. DE VILLIERS-THO NISSAN PICK 15h38'06"00 82.6 km/h
2. SOUSA-MAGNE     MITSUBISHI  +42'48"00
3. SERVIA-BORSOTTO SCHLESSER F +1h16'58"
4. LOUBET-DUBOIS   NISSAN PICK +1h31'39"
5. KOMORNICKI-MART MITSUBISHI  +1h40'10"
6. MAGNALDY-OLIVIE PRO-TRUCK   +2h31'31"
7. MONTERDE-TORNAB MITSUBISHI  +3h29'59"
8. GUINOT-KROISS   MITSUBISHI  +3h47'53"
9. STRUGO-LARROQUE MERCEDES ML +4h32'01"
10. BELMONDO-GUEHEN NISSAN PATH +4h44'30"

Bikes

1. C.DESPRES     KTM LC4 660 15h35'11"00 98.6 km/h
2. R.SAINCT      KTM LC4 660 +05'27"00
3. J.ROMA        KTM LC8 950 +19'20"00
4. F.MEONI       KTM LC8 950 +27'43"00
5. M.GRAZIANI    KTM 660 RAL +1h07'59"
6. M.DABROWSKI   KTM 660 RAL +1h19'19"
7. A.CALDECOTT   KTM 660 RAL +1h22'34"
8. J.BRUCY       KTM LC4 660 +1h28'26"
9. D.FRETIGNE    YAMAHA WR45 +1h42'44"
10.C.DE GAVARDO  KTM LC4 660 +1h53'16"


 

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Next:
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Previous:
An impressive first win for Martin – 09 June 2003 - 13:38
Martin confirms Ford's superiority in Greece – 08 June 2003 - 12:44
San Marino Rally, Italy – 08 June 2003 - 12:35
Rajd Polski - Campos wins the battle – 04 June 2003 - 01:10
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