‘My goal is to win here in Egypt,’ says Yazeed Al Rajhi in Al Alamein, at the start of the Pharaons Rally. Last year he did, when he was the first at the Pyramids in Caïro. This year the Pharaons Rally is the turning point in the FIA Worldcup Cross Country, with all the fast drivers present in Egypt.
In five days of desert racing the next step in the championship will be decided: will Vasilyev keep his number one position, can he keep up with Nasser Al-Attiyah? Also Erik van Loon is back after the crash in Qatar, with Nani Roma’s car and determined to reach the podium. And there are many more teams looking for the victory in the 2015 edition of the Pharaons Rally in Egypt.
Carrying the heritage of more than three decades in motorsports and desert racing the legendary Pharaons Rally has been there since Fenouil came up with the idea in 1982. Almost 45 teams will start on bikes, quads, cars and trucks for 1500 kilometers of special stage in the beautifull deserts of Egypt, with a completely rewritten roadbook with new tracks and a lot of sand. After the start monday May 11th in El Alamein on the beach of the Mediterranean Sea the teams will move to the Al Baharija Oasis which will host the Pharaons Rally for four days, after which the teams will finish at the Pyramids in Caïro.
‘This is a real desert race!’ says Stefano Chiussi, who races with his new Husqvarna. ‘Here you have to navigate and work with your roadbook, so I have a chance against the fast and young riders.’ Last year Stefano managed to finish on his last breath, being injured after a crash. ‘It was tough but I managed to reach the Pyramids. The routes in Egypt are spectacular, I even stopped to take photos!’ Not all bikers will do this, for instance last years’ winner Juan Carlos Salvatierra, who will face stiff competition from Mohammed Balooshi and Jakub Piatek in his quest to keep his position as fastest rider.
‘I will take on Rafael’, says quad rider Mohammed Abu-Issa smiling, after racing wheel-to-wheel with Dakar winner Rafael Sonic in the previous rounds of the world cup. In the quad competition the heat is on and the Pharaons Rally hosts the next round of the sporting battle between the two rivals. ‘There is no good win without good competition,’ is the response from Sonic, who says he’d rather share a mechanic or parts than race without a battle. This week we will closely follow their efforts in the Pharaons Rally!
‘Last year we had our first podium with the Mini,’ says Wouter Rosegaar, navigator of Erik van Loon. Ranked third in the championship they need to climb two places to reach their goal: ‘We want to win this years’ Worldcup!’ To set a goal is one, but to reach it requires a lot of dedication. ‘There is no room for mistakes, everything counts,’ Wouter explains. ‘After one year in this championship I have learned that we cannot compare ourselves with an experienced team like Nasser Al-Attiyah and Matthieu Baumel. But that won’t keep us from trying to overtake them on the racetrack!’
In the truck category there are two Unimogs, model U400, part of the experienced PanDakar team. Loris Calubini has a long history in motorsports, winning the Rallye Breslau in 2002 and competing with a Fiat Panda 4×4 in the Dakar and the Worldcup. ‘We have a team with Giulio Verzeletti and assistance from Italian Unimog specialist Mutti Marino, also famous from the Rallye Breslau. From the forests into the desert might seem a big step but this is what rallyraid is about – to venture into the unknown, enjoy the beauty of the desert and challenge yourself in motorsports.
Text & photography: Dutch Rally Press / Niels Hatzmann