The Pharaons Rally

OffRoad Rally Egypt

 

More than 140 teams from all around the globe lined up to the starting line for the 2010 edition of one of the most spectacular rally raid events of the year – the final stage in the FIA World cup and the FIM World Championship – the infamaous Pharaons Rally.

Now in it's thirteenth edition, the event attracted big names such as Jean Louis Schlesser and his Schlesser Buggy, Jerome Pelichet, Roberto Tonetti and François Lethier, all fighting for a chance to climb on the podium in the two and four wheel drive categories.

In the motorbike section, the presence of Marc Coma, winner of the 2008 edition of the challenge meant that the fight for the grand prize would be a difficult one – especially since he was to win the two points keeping him from the World Champion title for the Open Class.

 

Cars/Camion in the race: 31
Cars Pharaons Classic:10
Cars/Bikes in Raid: 13
Countries represented: 20
Organization staff: 120
Khaset organization staff: 100
Medical staff: 25
Journalists: 78
Total number of caravans: 600

Kilometers of the race:
Special Stage: 2178,85
Road transfer: 384,02
TOTAL: 2562,87

Sanitary Service
2 Helicopters
1 Movile hospital
1 Ambulance truck
5 Medical cars

The first day saw a close, if somewhat short battle between the two favorites in 2wd class. Jean Louis Schlesser overtook Eric Vigouroux and his Chevy Trophy Truck, which subsequently rolled on its side. Schlesser went on to finish the day's stage on the first place, with sustained and rapid race, followed shortly by Marizio Traglio and Fabian Lurquin, fifteen minultes later. The stage's winner concluded “It was a very beautiful stage. It has been a long time since I've been in Egypt and I like it. It was necessary to have eyes wide open and I decided not to force anything. Vigouroux joined me next to CP2, then I overtook him and he stood behind and suddenly we didn't see him anymore. The race has just begun and we have many km to go.”

Vigouroux would catch up in the second stage however. Although starting in 5th stage, the French driver gave his best performance, overtaking car after car until finally he reached Schelsser. Through the day's extremely challenging stage with stony harsh tracks, the Chevy truck signes the first end of the day's stage with more than six minutes difference from the second place.

Among other creative and unexpected events, the Italian team had a flat. Nothing out of the ordinary so far but when the hydraulic jack failed to perform, the team was forced to improvise a way to lift the car under the scorching heat of the sun in the middle of the Egyptian desert. Talk about creativity!

Eric Vigoroux on the second day: “We started today like yesterday. From the 5th place where we have started, we reached Jean Louis at 1/3 of the special. We roll together and then, in the last part, faster, we let them go to assure the victory that we dedicate to our technical crew that worked until 5 a.m. to rebuild the front suspension”

When odds are tight, it's always going to be a beauty of a battle. That goes for anything, anytime, in any situation. However it's much more interesting as far as racing is concerned. The third day presented the teams with plenty of sand dunes to battle, making the competition as difficult as possible. The driving medium raised problems for Eric Vigoroux, who lost time while the Schelsser buggy and its team showed spectacular skill in tackling the difficult terrain and winning the third day's stage.

The Trophy truck had problems yet again, with both sand and mechanical challenges that finally forced the crew to make it to the bivouac at a reduced speed. Maurizio Traglio and Jun Mitsuhashi both encountered sand problems, thus making this the preferred topic of debate for the evening meal.

Maurizio Traglio: “We had the sand up to the car doors. We got caught in the sand four times! It was during the last time that we inflated tires to 700 gr. It was a day of craziness!”

In the forth day of the rally, the teams had to go around 435 kilometers of track, with the finish line at Sitra. The Italian Maurizio Traglio wins the stage after yesterday's sand problems, getting their best results so far.

Although a very beautiful track, it didn't mean it was without problems. Eric Vigoroux encountered the most difficult section of track, getting stuck twice in the sand and, more than that, having to deal with two flat tires. The stage's end saw the Schlesser Buggy comfortably resting on the first place overall, with the Italian/Belgian team following in second after a beautiful day's performance with the Japanese Jun Mitsuhashi in third place, not far behind.

Jun Mitsuhashi: “It was hard to focus because the air nozzle was broken so my eyes were dried and it was very uncomfortable. Then, we had a flat tire 30 km before the finish. I'd rather prepare for tomorrow because it will be a hard day too.”

The day before last layed out a 419 kilometers stage for the competitors to resolve, finishing in the lovely settlement of Siwa. Yet another impressive performance by Technosport's Maurizio Traglio, driving a perfect day and signing the first time of the stage.

The second place of the day was occupied by last year's winners, Herome and Eugenie Pelichet, shortly followed by the overall first place, Hean Louis Schlesser. Everyone is quite close to each other, and the showdown for the podium had yet to be fought, as the victory of the 2010 edition had not been written yet.

Maurizio Traglio: “A second consecutive stage victory, like I like it. I didn't have any problem on the stage.”

The last morning came and went. This last leg of the rally took competitors on a 240 kilometer track, from the bivouac at Siwa all the ay to the El Alamein podium and finish line. With a rather short stage to get through, the day's first finish went to third consecutive stage winner Maurizio Traglio, taking the third place overall.

The Schelsser buggy manages to roll over 13 kilometers into the special stage, losing several minutes. However, the impeccable driving sported throughout the entire event allowed them to maintain the first place, being crowned the overall winners of the 2010 edition of the Pharaons Rally.

The third place on the podium was occupied by the Japanese driver Jun Mitsuhashi, from the Toyota Autoody.

Due to extensive problems both technical and within the race, Eric Vigoroux, one of the two big names expected to fight for the title fell back on the sixth position. However, their main goal was achieved, as the Chevrolet team aimed to gain the 5 extra points over Schlesser in order to win the FIA Two Wheel Drive Trophy, which they did.

The best Egyptian team to compete manage to find their way to the eight place overall, with Ahmed El Shamy driving and English co-pilot and Tomcat constructor Paul Round racing for El Gouna Rally Raid Egypt.

 

Jean-Louis Schlesser: “It was a very positive week, even if we had an accident this morning. After we rolled over many times I can state the solidness of our chassis. Nothing moved at all. I'm glad of my third victory of Pharaons Rally and most of all, this is my first one with JVD International.”

Maurizio Traglio: “The results we have done with our Nissan Pathfinder are great. I'm glad with our second place overall, and I think Schlesser deserves his first place too. It was such a beautiful race: the sand stages we have here we cannot have them anywhere else! Not even in the UAE!”

Jun Mitsuhashi: “To have placed our T2 in the standing is something I didn't expect before coming to Egypt, but we did it. That is what makes cross country rally so exciting!”

Eric Vigouroux: “Today was a stressing day. We saw the moment Schlesser rolled over. We stopped to help them and then we continued. I had my eyes in the board to check every possible signal because we needed to get to the finish. The FIA Two Wheel Drive Trophy is an excellent reward.”