Russo-Arab duel at the Italian Baja, the great international off-road race. At the end of the first stage of almost 200 km timed, the crew from St. Petersburg made up of Boris Gadasin and Aleksandr Mironenko on Nissan Navara is leading, with a total time of 2h10'37 '' and an advantage of 3'35 '' on the Qatari driver, Nasser Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a BMW X3 Cc, who set the best time in every single selective sector without however being able to recover the gap accused in the opening special stage. For him also a penalty of 3 'for a delay at a time control. In third provisional place the Latvian Janis Naglis with a Mitsubishi Pajero, 9'59 '' behind.
First round. Yesterday the shores of the Tagliamento river and the Cosa torrent were the scene of three passages on the only selective sector of 63.31 km, after the cancellation of the one on Monte Jouf was decided on Friday. Starting with an advantage of 5'09 '' over his rival, Gadasin (42'56 '') is definitely surprised by the attack of Al-Attiya (40'17 '') who recovers 2'39 '', then pays 3 'penalty and slips to 6'30' '. Again in crisis the Spaniard Marc Roura Blazquez (Fornasari RR 450) as in the prologue due to problems with the change 'watered down' by the fords. Having not completed even a selective sector, the winner of the 2006 edition will not be able to restart today. Third in qualifying Daniele Canonico (Nissan Pathfinder), sailed by Erika Pajer, but in the provisional general Angelo Montico (Fornasari) is the first of the Italians.
Second round. Al-Attiyah lowers the time to 39'15 '', Gadasin loses 1'07 ''. The top nine are foreigners, the Paduan Franco Grigoletto tenth at 4'45 ''. Riccardo Colombo (Mitsubishi) stops for trouble with the gearbox and Andrea Toro (Navara Ermolli), who will also walk away with the home navigator Mauro Nadin. In the general Gadasin leads with 5'23 '' on Al-Attiyah and 6'01 '' on Naglis. Montico is fifth overall at 6'45 '', on the trail of the Russian Berkut who is only 33 '' ahead of him. Then Grigoletto eighth at 7'20 ''. Codecà (Suzuki) and Ciampolini (Mitsubishi) do not shine, the two who in the forecasts will fight for the Italian tout terrain.
Third round. It is always Al-Attiyah who dictates a frenzied pace. His 37'32 '' is unattainable for everyone, even for Gadasin who loses another 1'38 '' but he reasons that going like this he can win without too many risks. Third time at 3'57 '' for the other Russian Leonid Novitskiy (Nissan Pathfinder) and seven foreigners are ahead of the first of the Italians, Canonico, at 5'37 ''. Bitter surprise: Montico is stopped 10 km from the end of the test, it is not clear whether he will be able to restart. The day ends with Gadasin in command, while Grigoletto is sixth at 12 ', Canon tenth at 14'56' '. In the Suzuki Challenge after Andrea Lolli punctured and lost 5 ', Andrea Debbi leads in 2h45'34' 'with Massimo Mancusi 1'26' '.
The program. Today the last two laps on the Tagliamento with car start at 7.40 and 11.45. in the afternoon arrival at the parade with finish line in Piazza della Vittoria in Cordenons and award ceremony on stage from 4 pm. Then the final press conference (6 pm) at the Dream Village.
