The first Leg of the Italian Baja confirmed the predicted results. The favorite car driver of the World Cup for Cross Country Rallies, Nasser Al-Attiyah, leads the race with his Mini All4 Racing, with a gap of 45” on Reinaldo Varela with his Toyota Hilux Overdrive. Third position gained by the Russian Alexandrs Zheludov, driving another Toyota Hilux, who reached the final line with a gap of 1’18”. The leader of the FIA World Cup rank Vladimir Vasilyev, reaches just the fourth position with another Toyota Overdrive , after a gap of 1’48”. The official representative of the Suzuki Italia, Lorenzo Codecà, takes the lead and gains the 8th position in the Overall Rank with the Grand Vitara.
SPECTACULAR JUMPS. The Brazilian Varela signed the first Leg of the Selective Section “San Lorenzo”, 85 km long, with a time of 1:00’03”, realizing a gap of 36” ahead on Vasilyev and 44” on Zheludov. The first three positions are seized by the Toyota Hilux, while Al-Attiyah reached just the sixth position because of a careful start, in order not to ruin the final result as the last time he faced the fords of the Cosa and Tagliamento riverbeds was in 2008. Many spectators framed the most spectacular points along the track, “Rauscedo Jump” and “Valvadrom”, where dazzling jumps have been realized by the bravest competitors. A gap of just 21” separates the result of Codecà by the one got by Miki Biasion with Tecnosport Vm. On the second Leg everybody got a better time, above all Al-Attiyah who crossed the final line with the time of 56’43”, assuring himself the lead ahead on Varela, Zheludov and Vasilyev. Another Toyota seizes the fifth position, it deals on the Polish Marek Dabrowski, ahead on the Czech Miroslav Zapletal and the Lithuanian Benediktas Vanagas. The eight position is seized by Codecà, who maintains his Italian leadership ahead on Elvis Borsoi (Ford Raptor), while mechanical troubles stopped Riccardo Colombo (Mitsubishi L200) and widened the gap of Biasion (engine problems) and Trentin (steering troubles).
RUOSO VS COMINOTTO. DUEL BETWEEN THE LOCAL BIKERS. The escape of the two local bikers sounds as a revenge after the result obtained in 2014. This time it is Alessandro Ruoso to lead the dance with his Yamaha 450 Yz by Sport Image, who resulted to be the fastest in both passages of the Selective Sectors San Lorenzo (55’55” and 55’18”), while Vanni Cominotto, riding a Husqvarna Te 450, got a gap of 52” in the first lap and of 18” in the second one. Foreign challengers are left in the dust, also because they are not used to riverbeds’ track yet.
RAYCZYK DEFEATS ALL CHALLENGERS. The Polish Damian Racyczyk (Yamaha Yfz 450)moved into the lead since yesterday’s prologue, when his compatriot Jaroslaw Kalinowski (Ktm 525 Xc) reached the arrival line with a gap of over 30”. Racyczyk realized today even a wider gap over the French Didier Crochat, who came to the arrival line over 15 minutes later.
Press Office Italian Baja
Carlo Ragogna
