Rally Transibérico : FinishFor the second time on the Portuguese tracks, French Guerlain Chicherit (BMW X3 CC) won the 2009 edition of Rali Vodafone Transibérico, dominating clearly the last part of the race, after the problems that hit Carlos Sousa (Mitsubishi Lancer),
Nani Roma (BMW X3 CC), Miguel Barbosa (BMW X3 CC) and Filipe Campos (BMW X3 CC), drivers that have occupied top places in classification. With this success, Chicherit confirmed his win in the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup.
Finishing with more than one hour of advantage over the second, the BMW driver suffered until the last moment, as the engine had ignition problems, but even so he was able to finish the last stage and reach Estoril without further problems.
As consequence of the problems that affected the majority of the leading drivers, Hélder Oliveira (Nissan Pathfinder) and Bernardo Moniz da Maia (BMW X3 CC) finished in the podium places, with Maia obtaining strong points for the Portuguese Championship, where he lies now second, nine points from the leader, Carlos Sousa.
Without nothing to loose in the last day, Portuguese drivers dominate the two last stages, with Carlos Sousa, in his 75th participation in national events, being fast on the first stage of the day, and Filipe Campos in the second SS.
Pedro Silva Nunes (Mitsubishi Pajero) led the T2 Group at the arrival, but his car had been scrutineered and following the report from the Technical Delegate, the Stewards of the Meeting excluded the car due to a modification of a homologated roll cage. Russian Artem Varentsov (Toyota Land Cruiser) was declared T2 winner.
José Camilo Martins (Nissan Navara) was not only first in T8 class but also secured the Portuguese title in the category.
Jorge Simões (Nissan Pathfinder) had an accident in the last stage that forced his codriver, Aníbal Mendonça, to be transported for observation to Beja hospital.
Rally Transibérico – Final Standing
1 Chicherit-Thorner BMW X3 CC 15h11'08
2 Oliveira-Palmeiro Nissan Pathfinder at 1h16'27
3 Moniz da Maia-Sottomayor BMW X3 CC at 1h32'14
4 Deveaux-Ramalho Mitsubishi Pajero at 1h50'08
5 Dinis Lucas-Tirano Mitsubishi Pajero at 2h21'47
6 Carapeta-António Wildcat at 2h24'34
7 André-Gomes Renault Mégane at 2h27'54
8 Mironenko-Lebedev Nissan Overdrive at 2h39'44
9 Silva Nunes-Torres Mitsubishi Pajero at 2h49'02
10 Varentsov-Elgin Toyota Land Cruiser at 3h15'08
