Germany - Kronos Racing - Leg 1François Duval and Patrick Pivato have completed the first leg of Rally Deutschland by taking first place. At the conclusion of six special stages in the Trier region, the Citroën Xsara bearing Royal Automobile Club of Belgium colours and
prepared by the Belgian Kronos Team is leading
Sebastien Loeb's Citroën C4 by 1.3 seconds.
The hundreds of supporters were counting on a good show from François Duval on Friday, but the Belgian driver supassed expectations.
The country's best world rally ambassador has not lost his touch, as was shown by his constant pace during the first leg's six stages: he signed the fastest time on two occasions and took the overall lead following a good fight with
Sebastien Loeb.
"That is a result which greatly shows that François' inscription to Rally Germany deserved the support of the Royal Automobile Club of Belgium," said Michel Jodogne, Director of the RACB, at the end of the first day.
"François perfectly accomplished his mission," explained Kronos Racing Team Principal Marc Van Dalen. "His driving was flowing, effective. The setup defined during testing was spot on.
We also decided upon a tyre choice that was different from our direct competitors during the second loop and that paid off. We are proud to see Belgian colours again at the top of world rallying."
François also had a positive report: "It was an excellent day, but sincerely, I did not think I would set myself so well. By starting out 17th on the road, I had to pass over dirtied terrain during the first three stages. A lot of turns were covered in gravel. Evidently, the almost eight months of inactivity that I have been through have not altered my enthusiasm and I'm happy to see that I still have the touch."
"I'm also happy to see that with a car prepared and presented by a Belgian team, it is possible to fight for first place. I dedicate this performance to all those who permitted my participation in Rally Deutschland: Citroën Sport, the RACB, BFGoodrich, and OMV. Without them, I wouldn't be in the lead," he declared.
Daniel BASTIEN (c) CAPSIS International
