The third and penultimate stage of the Historic Rally of Portugal, starting and finishing in Viseu, helped clarify the contenders for victory in the Automóvel Club de Portugal's event.
This Thursday, adverse weather conditions forced race officials to shorten the morning section, but competitors still had the opportunity to pass through some of Portugal’s most iconic rally locations. The special stage at the Eurocircuit in Lousada returned to the route this year, bringing smiles to the drivers' faces, who then headed to the Minho region, regrouping in Fafe.
In the afternoon, already in the Douro Wine Region, the city of Régua offered breathtaking landscapes, followed by a nighttime climb up the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Hill in Lamego, before the return to Viseu.
Earlier in the morning, mechanical issues with the Porsche 914/6 of Belgian drivers Ruben Maes and Yves Noelanders knocked one of the main contenders for victory out of the running, leaving their compatriots Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo (Porsche 911) with a comfortable lead. After SS25 in Vila Real, Deflandre and Hugo had a 92.3-point lead over Spaniards Marcos Adan and Adolfo Almuiña (Peugeot 205 GTi), with Portuguese drivers Paulo Marques and João Martins placing their BMW 1600 in third, 200 points behind the leaders.
The longest stage
Tomorrow, the XVIII Historic Rally of Portugal will be decided in the longest stage of the event, with 487.43 kilometers of total distance (211.45 kilometers of special stages), starting in Viseu and concluding in the early hours of Saturday morning in Sintra. The Central Region takes center stage again, with passes through Caramulo, Mortágua, and a stop in Coimbra, a new feature in this year’s edition. After regrouping in the city of students from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM, the field heads to the municipality of Lousã, another connection to the Rally of Portugal, before another new addition this year: a circuit in the popular Leiria Sobre Rodas event, where thousands of fans are expected.
At night, the Sintra Mountains will once again host the famous night pilgrimages to watch the rally machines, starting at 11:55 PM.
PROGRAM
4th Stage | September 27
8:00 AM – Departure from Viseu (Montebelo Viseu Congress Hotel & Spa)
1:00 PM / 2:30 PM – Regrouping in Coimbra (University Stadium)
6:30 PM / 9:00 PM – SS Leiria Street Circuit (Dr. Magalhães Pessoa Municipal Stadium) and regrouping
11:55 PM – Pass through São Pedro de Sintra
12:35 AM – Regrouping in Sintra (National Palace)
1:27 AM – Finish in Sintra (Hotel Vila Galé Sintra)