The fourth and decisive stage of the Historic Rally of Portugal, the longest in the Automóvel Club de Portugal's event, began this morning in Viseu and will only end in the early hours of Saturday morning after the famous 'Night' of Sintra. Passages through Coimbra and Leiria Sobre Rodas are also highlights in an edition that continues to be led by Belgians Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo (Porsche 911).
The XVIII Historic Rally of Portugal will be decided today in the longest stage of the event, covering a total distance of 487.43 kilometers (211.45 kilometers of special stages), ending in the early hours of Saturday morning in Sintra.
The day started early in Viseu, with competitors remaining in the Central Region for much of the day, passing through Caramulo, Mortágua, and making a stop in Coimbra—a new feature in this year’s edition. After regrouping in the city of students between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM, the field will head to the municipality of Lousã, another connection to the Rally of Portugal, before a brand-new addition to this year's route: a circuit at the popular Leiria Sobre Rodas event, where thousands of fans are expected.
At night, the Sintra Mountains will once again host the famous nighttime pilgrimages to watch the rally machines, starting at 11:55 PM. In the early hours of Saturday, competitors will enter the closed park in Sintra, with the awards ceremony taking place at the Vila Galé Hotel during lunch.
Deflandre in the lead
Yesterday, difficult weather conditions forced the organization to shorten the morning section of a stage that both started and finished in Viseu and included other iconic locations like Lousada, Fafe, and the Nossa Senhora dos Remédios Hill in Lamego. During the third stage, Belgian drivers Ruben Maes and Yves Noelanders suffered mechanical problems with their Porsche 914/6, forcing them to abandon their fight for victory. Their compatriots Yves Deflandre and Jennifer Hugo (Porsche 911) took the lead and entered the decisive stage with a 104.4-point advantage over Spaniards Marcos Adan and Adolfo Almuiña (Peugeot 205 GTi). Portuguese drivers Paulo Marques and João Martins, in their BMW 1600, are in the battle for the podium, sitting in third place, 211.8 points behind the leaders.
Still, with such a long and demanding stage ahead, everything is still up for grabs in the Historic Rally of Portugal.
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)