Contaminated-Country – Alvarez/Monleon claim final minute victory in Kazakhstan

Lucio Alvarez and Armand Monleón snatched a gradual victory on Rally Kazakhstan this day, the Toyota Hilux Overdrive crew taking the eradicate by 28 minutes and 25 seconds after Mathieu Serradori – who had led from the originate up – change into once compelled into retirement this day. Denis Krotov and Konstantin Zhiltsov claimed second in the MINI John Cooper Works Rally with Mattias Ekström and Emil Bergkvist taking third in identical Buggy machinery.

The fight for victory had regarded role to rage between Serradori and Yazeed Al-Rajhi, the Saudi Arabian driver coming to internal 22 seconds of the lead after complications in the outlet leg. For the duration of the fourth stage, on the replace hand, Al-Rajhi – who gained the occasion in 2018 – broke a power-shaft and change into once caught in the sand after taking the virtual lead halfway through the portion. A stage eradicate observed the lead held by Serradori and navigator Loic Minaudier again develop and with nearly 23 minutes in hand to Alvarez, the French crew regarded heading in the accurate direction for victory on Rally Kazakhstan. This day, on the replace hand, complications in the closing stage observed the Century CR6 crew retire internal glimpse of the design.

Argentinean Lucio Alvarez and Spaniard Armand Monleon therefore claimed a maiden eradicate on the second spherical of the FIA World Cup for Contaminated-Country Rallies, with a intriguing efficiency all through. Third going into the penultimate leg, the Toyota crew moved into second after Al-Rajhi’s complications despite just a few errors in the wet selective portion. This day, they carried out fourth in the closing stage to take care of victory by 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

Krotov, who carried out fifth in Kazakhstan in 2019, had a right urge all through and he and co-driver Zhiltsov overhauled Mattias Ekström in the fourth stage to pass from fifth into third despite fleet being caught in the dunes. This day, the crew admitted it had been a tricky day on the vehicles and tyres in the stony prerequisites, however one puncture didn’t cease them claiming their region on the podium. Ekström and Bergkvist bear had one other huge adventure in Kazakhstan and the Swedes took the closing podium region in the MINI John Cooper Works Buggy.

The all-French crews of Ronan Chabot and Gilles Pillot had been accurate off the podium in fourth with Austin Jones and Gustavo Gugelmin a audacious fifth total. The American/Brazilian duo also claimed the eradicate in T4 of their Can Am Maverick X3 by accurate over 30 minutes, extending Jones’ lead at the pinnacle of the total class standings.

Cristina Gutierrez continued to provoke; she went into the occasion leading the T3 standings by 10 functions and has extended that advantage with one other class eradicate and sixth total. A decisive stage eradicate in the penultimate leg meant the Spaniard and French navigator François Cazalet could maybe take care of a right urge to the design line to suppose a 41 minute class victory of their OT3.

Italians Amos Eugenio and Paolo Ceci carried out seventh and second in T4, with four of the five stage wins in the class. Fernando Alvarez/Antonio Gimeno, Pavel Lebedev/Kirill Shubin and Annet Fischer/Filipe Palmeiro rounded out the pause 10, all in Can Am Maverick T3 machinery. Yazeed Al-Rajhi bounced support from the day gone by’s disappointment to eradicate the closing stage, finishing 20th total.

The third spherical of the FIA World Cup for Contaminated-Country Rallies sees the contenders head to unique territory because the Silk Plan Rally (June 30-July 11) makes its debut on the calendar.

Rally Kazakhstan – Last Classification