The current European champions reached the top position in half the stages performed throughout the first leg. The rest of them went to the other Citroën C3 R5 that fights for the victory, the pair Pepe López-Borja Rozada. Both favourites are just 3.8 seconds away of taking the victory.
Although the Frenchman Pierre-Louis Loubet got the best time of the TC4, throughout the repetition of the stages ‘Valsequillo-DISA’, ‘Valleseco-Festina’ and ‘Tejeda’, Citroën maintained their leadership in Rally Islas Canarias.
The current European rally champion and winner of the last three editions of the Rally Islas Canarias has held a really tight competition with Pepe López in the first three stages, namely, ’Valsequillo-Festina’, ‘San Mateo-DISA’ and ‘Tejeda’. López is leading the national overall and Cruz the regional one.
The more than a hundred teams competing in this session of the FIA ERC, the Spanish Rally Super-Championship (S-CER), the Spanish Rally Championship on Asphalt (CERA) and the Canarian Regional have passed under the starting arch placed in this emblematic spot of the capital of Gran Canaria. Tibor Érdi will open the eight stages of the leg on Friday.
In a pioneering experience in its long history, Rally Islas Canarias will be sending live some of its special stages on the website of the FIA European Rally Championship on Facebook. There will be a total of four special stages being broadcasted from 6.15 pm onwards this afternoon.
Once the recces and the technical scrutineerings have finished, this Thursday the focus will be laid on the road with the fight in the qualifying stage of Valsequillo. The results will help to set the starting order of the first leg.
The atmosphere experienced in Artenara during the ‘Monday Test’ has been just a foretaste of what the island Gran Canaria will be like when the start signal for the 43rd Edition of the Rally Islas Canarias is given. Valsequillo and Valleseco have also host different team test before drivers and co-drivers throw themselves into the recognition of the legs the next two days.
In our website, public section, you have all the information of the special stage, where to access, public areas and parking areas. You can also access directly by clicking here.
Outstanding representatives of the political and economic life of the Canary Islands gathered at the AC Hotel Gran Canaria, the setting for the presentation of a new edition of this event. In this event, the main novelties and the renewal until 2022 of the agreement with Eurosport Events to be the headquarters of the FIA European Rally Championship were announced.
With a total of 115 crews on the entry list, the round will race in Gran Canaria from 2nd of May until 4th. The current leaders of the FIA European Rally Championship are on the top of an entry list that shows quality and cuantity.
The second round of the FIA European Rally Championship closes on Wednesday its entries period with around twenty countries represented, 30 R5 cars, 29 R2 and four RGT.
International teams, national and local ones, are entered in the 43rdedition of the Rally Islas Canarias. FIA European Rally Championship current leaders, Lukasz Habaj and Daniel Dymurski, are on the list with their Skoda Fabia R5.
The teams will have ultin April 17thto make their entrie for this round of the FIA European Rally Championship. Rally Islas Canarias has shown the details of the route as well.
The 43 Rally Islas Canarias edition opens its entries period from this week. Until April 17th, all the teams can completed their entries for the second chapter of the FIA European Rally Championship 2019.
The Organizer has publicated the details of the route where, as we have shown few weeks ago, will be a challenge for the teams with 16 special stage, eight of then in the first leg and another eight for the last day.
As novelty, Valsequillo will host the Qualifying Stage and the Shakedown in the morning of Thursday 2ndMay. Valleseco, in the second leg, will be another one. With near to 15 km, its route has inedits places.
At the same time, Rally Islas Canarias website has for teams and public the program of this 43rdedition.
Qualifying Stage + Shakedown (3,15 km)
Valsequillo will host the Free Practice, the Qualifying Stage and the Shakedown before the competition starts. A narrow road with some slow corners and junctions will be amazing for the teams and the spectators.
SS1-4 Valsequillo (10,96 km)
In Valsequillo will start the Rally Islas Canarias 2019. The stage starts with a first left-right corner where last year found amazing moments. Is a route with fast zones and another technical places, always on a good asphalt.
SS2-5 San Mateo (12,01 km)
The first kilometers are completely new. It starts in San Mateo in a narrow way until a left junction. From here, the road is wider and faster and well-knowed for the competitors. But this year, another left junction direction to Cueva Grande next to the end will show them a new challenge.
SS3-6 Tejeda (24,10 km)
Tejeda will be the longest special stage of 43rd Rally Islas Canarias. Its first meters will be around Tejeda and, inmediatily, Cuevas Caídas road will be very demanding for the drivers, codrivers and the cars. On its new asphalt, the competitors arrive to Cruz de Tejeda, where they will take the road to Las Emisoras. After two spectacular junctions, Monte Gusano road will take them to Fontanales. Long, technical and with differents rhythm changes, is going to be a real challenge.
SS7-8 Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (1,44 km)
Another season else, the first leg will end in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where the competitiros will face a short stage twice. With an ideal route for the fans, the show is guaranteed.
TC9-13 Arucas (7,18 km)
The second leg will start near to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The first meters are near to Bañaderos direction to Arucas, always on a wide road and good asphalt. When the competitors arrive to Arucas, an amazing right junction will connect with the 2018 section, road to La Montañeta direction to Cambalud.
TC10-14 Moya (15,28 km)
Moya will be the longest stage of the last leg. The roundabout at the beginning will be protagonist again before the competitors run in direction to Fontanales on a twisty road. When the get it, in Fontanales will face a new route before to connect with Montaña Alta route after a spectacular right junction.
TC11-15 Gáldar (14,95 km)
On a new kilometers at the beginning it will give new expectatives near to the end of the rally. In parallel to the one of the main roads of the island, its narrow perfil will take the teams to Hoya de Pineda road after a left junction. This section is a common stage in Rally Islas Canarias history. After Caideros, they will find a fast right junction, very near to Lomo El Palo left junction, few meters before the end in its inedits last meters.
TC12-16 Valleseco (14,57 km)
The last stage of this edition will start after a junction in Fontanales, road to Monte Gusano road. On this section is important the engine power, at least until a junction, with a little jump, direction to Valleseco. From there, the rhythm is going to be the most important thing, with ups and downs around differents ravines. From Los Lavadores until the end, the competitors will discover a new route in Valleseco to complete this edition.
The fourth section has been marked by the abandonment of Efrén Llarena-Sara Fernández and Joan Vinyes-Jordi Mercader, whose accidents caused the neutralization of the ninth and tenth stages. Apart from that, the leading team has taken its advantage beyond the half minute on Nikolay Gryazin-Yaroslav Fedorov by managing to grab two new scratches.