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First Leg of the Total Pharaons 2008 mainly under a 42 degrees of a scalding heat at the Baharija Oasis. Among the motorcycles the French David Casteu immediately raised the bar. Our Oscar Polli came a great third. Among the cars Carlo Degavardo arrived first, ahead of Christian Lavieille and Patrick Sireyjol. Claudio Bellina came first among the trucks.

The Giza Pyramids have provided a magnificent background for the start this morning of the 11th Total Pharaons Rally, third leg of the World Cross Country. At exactly 7 :00 A.M. David Casteu has been the first one to take off, followed by one hundred motorcycles and about thirty cars and trucks.

This has been a very difficult first stage, because of the unusually hot day, which made the Oasis of Baharija, where the first overnight Pharaons stop is scheduled absolutely scorching. Quite a few motorcyclists suffered heat exhaustion and also the difficult approach to the first dunes.

Since yesterday the French David Casteu (KTM) has been the favourite and has imposed an impressive pace to the race, ending up winning this first leg of the Rally with an advantage of over 5 minutes over his team mate, the Dutch Frans Verhoefen (KTM). Oscar Polli (KTM) ended up a great third having immediately followed Casteu within 7 minutes from the very beginning and keeping it up for the whole race. Great performance from the Polish Jakub Przygonsky, fourth with a difference of only 12'40'' from the winner. In fifth position we find Matteo Graziani, who has always disliked the first leg of the Pharaons race. After the KTM pilot « special edition » Alfa Romeo, 450 others bikes have followed. Next arrived Luca Manca on a TM debut, followed by the Aprilia RXV Africa of Alex Zanotti and Paolo Ceci, also on their first debut.

Great first beginning for the Italian cycles, who have changed considerably the tone, once monopolized by the KTM.

On the side of the cars The Chilean Carlo Degavardo has been a pleasant surprise, «following » the French Jean Brucy, two ex cyclists who made a definite move into the four wheels arena. We were unaware of the potential of the new Chevrolet D-Max prepared by Guido Toni, but this first leg has showed straight away how Cristian Lavieille, the favourite of the previous day, will find a tough competitor in the Chilean. Degavardo has indeed won the previous race with an advantage of Forty four seconds over the French, while the third (the French Sireyjol), has arrived with a delay of 18'50'' from the first. Worth mentioning is the fact that the first three cars have all been piloted by ex motorcyclists, one of them (Lavieille) ex champion of Endurance.