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Sixth stage of Total Pharaons Rally without any change in absolute classifications. Casteu wins among the motorcycles and the fast Lavieille is always the leader among the cars. The surprise of the day is in the 450 class, among the two Italian motorcycles at the debut in Africal rallies: Alex Zanotti (Aprilia) overtakes Luca Manca TM and is the leader of the class with an advantage of seven minutes.

The 11th edition of Total Pharaons 2008 will finish tomorrow. The sixth and penultimate stage has left this morning at 6.30 from Siwa in order to return to Baharija, after 440 km of Special stage. Tomorrow with the last leg, the caravan will reach the Giza Pyramids, that with their magnitude will sign the final winners. For David Casteu now il only a formality, above all after the pact of not belligerence “signed” with his team mate – and current vice leader in classification – the Dutch Frans Verhoeven.

Today, the two riders of Vectra Team have run at distance and at the end of the stage their time was different of only ten seconds, with ad advantage for Casteu, who was able to win the special. Third place for Matteo Graziani, who was attentive not to do any mistakes in order to compromise his third absolute position.

The fight has been above all in 450 class, won today by Alex Zanotti (Aprilia Africa), who has been absolute fourth. His rival for all Pharaons, Luca Manca, has suffered for alimentation problems of his TM and he was not able to maintain the pace of the previous stages. Zanotti has overtaken him in general classification for seven minutes, surely more, but the fight between the two competitors will finish only in the presence of Pyramids.

Obviously, Casteu is the leader in the general classification with an advantage of three minutes and half on Verhoeven. Third is Graziani, who precedes Zanotti, Manca and Polli.

These classifications are at the moment provisional, as some drivers stopped to help Marco Sartori, flown from a cassé dune: the jury will check during the evening the traces Iritrack (the system of satellite localization who have all drivers) to re allocate the time lost.

The unlucky driver from Piacenza has suffered a cranial trauma, but now has recovered and he is at the hospital for the necessary controls.

Nothing new as regards cars: Christian Lavieille and JM Polato (Proto Dessoude 05) run very fast and gain 26 minutes compared to Patrick Sireyjol/Paul Vidal. The only change is the third place of Carlo De Gavardo/Jean Brucy, at last a stage without any problems, except for a little “digression” from the journey of race, due to they lost ten minutes. Jerome Pelichet today has run without any problems, stopping as his navigator was not very well.

A part sensational development, the podium of Pharaons 2008 will be the same of last year: Lavieiile, Sireyjol, Pelichet.

Among the trucks this time is Daf of Claudio Bellina/Arici/Nicoli to win, preceding Matteo Paccani and Germano Bellina.

© CAPSIS International