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Cierzo Rally 2024: Portuguese duo Maria Luís Gameiro/José Marques finish in a spectacular second place
The objectives for this rally were ambitious, but this time Maria Luís Gameiro/José Marques exceeded all expectations by securing second place overall in the VI Cierzo Rally Ejercito de Tierra, also winning the T1+ category, second place in the Ultimate category and with Maria Luís Gameiro cementing her lead among the ladies with another victory. The culmination of this excellent performance is the fact that the duo are now just four points away from securing the Spanish vice-championship, and it should also be noted that the Portuguese driver is now the first Portuguese woman to open the road in an off-road race in the Iberian Peninsula.
It was a perfect weekend for Team Motivo JCB who, on their new trip to Spain, were once again at the top of their game, resulting in Maria Luís Gameiro achieving her best ever finish in an off-road race. The Cascais driver, who had started from eighth place as a result of the classification obtained yesterday in the Super Special, put all her weapons into action today and went all out in the fight for the Spanish TT Rally Championship (CERTT).
With three special stages and more than 440 kilometers to go, the duo in the Mini JCW Plus in Motivo JCB colors began by securing fourth place overall in the two stages through CENAD San Gregorio, a performance that immediately guaranteed them second place overall going into the last special stage. The duo closed the day with a "golden key" and cemented their place on the final podium with second place in Alfajarín/VillaMayor de Gallego.
Tired but visibly happy with her result, Maria Luís Gameiro said at the finish that "it was a very tough race. But what we've achieved here in Spain today makes me forget everything else. It was spectacular! I feel that we rode very well, that we fought for the result, even under very difficult conditions and, during the afternoon special, I was the one who opened the track, especially in the heavy rain. That's why this was a fantastic result, which not only makes me very happy, but also makes me very excited for what lies ahead, namely the Baja Aragon World Cup race later this month."
With this result, Maria Luís Gameiro retains third place overall in the Spanish TT Rally Championship and now has around three weeks to recover her strength for another clash in Spain, the Baja Aragon, which takes place between July 26 and 28.
Automatic translation of the original Portuguese version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source: Team Motivo JCB
Helder