With the weather forecast showing extreme weather on the route of the third day, the stage had to be cancelled. As some of the contestants arrived late the previous night due to a sudden thunderstorm, combined with low visibility in the technical parts of the stage, the event organizers had to be precautious and decided to put everyone’s safety first by canceling the 280 kilometers race, to the town of Thermos and back.
Riders and drivers took a break from the fast-paced schedule of the rally to enjoy the beautiful location around the Karpenisi-based bivouac and interact with each other, something that plays a key role in this kind of events.
Meletis Stamatis, Hellas Rally Raid organizer said: "For us, the safety of our competitors is a top-top priority, and we design everything based on this. So, our decision to cancel today’s stage is because we have extreme weather conditions in the area where the stage was taking place… As an organizer I can find solutions to almost every problem that appears except the weather. It is unpredictable and there is not much you can do about it, but we are trying our best to solve problems during the rally.”
The participants didn’t have the chance to try today’s stage, but they took advantage of this opportunity to work thoroughly on mechanical adjustments, while evaluating the demanding terrain more efficiently. They also had time to focus on last day’s performance, fix any mistakes and be more prepared for the upcoming marathon stage tomorrow, where they will spend the night in a remote bivouac near Plastiras lake, 250 kilometers away from the main bivouac in Karpenisi.
Text and video: ICARUS Sports
Photo: Actiongraphers
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