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Rally-Raid Portugal: Eduard Pons ends his participation in the Rally Raid de Portugal prematurely
- The Pons Rallysport team says goodbye to the Portuguese event after a mishap at the 130th kilometre of the fourth stage that prevents him from completing the race with one day to go.
- "The positive part of this experience is that we have had a very good pace and that the car has potential".
Eduard Pons and the Pons Rallysport team have ended their participation in the Rally Raid de Portugal ahead of schedule due to a mishap in the fourth stage (SS5). Despite the efforts of the Past Racing mechanics, who successfully repaired a breakdown on the Ford Ranger T1+ the day before, Saturday's stage presented an unexpected challenge that prevented the driver from completing the race.
Today's stage consisted of a very technical, rally-style route, very suitable for Pons' type of driving and also more favourable for his vehicle. For this reason, the Lleida-born driver's hopes were pinned on being able to do well on this surface. However, a run off the track forced the team to retire prematurely.
This was the second longest day of the rally, with 253 timed kilometres from Badajoz to Grândola and a very good opportunity to increase speed and climb positions, as the Catalan was doing until they had to retire at kilometre 130
During the first stages of the rally, Eduard Pons and his co-driver Cándido Carrera showed their ability to compete at a high level, adapting quickly to the terrain conditions and overcoming the challenges presented.
Pons is optimistic despite the setback: "The positive part of this experience is that we have had a very good pace and that the car has potential. Now it's time to see how we can rethink the next steps. I want to thank Daniel Alonso's Past Racing team for their work during these days."
The team is already looking to the future, with plans for Eduard Pons to compete in the Baja TT Dehesa Extremadura, a round of the FIA European Lowland Cup, to be held from 2 to 4 May.
Automatic translation of the Spanish version
Source: Pons Rallysport Team
Photo: ImagensDesportivas.pt
Helder