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CITROËN IN OLYMPIC FORM!

Citroen will taken on the Acropolis Rally, the Greek round of the World Rally Championship, this weekend (3-6 June 2004) with the aim of strengthening Sébastien Loeb’s grip on the World Rally Drivers’ Championship and, with just one point separating Citroen from the lead in the Manufacturers title chase, to take lead for WRC teams.

But it will not be an easy task in an event that is renowned for destroying cars and dreams of victory. This is tempered by the fact that the event is neither as long nor as tough as it once was and it has been joined in the WRC calendar by Cyprus and Turkey, two events with similar conditions.

"We should be more competitive on the Acropolis Rally than we were in Cyprus,” says Guy Fréquelin, Team Director. “The Greek stages are wider, not so twisty and feature a little less loose surface gravel. The Xsara should be at ease. Also, we will have a new Michelin tyre with which our drivers were very pleased in testing. That could make a difference against Petter Solberg who runs on the products of a different firm. I hope we will be up front fighting for victory, and I must admit I would be disappointed if that wasn't the case!"

The 2004 Acropolis Rally includes just thirteen kilometres of stages that are new, which puts the Greek round – on which the team was competitive twelve months ago – in the 'known entity' category. Even so, the drivers and technicians have had to adopt a fresh approach inasmuch as the Xsara has evolved since last year.

During its preparation for the Cyprus Rally, near Athens, at the end of April, the Citroën team also worked on the Xsara's Acropolis set-up which will be fine-tuned and validated when Carlos and Sébastien take turns at the wheel at another test venue in Greece shortly before the start of recce.

While its stages hold few secrets, the format of this year's Acropolis Rally will mark the first use of the new, so-called 'Remote Tyre Zone' principle (RTZ) in the course of Leg 2. This mini ten-minute service park will enable two mechanics to fit a fresh set of tyres to the car and add fuel before the crew leaves for the following group of stages. The bottom line of this is that the cars will cover close to ninety competitive kilometres between two classic service halts and the results of this system will be monitored attentively.

Meanwhile, Michelin has developed a new tyre for its partner teams. Following tests with Sébastien and Carlos at the end of April, Citroën decided to nominate it with a view to its use over the Acropolis Rally's clearer stages instead of the 'GW' pattern seen in Cyprus, another debut that will be followed with interest.

Last but not least, the other parameter of Greece is the heat. Last year, temperatures soared to the 35°C mark. And although forecasters are predicting cooler conditions this time, around 28°C, it will be necessary to keep an eye on the thermometer.

Questions to Guy Fréquelin…

What was your analysis of the way the Cyprus Rally unfolded?

"I noted the enormous progress the Xsara has made on this type of terrain and this was mirrored in our stage times. The gap that separates us from the fastest cars has also been cut. But although it is lower, there is still a gap! On this very specific type of event, we are now practically up to the competitive benchmark. To reach it, we have to be faster still. Meanwhile, the reliability of the Xsaras was excellent. Our only concern was a slight, intermittent drop-off in the efficiency of the rear shock absorbers on Carlos' car despite us taking every care in their maintenance. The phenomenon has been analysed and we believe we now have it covered."

Your level of performance in Cyprus, your result on the 2003 Acropolis Rally and the Citroën team's experience of the terrain must be positive pointers for Greece…

"We should be more competitive on the Acropolis Rally than we were in Cyprus. The Greek stages are wider, not so twisty and feature a little less loose surface gravel. The Xsara should be at ease. Also, we will have a new Michelin tyre with which our drivers were very pleased in testing. That could make a difference against Petter Solberg who runs on the products of a different firm. I hope we will be up front fighting for victory, and I must admit I would be disappointed if that wasn't the case!"

In the course of the second leg, the drivers will cover some 90 km of stages without service. Is that likely to affect tactics?

"It's undeniably going to put the accent on consistency and reliability rather than panache. Given the current trend of rallies towards sprints, it is a change of direction. We will have to wait to see how it turns out. The cars are strong and reliable. If the drivers are locked in a fierce battle as usual, they will count on these assets so as not to be outdistanced rather than pace themselves. They will also be aware that the championship stakes mean it is above all necessary to reach the finish, and that anyone who puts a foot wrong at the beginning of this long loop will probably lose all chance of victory. To what extent will it be possible to take risks? It's the same old dilemma which this longer loop renders particularly delicate to solve…"

…to Sébastien Loeb…

Following your Super 1600 win in Greece in 2001 and your early retirement in 2003, you have met with varying fortunes on the Acropolis Rally. What is your opinion of this rally?

"Like my results, my opinion is mixed. I like the country. The weather is nice and warm. The stages are not too slow, and certain portions permit the sort of driving style I prefer: nice lines, power slides, good jumps. I'm naturally less fond of the rougher, narrower parts. You can feel the car suffer and you have to drive differently to be as quick as possible without running the risk of compromising the car's potential. That's much less fun…"

You are capable of being quick straight into a rally, but you sometimes prefer to position yourself in the leading pack before upping your pace. But in Cyprus, you lost quite a lot of ground early on. Why was that?

"It was a combination of a number of minor reasons. I am a very instinctive driver. I need to understand the terrain and also form one with my Xsara. Sometimes I achieve that from the word go, other times it takes a little longer… Cyprus is catalogued as a rough rally, and even last year it took me some time to find the right pace. This time round, perhaps as a result of my misadventure in Mexico, I told myself that it was imperative to finish. Given the strength and reliability of the Citroën, I was probably over-cautious through the rougher portions while the other drivers just got on with it, and that led to them pulling out a gap that didn't really reflect our relative potential. But as with all experience, it's a lesson I will put to good effect…"

You are back in the lead of the Drivers' championship, which means you will be first on the road on Friday. What sort of result will you personally be satisfied with?

"A place on the podium! I don't think road order will have a big influence one way or the other. My main objective will be to stay in the leading group in the championship. I have already retired once this season, so I must focus on finishing, and in the big points. I will be happy with third. If I can come second, that would be nice. Better still would be fantastic!"

…and to Carlos Sainz…

The 2004 Acropolis Rally marks the 14th anniversary of your maiden WRC win. How has rallying has evolved since then?

"Fourteen years ago, rallying was another world. When I won the Acropolis Rally, the event lasted four or five days with a menu of 46 stages, nearly 600 km against the clock.We started near Athens and worked our way gradually northwards to Itea, etc. It was longer and tougher and demanded Safari type cars. They had to be very strong. Servicing regulations, recce and the stages themselves have changed significantly since. But the competition is just as fierce and just as pleasurable…"

The 'RTZ' on Day 2 means you will have to cover 90 km of stages between two service halts. Will that make it necessary to hold back to spare the mechanicals and favour endurance?

"No, I don't think it will modify the way we drive. Everyone will attack as hard as usual and rely on the strength of the cars. It's their robustness and reliability that will make the difference."

You have tested the new Michelin tyre that will be introduced in Greece. What is your opinion of it?

"It should be very good on the hot and rough events, that is to say Greece and Turkey. If our initial impression and the information collected in testing are confirmed during the Acropolis Rally, it will mark a significant step forward. With this 'plus', I hope I can score a good result in Greece. Fourteen years after my first ever WRC win, it would be nice to finish in the big points in order to close the gap with the championship leaders…"

Facts and figures:

  • There is a time difference of one hour between Greece(GMT +3) and continental Europe (GMT +2). For continental European time, subtract one hour therefore from the times listed below.
  • The 51stAcropolis Rally will be the 31st to count towards the World Championship. The Greek event was a round of the inaugural championship in 1973.
  • In 2003, the rally's base switched to Lamia (215 km north west of Athens) which again hosts the start and finish of all three legs, as well as the single main service park.
  • The route is divided into three legs. Total length is 1438.48 km, including 377.13 km divided into 22 special stages (11 different tests).
  • Shakedown (Thursday June 3rd, 12:30 until 14:30) will be held near Nea Magnisia, just over 6 km north east of the Lamia service park. The 4 km shakedown stage is the same as last year's.
  • A page has turned with the dropping of the former ceremonial start held every year at the foot of the Acropolis in Athens.
  • In comparison with the two last Acropolis Rallies, only 13 km of stages are new.
  • Run for the first time in 2003, the Lilea super-special, on the northern slopes of Mont Parnassos, will be tackled three times this year.
  • Leg 1 features a total length of 590.74 km, including 145.45 km against-the-clock. It kicks off on Thursday evening with 'Lilea 1' and continues on Friday June 4th (06:30 to 20:07) with eight stages divided into three loops: 'Rengini 1'/'Elatia-Zeli 1', 'Pavliani 1'/'Stromi 1'/'Eleftherohori' and 'Pavliani 2'/'Stromi 2'/'Lilea 2'.
  • The second leg (Saturday June 5th, 07:00 to 18:51) features 133.18 km of stages for a total length of 510.96 km. Seven stages figure on the programme: two loops to begin with ('Amfissa 1'/'Drosohori 1' and 'Rengini 2'/'Elatia-Zeli 2'), followed by the 'Remote Tyre Zone', located in Lilea, and finally, after a classic service halt, a final loop of three tests ('Amfissa 2'/'Drosohori 2'/'Lilea 3').
  • The 10-minute 'Remote Tyre Zone' (RTZ) offers a chance to change tyres and service the car in compliance with the following conditions: a maximum of two mechanics who may use only a jack, ramps, wheel-stands, a wheel-brace, a torque wrench and ordinary water, plus any parts and tools carried in the rally car. The crew may also work on the car.
  • Leg 3 (Sunday June 6th, 06:30 to 14:53) is the shortest of the rally: 336.78 km, including 98.50 km of stages divided into two loops of the same three stages ('Dikastro'/'Agios Stefanos'/'Styrfaka').
  • The individual driver tyre quota for the Greek round is eighty tyres. The two authorised patterns were nominated by the team four weeks before the event. Drivers' individual choices are communicated on the Monday prior to the start. All tyres are identified by a bar-code.
  • Sébastien Loeb has competed in Greece on three previous occasions: 2003 (retired), 2002 (7th), 2001 (1st, Super 1600).
  • From 14 starts, Carlos Sainz has won three times (including his maiden WRC win) and finished ten times on the podium: 2003 (2nd), 2002 (3rd), 2001 (retired), 2000 (2nd), 1999 (2nd), 1998 (4th), 1997 (1st), 1996 (3rd), 1994 (1st), 1993 (2nd), 1992 (retired), 1991 (2nd), 1990 (1st), 1989 (retired).

(ends)

For further information:

Citroën Australia Media Web Site:

Miles Williams

/ Tel: (02) 9558 7111
General Manager / Fax: (02) 9558 7722
Citroën Australia / Mob: 0419 800 520
E-Mail:

Edward Rowe

/ Tel: (02) 9558 7111
Public Relations Manager / Fax: (02) 9558 7722
Citroën Australia / Mob: 0407 913 244
E-Mail:

Web site:

EJR/ejr/007

5/31/2004