Shemaine Bushnell Kyriakides
After 20 years, the starting line of the 49th International Cyprus Rally returns to Eleftheria Square.
The Cyprus rally, which is set to begin on Friday, the 24th of September at 1900, is the 4th round of the Middle East Rally Championship (MERC) and the 4th and 5th rounds of the Pancyprian Rally Championship.
Thirty-two crews from 8 countries will be participating this year. Among them will be the Cyprus Rally record holder Nasser Al Attiyah.
Al Attiyah, who hails from Qatar, has won the event 7 times, and is a 17 time Middle East champion. He will have the number 1 slot on his Volkswagen Polo GTi.
Local favorites Simos Galatariotis and the leader of this year's Panhellenic Championship Alexandros Tsouloftas who both also drive a Volkswagen Polo GTi will be racing under the Petrolina banner.
The event will include 12 special stages covering a total of 665.94km. After many years as a mixed surface rally, this year’s Cyprus Rally will be competed entirely on gravel.
The first of 6 stages will begin on Saturday the 25th in the morning and afternoon, while the final stages will be completed on Sunday the 26th.
The awarding and closing ceremonies will be held in Eleftheria Square at 1800 local time.
