This Friday night, the 43rd Orvecame-Isla de Lanzarote Rallye kicked off, the race that closes the 2022 season in the Canary Islands, with a pleasant surprise at the top of the general classification after TC1 "Haría-Los Valles-El Mojón" (15 km), as the young local from Lanzarote, Raúl Hernández, co-driven by Rodrigo Sanjuán, achieved the best time of the stage with a time of 8:00.7 on the Peugeot 208 Rally4, a car theoretically inferior to that of his adversaries, but once again demonstrating that on the fast Lanzarote stages and with privileged hands, they can go very high.
The Lanzarote night was his ally to prevail, since in the partial times of Hernández, the push he gave to the second part downhill is demonstrated, after losing some seconds against his rivals in the initial part uphill. And the pupil left behind the masters, as is the case of Yeray Lemes-Rogelio Peñate (Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X), who led the stage until the surprise blow arrived by only one second of advantage, which relegated him to the provisional second place.
Raúl already surprised in the Telde Rallye stage, leading the general classification with the same car until the middle of the race. On that occasion, his ally was the rain. This time running at home, the night and the delicate state of the asphalt with wet areas have been the conditions he has been able to take advantage of. In addition, attacking directly for the triumph in the DISA-Orvecame Rally Cup of Sport&You Canarias.
The third step of the podium is currently occupied by the Lanzarote champion Toñín Suárez, with Jorge Cedrés as co-driver, with the Porsche 911 GT3, 6.8 seconds behind the leaders and closely followed by another of the 208 Rally4 "coperos", Juan Carlos de la Cruz-Kimberley González and by Toñi Ponce-Pedro Domínguez (Hyundai i20 R5), fifth overall and the first non-Lanzarote team. The differences are still minimal between the following classified, with sixth place for Oliver Rodríguez-David Rivero (Porsche 911 GT3), Aníbal Machín-Borja León (Mitsubishi Evo) and Javier Cañada-Alejandro Rodríguez (Opel Corsa Rally4). And Julio Martínez-Pedro Viera (Porsche 911), must settle for ninth place in this first stage, which does not help him to fight for renewing the title in the BP Championship of Las Palmas.
Three teams, including Suso Lemes (Mitsubishi Evo), have not finished this first night section, two abandonments in the liaison sector and one in the stage itself due to breakdowns (numbers 7, 31 and 46). And number 53 finished the stage with a broken windshield.
This Saturday the race resumes from 10 am with the dispute of seven timed stages, concluding from 5:05 pm with the last and also TC Plus "Haría-Los Valles".
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