Today, at the fifth stretch of Sonangol Africa Eco Race 2013, driver Elisabete Jacinto obtained yet a second place in the trucks classification, with a difference of no more than 3m48s from Kamaz official team. Team Oleobam/MAN Portugal is now runner-up in trucks and eighth in the joint classification.
Tomorrow is the rally resting day, and the Portuguese team goes to the difficult Mauritanian tracks more than an hour ahead of the third, the Czech Tomas Tomecek, who is usually rather fast in Mauritanian territory. The Russian Kamaz team is still first in the category, with an advantage of 30 minutes over Elisabete Jacinto.
The Portuguese race driver makes a positive balance of the first week in this competition: “till now everything has been going on very well. The team is enthusiastic with the results obtained. Now we have to bear in mind that we are heading to the tough Mauritanian soil. Today’s stretch was once more very propitious for us, in spite of having been considerably tiresome for the first few kilometers. The tracks were very narrow, and it was complicated to drive to drive through, especially with a truck. However, when those difficulties were left behind, we kept a good pace”, mentioned Elisabete Jacinto at end of the last Moroccan stretch in Africa Eco Race.
Tomorrow there is a rest in the race. After five stretches and 2755 kilometers, drivers and assistance teams are entitled to rest one day, before they get to Mauritania, where four more specials are to take place, prior to the last stages in Senegal.
