Stage 4 - Wednesday 23 April 2008 | Debrecen - Veszprem
- Connection 213.0 km
- Special 62.0 km
- Connection 201.0 km
- Connection 5.0 km
- Special 88.0 km
- Connection 110.0 km
- Total 580.0 km
Interviews
Cyril Despres – KTM (after the day’s first special) - 001
“This morning, it was the same special as the first day, but the opposite way round. I’m satisfied because I completed it in 30’’ less than the first time and I’ve also gained 2 minutes on the leader over 60 km, which is good. Of course, I’ve still got some way to go to catch up, but there are still some more specials left, so there’s still hope. I’m feeling good, so I’m going to continue attacking. Now we’ve got to tackle the second special, which looks difficult to navigate: there are tracks everywhere, it’s a real maze. So, if I can get through it without losing any time I’ll be happy”.
Cyril Despres – KTM (end of stage 4) - 001
“In the end, the special wasn’t at all how I thought it would be. There was absolutely no need to navigate, because the route was marked out with yellow tape everywhere. In fact, it was a 90-km endurance special stage. As a result, I was a bit disappointed, because I was hoping to navigate well and climb back up the general standings, but it wasn’t possible. That said, I’ve still won the stage, but it’s a shame because I know Katrinak isn’t a good navigator, so there would have been an opportunity to make up some ground”.
David Casteu – KTM (end of stage 4) - 003
“I don’t know how big the gaps will be, because I think that Katrinak missed a waypoint and will probably get a time penalty. Anyway, we’ll see. Personally, I found the second special really difficult, and I gave myself one hell of a fright with a nasty fall over the bumps. I was a little dazed so it was hard to pick up the pace again. What’s more, there were lots of tracks criss-crossing, so I really had to follow the road-book carefully and it was a little bit tricky. Still, I’ve kept hold of the lead and that’s the most important thing. Now I’m going to have to concentrate for the rest of the race. I’m not in a position to control the race, but it’s the first time I’ve been in the lead in a rally like this and it’s a bit hard to deal with. I tend to try too hard and as a result I’m a bit too aggressive on the bike, so I’m going to try and relax a little more for the last few stages”.
Feliciano Lopez – KTM (end of stage 4) - 010
“The special was very difficult today and I almost fell after 5 km, so I decided to slow the pace and be cautious. In fact, it’s a tactic that I’m going to use until the end of the rally. On this rally I’m trying out a new bike, which is heavier and more powerful, and also a new team, so it’s really important for me to reach the finishing line. I don’t want to spoil everything by going on the attack”.
Hubert Deltrieu – Polaris - 118
“This morning I managed to catch up with Irimescu when I saw that he had fallen. I stopped, but he waved me on is if he was okay, so I carried on. I had a bit of trouble regaining my pace, because I knew that I was going have a big lead in the general standings. However, this afternoon, I really went on the attack, mainly because I was really enjoying myself on the quad. My machine with its independent rear wheels is absolutely perfect for this type of terrain. With the lead I have in the general standings, tomorrow I’m going to wait calmly for my rivals and then follow their tracks to make sure of the final victory. Well, I hope I’ll be able to, because I’m not the type of rider that likes to control a race, but I’ll give it a try”.
Giniel De Villiers – VW – (after the first special of the day) - 203
“It all went well for me this morning. The car was perfect and I was able to go on the attack on a terrain that we’re familiar with because it’s the same route as the very first special, except in the opposite direction. The track was still just as sandy and bumpy, with mud at the end as well and it was very slippery. Now I’m only three minutes behind Peterhansel, and though it isn’t easy to make up time on him, I’m going to try my best to do so. If we can avoid problems, like yesterday and this morning, it might be possible, we’ll see what happens”.
Nasser Al Attiyah – BMW - 205
“The second special was fantastic for me, even if I lost a bit of time overtaking Luc Alphand and Dieter Depping. I really had a great battle with Carlos Sainz. At the start, I asked him what his strategy was and he just said, “To go hell for leather”, so I said, “Well, I’ll go at top speed too”. It was classic rally racing. In any case, I’m obliged to drive like that, because I have to attack to climb up the general standings”.
Carlos Sainz – VW - 201
“I had a good day today. This morning the track was full of groves and the sand was quite soft, but it was okay. This afternoon, I really went on the attack and again everything was perfect until we made a small navigation mistake, which lost us around 50 seconds”.
Stéphane Peterhansel – Mitsubishi - 200
“Even though this was the second time we’ve been over it, this morning the special at Dabas wasn’t in such a bad state and it was quite nice to drive. As for this afternoon, it was a 90-km special on a fairly limited terrain. As a result, we got tangled up with other competitors and it was quite stressful, especially since the wind hand blown away some of the signs so it was quite easy to get lost. All in all, I’m really happy now that’s finished and it’s over with”.
Hans Stacey – MAN - 400
“The stage was very difficult today because we encountered plenty of small problems. First of all, after 2 km, I was trapped behind a car that was stuck in the middle of the track and I had to stop. Next, we had to overtake Ales Loprais, and as he tried to pull over he skidded as well and blocked the route! We had to wait for him to get out of the way to get past. Then finally, just before the end of the special our time card was blown out of the window and we had to stop and look for it in the grass! So, this afternoon, I really drove carefully in the second special because it was easy to go quickly but there was also the danger of breaking the truck over the bumps. Now I’ve got a lead of 16’34”, which probably means I could get away with having two punctures before the rest catch up with me. So I’ll have to go on the attack again tomorrow”.