Sporting Aspects
THE RALLY
Follow the path of 2008 PAX Rally
topLisbon
The start of this great Pax Rally 2008 will be set up in the Portuguese capital, for the technical and administrative checks of participants registered in the event. The date of this operation is 9 June, a Tuesday, and the venue chosen will be the Parque Eduardo VII, a central area in Lisbon, generous in space and in trees. This place has a great tradition in motor sports as a few decades ago this was the starting point of the Rally de Portugal, when it was considered to be one of the best worldwide competitions of its class.
Set in the heart of the town, and next to the square with the same name showing the statute of the Marquês de Pombal, the Parque Eduardo VII is the ideal place to attract thousands and thousands of All-Terrain enthusiasts, always anxious to be around their idols and their respective competition machines.
The Parque Eduardo VII is a pleasant spot, freely accessed, and providing all types of access and transports. Being the largest park in the Portuguese capital, with 26 hectares, it holds many possibilities, namely tree and plant hot-houses, restaurants, esplanades, picnic parks, tennis facilities, gymnasium, swimming-pool. It also stages other events, such as the famous Annual Book Fair. First known as Parque da Liberdade, in 1903 it was renamed Eduardo VII in honour of the English king visiting Lisbon at that time.
Similar to the experience in the Praça do Império, with the beginning of the Dakar, JLS centralises even more the excitement and show characterising the beginning of major motor sport competitions as the starting podium will be set up in the charming Parque Eduardo VII, near the Praça do Marquês. The first vehicle will leave on 10 September, in the morning.
Lisbon - Castelo Branco
The stage leaving the Parque Eduardo VII is a one-way track, towards Beira Baixa, and ending in the centre of the district capital, Castelo Branco.
The day begins with a ‘liason’ stage of about a hundred and fifty kilometres, taking the competitors across the Tagus River, on the fringes of Beira Baixa, where they will face the special stage, over a distance of 220 kilometres.
The special stage will take place in a mountainous area, with forests, across a winding course, between hills and valleys, crossing the councils of Mação, Vila do Rei and Oleiros. Competitors will drive through areas with diversified vegetation, including shrubs and trees, predominantly pine, olive, cork and eucalyptus trees.
Although showing some variations, the terrain is mostly formed by schist, sometimes clay soil. Particularly noteworthy in the surrounding landscape is the large number of aquatic areas, including creeks, streams and cascades, especially the splendorous Rio Zêzere and the Castelo do Bode dam.
As mentioned previously, after a difficult special, in a ‘liason’ stage, which will certainly please pilots and public alike, the stage will end with a control check in the centre of town where the Escuderia de Castelo Branco was set up, an organising partner who offers its availability and skills and brings to its origins a great All-Terrain competition.
The competitors of the Pax Rally 2008 will spend the night in Castelo Branco, where the Closed Assistance Park will be set up.
STAGE MAPS
Lisboa - Castelo Branco | Detailed Lisboa - Castelo Branco | Detailed Macao - Castelo Branco | Detailed Castelo Branco
ENTERTAINEMENT AREAS
Castelo Branco | Macao | Oleiros | Proença a Nova | Vila Rei
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Castelo Branco - Benavente
Even if competitors have little time to visit the town in great detail, Castelo Branco is one of those Portuguese towns where history marks its presence. In this well organised and cared for town in the centre of the country, you cannot miss seeing the fabulous Episcopal Palace gardens (dating back to 1725), the City Park, the Knights Templar Castle and the Museum Francisco Tavares Proença Júnior, in the old Episcopal Palace, with many archaeological findings, tapestries, coin collections and Portuguese paintings from the 16th century.
The second stage of the Pax Rally 2008, departing from here, will take competitors to the Ribatejo plains until they reach Benavente. Overall, this means 450 kilometres, and the special stage will even outdo the ‘liason’ stage as it will be of 230 kilometres.
After leaving the Castelo Branco area, the caravan will endure a course closer to the Spanish border, where the skills and diverse driving styles of competitors will be put to the test in this fantastic scenery surrounding the pilots. One of the best examples of this is the Idanha area, a region where the quartz and granite make up the soil, in Plains and mountains, and where the oaks, olive-trees, holm-oaks and the cork-trees are predominant. An attractive, rich and varied landscape, with natural crevices and a rich and protected wild life. This is the domain of wolves, wild boards, deer, foxes, griffon-vultures, eagles and grey herons; and all because of this exceptional habitat.
In line with this scenario, in terms of fauna, flora or pure geographic element, even in the International Tagus area with its famous Portas do Ródão, the Pax Rally then takes the elements to the region of Vila Velha do Ródão. A transition area into the Alto Alentejo, the council of Vila Velha do Ródão boasts a historical heritage rich in archaeological findings of great value, from the pre-historic, roman or medieval times.
The Tagus River unites and separates. We now move on to the council of Nisa – yet another land rich in historical findings – and we come to the Alto Alentejo. The landscape now changes before our eyes. Gavião is a meeting place, where people’s paths now come into contact with culture and customs from the Alentejo, Beira and Ribatejo.
STAGE MAPS
Castelo Branco - Samora Correia | Detailed Castelo Branco - Samora Correia | Detailed Castelo Branco - Idanha a Nova | Detailed Castelo Branco - Belver Detailed Idanha a Nova - V.V.Rodão | Detailed V.V.Rodão - Belver | Detailed Belver - A1(road) | Detailed A1(road) - Samora Correia
ENTERTAINEMENT AREAS
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Lezíria stage
Here we are ready for the Lezíria stage. This area has more than eight hundred years of Portuguese history, the beginnings of which date back to the resettlement ordered by King Sancho I. Agriculture and cattle are the region’s brand images, through salt-marshes, ditches and the ever-present Tagus River in the Ribatejo landscape plains.
After the rest in Samora Correia, competitors in the Pax Rally will experience what was programmed in last January to be the initial stage of the Rally Dakar 2008. After leaving Benavente, the pilots will face a 240 kilometre course, dominated by the special, in a distance of 190 kilometres.
Across sandy terrain, where driving is put to the test, the special stage will enter two properties with great tradition in the Ribatejo: the Companhia das Lezírias and the Carreira de Tiro of the Portuguese Air Force. These two neighbouring properties have totally different purposes. In the case of the Companhia das Lezírias, this is the largest property dedicated to the agriculture, cattle and forest industry in Portugal. A true green paradise for the human being and for animal species, boasting excellent and unavoidable rice, wines, horses, olive-oil and agro-tourism activities.
This mostly plain and fast course, with terrain demanding a great deal from driving skills is then available in this noble area, accessible to the public who will certainly be there to participate.
This third competitive course of the Pax Rally will end in the centre of Alcochete, a very pleasant village on the left bank of the Tagus River, where historical evidence is mixed with a most striking modern development.
STAGE MAPS
Benavente - Alcochete | Stage start | Stage end | Detailed Alcochete
ENTERTAINEMENT AREAS
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Alcochete - Portimão
The stage connecting the Ribatejo Plains with the Algarve coast, more precisely between Alcochete and Portimão may as well be the one where most decisions will have to take place in this Pax Rally 2008. This is a tough leg, not only because of its distance - the longest - but also because of many other special ingredients underlying it. Those who remember the brilliant and vibrant special taken endured here by the Dakar pilots in 2007, in what was said to be one of the toughest stages on sand of the Lisbon-Dakar in that year, will have a close idea of what we will experience now. For this Pax Rally 2008 we will have a special about 300 kilometres long, to which we must add the other 220 kilometres of ‘liason’ courses. So, pilots and public in general, be prepared for a diversified driving show, with plenty of sand, fast driving and navigation in the first part of the stage, only to change a bit further ahead, when things do change and the terrain is now harder and were pilots will have to endure winding courses. These ingredients all add up to a great All-Terrain show, as fans of this sports activity are quite used to.
STAGE MAPS
Alcochete - Portimão |
Detailed Alcochete - Alcácer do Sal |
Detailed Alcácer do Sal - Santiago do Cacém |
Detailed Alcácer do Sal - Pedo do Altar
Detailed Grândola - Portimao |
Detailed Santiago do Cacém - Ortiga |
Detailed Ortiga |
Detailed Ortiga - A2(road)
ENTERTAINEMENT AREAS
Santiago do Cacém Alcácer do Sal Grândola
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Portimão - Portimão
Portimão is today an exceptional town in Portugal. A true anchor in the Barlavento algarvio (the weather shore) it is a dynamic centre of social and business development, with an incredible growth in many sectors. Those who have not visited Portimão in the past few years will find it difficult to recognise the current modern and developed town. However, it has not lost its history as a region bearing many marks of former civilisations, from the first traces of Neolithic, Roman and Arab presence.
Today, besides other traditional activities and services, tourism is the key reference, with plenty of offers and backed by excellent infrastructures, good access ways and highly professional environment. The council authorities have invested in the area by offering major sports events to the cultural and social life of Portimão, in activities such as sailing, cycling, motorcycling or motoring sports.
Having been used to seeing the Dakar stages drive through the area in the past few years, and to witnessing the powerful machines in competition, the Portimão population will once again have the opportunity of experiencing the emotions felt on such a day, and particularly because the last stage of this Pax Rally will be decided here. This is a short and fast stage, rather competitive, with a 65 kilometre long special.
STAGE MAPS
Portimão | Detailed Portimão 1 | Detailed Portimão 2 | Detailed Portimão 3
ENTERTAINEMENT AREAS
Download all stage images here