Due to the showers that fell overnight, worsening conditions on the track, René Metge opted for safety this morning by cancelling the first of the two timed stages which made up this fifth leg. Therefore, a very long liaison sector (344 km), that the competitors found extremely wearing, took them to Imranli, for the start of the only special stage of the day, the same as yesterday’s, but in the opposite direction.

At the start, Benoît Rousselot was not feeling himself. He set off at a slow pace, which did not feel natural to him.
«However, I was fully concentrated, and I was trying to manage the situation, an unusual one for me, » he admitted, looking sad. The kilometres went by, calmly, without hurrying, until the 29.5 km point, where, in a banked left-hand hairpin, taken slowly, the Nissan Pathfinder, off balance on two wheels, went over onto Fabian Lurquin’s side. «The Nissan was on its roof. Our first thought was to jump on the circuit-breaker. Then we got out the strap and waited for help…” They lost six minutes, until the Turkish team of Vural Ak - Karacar accepted to pull them out. Broken glass, damaged windscreen, a problem with the front drive … Just as they were getting the Nissan Pathfinder back underway, Isabelle Patissier arrived, and, the rescue operation being over, she carried on her way.

Just before starting the liaison, Isabelle Patissier had heard that she had just been given an eleven-minute penalty. The given reason was speeding in a village during yesterday’s special stage ! Isabelle thought about her disappointment throughout the day, only putting it out of her mind as they counted down the five seconds on the start line. Apart from that, it was a problem-free stage for her, and for her navigator Thierry Delli Zotti. «It was like being back on the Andros Trophy, it was so slippery. Like Benoît, we came very close to having a similar problem, four corners beforehand ! »

Benoît Rousselot-Fabian Lurquin and Isabelle Patissier-Thierry Delli Zotti are lying 5th and 8th overall respectively. Despite his roll, the former rally driver had maintained a good lead in Production over Ronan Chabot.

Tomorrow, the sixth stage will take place between Sivas and Urgüp, a total length of 392 km including 283 of timed stage. A very beautiful and new stage, discovered by René Metge. It will be varied and call on both driving skills and the talents of the navigators, as there will be plenty of changes of direction.