It is the biggest race on the national motorsport calendar, which brings the world’s best drivers to Coimbra and the country. We’re talking about the Vodafone Rally de Portugal 2024, which takes to the road this Thursday, starting from the left bank of the Mondego for a tough race, which ends on May 12th, in the north of the country. The starting ceremony, ‘ceremonial star’, will take place next to Praça das Cortes, on Avenida Conimbriga, and as is usual, it is expected that curiosity will lead many fans of the sport to try to see the machines and riders up close.
Thus, on the 9th, from 2:30 pm to 4:00 pm, the trucks with the competition cars are scheduled to arrive, to be located inside the Coimbra University Stadium. Between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm, autograph sessions will take place in the garden next to the Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha, and from 4:30 pm to 4:40 pm it’s time for the long-awaited moment to take a photo with the riders. After the national anthem has been sung, the departure ceremony begins at 5 pm, and the biggest race on the national automobile calendar begins.
This year’s edition includes 22 sections and 335.26 kilometers. After the traditional shakedown in Baltar, the departure takes place again in Coimbra and the first day ends with a super special in Figueira da Foz. On day 10, the itinerary includes double passage through the sections of Mortágua, Lousã, Góis and Arganil. On May 11th, the race takes place in the north of the country, passing through Felgueiras, Montim, Amarante, Paredes, ending with a super special in Lousada. On the last day, May 12th, decisions are scheduled for the Cabeceiras de Basto and Fafe sections.
In statements, in Figueira da Foz, on the sidelines of the contract signing ceremony with the six municipalities in the Center region that host the Rally of Portugal (Arganil, Coimbra, Figueira da Foz, Góis, Lousã and Mortágua) and with the regional entity of tourism, Carlos Barbosa also addressed the changes to the route of the opening super special of the rally – scheduled for 7:05 pm on May 9th in the riverside area of that city – arguing that “it is a very cool route this year”. “The route of the Figueira da Foz super special will be more lively this year, last year there were many straights and little spectacularity in relation to the public. This year there will be much more spectacle for the public, with more areas that [os pilotos] they have to surround (…) the Figueira da Foz area will be much more attractive this year and I hope that people will come in droves”, emphasized the president of the ACP.
Heard by Lusa, the councilor responsible for Sports in the municipality of Figueira da Foz, Manuel Domingues – who, previously, had already alluded to the changes to the route of the super special, namely the placement of three roundabouts inside the so-called Gaivotas car park and the relocation of the jump to Avenida de Espanha – he said that all public access to the route will be closed and paid for.
In addition to the four stands available to the public, tickets for which cost 30 euros per person (15 euros for children between 8 and 14 years old and free from 3 to 7 years old, although without the right to a seat), there will be a pedestrian ticket , around the 2.94 kilometer circuit, with a unit cost of 10 euros (5 euros for children).
