The year 2015 was not the best for Elisabete Jacinto’s team, since several mechanical problems were encountered all through the season. At the Africa Race she wins the second round and the feat is not repeated at the ninth only because the protective cover was not properly placed on the intake tube, which caused deficient air entrance and ultimately the intake tube collapse. The finishing line was already in sight when the Kamaz team overtook her. At the fourth round, the shock absorber stay broke, and the team had to veer from the course, which entailed a penalty.
For the Moroccan rally, which took place in October, the turbo was changed at the eve of the race, as a precaution, but it broke unexpectedly, forcing the team not to finish the round and to suffer a penalty.
Technically, this year the team changed the TGS cabin, this one having now a security arch, according to new FIA rules. A steering column adequate for competition was acquired, and there was a new attempt at inserting steering shock absorbers.
This year Elisabete teamed with France Clèves to take part once again in the Aïcha des Gazelles Rally, from Amarok, as a member of the VW team. A mistake when marking the last point in the chart caused the team to fall to sixth place.
The Bio-Ritmo® racing truck is already up and running and finally the trio managed to get out safely from the Erg Chegaga dunes where they were for two days and two nights ago. The backhoe that helped the Portuguese to put the MAN TGS in its position arrived with them this morning when a complex operation began to straighten the truck. After many hours of work they were able to put the truck upright and after having checked the engine it was possible to remove the vehicle from the hole where it had fallen.
The assistance team of Elisabete Jacinto acted promptly from the moment they realized that the broom wagon of the organization couldn’t reach the place where the trio was. The aid didn’t arrive sooner because the machine, rented by the team, took about 14 hours to reach the place where the incident occurred.
The Bio-Ritmo® team is still waiting for help to lift the MAN TGS that fell yesterday in a dune area in the Erg Chegaga when the Portuguese were fulfilling the third stage of the Rallye Oilibya du Maroc. The Portuguese team was still trying to continue the race, but this situation depended on the help they would receive from the “broom wagon” sent by the organization on a rescue mission of the Portuguese.
Meanwhile the NPO helicopter has been with Elisabete Jacinto, José Marques and Marco Cochinho having left food and water.
The Portuguese driver Elisabete Jacinto is stopped in the desert, where she is likely to stay overnight, after her competition truck has turned in the dunes of the Erg Chegaga when the pilot attempted to dodge a mud-covered area.
In the last hours a great sandstorm has risen which is greatly damaging the works of the Portuguese team that looks forward to the developments of the next hours.
The Portuguese driver Elisabete Jacinto finished today the second stage of the Rallye Oilibya du Maroc in the fourth place among the trucks, in a day in which the special, composed by a route of 354.45 kilometers, ended up being neutralized after the CP1, because the strong rains that fell in the region of Erfoud left one of the oued, that was part of the selective sector, impossible to surpass. For this reason, after completing 130 kilometers of course, the competitors were forced to stop and return to the bivouac without disputing the entire journey.
of the first place the Argentinean Frederico Villagra: “unfortunately today’s stage was neutralized shortly after CP1. It rained a lot two days ago and the oued that we were going to cross was impassable. NPO did the track reconnaissance before it rained and they didn’t realize that the rain caused damages. So it was only when the bikers arrived there and saw that they couldn’t get through, that the organization decided to neutralize the selective sector from CP1 onwards. We ended up doing only 130 kilometers, out of the 354 that composed the special. Everything was going well and we were getting a good rhythm when we had to go back to the camp” explained the Portuguese driver.