It is 33°C and we are greeted by a car horn concerto! We are in Cairo, Egypt, and gearing up for the fourth and last event of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship.The administrative and technical checks took place at the Mövenpick Hotel, not far from the pyramids at Gizeh, where the riders will be setting out on Monday morning at the crack of dawn with a total of 2874 km ahead of them, 2281 of them making up the Special Sections. Marc Coma, who clinched the World Championship title at the finish of the Rally of Sardinia, has passed on the Pharaohs for the first time in years, leaving the way free for his nearest competitors. Indeed, the main prize of this event will be the runner-up spot in the FIM World Championship, and there is a trio of well known riders in contention: Jordi Viladoms, Paulo Goncalves and Jakub Przygonski, currently just a handful of points apart.Pal Ullevalseter and Joan Barreda count as outsiders. The Norwegian has saved up his budget for the end of the season in order to prepare for the Dakar, while the Spanish rider can no longer make the World Championship podium after taking a heavy penalty in Sardinia for going 20m outside the road book. He will nevertheless be giving it his all in order to get on the podium for this final event. David Frétigné is the event's most notable absentee. The Frenchman broke two ribs on a bicycle last week and his doctor has prescribed a desert-free regimen!Francisco Arredondo, who just took part in the 6 Days, was forced to return to Guatemala for business and has had to miss out on Egypt, as has Jes Munk, who came fourth last year but is still convalescing after a serious accident on the Classic Aveyronnaise.In the Quad category, Camelia Liparoti, the only woman in the line-up, will have to do battle with Polish duo Rafal Sonik and Lukasz Laskawiec and Frenchmen Sébastien Souday and Antoine Lecomte.There will be 55 motorcycles and 5 quads at the start tomorrow morning at 6 o'clock, ready to ride into the desert as the sun rises over the Pharaohs at Gizeh. RouteMonday, 1 October1st Leg: Cairo - TibniyaRoad section: 124.23 km – Special Section: 330.84 km – Road section: 102.10 km - Total : 557.17 kmTuesday, 2 October2nd Leg: Tibniya - TibniyaSpecial Section: 347.07 km - Total: 347.07 kmWednesday, 3 October3rd Leg : Tibniya - Abu MingarSpecial Section: 426.25 km – Road Section: 154.88 km - Total: 581.13 kmThursday, 4 October4th Leg: Abu Mingar - Abu MingarSpecial Section 1: 215.00 km – Road Section: 39.77 km – Special Section 2: 248.56 km – Road Section: 24.32 km - Total: 527.65 kmFriday, 5 October5th Leg: Abu Mingar - TibniyaRoad Section: 14.34 km – Special Section: 405.50 km - Total: 419.84 kmSaturday, 6 October6th Leg: Tibniya - CairoSpecial Section: 308.58km – Road Section: 132.57 km - Total: 441.15 kmCommunication AMADLOZI Edition - http://amadlozi.blogspot.ch -
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