Pilot celebrates Cristianos victory (foto: Andre Chaco/ www.webventure.com.br)
Maurício Ramos, aka Índio, Sertões 2007 champion in quads category, analyzed the seven first stages of the 17th Sertões. For him, Cristiano Sousa is not likely to lose leadership to Carlo Collet, unless an accident or serious break down occurs, since there are 49 minutes between them.
Ive been with Cristiano, in Palmas (TO), and he said that he would hold his pace during this Marathon Stage, because he had more than one hour of advantage. Carlo still has a belt problem in the quad, and it wouldnt survive riding too fast. It heats and breaks, said Índio. He visited Tocantins capital to see part of the race.
Besides the total time advantage, Maurício welcomes Cristianos victory, because it would be an incentive for the other pilots. This is the first time he races Sertões, but he is an experienced pilot. He is in the first place of the Brazilian Championship, he rides hard, and I think its good that he is riding ahead, because people will see that Carlo, Robert (Nahas) and myself are not the only ones that won Sertões. Its good to have a new face, he said.
Collets rush for leadership must go on, according to Índio, but he uses statistic in favor of Sertões rookie. In this kind of endurance race, usually, statistics show that the ones who ride harder in the beginning, ends up in the first place. He made the first half of the race well, and I think this will be important in the end of the race, revealed the pilot.
Índio trusts in Sousas strategy of accelerating as much as he could during the pre-marathon stages, and that the distance to Collet is comfortable. Everything shows that he can get to the end of the race 10 or 15 minutes, and win the race, he declared. If no one breaks, gets hurt or nothing bad happens, I think the classification will stay unchanged. Carlo must keep trying to shorten his distance, but I think he will not catch up. I wish Carlo wins, too, he is my partner, and we race together, but a new persons victory is an incentive for new pilots, and turns the new category into a competitive one, he finished.
Este texto foi escrito por: Lilian El Maerrawi/ www.webventure.com.br