French driver Despres wins Silkway Rally
Xinhua, July 23, 2016 Adjust font size:
The 42-year-old French driver Cyril Despres from Peugeot claimed the final champion of Silkway Rally as he ranked 6th in the 14th and the final selective stage here on Saturday.
Despres, who had extended his overall lead to more than 30 minutes after the 13th stage, adopted a conservative strategy and clocked 3 hours, 49 minutes and 37 seconds to finish the race. Yazeed Mohamed Al Rahji from Mini All4 Racing won the stage in 3:44:01.
With an overall lead of more than 25 minutes, Despres took his first international rally title after he changed his role from motorcycle to car.
"The stages in China are very long and difficult. I have experienced a lot with my co-drivers, but these are what make this rally fantastic," Despres said.
Chinese driver Han Wei marked 8th in the 14th stage and ranked 6th in the overall standings, making the best performance of the Chinese drivers in the multinational rally.
The closing ceremony is due to take place in Beijing Olympic Park on Sunday. Endit