Suddenly, a TV helicopter swoops down to track the
car. The Ford dips out of sight for an instant, and then
explodes off the crest in a riot of boiling dust and spitting
gravel, just as the helicopter blasts 20m overhead. It feels
like being on set in the middle of a remake of
Apocalypse
Now
,
the only thing missing being the accompanying
sound of the “Ride of the Valkyries” booming from the
low-flying chopper.
If your idea of a Cyprus theme tune is more “Gangnam
Style”, heard spilling out of a karaoke bar, then you may
need to reconsider. Because for those in the know, the
island’s real soundtrack more closely resembles the growl
of a turbocharged V8 engine. Ever since 1970, this
beautiful Mediterranean island has hosted an annual
international rally – as well as a number of other car
events - and it’s become a firm favourite among petrol
heads, thanks to its golden sunshine, true-blue skies and
unique viewing conditions, foremost being the fact that
you can get right up to the action.
“
They don’t have many barriers here!” enthuses
Norwegian Winnie Larsen, who’s come to cheer on
Skoda’s top driver, Andreas Mikkelsen. “We go to every
rally he’s in,” the fan adds. “He’s the best.”
The lack of barriers is just one of the reasons many
consider the island to be one of the best places anywhere to
watch racing. Rally Cyprus pulled in over 10,000 spectators
in 2012, including local guide Chris Christodoulou, who
has followed the annual race all his life. “Cyprus has
always been a real holiday rally,” he says. “This is down
to the short distances to stages and easy access to the
action, which lets visitors follow it all, together with the
island’s 300 days of sunshine every year.”
»
The throaty whirr of a turbo
going to the max washes
over the hillside as the
spectators turn to see a
plume of dust firing into the
cobalt sky. The crowd cheers
from the side of a field
bordered with olive trees as
Nasser Al-Attiyah throws his
car adeptly around a
tarmacked hairpin before
charging down the gravel
road with gusto.
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R A L L Y
C Y P R U S
