Eurosport Events and the Cyprus Automobile Association (CAA) have today announced the creation of an innovative standalone rallying event, the Golden Stage Rally, the first edition of which will be run in Cyprus on 7 November, 2010.

The Golden Stage Rally will showcase rallying in a new and exciting way, by making it accessible, understandable and attractive for a wider audience. The compact, fan and television-friendly format will maximise the dramatic impact of the event. It will offer a thrilling spectacle with a complete new experience of the event from every possible angle for spectators and TV viewers.

The event will be open to all teams and drivers competing with Super 2000, Group N and Group A (up to A7) cars, in both 2-wheel drive and 4-wheel drive categories. It will offer a substantial minimum 150,000-Euro prize, split between the S2000, Group N and two-wheel drive categories. The Golden Stage Rally will feature one single stage on mixed surface measuring approximately 25-30 kilometers in length, the Golden Stage, run twice. The event will benefit from an extensive live production managed by Eurosport Events, which successfully pioneered live coverage from the stages of several IRC rounds. Eurosport Events is responsible for the distribution of the worldwide media rights (including TV rights) and will make footage of the Golden Stage Rally available to broadcasters. The Golden Stage Rally will be broadcast in its entirety through Eurosport’s network, reaching more than 117 million homes across 59 countries and through Eurosport Asia-Pacific.

Thanks to the strong collaboration and support of the CAA, the first edition of the Golden Stage Rally will take place on Sunday 7 November, 2010, following the conclusion of the FxPro Cyprus Rally, the 12th and final round of this year’s IRC season.

Marcello Lotti, General Manager of the IRC commented: "With this brand new concept, we want to create a new showcase for our entire sport and an opportunity for the professional and amateur drivers from many series to gather together and take a shot at glory and the prize purse. It will be open to all teams and drivers and the action promises to provide a great show in Cyprus, host venue of the final round of the IRC season and renowned as one of the world’s most challenging rally destinations".

President of the CAA Antonis Michaelides said: "The Cyprus Rally has always been about breaking new ground to ensure that world rallying is as exciting and as entertaining as possible and with the addition of this innovative new event, we are confident that this year’s Cyprus Rally will be the most memorable yet. After the challenge of the Rally itself, to complete the weekend with this one-off ’shoot-out’ between the world’s best will make it an unforgettable experience for fans and drivers alike."

Chairman of the Cyprus Tourism Organisation Alecos Orountiotis welcomed this new initiative: "Cyprus has built an enviable reputation for hosting world-class sporting events and we are especially proud to be hosting this exciting new event. Our island boasts many strengths, including its outstanding climate, its beautiful scenery, and its extensive range of facilities, and we are sure that the many fans of motorsport who will watch this event will also become fans of our beautiful island."

Organised under the auspices of the CAA, regulations and full details of the stage layout of the Golden Stage Rally will be published soon, giving teams plenty of time to prepare themselves for what is sure to be a new highlight of the international rally season. The Golden Stage Rally will showcase rallying in a new and exciting way, by making it accessible, understandable and attractive for a wider audience. The compact, fan and television-friendly format will maximise the dramatic impact of the event. It will offer a thrilling spectacle with a complete new experience of the event from every possible angle for spectators and TV viewers.

By RI

Eurosport Events, promoter of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) is delighted to announce the 2010 IRC calendar, featuring 12 rounds with a mix of legendary and well-established events across Europe and South America. For the second consecutive year, the series will start with the oldest and most prestigious event: the Rallye Monte Carlo. In 2010, it will become the most-televised rally in the sport’s history with full live coverage from the stages. The three new events joining the IRC calendar next year include the Rally Argentina, the Rally d’Italia Sardegna and the FxPro Cyprus Rally which will form the grand finale of the season in November. Next year’s IRC season will be run on a 50-50 mix of asphalt and gravel rallies, plus two mixed-surface events.

Round 1 19-23 January Rallye Monte-Carlo Monaco (a)
Round 2 4-06 March Rally Internacional de Curitiba Brazil (g)
Round 3 19-21 March Rally Argentina Argentina (g)
Round 4 04-06 June Rally d’Italia Sardegna Italy (g)
Round 5 24-26 June Belgium Ypres Rally Belgium (a)
Round 6 15-17 July Sata Rally Açores Portugal (g)
Round 7 05-07 August Rally Vinho Madeira Portugal (a)
Round 8 27-29 August Barum Czech Rally Zlín Czech Republic (a)
Round 9 09-11 September Rally Principe de Asturias Spain (a)
Round 10 23-25 September Rallye Sanremo Italy (a-g)
Round 11 14-16 October RAC MSA Rally of Scotland UK (g)
Round 12 04-06 November FxPro Cyprus Rally Cyprus (a-g)

(a) Asphalt / (g) Gravel / (a-g) Mix

“This exciting calendar reflects the increasing status of IRC in world motorsport, with more and more prestigious events joining our series. We have taken a number of major steps forward with high levels for both competition and ground-breaking live TV coverage. This contributes to the spectacular rise in the profile of the series” said Géraldine Filiol, Managing Director of Eurosport Events. “For 2010, we are embarking on our most ambitious season yet: not only do we start the season with the legendary Monte Carlo Rally with fully 14 hours of live action, but we will extend this innovative Live television production to 4 other events across the year, to provide unrivalled access for fans and great value to competitors and commercial partners” she added.

By RallyBuzz