João Silva: “It would be good to reach the podium”.

João Silva is not competing full time in the Coral Rally Championship of Madeira, “that is why this participation at the Rally Vinho Madeira comes as a sporadic way to celebrate the competition’s 60.th anniversary and, in a way, to have the chance to drive again my Citroën DS3 R5, which pleases me very much. We naturally want to achieve a good result, which, in part, is dependent on finishing the race and, also, to fight for a place at the top, as we did at the last two editions. To reach a spot at the podium would be a very good result for our team”. At 31 years old, João Silva debuted in racing around 12 years ago with a Toyota Yaris. He took part, in 2012, of the WRC Academy and, with a Renault Clio R3, reached the titles in the 2 litters and two driving wheels groups at the 2011 National Championship and at the 2013 Madeira Championship. At the wheel of his current vehicle he has been regional vice-champion these last two years. Obtaining his first absolute triumph in 2017, he won, since then, three more rally competitions.

60 years of Rally: The Rally in the 60’s.

The Tour of Madeira Island was created still in 1950’s bringing together two goals. The event embodied the enormous passion that Madeirans have always had for cars and the road, for it must be remembered that, for centuries, it was extremely difficult to pass beyond the closest mountain, due to the island’s orography, and served, as well, as another relevant asset for the promotion of the island as a touristic destination. The competition, debuted in 1959 and being won, for the first time, by José Bernardino Lampreia in MGA, was the outcome of a partnership between the then contemporary official entities and CS Madeira, resulting in a remarkable success story. In the decade that The Beatles’ single “She loves you” echoed in the local discotheques, directly imported from abroad, the Rally stood for the best national values of the time and allowed the people of the archipelago to not abstain from watching, from their backyards and “poios”, Madeira’s traditional terroirs, racers, such as Horácio Macedo and his unforgettable Mercedes 300SL or his Ferrari 250, António Peixinho in his remarkable Alfa Romeo Giulia, the small but brilliant Austin Cooper of Manuel Gião, or the devilish surprises of the Madeiran Zeca Cunha, who actually managed to win the 1965 edition on a Triumph TR5, go by. 1967 saw the consolidation of the Tour’s international character. Jean-Pierre Nicolas, nowadays an unavoidable figure at the international stage of motor racing, was the first foreigner to win in our island. The Renault 8, developed by the “magician” Amedée Gordini, monopolized attentions and occupied the top of the ranks. Madeira’s road infrastructure, developing at the slow pace of the pick, made them hard and difficult partners when paired with the fragility of the mechanical state of the art of the time. Together, these factors determined that, in the 1969 edition, soon after the United States planted their flag on the moon’s surface, only one car managed to reach the finishing line, a feat authored by the Portuguese racer Américo Nunes. Equipped with a very good and potent Porsche 911S, the pilot had already won the previous year but was still far from knowing that, a decade later, he would consolidate the title of “King of the roads of Madeira”. A decade after its creation, the Tour was already one of the most important social events in the archipelago.

Ricardo Teodósio: “To become the best in the Portuguese Championship”.

Ricardo Teodósio arrives in Madeira after “having won two rallies, having reached third place in two other and one second place. We have always been present at the podium and the outcome is actually positive, since we are ahead in the Portuguese National Rally Championship. In Madeira we are expecting to face local pilots’ favorability due to their direct knowledge of local terrains, terrains where, for instance, I have not raced for the past nine years. As such, we will concentrate our efforts in reaching results that count for the National Championship, which we want to win”. Teodósio is 43 years old and, throughout his long career in racing, he has been known as a pilot who manages to bring together speed and spectacular driving. The Algarve racer has driven at the wheel of a wide variety of vehicles, but it was with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X R4 that he managed in 2017 to win the ERT2 title at the FIA Iberian Rally Trophy and, at the Portuguese Championship, the RC2N group. He rides, since last year, a Skoda Fabia R5 and is currently leading the Portuguese Rally Championship.

Entry list with attributed Competition numbers

Alexandre Camacho - Skoda Fabia R5 is #1. Armindo Araújo - Hyundai I20 R5 is #2. The Spaniard José Maria Lopez- Citroen C3, the current leader of the Spanish SuperChampionship, has been attributed number 5. 4-Time winner in Madeira, Italian driver, Giandomenico Basso - Skoda Fabia R5, will compete in RALIVM 2019 with plate number 7. One Regional and FIA/ERT champion, Alexandre Camacho, the National Champion Armindo Araújo, and the current leader of the National (PT) leader Ricardo Teodósio with a Skoda Fabia R5 with door number 3 head the entry presented today. Also featured is the return to Madeira of Bruno Magalhães-Hyundai I20 with number 4 plates. Remember that Bruno Magalhães was European Rally Championship winner in 2017. Entry List - European Rally Championship and Iberian Rally Championship Entry List - Coral Regional Rally Championship  

José Pedro Fontes: “To reverse tendencies this year”

            José Pedro Fontes’ current season “has not been going too well. Now, at the Rally Vinho Madeira, a competition we are fond of and that we already know, to which we have adapted well and where we feel comfortable, we want to reverse this tendency so that we manage to obtain a good result”.             Born in 1975, the Citroën Vodafone Team racer is one of the Portuguese competitors with one of the most eclectic careers in motor racing. He holds titles from various echelons, was the rally National Champion in both 2015 and 2016, having also won, in this same year, the Rally Vinho Madeira and the FIA Iberian Racing Trophy. He has already raced for brands such as Fiat, Renault and, these last few years, Citroën. Currently he stands in seventh place at the Portuguese Rally Championship.

Pedro M. Gomes: “To finish on the top ten”

Pedro Mendes Gomes’ goal for this year was “to race in two rallies, Faial and Vinho Madeira, but we have managed also to be able to align that of Ribeira Brava. We started well, since we came up third in this last one, very well if we take into account that we only wanted to became acquainted with the driving and to get to know the vehicle. Faial was a new test because we did not yet know how the car would react on a wet terrain, nor were we equipped with the best set of tires. We did our best and I am happy to have overcome my fears of wet terrains. The preparations for this year’s Rally Vinho Madeira are going well and I am ready to give it all my best, with no pressure added. I just want to have fun and reach the end of this race, if possible, in the top ten”. The racer, who is celebrating his 41.st anniversary this week, has debuted in racing back in 1998. He has already been at the driving wheel of a wide range of cars and has, precisely one year ago, raced for the first time at the wheel of a Peugeot 208 T16 with which he will be racing again in 2019. Having won all single brand competitions in which he has participated, he is, for a long time now, a recurrent presence at Madeira’s rally podiums.  

Artur Quintal: “To win the RC4 group”.

In 2019, Artur Quintal took off “determined to apply myself to the fullest in order to become a champion. I have put this together with the RR Team’s experience in car preparation and Vítor Henriques’ collaboration. We are ahead at the RC4 group as well as at the Eng. Rafael Costa Trophy and, excluding our worst mark, we are also leading. It is good to lead because that builds in a healthy pressure that moves us to do more and better. At the Rally Vinho Madeira we cannot but have the goal of winning the legs of which we are at the command. Let it be a great Rally filled with a sense of fair play and a healthy competition”. Artur Quintal was born in 1990 and has raced his first rally only five years ago. After debuting with a Toyota Starlet, he has already ridden a Citroën C2 R2 and, since around 2018, he has been at the driving wheel of a Peugeot 208 R2. Of his victories one may find many attributed to this group.  

Message from the Clerk of the Course

Rally Vinho Madeira 2019   60 years, 60 editions!             First as the Tour of Madeira Island, now as Rally Vinho Madeira.  It is with a lot of pride that this team is preparing another edition of Rally Vinho Madeira, the sixtieth, coinciding with the celebration of the 600th anniversary of the Discovery of the Archipelago of Madeira.             Belonging to the Autonomous Region of Madeira, it also belongs to Portugal and to Europe; geographies where it naturally fits in. RVM is an integral part of their respective championships and trophies, namely the Madeira Rally Championship, the Portuguese Rally Championship and the European Rally Trophy (Iberian Region).             This is a race with proven results in the European rally panorama, with a big appetite for welcoming - as is expected from a region which, at its core, is touristic - all those who wish to visit us and take part in one of the most prestigious races from those disputed in Rally Europe. For that end we recovered some of the Special Stages that were part of the History of Rally, such as that between Serra de Água and Rosário, connecting the South to the North of the island, and the iconic race of Boaventura, on the Northern coast of Madeira.             We want to keep tracing the steps of those who, for many years, have been helping to maintain the high standards of Madeira’s name and Rally Vinho Madeira’s quality, for which we count on the collaboration of all those who go on the road to applaud their idols, asking for their maximum safety and, so, adding to the security of those racing.             Stay close to the thrill, but always far from peril. The Organising Committee appreciates. Pedro Melvill de Araújo Clerk of the Course

Message from The President of C.S.Madeira and Organising committee

RALI VINHO MADEIRA 2019 60 YEARS OF SUCCESS 1959/2019     In this year 2019, we have many good reasons to reminisce and celebrate. The oldest sports institution in the Region, the Club Sports Madeira, celebrates its 110th Anniversary and despite its longevity, it has always been the pioneer of great sporting achievements in Madeira.   The "Tour of Madeira Island", the precursor of the Rali Vinho da Madeira, is 60 years old, and represents 60 Race Editions. It is the oldest automobile event held annually in Portugal organised by the same club. An achievement and a status which has only been possible due to the fact that since the first edition of the "Tour of the Island" each event has been well supported and cherished by Madeirans over the years, who with their habitual generosity and the art of welcoming quickly turned the "Tour of the Island" into a well recognised and well renowned event with national and international projection. Today, with a vast and rich history and a prestigious image and   international recognition, this is the sporting event which best promotes and projects Madeira, as the a touristic destination of excellence.   The Rali Vinho da Madeira 2019 maintains the status of FIA-IRT Race and the National Championship and Coral Rally of Madeira, maintaining high standards of organisation and safety and is considered one of the best rallies on tarmac.   On the other hand, Madeira today, is an example of development, modernity and sustained economic and social growth thanks to the conquest of its political and administrative autonomy, thanks to the will, strength and determination of its people who broke with its historical isolation and insularity, celebrating this year the "600 Years of Discovery of Madeira and Porto Santo", as an Autonomous Region that affirms and prides Portugal and the European Union.   With a model of economic development based on a strong quality tourism sector, the Regional Government has been encouraging and supporting the organisation of events that are capable of promoting and projecting Madeira as a Touristic Destination of Excellence, and has been officially recognised in recent years , by the World Travel Awards (WTA), as The Best Island Destination in the World. So the Rali Vinho da Madeira is part of the Madeiran identity because it is the result of political autonomy but isalso born out of the will of our people to affirm themselves. There are generations and generations, who, from a very young age, have accompanied this great sportingevent. There is not a Madeiran who does not have a story to tell, experienced during their youth, which is linked to this Rally. No other regional event, combines so perfectly, external promotion of the island with the participation and the support of its people. It has become a popular celebration and a strong enabler of Madeira´s internal economy.   Therefore, this testimony of affection and proximity to its rally, is passed from generation to generation through families. This immaterial value of affection of the people of Madeira for their Rally, is a huge legacy, which we are obliged to preserve and continue to maintain. For this reason,  Club Sports Madeira renews its energy and works with true professionals so that every year, it can present a competition which continually renews and adapts to the new regulations of the FIA ​​/ FPAK, with a great list of competitors inquality and quantity, to  guarantee not only the competitiveness in the fight for the top places and general classification, but also, for the various other classes, which enables that there can be other challenges and other rallies within the Rali Vinho da Madeira 2019.   Each competitor creates their own Rally and has a well-defined objective in their participation in the race, which is not always noticed and applauded by the public. There are great world renown and famous drivers some of whom have inscribed their name among the winners of the famous "Tours of the island" and the European "Rally Vinho da Madeira". It remains a challenge for drivers and the public to participate or watch the Rally which unfolds itself along the beautiful, winding and flowering roads around the island.   Roads that lead them quickly from the sea level to the mountains, between valleys and mountain peaks, covered with soft tarmac.   Again this year, we will present this challenge to the many good drivers who will be on the roads of Madeira to fight for the victory in our Rally.   Madeira Sports Club would like to thank the Regional Government, the Municipalities of the Region, the Official Sponsors and all other Sponsors and Companies that have a longstanding and strong partnership with us, and all those who collaborate with the Event Organisation. Without the commitment and contribution of all, many anonymously, it would not be possible to hold the Rally on the beautiful roads of  Madeira, providing us with yet another Edition of the Rali Vinho da Madeira, the "60th Edition of the "Tour of Madeira Island ".   To all drivers, competitors, members of the organisation, collaborators, police and military forces and other security services, we renew our thanks for their availability, commitment and professionalism, which secure us with the participation, control and security of the entire organisation of this event.   Special thanks to all the media that will be present to cover the event, in particular to RTP and RTP Madeira, who will secure direct transmissions, not only for the Region but also for the Continent, the Azores and for all countries where RTP International is present, taking the images of our land and our Rally, to the Madeiran diaspora spread throughout the World. We count on all of you for the success of our Rally which is the Rali Vinho da Madeira Celebration. Take care to always watch the Rally with maximum safety. The Rally is not just a club event of the Club Sports Madeira, it belongs to the whole Island of Madeira. The President of C.S.Madeira and Organising committee,   José Paulo Fontes

Message from Regional Secretary of Tourism and Culture

More than a sporting event, Rali Vinho Madeira, is without a doubt an event that mobilizes thousands of Madeiran people. And it is captivating more tourists each year.   It is a genuine experience that the Madeiran people wait with expectations every year; it goes together with fun and a festive environment. The sport is associated with our beautiful and exuberant sights, and in this perfect symbiosis, an excellent opportunity to get-togethers and competition, but also met with projecting Madeira.    Images are shown all throughout the world and grant promotion. As they value our nature and the high spirit that we live in this automobilist fest, declaring as one of our sociocultural identities.    This rally’s recognition, nationally and internationally, is due to the annual affirmation that is directly linked to our authenticity. We live through this race fully and intensively, at each stage of the way, and in all of the locations where it unfolds.     The Madeiran population’s involvement is the single differentiating factor from all other competitions, whether they are national or international.    To the Commission, to everybody that, directly and indirectly, contribute to the implementation, and naturally to the contests, to whom I wish success. As I know, the spectacle on the road will be grand, as always. The purpose of this Rally of celebrating our Region will be accomplished.     Paula Cabaço  Regional Secretary of Tourism and Culture 

Message from the President of the Regional Government of Madeira

It was initially called the The Tour of Madeira, and it is a part of the History of Madeira.             This 2019 edition is even more special, due to the celebration of our Rally’s 60th anniversary. Like the wine from which it is named, the older it gets, the better it is.  The stamina, prestige, and solidity of the organization and of the race, I am sure, are still unaltered.              Also, this edition is twice as special since we celebrate currently the 600th anniversary of the Discovery of the Archipelago of Madeira, a celebration to which the Rally is associated.              The race, which will hit the road on August 1st, hoists the flag of this celebration and it represents the 600 years of Madeira and of our Madeira Wine, in a milestone anniversary.             The Rally is much more than a sports race for the people of Madeira. It is also a social manifestation, with a massive civilized presence of Madeirans on our highlands, filled with campers and visitors, who do not let any of the race’s details go by unnoticed.              To talk about the Rally Vinho Madeira is to invoke the memory of times foregone and those of important names of Portuguese Racing, such as Zeca Cunha and Américo Nunes, but also those of relevant international racers, such as the Italians Massimo Biasion, Fabrizio Tabaton, Andrea Aghini or the Belgian Patrick Snijers.             If Madeira’s development is due to its political autonomy, the reality is that, when it comes to the enthusiasm for racing, nothing has changed. The people of Madeira and Porto Santo love automobiles and the road. And they do it with the civility that characterizes us. Following the security rules and contributing to the making of Rally Vinho Madeira, every year, a true celebration.  The Regional Government will continue to support this race. A good Rally for all!   Miguel Albuquerque   President of the Regional Government of Madeira

Presentation of the RVM 2019 Entry List with attributed competition numbers

The Organising Committee of the Rali Vinho Madeira, is pleased to invite all media to publicize the entry list with the competition number assigned for each competitors entered in the 60th year commemorative edition of the rally. This event will take place in Madeira Tecnopolo, -1 floor, next Wednesday July 24, by 18:30 Hours.                             Welcome to RVM 2019 

“Pepe” Lopez venceu Rallye de Ferrol

"Pepe" Lopez obtained last weekend difficult victory at the win at Rallye de Ferrol, the sixth Spanish Championship Event, after a very interesting duel with Ivan Ares. The driver with a Citroën C3 R5  lead all but one of the 10 stages of rally event in Coruña but finished only with 9.3 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. After an early career marked by some accidents, Jose Maria Lopez, now 23 years old, has had an exceptional 2019 season. The driver from Madrid will reach Madeira after four victories, achieved in rallying the Sierra Morena, an event integrated with the FIA European Rally Trophy, Islas Canarias, counting for the ERC, plus still Ourense and lastly Ferrol. Known as "Pepe" Lopez, the young promise from the neighbouring country leads the Spanish Rally Superchampionship.  

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