Just five days after the Pope visited the Portuguese city of Porto, tens of thousands of faithful rally fans came to see the stars of the World Rally Championship blast through the city streets.

The Vodafone Rally de Portugal, round six of the World Rally Championship, has already got underway four days before the event is due to start, thanks to a spectacular roadshow through the historic streets of Porto.

The wine capital used to be the base for Rally Portugal right up until 2001, before it moved south to Faro following a five-year break. But the enthusiasm of the spectators in northern Portugal remains undiminished, with an estimated 40,000 people turning up to watch Sunday's event.

Citroen brought Sebastien Loeb, Dani Sordo and Kimi Raikkonen to the show, while Ford's factory squad was represented by Mikko Hirvonen and Jari-Matti Latvala.

In addition to the World Rally Car competitors, the five Pirelli Star Drivers put their Mitsubishi Lancer Evo Xs through their paces, and there was also a healthy contingent of Portuguese drivers - including local heroes Armindo Araujo and Bernardo Sousa.

The one-hour spectacular, which was put out on live television, was designed as a demonstration run rather than a competition, with drivers actively encouraged to do doughnuts and get as sideways as possible. The unofficial winner was Dani Sordo, already off to a great start on a rally that he loves.

"I was amazed by the number of people: there is really a fantastic atmosphere in Portugal, which is why it is always a pleasure to come here," said Sordo. "I had fun, but of course it is not a serious competition. For that, we must wait until Thursday!"

The Ford drivers also enjoyed their trip to Porto, with Mikko Hirvonen arriving straight from the Spanish capital of Madrid, where he had watched Inter Milan win the UEFA Champions League final the night before.

"I've had two great experiences now," said Hirvonen. "I think events like this really help to promote the sport."

Hirvonen and Latvala headed straight down to Faro following the Porto event, where they are testing today (Monday). The rally gets underway on Thursday (27 May) with a head-to-head Super Special stage in the Estádio Algarve.

Photo: Willy Weyens ©willyweyens-rallyworld



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