Op ad bakke, ned dale og alt i mellem - Skoda værker driver Andreas Mikkelsen fortæller os hans favorit rally stagesWhats din favorit stykke af vejen? Er det hurtigt, snoede, smalle eller brede? Enhver entusiast har et svar, men kun få kan top en rally drivere svar til kvalitet eller sort. Mudder, sne eller tar, de har set det hele. Hurtig og teknisk, træ-foret eller balancerer på en afgrund, de har gjort det. Altid løse mod uret og i varmen i konkurrence, de verdens hårdeste vejene i verdens mest ekstreme road biler. Skodas dobbelt IRC champion, Andreas Mikkelsen, muligvis kun 23, men han har seks års top-flight konkurrence bag ham. Hes konkurrerede i hele verden i en bred vifte af biler, og hans svar på spørgsmålet fortæller du en masse om hvad der motiverer ham. Der er fælles temaer i mange af hans svar – navnlig at jo større og hurtigere udfordringen, de gladere han er – men dens lige så klart, at for at være en vellykket rally driver du har brug for at kunne levere, uanset betingelserne. Her, så er Mikkelsens 10 favorit udfordringer i verden... Vargåsen - Rally Sverige Denne fase har alt: blinde kamme, stram, tekniske sektioner og virkelig hurtig bits. Men alle kender det for springet kendt som Colins Crest, opkaldt til ære for 1995 verdensmester Colin McRae. Hvad gør den så speciel er, at er ikke bare en flad-out spring; Du skal have super-præcise pacenotes, din co-driver skal kalde det perfekt og skal du have en meget specifik linje. At og super-store bolde. De hurtigste biler sprang mere end 30 meter over crest sidste år. Thats en frygtelig lang måde at være i luften med ingen kontrol, når du går med høj hastighed – især hvis du rammer hoppe off linje. Sete Cidades - Rallye Azorerne Dette er kendt som vulkan fase på grund af den placering, som er temmelig spektakulær når youre stående stadig, endsige vil flade ud i en rallybil. Theres en lang sektion, der løber langs toppen af en højderyg med massive dråber på hver side. Vejene på dette rally er generelt meget smalle, men i nogle dele de virkelig åbne. Det kræver en meget tekniske stil kørsel, og jeg elsker at. Der er også sektioner for den begivenhed, hvor faser har både grus og asfalt sektioner. De fleste bilister hader, som bilen føles så løs på asfalten på grus indstillinger, men jeg elsker udfordringen. Ouninpohja - Rally Finland Dette er en af de mest berømte stadier i World Rally Championship. På 21 miles er det en rigtig lang udfordring. Du er flade ud på grus, flytte bilen rundt ved høj hastighed over blinde kamme og hopper, der bare hold kommer på dig. Det er en af de faser, som du aldrig vil køre perfekt, fordi theres så meget at tage. Opleve hjælper, men der er for meget at lære i en levetid. Hastighederne er også så højt, at du aldrig kan tage risici; Hvis du ikke respekterer fase, vil den bide dig. Halvvejs - Wales Rally GB Jeg havde faktisk en temmelig stor crash her i 2007. Bilen gik over fem eller seks gange efter jeg gled offline og klippet en bank. Det var ikke så slemt; generelt, de krak, der ikke ender med en pludselig stop ikke så store. Men hvad jeg elsker ved denne scene er, hvad der også fangede mig: de er hurtige, flyder veje, og hvis du går glip af linjen derefter skal du acceptere, du mister en masse tid eller risiko går ud. Kamme er hyppige og de stram ofte, så du skal køre med tillid og lytte til din co-driver, ikke dine øjne. Glen Roy - Rally Isle of Man Folk siger rally drivere er gal, men efter samlingspunkt på Isle of Man ved jeg, at jeg er helt rask i forhold til bikers. Dette er, hvad reel samlingspunkt handler om: stram, twisty stadier, åben, hurtig hede, Hårnåle, kamme, blinde hjørner og alt andet i mellem. Picking en stor scene er ikke let — de er alle store — men Glen Roy er en af dem, der stikker i mit sind, ikke mindst fordi jeg stadig har den hurtigste tid nogensinde over det. På lidt over 4. 5 miles i længden, dens korte, men det er også sjovt. Det er sådan en speciel rally; Det har en unik atmosfære, og en dag dårligt finde en måde at komme tilbage dertil. Molls Gap - rundrejser i Irland Samlingspunkt er en stor sport i Irland, og Molls Gap fase er måske den mest berømte af alle. Det er så hurtigt, og det skærer gennem åbent landskab, så alle får fantastisk udsigt — ikke bare tilskuere, men også konkurrenterne. I 2007 jeg havde et godt løb og tog rekorden for den hurtigste tid. Så tog den næste bil posten fra mig. Id erobret en af de bedste veje i en af de hårdeste lande for samlingspunkt for alle på to minutter! Anadiou - Cyprus Rally Dette er ikke den bedste fase eller endda bedste rally i verden, men det er hjemsted for nogle af mine mest intense følelser. Efter en vanskelig start på min 2011 sæson da jeg styrtede 400 m til mit første arrangement med Skoda team, vi alle arbejdet hårdt for at trække det sammen. Og efter alt det hårde arbejde, var her jeg i den sidste fase af sæsonen med titlen i min rækkevidde. Jeg havde en stor bly, så jeg bare brug at afslutte. Men hvordan du koncentrere dig i disse situationer når theres ingen pres for at køre hurtigt? Det er virkelig svært at drive henne ved seks-tiendedele når du bruger dit liv vil flade ud, og min løsning er at køre mere sidelæns for tilskuerne. Der er mindre chance for bryder sammen, men det kræver stadig din samlede koncentration. Så det er hvad jeg gjorde. Og i slutningen, i alt glæde. At vinde, at titlen var fantastisk — og til at kunne gå tilbage og forsvare min titel igen i år var lige så speciel. Drummond Hill - Rally i Skotland Jeg tog min første IRC vinder på Rally i Skotland, og dette var den scene, der virkelig stod ud for mig på denne fantastiske begivenhed. Igen, dens virkelig hurtig, fuld af kamme og en masse af tid du kører blinde, sætte din absolut tillid til pacenotes. Når vi recce en fase vi normalt video det, og syg se det tilbage mellem to og seks gange. Denne ene var helt sikkert en jeg iagttog seks gange, og selv da jeg lære ikke det, fordi det er så kompliceret. I tørt er det virkelig smukke: fast, flydende og givende. Problemet er, det regner meget i Skotland. Ronde - Rallye Sanremo Dette er en af de længste stadier i samlingspunkt på mere end 27 miles; sidste gang jeg var der, tog den hurtigste bil lige under en halv time at fuldføre scenen. Jeg bar en pulsmåler for hele køre, og hvis jeg fortælle dig, jeg gennemsnit 155 beats per minut varighed vil du få en idé om hvordan intens det er. Jeg toppede 187 beats per minut. Thats temmelig høj overvejer Im i en bil spændes i et sæde og bare flytter mine arme og ankler. Selv verdens bedste chauffører skal lære at koncentrere sig om løbende at hurtigt så længe. Det kommer med erfaring. Smaadola - Numedal Rally, Norge Denne fase er en klassisk norske sne udfordring. Det er op i bjergene, og kører op ad bakke i morgen og derefter ned ad bakke til at lukke begivenheden. Og lad mig fortælle dig, det er hurtigt! Og så smuk. Jeg faktisk kørte Co igennem denne fase en gang, for at lære om, hvordan en rally fungerer. Jeg er glad for at indrømme nu, at jeg er den værste passager nogensinde, og jeg kunne aldrig være en co-driver. Men på at køre ned ad bakke det er som at køre gennem en billede 100 mph. Up hill, down dale and everything in between - Skoda works driver Andreas Mikkelsen tells us his favourite rally stagesWhats your favourite piece of road? Is it fast, twisty, narrow or wide? Every enthusiast has an answer, but few can top a rally drivers answers for quality or variety. Mud, snow or tar, theyve seen it all. Fast, technical, tree-lined or teetering on a precipice, theyve done it. Always against the clock and in the heat of competition, they tackle the worlds toughest roads in the worlds most extreme road cars. Skodas double IRC champion, Andreas Mikkelsen, may only be 23, but he has six years of top-flight competition behind him. Hes competed across the globe in a variety of cars, and his answer to the question tells you a lot about what motivates him. There are common themes in many of his answers – notably that the bigger and faster the challenge, the happier he is – but its just as clear that to be a successful rally driver you need to be able to deliver, whatever the conditions. Here, then, are Mikkelsens 10 favourite challenges in the world… Vargåsen - Rally Sweden This stage has everything: blind crests, tight, technical sections and really fast bits. But everyone knows it for the jump known as Colins Crest, named in honour of 1995 world champion Colin McRae. What makes it so special is that its not just a flat-out leap; you need to have super-accurate pacenotes, your co-driver needs to call it perfectly and you need to have a very specific line. That and super-big balls. The fastest cars jumped more than 30 metres over the crest last year. Thats an awful long way to be in the air with no control when you are going at high speed — especially if you hit the jump off line. Sete Cidades - Rallye Azores This is known as the volcano stage because of the location, which is pretty spectacular when youre standing still, let alone going flat out in a rally car. Theres a long section that runs along the top of a ridge, with massive drops on each side. The roads on this rally are generally very narrow, but in some parts they really open up. That requires a very technical style of driving, and I love that. There are also sections of the event where the stages have both gravel and tarmac sections. Most drivers hate that, as the car feels so loose on the tarmac on gravel settings, but I love the challenge. Ouninpohja - Rally Finland This is one of the most famous stages in the World Rally Championship. At 21 miles, it is a really long challenge. You are flat out on gravel, moving the car around at high speed over blind crests and jumps that just keep coming at you. It is one of those stages that you will never drive perfectly, because theres so much to take in. Experience helps, but there is too much to learn in one lifetime. The speeds are also so high that you can never take risks; if you dont respect the stage, it will bite you. Halfway - Wales Rally GB I actually had a pretty big crash here in 2007. The car went over five or six times after I slid offline and clipped a bank. It wasnt so bad; generally, the crashes that dont end with a sudden stop arent so big. But what I love about this stage is what also caught me out: they are fast, flowing roads, and if you miss the line then you must accept you will lose a lot of time or risk going off. The crests are frequent and they often tighten, so you must drive with confidence and listen to your co-driver, not your eyes. Glen Roy - Rally Isle of Man People say rally drivers are mad, but after rallying on the Isle of Man I know that I am completely sane compared to the bikers. This is what real rallying is about: tight, twisty stages, open, fast moorland, hairpins, crests, blind corners and everything else in between. Picking one great stage is not easy — they are all great — but Glen Roy is one of the ones that sticks in my mind, not least because I still hold the fastest time ever over it. At just over 4. 5 miles in length, its short, but it is also fun. This is such a special rally; it has a unique atmosphere, and one day Ill find a way to get back there. Molls Gap - Circuit of Ireland Rallying is a huge sport in Ireland, and the Molls Gap stage is perhaps the most famous of all. It is so fast, and it cuts through open scenery so everyone gets fantastic views — not just the spectators, but also the competitors. In 2007 I had a great run and took the record for the fastest time. Then the next car took the record off me. Id conquered one of the best roads in one of the toughest countries for rallying for all of two minutes! Anadiou - Cyprus Rally This isnt the best stage or even best rally in the world, but it is home to some of my most intense emotions. After a difficult start to my 2011 season when I crashed 400 metres into my first event with the Skoda team, we all worked hard to pull it together. And after all that hard work, here I was at the last stage of the season with the title in my grasp. I had a big lead, so I just needed to finish. But how do you concentrate in those situations when theres no pressure to drive fast? It really is hard to drive at six-tenths when you spend your life going flat out, and my solution is to drive more sideways for the spectators. There is less chance of crashing but it still requires your total concentration. So thats what I did. And at the end, total joy. To win that title was amazing — and to be able to go back and defend my title again this year was every bit as special. Drummond Hill - Rally of Scotland I took my first IRC win on Rally of Scotland, and this was the stage that really stood out for me on this incredible event. Again, its really fast, full of crests and a lot of the time you are driving blind, putting your absolute trust in the pacenotes. When we recce a stage we usually video it, and Ill watch it back between two and six times. This one was definitely one I watched six times, and even then I didnt learn it because it is so complex. In the dry it really is beautiful: fast, flowing and rewarding. Trouble is, it rains a lot in Scotland. Ronde - Rallye Sanremo This is one of the longest stages in rallying at more than 27 miles; the last time I was there, the fastest car took just under half an hour to complete the stage. I wore a heart rate monitor for the whole run, and if I tell you I averaged 155 beats per minute for the duration then youll get an idea of how intense it is. I peaked at 187 beats per minute. Thats pretty high considering Im in a car strapped in a seat and just moving my arms and ankles about. Even the worlds best drivers have to learn to concentrate on going that fast for that long. It comes with experience. Smaadola - Numedal Rally, Norway This stage is a classic Norwegian snow challenge. It is up in the mountains, and is run uphill in the morning and then downhill to close the event. And let me tell you it is fast! And so beautiful. I actually co-drove through this stage once, to learn about how a rally works. I am happy to admit now that I am the worst passenger ever, and I could never be a co-driver. But on that downhill run it is like driving through a picture at 100mph.
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Andreas Mikkelsen: min favorit veje
