Simos Galatariotis in a Volkswagen Polo GTi R5 and Nasser Al-Attiyah in a Skoda Fabia R5 had spectators on edge on Saturday, as they battled for the lead in the 51st Cyprus Rally, having both won three special stages each.
Both top drivers gave their best, with the Cypriot champion ending the first day in the lead, 38 seconds ahead of the driver from Qatar, who lost time due to two flat tyres during the first loop.
At the end of the morning loop, Galatariotis was ahead by 49.9 seconds, but Nasser won two of the three afternoon stages, closing the gap, the Rally press office said.
There is also a close battle for third place between Petros Panteli in a Renault Clio Rally3 and Panagiotis Yiangou in a Hyundai i20 R5, with 17.1 seconds separating them, a gap that Panteli built during the last stage of the day, which at 21.22 km is also the longest of the race.
Qatari Abdulaziz Al-Kuwari is in fifth place, driving conservatively in his Skoda Fabia R5, as all he needs is to finish in order to be crowned Middle East champion for the first time in his career.
In contrast, Al-Attiyah needs a combination of results to secure his 20th Middle East Championship title.
Rashid Al-Muhannadi, also from Qatar and driving a Skoda Fabia, is in sixth place.
Giorgos Nestoros, with a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X, is seventh and leads the MERC 2 category, while first in the 2WD category is Zacharias Manoli in a Peugeot 208, who is running in eighth place.
Out of the 20 crews that started, 15 completed the first leg, while the other five will return on Sunday under SupeRally.
One of the most significant retirements was that of the Jordanian title contender Shaker Jweihan, who faced problems with the gearbox and brakes of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX he rented from Cyprus before even entering the first special stage, as his car remained in Lebanon. In the third special stage, while in fifth place, Costas Zenonos retired in his Citroen DS3.
On Sunday, the action will take place in the areas of Skarinou, Lefkara, Lythrodontas and Yeri, with the race concluding with the Visit Qatar Power Stage in Yeri at 3.43pm.
The Power Stage is being introduced for the first time in the championship and awards five points to the winner, four to the second place, and so on.
The finish and crowning of the new Middle East Champion will take place at 5.30pm in Spyridaki Square, on Makarios Avenue, in the centre of Nicosia.
Detailed information about the schedule, timings, maps, and the best viewing spots can be found here.
The 51st Cyprus International Rally is sponsored by the Qatar tourism organisation Visit Qatar, Psaltis Auto Parts, ENEOS Motor Oil, Sparco, Cablenet, Farmakas Natural Spring Water, ANCO Catering Equipment and Stop Fire.
Supporters include the Municipality of Nicosia, Kapnos Airport Shuttle and Jeep Club Cyprus.
