The third day of the» Classic Marathon «was held under the slogan: «Higher, even higher». The crews stormed one of the most famous highways in Portugal, the Caramulo Hill and the» Devil’s Mouth or the Gates of Hell » (Portal do Inferno).
Twenty kilometers from the capital of Portugal, on the Atlantic Ocean, there is a place from which goosebumps run – «The Devil’s Mouth». The waves beat against the walls of the grotto, creating such a roar that it seems that the Devil himself is about to appear from the Ground. Fortunately, the participants did not meet with Lucifer, but they tickled their nerves from the heart. This high ridge road that splits the Aviero and ViseuGodfreys at an altitude of about 914 m (3000 ft) with steep cliffs on both sides will be remembered by participants for a long time.
For speed lovers, the organizers have prepared an equally impressive surprise. The participants twice climbed the closed road to the Karamulo Hill. Despite the fact that the «Classic Marathon» is not only tests, it was clear from the faces of the participants that each of them was trying to show the best time on the famous Portuguese road.
However, the spirit of rivalry on Karamulo Hill was replaced by mutual assistance. Godfreys came to the rescue of Cliff England/Peter Rushforth when their camshaft broke at the start of the first test. Thanks to the help of rivals and the well-coordinated work of local mechanics, the crew on MG B was able to continue fighting for a place in the top ten at the end of the third day of the competition.
Meanwhile, Jayne Wignall and Kevin Savage and Stephen Gowans/Nick Bloxham took advantage of the technical problems of Cliff England and Peter Rushforth and came close to the leading five.
But in addition to fighting for a place in the top ten, there were also those who enjoyed the very opportunity to continue the rally. Crews No. 33, No. 14 and No. 2, who faced technical problems on the second day, did not give up and continued to fight, despite the huge gap from the leading five.
As for the intermediate three, the leadership is still maintained by Marcus Anderson and Matthew Lim Rose. The current winners of the «Classic Marathon» Paul Crosby/Andy Pullman rose to the second line. Mark and Sue Godfrey complete the top three.