At the press conference held today to present the departure ceremony of the 57th edition of the Rally of Portugal, the fifth stage of the World Rally Championship (WRC) to be held between May 9 and 12, the vice-president of the Municipal Council of Coimbra, Francisco Veiga, expressed his pride that the city was once again chosen to host the ceremony.

The event will move from the university campus to Avenida de Conímbriga, on the left bank of the Mondego River, "for several reasons," the mayor emphasized: "Due to its location, but also because it seemed to us that, in terms of accessibility and security, Avenida de Conímbriga is a space that offers excellent conditions for hosting this type of event that attracts a large number of spectators."

On the other hand, the choice of the left bank of the Mondego River -- the road is located along the river, in the Santa Clara area, following its course from east to west -- is "also a sign" that the municipality intends to "unite the two banks and support businesses with activities in this area of the city," argued Francisco Veiga.

On this occasion, the vice-president of the municipal council challenged the Automóvel Clube de Portugal (ACP), the organizer of the rally, to bring back the opening super special stage of the competition in 2025, which was held there in 2022 but moved to Figueira da Foz last year, when Coimbra hosted four Coldplay concerts.

"The departure ceremony is important because it marks the start of the race, but the truth is that it always leaves us wanting more, with a bittersweet feeling, because we would like to see much more, to feel the joy and excitement that the rally provides," argued Francisco Veiga.

However, this request from the mayor is hindered by the contract signed between the municipality of Figueira da Foz and the ACP in 2023, which provides, for three years (precisely until 2025, inclusive), the option for the municipality on the coast of the Coimbra district to host the super special stage.

In response to the Lusa agency, Francisco Veiga admitted that Coimbra lost the super special stage in 2023, the year in which Coimbra hosted Coldplay, because the municipality did not have any more funds available to invest in the Rally of Portugal super special stage, in addition to the concerts by the British band.

In turn, João Mendes Dias, operational head of the ACP, denied that the move from Coimbra to Figueira da Foz was due to a financial issue, namely that higher funds were offered.

"It was the choice of the [Coimbra] Council that year, which we calmly respected. The ACP does not hold auctions, the ACP has never held an auction, on anything, related to any component of its events. What happened was that the need for the Coimbra Council to redirect its investments coincided in time with the interest of the Figueira da Foz Council in hosting the event. And things were discussed very calmly," reaffirmed João Mendes Dias.

Regarding the ceremony scheduled for Coimbra on May 9, the ACP director emphasized that the symbolic departure "is an important moment in the rally, a moment when all the participants and all the teams are present to parade."

After the ceremonial departure in Coimbra, scheduled for 5:00 pm on May 9, the drivers will travel to Figueira da Foz, where the opening super special stage of the Rally of Portugal is scheduled for 7:05 pm. Then, the competitors will enter the closed park (which, this year, will also leave Coimbra) and spend the night in Figueira da Foz, leaving for the second section of the race -- two runs through the Mortágua, Lousã, Góis and Arganil sections -- at 6:45 am on Friday, May 10.