Rautiainen: Flying ok - landing another matter!

Marcus Gronholm's co-driver, Timo Rautiainen has thanked the Peugeot team doctor and his physio, after restoring him to health following that jump and landing in SS5, which left him with severe back ache and literally gasping for breath.

Speaking in the post-event press conference, when asked about the incident on Friday, Rautiainen confirmed that they had been 'very close to retiring'.

"When we came to service [after SS5 and SS6] I thought that not even a magician would make me walk again that day," he added.

"I am glad though to have the opportunity now to dedicate this win to my doctor who made the diagnosis and said he was 99 per cent sure it was not dangerous. Also to my physio who made me walk again and did a wonderful job; then [team boss] Jean-Pierre [Nicolas] said it was my decision. I was free to make a decision to continue or not and luckily I said 'yes'. But without this diagnosis I would have stopped, of course."

Asked why he it had caught them out and several other drivers, Rautiainen explained that it was because they only do the recce at 80 kph and as such 'there are several places where you can't imagine how the stage will be in rally speed'.

"One jump we had notes that maybe it will jump and maybe it flies and it flew," Rautiainen continued. "The flying was okay no worries, it was about 170 kph but the landing was a bit rough. I hurt my back. I couldn't speak for many kilometres and could not breathe for some time. I could only tell Marcus to continue and he kept asking 'should I continue?' He did a fantastic job; he drove about 10 kilometres without notes and we still made the fastest time on that stage! We almost retired because of the pain and I could not speak and Marcus did not want to do [stage] six and I decide we should do it slow and go to service and see what to do."

Daniel Elena, Sebastien Loeb's co-driver also suffered, as did Sebastian Lindholm's co-driver, Tomi Tuominen, who was so badly affected that they withdrew from the event following the opening day.

"It was a very bad landing," added Elena, "and it stopped my respiration for thirty seconds and it's not easy to read the notes in this condition. Sebastien asked me do I want to stop and I say 'no - push push'. And now the ribs and the neck is not okay. But for Germany I am ready."

Interestingly though not all the co-drivers had problems, and Markko Martin's partner, Michael Park had his own take on why that was the case. "I am completely fine and must be harder than these girls!" he joked.

One thing is for sure though, if the test - Vellipohja, which was new this year, is re-run in 2006, then no doubt a fair few of the co-drivers will have amended their notes.