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Hyundai confirms driver line-up for European gravel opener
Centred again on the south-western city of Trier and the surrounding Moselle wine region, this year's event will take place from 18 to 21 August as the ninth round of the championship.
The rally will start on Thursday night with its traditional ceremony in front of the historic Porta Nigra gate in Trier. The stunning location will also host the finish podium on Sunday.
The stage action kicks off on Friday, when crews head into the vineyards for a revised 22km version of Mittelmosel and then Moselland which will run in the opposite direction to 2015. The afternoon loop features a new challenge in the Ollmuth test, an 8.21km circuit stage a few kilometres south of Trier that offers spectators views of almost the whole route from naturally terraced hillside stands.
Saturday's leg begins on the high-speed country roads of the Saarland region, with the 14.7km Freisen-Westrich stage, which was last on the itinerary in 2010, and the Bosenberg stage which has a new opening section. The day's highlight however will be the stages on the military proving grounds at Baumholder. Like last year, the iconic Hinkelstein-littered Panzerplatte will host five stages: a 2.87km sprint, which will be run three times, and a 40km monster that will be tackled twice.
Sunday's third and final day features the 14.79km Dhrontal stage, famous for its long sequences of hairpin turns, and the 14.84km Sauertal near the Luxembourg border. The second pass of Sauertal will act as the rally closing Power Stage - instead of Dhrontal in 2015.
After 18 stages covering 306km, the winning crew will reach the finish podium in Trier on Sunday afternoon.
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