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De Villiers edges out Sainz:

Third consecutive win in Morocco: On the heels of its success in 2005 and 2006, Volkswagen scored another victory at the fourth round of the 2007 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup in Morocco.

Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (South Africa/Germany), driving the Volkswagen Race Touareg 2, wrapped up the final stage of the six-day Morocco Rally by crossing the finish line 3:13 minutes ahead of team-mates Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (Spain/France). Carlos Sousa/Andreas Schulz (Portugal/Germany), driving a Race Touareg for the Lagos Team, came in fourth ahead of Volkswagen factory drivers Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/South Africa).

Carlos Sainz, winner of the Transibérico Rally in early July, began the sixth and final leg with a slim advantage of only eight seconds, kept in front in the early stage of the test, but then lost precious time as a result of two punctures. This opened the door for Giniel de Villiers, who also suffered a puncture, to race to victory over the 222-kilometre stage through the rocky Atlas Mountains.

Giniel de Villiers now has three wins under his belt for Volkswagen, following victories at the Transibérico and Morocco Rallies last season. At the fourth round of the FIA Cross-Country World Cup, the South African native and his German co-pilot Dirk von Zitzewitz racked up three stage wins, with Carlos Sainz and Michel Périn capturing the other three legs. The Volkswagen Race Touareg claimed 15 of the 18 possible top three finishes over the six stages in Morocco.

The Race Touareg, powered by a strong 280 horsepower, 2.5-litre TDI diesel, now has seven Cross-Country World Cup victories. Altogether, the prototype boasts 60 stage wins and has held the lead on 54 days while competing in 19 tests since 2004.

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