Rally stars thrill Cologne

• Presentation of the world's elite in front of a huge crowd and a monumen-tal backdrop
• Prelude of ADAC Rallye Deutschland
• Over 25,000 thrilled rally fans

Munich/Cologne, 22 August 2013 - With a fascinating show act in the shadow of the 765 years old Cologne Cathedral, the 2013 ADAC Rallye Deutschland got underway today. 76 teams from 28 countries presented themselves to the thrilled public in Cologne before the field of this ninth world championship round started from the Roncalliplatz towards the first two special stages in the direction of Trier. Throughout the day, more than 25,000 rally fans were present to get an up-close view of the stars with their WRC machines.

Lord Mayor Jürgen Roters commented: "For the sporting city of Cologne, the ADAC Rallye Deutschland with its round of the FIA World Rally Championship is a huge gain. We are looking forward to an outstanding sporting event. The inhabitants of Cologne have given the international rally stars a thrilling welcome. Cologne was the perfect venue for the start of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland, and all of that on historic ground: from here, one could already head for Trier on a Roman road 2,000 years ago already. Now, the rally stars are taking this route."

At the city reception, Cologne's mayor Elfi Scho-Antwerpes emphasised: "For us, as the City of Cologne, the ADAC as the organiser of this world championship round, is a trustworthy, valuable and above all reliable partner. For us, handling the drivers' presentation in front of the Cologne Cathedral was a logistical challenge that we were happy to face. The ADAC Rallye Deutschland fits perfectly to the economic venue and the sporting city of Cologne. Cologne is the city of the automobile anyway. The automotive industry and its suppliers are giving the city its appearance. From that point of view, the rally fits perfectly to Cologne and is a real gain."

ADAC sports president Hermann Tomczyk was equally delighted: "That the 2013 ADAC Rallye Deutschland could start in Cologne is a great development of the rally that the ADAC has successfully been organising for over ten years. We are bringing the rally stars and their high-tech machines into the centre of the big city to enable even more people to enjoy the fascination of rallying. However, from a sporting point of view, the focus of the ADAC Rallye Deutschland is still on the region of Trier. With the presentation at the Cologne Cathedral and the prize-giving ceremony at the Porta Nigra in Trier, we have come full circle."

Until Sunday, there is a total of 16 special stages with an overall distance of 371,86 kilometres. Including the road sections, the teams have to cover a total distance of 1,243.34 kilometres on the four days of the event.