Hosting an FIA World Rally Championship event presents a set of challenges unique to the world of rallying. As soon as Vodafone Rally de Portugal was announced on the 2021 calendar, the first decision to be made by the core staff of 15 was: What stages will be used in the rally?. Can improvements be made on these stages and will any new stages be introduced? Relying on an extensive archive from previous rallies, can alternative start and flying finish lines also be incorporated?. When making the above considerations, the organisers always have at the forefront of their planning issues such as agreements with local authorities, the competitiveness of the planned routes and, most importantly, the safety of the stages. With the rally nearing and the stages decided, there is still the matter of having the stages set up accordingly.

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