taking full advantage of this opportunity, the viradouro creative team went on to create some of the best parades the group had made in many years - the greater prize was won in 1997 when viradouro was elected the great champion of the rio de janeiro's carnival festivities.

the following years brought the school some good places among the rankings, although the renewal of the championship kept escaping up to this day.

it is still among the most well-known of the samba schools and its official colors, the red and white, make it stand out with great ease.