Off Road Beat

Dakar 2011 - Day 2 - Cars

2011-01-03T19:45:00.001-03:00

Dakar 2011 - Robby Gordon jumps ramp twice

2011-01-03T19:22:00.001-03:00

Dakar 2011 - Day 2 - Bikes

2011-01-03T18:42:00.001-03:00

WRC Australia 2009 Dia 3

2009-09-29T18:24:00.001-03:00

WRC Australia 2009 Dia 2

2009-09-29T18:21:00.001-03:00

WRC Australia 2009 - Día 1

2009-09-29T18:16:00.003-03:00

WRC Rally Acropolis Grecia 2009

2009-06-15T15:35:00.003-03:00

WRC 2009 News - Federico Villagra - Sebastien Loeb

2009-06-15T15:33:00.000-03:00

WRC 2009 Preview Grecia

2009-06-06T22:40:00.000-03:00

Sebastien Loeb y las veces que no ganó

2009-05-31T00:35:00.001-03:00

Sebastien Loeb and the races he lost

PWRC 2009 Rally Italia Categoría Producción

2009-05-31T00:33:00.000-03:00

Rally de los Dinosaurios, Campeonato Argentino 2009

2009-05-28T22:37:00.001-03:00

WRC 2009 Rally Italia

2009-05-28T22:30:00.003-03:00

WRC Rally Argentina 2009 - Categorías Producción y Junior

2009-05-17T20:13:00.002-03:00

WRC Munchis, Federico Villagra - Tango Rally Team - WRC Argentina 2009

2009-05-09T00:35:00.001-03:00

Federico Villagra & his Muchis WRC Ford - Tango Rally Team new premises

WRC Argentina 2009 - Round Up

2009-05-09T00:19:00.000-03:00

Rally Argentina 2009

2009-04-29T17:36:00.006-03:00

SEBASTIEN LOEB

JARI MATTI LADBALA

Dakar 2009 - 1980 winners congratulate VW on Dakar victory

2009-01-23T00:39:00.003-02:00

29 years ago, on 23 January 1980, Freddy Kottulinsky/Gerhard Löffelmann clinched the first victory for Volkswagen at the "2nd Paris-Algiers-Dakar Rally” in the Iltis, ahead of their French team-mates Patrick Zaniroli/Philippe Colesse.
Back then as well as today, Volkswagen celebrated a one-two victory: Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz won the current edition of the desert classic, which ended in Buenos Aires on Sunday after 9,500 kilometres, in front of their team colleagues Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford in the Race Touareg. On the way towards clinching the first victory of a diesel-powered vehicle Volkswagen decided ten out of 13 stages in its favour at the first "Dakar” through Argentina and Chile.

The one-two victory prompted the driver pairing that had been victorious in 1980 to congratulate Volkswagen. ”Ever since I won the rally, I’ve been watching it in the media,” said Freddy Kottulinsky, who is now living near Schleiz in Thuringia. "I wanted to express my sincerest congratulations to Volkswagen on the historic TDI victory. Even though an exploit in our day with naturally aspirated diesel engines would have been inconceivable, I had no doubt that a diesel would win one day. In passenger cars, modern diesel technology has long become the ultimate.”
Kottulinsky/Löffelmann in the Iltis: unusual conditions in 1980

"Of course I’ve actively been watching Volkswagen’s current path to victory in the media as well, and congratulate the squad,” said former co-driver Gerhard Löffelmann. Back then, he was working for AUDI AG in Technical Development; today, he is a team leader in vehicle engineering, still with the same department. After almost 30 years, the differences in conditions are tremendous. We only drove with a compass, now there are modern GPS systems, even though their use is restricted. What’s more, I didn’t even have any experience as a co-driver. My main role was that of a mechanic who had to be able to repair the car and to thus help to take it to the finish.” Löffelmann still has the roadbook. It was all in French and then team boss Roland Gumpert – the driver of a rally Iltis himself – helped to translate it every night at the bivouac.

Back in 1980, an almost entirely production-based Volkswagen Iltis sufficed to achieve the duo’s victory. The off-road vehicle was only complemented by underbody protection, modified dampers, a roll cage, different seats, additional instruments and a further fuel tank. The standard 1.7-litre engine delivered about 110 instead of 75 hp for the 10,000-kilometre rally distance from France via Algeria, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and (then) Upper Volta, all the way to Senegal. "That was enough to win,” recalled Kottulinsky. As much as he enjoyed his activities as a racing and rally driver in his day, he still has a wish, "I’d really be thrilled to drive today’s Race Touareg just for once ..."

Budapest-Bamako Rally: Budapest-Bamako: Invadors hit Monte Carlo

2009-01-23T00:33:00.001-02:00

From Sunday to Tuesday – the participants have three days to complete the super marathon stage between Brescia in Italy and Merzouga in Morocco – because on Wednesday morning the real rally starts there! But also on their way to Southern Spain the crews had some tasks to solve. For the Tourist category it was a bit easier, they had only two official stops before Morocco.

With the ferry cruise from Almeria (Spain) to Nador (Morocco) 2.740 kilometres had to be covered – under the given circumstances a challenge even for the most experienced teams! Although the transfer was/is only transfer, there was a little ’trick’ in the route to make their lives harder. Instead of using the wonderful seaside motorway from Genua to Nizza the competirors had to choose a passage through the Alps to solve a task. But, as organiser Andrew Szabó Gál warned in the first video, this could be a problem...

And, of course, it was – because of the snow. “It’s possible that because of the snow the passage will be closed”, informed the caravan Gál on Saturday evening. And, to shatter the hopes of the teams, yes, it was. So they had to switch to plan B and drive in the ‘luxury’ way: on the motorway on the seaside.

And if they were there… The motorway leads near Monaco’s fabulous capital, Monte Carlo. Among motorsport fans it is a common wish to drive on the legendary Formula 1 track at least once in a lifetime… Moreover, despite the snow and freezing weather, in Monte Carlo pleasant 16 degrees and bright sunshine welcomed the caravan.

What started as individual ideas of the competitors, ended up as an ‘invasion’ in the luxury city. Rally vehicles parked on every corner, crews taking photos beside Ferraris, Bentleys and Rolls Royce… Even the ‘high society’ noticed that something special is going on: beside the guests of a luxury wedding even pop star ‘Jamiroqai’ greeted the Bamako competitors at a red traffic lamp from his black Ferrari.

The concierge of the legendary Casino and also the policemen dressed in their traditional uniform proved to be understanding: they let the rally cars to be parked on the exclusive parking places in front of the Casino and ‘Hotel Paris’ and even seemed to be happy about the colourful ‘invasion’. “Oh, Budapest-Bamako, le petit Dakar! Welcome to Monaco!” They knew the rally already.

But after Monaco, fun was over. The crews set on the motorway and headed directly towards Almeria in Southern Spain. They could have a stop in Montpellier, France, but the ‘tough’ ones opted for go directly to the port to be aboard the first ferry of the three booked for the rally.

Unfortunately we have to report about another withdrawal. Three times winners of the Budapest-Bamako, Slovakian Juraj Ulrich and Daniela ‘Danka’ Ulrichova (Nissan) had to quit the race after Danka’s leg was injured. This meant a bitter disappointment for the couple from Bratislava and the end of their hopes to win the rally for a fourth time in a row.

Only a few of the rally vehicles were able to board the first ferry on Monday morning. As a reward, now finally they have a normal amount of sleeping – after about 3000 kilometres on the motorway. (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009: South African Nissan Navaras finish fourth, fifth and 20th on Dakar Rally

2009-01-23T00:25:00.004-02:00

Three privately-entered Nissan Navaras, built by Nissan Motorsport in South Africa have finished fourth, fifth and 20th in the Dakar Rally Argentina-Chile, which ended in Buenos Aires on Saturday afternoon after 15 gruelling days' racing across two continents and over the Andes Mountains.

Norwegian adventurer and mountain climber Ivar Erik Tollefsen and his English co-driver Quin Evans, regular competitors in the South African off road championship, finished a remarkable fourth overall in their Nissan Navara pickup competing under the banner of Team Overdrive of Belgium. They completed the 9 500-km ultra marathon cross country race in a time of 44 hr 15 min 31 sec and were 6 hr 4 min 34 sec behind the winners, South Africa's Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz of Germany in a factory Volkswagen Race Touareg.

Fifth overall, 33 min 15 seconds behind Tollefsen and Evans, was former Polish rally champion Krzysztof Holowczyc and his Belgian co-driver Jean-Marc Fortin in a second Team Overdrive Navara. The third proudly South African Nissan, crewed by Hungarian cross country champions Laszlo Palik and Gabor Darazsi, finished 20th, 27 hr 22 min 19 seconds behind the winners.

"Ivar and Krzysztof's performance on what was one of the toughest Dakars in recent years was massive. It's simply heroic," said Glyn Hall, general manager of Nissan Motorsport, who was team manager in South America for Team Overdrive. "They won the class for production vehicles and were only beaten by the state-of-the-art factory Touareg prototype and a multi-million dollar racing Hummer. We believe that Ivar's fourth place is the highest a genuine privateer has achieved in the Dakar in the modern era."

"South Africans can be very proud today," added Hall. "Not only did our Navara pickups survive the world's toughest off road race, but there were also two South Africans in the first two cars - Giniel de Villiers in the winning Touareg and his team-mate Ralph Pitchford, who was co-driver in the second-placed Touareg.

"Giniel is a former national off road champion in one of our Nissan Hardbody pickups and joined Volkswagen's Dakar squad after completing three Dakars in a factory Nissan Hardbody. Giniel is the first South African to win the Dakar and we're very proud of him. It's a huge achievement, comparable to Jody Scheckter winning the 1979 Formula One world championship in a Ferrari.'

"Ralph is co-driver to reigning South African off road champion Duncan Vos in our Sasol Nissan Navara, pretty much the same car that Ivar and Krzysztof drove on the Dakar.

"We knew that our racing Navara was a strong vehicle - we've won the national off road championship for the last three years - but to have this kind of affirmation is really satisfying. We have customers all over the world and have already delivered 10 of these vehicles to customers around the world."

A delighted Johan Kleynhans, sales and marketing director of Nissan South Africa: "Congratulations to all three Nissan crews for their historic performance on the Dakar. Nissan has a proud history in motor sport around the world and today a new chapter has been written. We're very proud of our motor sport department, who built these racing Navaras and also the Hardbody and Navara pickups that have won the last eight South African off road championships. It's a great demonstration of our 'made in South Africa' product and it's appropriate that it comes in the 50th year of our involvement in motor sport in South Africa."

By Nissan

Dakar 2009 - Round-up Cars

2009-01-19T20:05:00.002-02:00

In Spanish

Budapest-Bamako Rally 2009 started on Saturday morning

2009-01-19T19:24:00.005-02:00

Early in the morning on January 17, 2009 the participants of the fourth Budapest-Bamako Rally set off from the Hungarian capital Budapest. Despite of the freezing weather towsends of spectators gathered around the start ramp to cheer the crews, who started from exactly the same place where the scrutineering of the Central Europe Rally was held in April last year.

The first vehicle the leave Felvonulási tér was the pace car, a beautifully rebuilt Peugeot 504 driven by the founder of the rally, Andrew G. Szabó himself. Then the teams drove (rode) through the start ramp one by one in order of their entry into the waiting area, starting with the two crews of the Travel Channel which is to make and broadcast a series of five programs about the rally in May. After a selection procedure, one duo from the UK and one from the Netherlands got the opportunity to tackle the adventures in two identical Suzuki Samurais. The ’Green Knights’, namely Robert Bell and Chris Drumney (both UK, car No 121) have never been to Budapest yet and were amazed by the beauty of the Hungarian capital. The two lively ladies from the Netherlands, Nynke Doorenbos and Amarja Niehof in car No 120 started under the team name ’From Holland with Love’.

The vehicles represented a colourful mix from old and special ones like the VW Beetle or the FSO Polones Ambulans, which was ’saved’ from a Warsaw scrap-ground, the two Rally Trabants of German Guiness record holder D-Rolf and his helper ’the baker of the Sahara’ Wilfried Janke to the Nissan of three times winner Slovakian couple Juraj Ulrich and Danka Ulrichova, the Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution of Slovenian Robert and Tea Slavec, the seven Hummers of the Czech Hummer Racing Team (lead by former Dakar co-driver Mila Janacek and accompanied by marathonrally.com member Gabi Kulcsar) and also some nail new cars, mostly Nissans, prepared by the same company which takes care of the Navara of the Hungarian cross country rally champion Laszlo Palik.

Beside them also took off four ambulance cars (after the rally, three of them will serve in Mali, one in Mauritania), a big truck of Herczegh Specialtransport, packed fully with the donations of ’Hungary for Africa’ and also an old fire engine.

Other interesting members of the field were the Citroen DS of Norwegian Hans Petter Svege and Sturla Bang and the Citroen 2 CV of Hungarian Viktor Lengyel and Laszlo Racz for whom it’s not the first time at the Bamako. And what brings them back to Africa? „We return to find the camera we lost last year”, explains Lengyel with a big smile.

To make the transfer from Budapest to the shores of Africa a bit more interesting, there are some tasks to solve for points already on these stages. As at all tasks during the rally, the teams can decide if they take part in a certain task or not. Those who were cunning could take some advantage already here.

But because of the long, 750 km stage to Brescia (Italy) only a few teams decided to solve these first tasks, the majority of the crews took the motorway through Austria instead. But, like at the Dakar, throughout the route in Hungary and Austria, fans cheered the teams from motorway bridges and in the villages crossed. Even at the petrol stations where the crews stopped spectators gathered quickly to see the vehicles.

As the start of the first stage, after only some kilometres the competitors had to find a hidden character with the help of the GPS – near a stone-pit. The navigation was quite tricky: two parallel ways but only one of them led the crews back to the rally route, the other one ended up in the stone-pit, so there was a good chance of getting lost on the very first kilometres of the Budapest-Bamako.

Bad news, that already on the first day one of the participants had to abandon after slipping on the icy surface and breaking a leg. The 850 km long Sunday leg leads the caravan to from Brescia in Italy to Montpellier in France, before on Monday they go on to Spain to ferry To Morocco – where the action actually begins. (Marathonrally.com)

Watch a video of the start here

Dakar 2009 - Round up Video - Cars

2009-01-18T23:31:00.001-02:00

In English

Dakar 2009: CELEBRATED LIKE HEROES

2009-01-18T17:06:00.001-02:00

The 31st edition of the Dakar, the first one in Latin-America, is now over and has seen the victories of Marc Coma in the bike category, Josef Machacek in the quad category, Giniel De Villiers in the car category and Firdaus Kabirov in the truck category. In total, 113 bikers, 13 quad riders, 91 car teams and 54 truck teams finished the rally-raid, that was notably marked by the exceptional enthusiasm the Dakar generated amongst the crowds in Argentina and in Chile.

BIKE RAID: COMA, THE VERY BEST ON TWO WHEELS

In the bike race, Marc Coma made THE performance of the year by leading the rally from start to finish. A feat unseen since 1997 in a Dakar-Dakar when someone called Stéphane Peterhansel had taken command of the raid the moment he started it en route to Tambacounda. Headed for the Argentinian Pampa, Spain’s Coma hit hard right away. A true slap in the face for his adversaries who suffered because of tire problems: Coma stole 41’ to a desperate Despres, 1h01’ to a David Casteu in tears. Only Frétigné managed to limit the damage by "only" conceding 28’ to Coma.
Two weeks and a few more rear tire problems for his contenders later, the tough Catalan won his second Dakar after a last stage where he just followed his main rivals from a safe but sure distance. At the end of a well-raced raid, Coma won wisely with a 1h25’ lead over Despres and 1h38’ over Frétigné. Three years after his first Dakar victory, the KTM-Repsol rider gave Spain his third victory on the rally-raid.

Unable to catch up on the undoubted leader, Cyril Despres did however win 4 special stages - against 3 for Coma -, which brings his stage victory total to 20. Third of the Dakar, David Frétigné, riding his "small" Yamaha, had his best performance ever on the raid winning at the same time the 450cc category race. In the standings of this 31st edition, we will also note the presence of the best woman in the Dakar, Dutch female biker Mirjam Pol, ranking 53rd in the standings. Her countryman, Rob Van Pelt, 33rd wins the bike amateur standings that rewards those bikers who rode without assistance.

In the quad race, Josef Machacek was the bravest of all 13 riders to finish the Dakar - there were 25 of them at the start. The Czech who is almost 52 years old was - once again - amazingly steady, winning 4 special stages and finishing the 10 others in the Top 3. The Yamaha rider wins here his fifth Dakar. He finishes 2h35’ ahead of local hero Marcos Patronelli, second in the standings. The other top performer of the quad race is Elisabeth Kraft, who enters the history of the Dakar by being the first woman to finish the rally-raid on this funny machine called quad.

CAR RAID: LEARNING TO BE PATIENT
If there are areas where chance is only a marginal factor, it is indeed the world of enduro racing and mechanics. The success of Volkswagen taught those who did not know it that victories are built in the long run, especially in a race like the Dakar. The investment of the German manufacturer, whose goal was to bring the first diesel engine to victory on the most demanding of all rally-raids, started in 2003. After hesitation, progress, confirmation and tough times, it’s in 2009 that the Race Touareg reached its goal by being the master of the race from the beginning till the end.
If the dramatic turn of events of stage 12 - the fatal crash of Carlos Sainz - deprived VW of a Grand Slam, the three remaining cars finished the race in the Top 6 with Giniel De Villiers and Mark Miller ranking first and second. With 10 stage victories out of 13, the crews of Kris Nissen did not leave much to their contenders. This might seem a bit harsh for the others in the race but it responds to a firm will of preserving the whole team from the worst. By the way, the profile of the new winner of the rally corresponds perfectly to the demands of the Dakar. In his five previous participations, the South-African driver gave the impression of being steady and making progress at all times; his victory this year is also the victory of his patience.
And patience is also exactly what Team Mitsubishi must start learning. After an uninterrupted series of 7 victories and a track record with 12 titles in total, the Japanese team finished this Dakar with just one car out of four ranking fourth in the general standings. Since they arrived on the Dakar in 1984, the absence of the Mitsu drivers on the final podium only happened twice before in 1990 and in 1994. This year, Hiroshi Masuoka, Luc Alphand and then Stéphane Peterhansel all left the race prematurely. The last of the Mohicans at Mitsu, Joan "Nani" Roma did his very best to keep his place in the top 3 but collapsed in the stage of La Rioja. His proud reaction the next day when he got the best clock in the Cordoba stage is a very small consolation price for the team: indeed, in order to successfully convert the cars to diesel engines, the engineers and technicians still have a long way to go.

The race through elimination also touched the X-Raid team with the exclusion of Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, when he was in the lead of the general standings. The level of performance of the BMW X3 had allowed him to win two stages but his lack of reliability forced his to drive around a line of dunes, which led to his exclusion from the raid. Argentina’s Orlando Terranova, who was starting to impose himself slowly upon the elites, had to withdraw from the race after a major driving error.

In the T2 category, Nicolas Gibon gives a new victory to Toyota in this category and also - more importantly - ends up in 14th position in the general standings, whereas the best vehicles engaged in the Production category tend to generally rank around the 40th position. His closest contender, Xavier Foj, also demonstrated the competitiveness of T2s as he finishes 16th of the rally-raid.

Finally, the only 100% female crew registered to start in Buenos Aires, with Florence Migraine Bourgnon behind the wheel and Clémence Joyeux handling the road book, managed to finish the raid and ranks 86th in the general standings. As to the last one in the general standings (91st!), he is also a winner in his own right in his category as Jose Manuel Salinero was the only one who drove the whole Dakar alone in his car.

TRUCK RAID: KAMAZ GETS BACK WHAT WAS HIS

From the first to the last stage in the truck raid, the race was intense and there were many unexpected turns of events. From day one on, it was the Dutch participants who stood out. Van Vliet won the stage and became the first leader of this Dakar in front of De Rooy, while Chagin was only 7th. But the real turn of events of this opening went to Hans Stacey. A flat tire relegated him 39 minutes behind the pack and started the list of his setbacks. The leader of Team Man withdrew at the start of stage 8. Young De Rooy benefited from it to leave his mark on the early stages of this Dakar. Leader as of day 2, De Rooy stayed in the lead for four days and won a total of three stages. But the Dutch mark on the rally was going to fade at mid-raid and give way to the Russian trucks. Kabirov took the lead in the general standings at the end of stage 6, which opened a fascinating pursuit between the many-time winners of the Kamaz team. Chagin and Kabirov took turns at winning stages and at taking the lead in the general standings, and fought a spectacular fight with no mercy. The conclusion of this fight happened in the last special stage when Firdaus Kabirov finished just 30’’ ahead of Chagin and won his second Dakar, pushing Chagin back at 3’39’’ in the standings. Only Gerard De Rooy sort of stood his ground in this final stage and ends up getting third place on the podium, right in front of Mardeev. With 3 trucks out of 3 in the four first places of the general standings, this year, the Kamaz trucks were simply untouchable.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 14 - Cordoba - Buenos Aires: Video - Cars

2009-01-18T00:15:00.002-02:00

In English

In Spanish

Final Overall Standings

Dakar 2009: Photos last two stages

2009-01-17T19:24:00.012-02:00

Giniel de Villiers celebrates in Buenos Aires

Dieter Depping crosses a streem in Cordoba

Marc Coma arriving in Buenos Aires

Hands stretching out at Stage 14 finish

Marcos Patronelli escorted by the police entering Buenos Aires.

Dakar 2009: De Villiers claims historic Dakar win

2009-01-17T18:51:00.006-02:00

Autosport.com

By Matt Beer

Saturday, January 17th 2009, 14:16 GMT

Giniel de Villiers has clinched a historic Dakar Rally victory for Volkswagen, taking the first diesel-powered win in the event in its first year in its new South American location.

Mark Miller completed a VW one-two, as this year's dominant team cruised through the final days over an hour clear of the rest of the field.

It should have been a top three sweep for VW, had Carlos Sainz not crashed out of the lead on Thursday. The former World Rally champion had led for most of the rally, only to slide into a ravine with just two days to go, leaving his co-driver Michel Perin with shoulder injuries that forced them to withdraw.

With Miller losing a lot of time in the same stage, de Villiers suddenly vaulted from a distant third - 41 minutes adrift - into the rally lead, where he remained through today's deciding run from Cordoba back to Buenos Aires.

"Absolutely incredible," said de Villiers, who was also fastest in the final stage. "I've never experienced such a feeling before. I was very nervous in the last couple of kilometres, but it's an unbelievable feeling.

"I'm so happy for the team and everyone back at Volkswagen, who've been supporting us for five years to get this win."

Miller drove conservatively and ultimately finished eight minutes behind his victorious teammate.

"The team won, that was our goal," he said. "It could have been Giniel or me, and that's the way it works. I'm a young guy and I'm going to have plenty of chances, I hope."

While VW celebrated, it was a disastrous event for Mitsubishi. The winners of the last seven Dakars hoped their brand new diesel Lancer could continue that streak, but took just one fastest stage time, never led the event, and lost three of their four works cars early on. Joan Roma's eventual 10th place was little consolation.

With Mitsubishi under-performing, the X-Raid BMW team proved to be VW's main rivals. Nassar Al-Attiyah battled for the lead with Sainz in the opening days, only to be disqualified for missing waypoints while trying to protect an overheating engine.

Third place finally went to Robby Gordon, despite the Hummer driver having some late scares with a stuck throttle yesterday and a flat tyre today. But with a vast advantage over Overdrive Nissan drivers Ivar Erik Tollefsen and Krzysztof Holowczyc in fourth and fifth places, Gordon was still able to make it home in third.

Dakar 2009: Volkswaguen celebrates 1-2 victory and first diesel engine triumph in a Dakar

2009-01-17T18:37:00.006-02:00

Only when passing the toughest motorsport test with flying colours, only when winning ten of 13 possible stages, and only when thrilling millions of people along the rally route in the process – only then will it be deemed "Das Auto” ("The Car”).

Volkswagen won the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile with the Race Touareg and thus made motorsport history. The exploit clinched by the South African-German duo Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz in the debut event of the legendary desert classic in South America marked the first ever victory of a diesel-powered vehicle in the automobile class in the 30-year-history of the "Dakar”. Their Volkswagen team colleagues Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) as the runners-up completed the exploit as a one-two victory.
In the extremely tough test for man and material the Volkswagen Race Touareg with its innovative 280-hp TDI engine proved to be the fastest and most reliable car, while the field of contenders – featuring 14 top cars with diesel engines – was of a higher calibre than ever. Volkswagen defeated the serial "Dakar” winners, Mitsubishi, who had not been beaten since 2001, as well as the X-raid BMW team. Besides de Villiers/von Zitzewitz and Miller/Pitchford at the top, the German duo Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk in another Race Touareg finished the Dakar Rally, in sixth place overall. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F) in another one of the Red Bull blue Race Touareg vehicles, who had been leading the class of the total of 168 cars that had started to the event on eight days, retired after an accident on the twelfth leg while leading the rally.
36-year-old Giniel de Villiers from Stellenbosch had already clinched second place at the "Dakar” in the Race Touareg in 2006. In 2003, the former South African touring car champion contested his first Dakar Rally, since 2006 he has been navigated by Dirk von Zitzewitz. The 40-year-old from Karlshof, and 15-time German Enduro champion, contested his first first "Dakar” on two wheels, switched into the cockpit as a co-driver in 2002, alongside Mark Miller by the way, and formed a team with Robby Gordon (2005) for Volkswagen as well. Since 2007 Dirk von Zitzewitz has been pointing the right way to Giniel de Villiers. 46-year-old Mark Miller from Phoenix/Arizona drove his first "Dakar” in 2002 and has been a Volkswagen factory driver since 2005, with Ralph Pitchford from Pretoria in his co-driver’s seat since 2006.
Straight from the rally’s start, the Race Touareg crews set best stage times. A total of ten out of 13 possible stage wins at the "Dakar” went to Volkswagen, on twelve of the 14 rally days one of the cross-country rally prototypes from Wolfsburg was leading the event. The duo Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn decided six of the stages in its favour, while de Villiers/von Zitzewitz contributed four stage wins to the Race Touareg’s tally of success. In just five fieldings in the cross-country classic the prototype has achieved 31 stage victories since 2004, Volkswagen’s "Dakar” tally since 1980 reflects 38 stage wins. At the same time, the four Volkswagen pairings contesting this event showed a very close performance: On the 14 legs – one stage was cancelled by the organiser A.S.O. – the Volkswagen drivers occupied 24 of 39 possible top-three positions in the daily standings. Each of the duos finished at least three of the special stages in the top three places.
Race Touareg adds yet another chapter to TDI Power’s success story
For the Volkswagen Group, the Race Touareg’s "Dakar” victory also marked the continuation of a TDI success story. In motorsport, forward-thinking direct injection technology has now won in any of the fields in which it is being used: In addition to the exploit of the Race Touareg at the Dakar Rally, Audi – with the R10 TDI – celebrated its third consecutive victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June 2008 and later won the title in the European Le Mans Series as well as in the American Le Mans Series, while SEAT in 2008 clinched its maiden title in the FIA World Touring Car Championship with the Léon TDI.

VW thrills spectators along the toughest "Dakar” route
The Dakar Rally’s debut in South America has proved to be the toughest edition of the off-road classic so far as well as featuring a totally new change. Besides quick gravel stages – the first leg was completed at an average speed of 143 km/h – and long stretches of dune fields with soft sand, trial-like sections across scree, the two-time passage across the Andes with altitudes of up to 4,700 metres above mean sea level as well as sections with high camel grass were on the agenda of the "Dakar”. Unlike earlier editions, the rally’s daily variations of terrain put extreme demands on the adaptability of the teams.

Arriving at the bivouac and the locations where the legs finished provided an emotional reward to the drivers and co-drivers. Millions of thrilled spectators, 500,000 of them just during the ceremonial start in Buenos Aires on 2 January, lined the rally route and gave the total of 530 cross-country rally teams that had started to the event on motorcycles and quads as well as in cars and trucks an enthusiastic welcome every day.
Second "Dakar” exploit for Volkswagen after 1980

As early as in 1980 Volkswagen at its first – and for a long time only – entry won the Dakar Rally. Almost three decades ago, Freddy Kottulinsky and co-driver Gerhard Löffelmann won the second edition of the rally through Africa at the wheel of a Volkswagen Iltis, a nearly production-based car, followed by their French team-mates Patrick Zaniroli/Philippe Colesse – clinching a Volkswagen one-two victory back then as well. Two further Iltis vehicles finished in places four and nine. In 2003, Volkswagen returned to cross-country rally racing with breakthrough TDI technology, fielded the first generation of the Race Touareg in 2004 and won the FIA Cross Country Rally World Cup titles in 2005 and 2007. The one-two victory at the 2009 Dakar Rally marks the Race Touareg’s biggest single exploit. (VW-Motorsport)

Dakar 2009 Last Stage - Cordoba - Buenos Aires: De Villiers, Coma, Machacek the winners of the Rally-Raid

2009-01-17T12:12:00.006-02:00

The last stage of the 2009 Dakar Argentina - Chile has come to and end, finally. South African Giniel de Villiers (VW)in the cars category, Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM)in bikes and Czech Machacek (Yamaha) in quads are the new crowns of the famous rally. Still to finish, the trucks are now racing the final stage. Second overall to De Villiers (who won this last stage) is his VW partner from the USA, Mark Miller (second in the stage), Frenchman Cyril Deprés (3rd in the stage) is second overall to Coma (6th in the stage) also with KTM, and Argentinian Marcos Patronelli (7th in the stage) with a Can-Am quad came in second to Machacek (2nd in the stage), a wonderful feat for a Dakar rookie, who won 3 stages. Robby Gordon (Hummer USA) suffered a puncture at km 80 of the final stage but arrived in 18th place, placing him as 3rd overall. Norwegian Tollefsen (Nissan)(10th in the stage) is in 4th place overall after a fantastic race together with his partner from Poland Holowicz (Nissan)(3rd in the stage). Spaniard Nani Roma (Mitsubishi) came in 4th in the stage and finished 10th overall, the last survivor of the RalliArt team.
Final Overall Standings

Dakar 2009 - La Rioja - Cordoba: Video Stage 13 Cars

2009-01-17T10:20:00.003-02:00

In Spanish (longer)

In English

Dakar 2009 - Stage 13 - La Rioja - Cordoba: Nani Roma wins stage for Mitsubishi at last

2009-01-16T22:01:00.005-02:00

Pending validation by the race stewards, Spaniard Nani Roma (Mitsubishi) has given the Japanese manufacturer its first stage victory on this 31st Dakar, which is also Nani’s first stage victory on four-wheels in a Dakar! In this 13th stage, the Spaniard took the lead by 7’18" over Polish driver Krzysztof Holowczyc (Nissan), and by 7’27" over French driver Guerlain Chicherit (BMW). However there has been no change in the general standings where South-African driver Giniel De Villiers (VW) is still in command, 2’20" ahead of his US team-mate Mark Miller (VW), and 1h27’13" ahead of the Hummer of Robby Gordon. Victim of a mechanical problem after

hitting a big boulder, the US driver still holds the lead in the Open category but looses his first stage in this category to his team-mate, Frenchman Eric Vigouroux. Finally, in the Production category, Japanese driver Jun Mitsuhashi (Toyota) has won stage 13 but it is still France’s Nicolas Gibon (Toyota) who leads the general standings.

Joan "Nani" Roma (Esp - MITSU) - 304

Yesterday was a stage like there are many on rally-raids. You must always expect this kind of ups and downs on a race like the Dakar. Today, I drove well. The car responded well too. This stage victory is a satisfaction for everybody. Now, we are going to go back to Buenos Aires without taking too much risk. I am not disappointed at the end of this Dakar.

Krisztof Holowczyc (Pol – Nissan) - 317

"Today was a great stage for me. It’s funny because this morning, Jean Marc (Fortin) and I, we were saying: ’do you remember back in 1999, we had lost a wheel of our Subaru in WRC right here. It was rather easy for us, not too heavy on the car that does lack a bit of power. In the sand, we loose time but on this type of trail, it’s easy to drive. Some parts of the special stage were the same as in the WRC Rally of Argentina. This allows drivers to express their talents on more technical sections."

Giniel De Villiers (Afs - Volkswagen) - 305

"I think we can call this a team stage. The most important is to reach the finish particularly after loosing a car yesterday. The manager wanted us to drive like this today and we abide by the wishes of the team. It’s important for Volkswagen to finish the Dakar in first and second places. We don’t want to take any chances anymore. It would be meaningless. We worked hard to get to this and throwing it all away on the last two stages would not be clever. For now, I am happy of my Dakar. It could have been better. But this is how it goes with the Dakar."

TEAM DAKAR USA

Posted by on Jan 16, 2009, 18:26

“Obviously, I wish that the No. 309 Monster Energy Toyo Tires Hummer would have had a better outcome today. Regardless of a pesky little rock getting in our way, I am still happy with where we stand going into the last stage tomorrow. Even though we haven’t won any specials yet this year, we are still here competing for the Dakar Rally title and that is what that matters. This race is about survival and preparation, and Team Dakar USA has excelled at both. We have been able to address the problems, fix them, and continue forward. Both cars are still in the race, and I couldn’t be more proud of the Team Dakar USA program,” commented Robby Gordon.

Standings after Stage 13

Dakar 2009: Mitsubishi´s Roma survives marathonstage

2009-01-16T18:32:00.002-02:00

Mitsubishi's Joan 'Nani' Roma and Lucas Cruz Senra (both Spain) survived what should have been the longest and potentially most difficult special stage of the entire 2009 Dakar Rally on Tuesday. They completed the 670km loop through the Atacama desert, that was shortened to 476km by event officials, in fifth place to maintain fourth in the overall classification.

The Mitsubishi mechanics left no stone unturned to find the fault that had caused Roma's overheating woes on the ninth stage and the ventilator fan was eventually repaired to rectify the problem. Roma held a virtual sixth at the first passage control and a similar position through PCs three, four and five, before reaching the finish, adjacent to the bivouac, where hundreds of service teams, media and spectators were watching the action unfold at the end of the special from an elevated position on a giant dune.

Robbie Gordon (USA) set the second fastest time on the special to reduce Roma's hold on fourth position to 21m 25s, but Carlos Sainz (Spain) continued to head team mate Mark Miller (USA) by 27m 31s in the overall standings after setting the quickest time of the day.

The ASO permitted 312 teams to take part in today's loop stage, with 142 bikes and quads, 109 cars and 61 trucks given permission to restart. Low-lying cloud and a sea mist again forced the delay of the special stage, which had been reduced from 670km to 476km the previous evening, on the grounds that some of the terrain was not challenging and the ASO preferred teams to have more time to tackle the tricky dunes en route.

But the fog persisted, meaning that the safety helicopters could not take off, and ASO officials were forced to delay the start of the stage by 2h 40m.

What they said:

Dominique Serieys, Team Director: 'Nani' is driving very well and has made no mistakes. We had some troubles that have put him back, but we are getting more feedback about diesel technology every day. We are on a good pace now and will try and give him a better car each day. The target is still a podium. Robbie (Gordon) is still pushing and it is good for the rally that another private team is coming into the fight."

Joan 'Nani' Roma: "I am happy to be here. If they make the original road book about 670km, you know it is going to be tough. The engine mapping could have been better in the power stakes, but we never stopped and we made the kilometers to reach the finish. I am not watching the leader board now. If we cannot take a podium, then fourth or fifth is the same to me. It is just a case of doing our jobs and keeping going over the last few days."

Lucas Cruz Senra: "It was obviously a hard stage. There were a lot of areas of camel grass and that made it tough. We struggled a little. I stopped on one occasion to take some air out of the tires, because the sand is very soft. The road book was not so good today. One modification was totally opposite to the real direction we had to take and we lost one or two kilometers." (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009 - Stage 12 - Quotes from VW crews

2009-01-16T17:50:00.003-02:00

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"The most important news is that the accident of Carlos Sainz and Michel Périn did not result in any severe personal injuries. Both of them are very disappointed that the ‘Dakar’ is over for them, but at the same time they’re relieved that with a shoulder injury for Michel the incident did not result in really serious consequences. We wish Michel a speedy recovery. But – we knew that to win, we’d first have to overcome the ‘Dakar’ itself. With Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford we’ve still got two irons in the fire to win the Dakar Rally with the Race Touareg and TDI power.”

#301 – Carlos Sainz (E), retired"Suddenly, a four-metre deep hole appeared in front of us. We fell into it and landed on our roof. A BMW and Nani Roma were able to get around us at the last moment. The BMW team stopped and helped us to put the car back on its wheels. In the meantime an ASO doctor had arrived who briefly checked Michel Périn and barred him from continuing the drive on account of a shoulder injury. The Race Touareg was by and large okay, the engine was running. Of course we were lucky in this situation as well. I’m very disappointed and I’m very sorry for the team that we´re out, but I’m hoping that our team will win in the end anyhow.”

#301 – Michel Périn (F), co-driver"About 30 kilometres before our accident we’d lost our way but soon found the right route again. We were heading towards the next waypoint, I counted down the distance – as always – and just as I was saying ‘20 metres’ we dropped into this whole. Even the days before, the roadbook had not been particularly accurate and today we paid the price for it. I broke a shoulder blade in the accident and that ended the rally for me and Carlos. I’m very sorry for the team. But I’m hoping that in the end a ‘blue’ vehicle will finish in front.”

#305 – Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 1st place leg / 1st place overall"It was an incredibly rough day for us. Although the special stage today was short, it was extremely slow. The organiser selected routes with large stones, deep and super-soft sand. In addition, there were some places left out in the roadbook, which of course made the navigation extremely difficult. But about five kilometres before the finish my co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz made up a lot of time for us when he found the quickest way while others were still looking for it.”

#307 – Dieter Depping (D), 4th place leg / 7th place overall"I think today wasn’t just 100 per cent ‘Dakar’, it was more like 120 per cent ‘Dakar’. The dunes were incredibly hard to handle, lots of vegetation that made life difficult for us, and we had to cross riverbeds several times. My co-driver Timo Gottschalk had his work cut out for him. Many branch-offs were hard to see and the roadbook led us astray several times today as well. So, today had everything a rally day could offer.”

#308 – Mark Miller (USA), 2nd place leg / 2nd place overall"Today is one of those days where there’s a lot to talk about. The special stage has definitely been the most difficult one of this ‘Dakar’ so far. Particularly in the sand we had to work hard, we got stuck several times and had to dig ourselves out. On several occasions we let some air out of the tyres and filled them up again after the difficult passages. Once we got stuck, and when I left the car I only then realized we’d lost the rear part of the body – I haven’t noticed beforehand that we’d lost it at all. We were leading for a long time, but lost time again at the end. The overall gap between me and my team colleague Giniel de Villiers is small now – but the main thing is that a Volkswagen will be in front in the end.”

Dakar 2009 - Stage 12 - Fiambalá - La Rioja: Video - Cars

2009-01-16T01:30:00.005-02:00

In Spanish (longer)

In English

The World's Largest Trans-Saharan Rally Is To Start This Saturday From Budapest

2009-01-15T22:04:00.004-02:00

The grueling, two week endurance rally from Budapest to Bamako will take its 630 participants across two continents and eight countries. Participants will race across some of the world's most politically volatile countries amid tight security to bring humanitarian aid.

The region has always been politically very volatile. We try to do everything possible to ensure safety. However we continually ask all participants to carefully evaluate the risks of their participation.

Budapest, Hungary (PRWEB) January 15, 2009 -- The 630 participants of the Budapest-Bamako, trans-Saharan rally will set out on their grueling two week journey from the Hungarian capital this Saturday morning at nine o'clock. After the withdrawal of the Dakar Rally from Africa, the Budapest-Bamako is now the largest off-road, endurance race in the region covering two continents, eight countries and nearly 10,000 kilometers.

Budapest is the backdrop to the start of the rally

Teams have to complete the route from the heart of Europe to West Africa, driving on harsh desert terrain in the Sahara and several difficult stages in the African bush. "This will be our most difficult rally to date," said Andrew G. Szabo the founder of the event.

Amid tight security a record number of 212 cars, 31 motorcycles, 6 trucks and 3 buses are to take place in the long distance race. Participants will go through Hungary, Slovenia, Italy, France, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania and Mali before arriving in Bamako.

This year's event is off to a tense start due to security concerns in Mauritania and Mali. The 2008 Dakar was cancelled because of terror threats. The recent Mauritanian coup d'etat and the prolonged touareg uprising in Mali are both strong causes for concern. The renewed fighting between the rebels and government forces left three people dead this week north of Bamako.

The Budapest-Bamako will spend more than a week in the troubled West African countries. "The region has always been politically very volatile. We try to do everything possible to ensure safety. However we continually ask all participants to carefully evaluate the risks of their participation," added Mr. Szabo. The Mauritanian government ensured organizers of the Budapest-Bamako to provide several thousand armed men and tactical vehicles along the rally route. The rally is a strong source of revenue for the Saharan country. It accounts for more than 5% of the annual tourist traffic in Mauritania. The security forces will strengthen their presence in Mali as well in light of the recent events.

The Budapest-Bamako is a zero assistance, extreme endurance rally where teams have to rely on their own resources in case of emergencies. The event was created four years ago for those who have always dreamt of joining more prestigious desert races but never had the proper funding. In recent years it's been billed as a "low-budget Dakar" or the "poor man's Dakar".

There's a racing and touring category. In racing, teams have to finish daily stages on time and complete orienteering challenges along the way to earn points. The race is not held on closed roads and is not a timed rally. The emphasis is on endurance and navigation. In touring category drivers have to complete 16 stages to reach Bamako on some of the world's most inhospitable terrain.

The field of competitors features three-time winner and defending champion, Juraj and Daniela Ulrich, a husband-wife duo from the Slovak Republic. This year, veteran Dakar driver Mila Janacek from the Czech Republic will attempt to dethrone the Slovak couple as captain of the Hummer Racing Team. There are crews from 45 different countries, some from as far as Iran, New Zealand or South Africa.

In addition to the well prepared off-road cars, there will be some Eastern European automotive relics, a Norwegian Citroen-DS, a Mini Morris, the organizer's 40 year old Peugeot 504, a 1961 Hungarian fire engine, a vintage Polish ambulance, a rare Austin Montego and a Volkswagen Passat, which can be powered by bicycle pedals if the engine fails. In recent years an ice cream truck, a 3 wheeled Velorex, and an Ikarus articulated bus enrolled in the event too.

The Budapest-Bamako is also a unique exercise in direct charitable giving.Teams are bringing 700,000Euros worth of direct aid to the world's 4th and 5th poorest nation. Miss Hungary 2005 who is completing the course on a KTM motorcycle will deliver many of those gifts to impoverished villages, clinics and rural schools.

The Dutch all-woman team of Nynke Doorenbos és Amarja Niehof has already shipped 230 bicycles to Women On Bikes, an NGO that helps women in Mali learn to ride bicycles. The bikes and other donations will be given out in Bamako on February 1.

Quick facts at a glance:

Start: January 17, 2009 8:45AM. Heroes's Square, Budapest, Hungary

Finish: January 31, 2009: 11:00AM Mobido Keita Memorial, Bamako, Mali

Distance:5468 miles (8896kms)

Number of teams: 252

Cheapest vehicle: 272Euro ($380) Austin Montego

Avarage daily distance: 347miles (556km)

Youngest participant: 17 years old

Oldest participant: 74 years old

Stages of the rally in racing category:

Jan 18, Brescia, Italy-851km

Jan 20, Merzouga, Morocco via Montpellier, Barcelona, Alicante, Murcia, Almeria, Nador, 2740km

Jan 22, Foum Zgid, Morocco 410km

Jan 23, Assa, Morocco 450km

Jan 24, Smara, Western Sahara 437km

Jan 25, Bou Lanoar, Mauritania 370km

Jan 26, Atar, Mauritania 480km

Jan 27, Tidjikja, Mauritania 430km

Jan 28, Kiffa, Mauritania 420km

Jan 29, Korera Kore, Mali 320km

Jan 30, Banamba 375km

Jan 31, Bamako 250km

For further information:

http://www.BudapestBamako.org

Dakar 2009 - Stage 12: Fiambala - La Rioja: Sainz crashes out of Dakar rally

2009-01-15T15:23:00.010-02:00

Dakar leader Carlos Sainz has crashed out of the rally during the 12th stage of the event.

The Spaniard, who was leading comfortably with just three stages left, careered into a ravine after 79 km of the day's special stage, damaging his Volkswagen beyond repair.

His co-driver Michel Perin is reported to have injured his shoulder, but both men arrived by helicopter at the bivouac in Fiambala.
Sainz' exit leaves teammate Giniels de Villers in the lead, pending the end of today's stage.

The 3 first cars have now reached the end of this 12th stage and - against all odds - it is South-African driver Giniel De Villiers (VW), who was timed 3rd, 2’12" behind Miller at CP2, who wins. This is his 3rd stage victory this year and his 11th on a Dakar. More importantly, with a 16’17" over his US team-mate Mark Miller (VW), De Villiers is now taking the lead in the general standings after the withdrawal of Spanish driver Carlos Sainz (VW) today. 3rd fastest clock today, 25’27" behind the winner, American driver Robby Gordon (Hummer) is now more than 1h15" behing the leaders in the general standings.

Michel Périn (copilot to C. Sainz - 301 - VW) - 301

We had made a small mistake in the first part. We took the wrong direction at a Y crossing but it was not too bad because we did end up on the right trail. We were tailing Giniel De Villiers who had started about 10’ after us so it was still sort of OK. Then there was a hidden waypoint with a wadi indicated as ’danger’. But it should have been indicated as ’extremely dangerous’. By the way, the car behind us, Nani Roma’s car, would have fallen in the same hole as we did if we had not been there already. I’m ok; I just have something broken in my arm, but I’m alright.

Giniel De Villiers (Afs - Volkswagen) - 305

"It was really a tough stage. In places we would go around in circles for 15’ to find the right trail. It was very dangerous and the sand was really soft. We stopped a first time to deflate our tyres. Then a second time in a huge canyon with tons of boulders. Dirk (Von Zitzewitz) had to get out of the car to find a way out. It was really a tough day."

Patronelli hits hard!

The first 3 quads have now reached the end of the day’s special stage and Argentinian driver Marcos Patronelli (Can-Am) is today’s winner; this is his 3rd stage victory of the rally and a big one it is with a 35’56" (!) lead over leader in the general standings, Czech driver Josef Machacek (Yamaha), and 36’02" over Frenchman Hubert Deltrieu (Polaris).

3rd stage victory for Despres

The first 7 bikes have now reached the finish of today’s special stage and French rider Cyril Despres (KTM) wins the stage; it is the Frenchman’s third stage victory in this 31st edition of the Dakar, he finishes with a 1’23" lead on the leader in the general standings, Spain’s Marc Coma (KTM), and 9’51" ahead of France’s David Casteu (KTM).

A surprising third place for Farrès Guell!

After starting today’s stage 20th this morning, Spain’s Gerard Farrès Guell (KTM) had the 3rd fastest clock of the day’s special stage, finishing 9’47" behind winner Cyril Despres (KTM), but 4" ahead of French rider David Casteu (VW), who is now fourth of today’s stage.

Standings after Stage 12

Dakar 2009 - Stage 10 Revisited

2009-01-15T15:20:00.001-02:00

Dakar 2009 - Stage 10 Video Cars

2009-01-15T15:15:00.000-02:00

Dakar 2009 - Stage 10: Sainz makes it once again

2009-01-13T18:39:00.008-02:00

Carlos Sainz in a VW Race Touareg won Stage 10, which started and ended in Copiapo, Chile. The most difficult Stage of the Dakar 2009 so far. The Spaniard alternated first place of this amazing special in the infamous Atacama desert, one of the driest on earth, with O. Terranova and Robby Gordon. Terranova, the Argentine driver of the BMW X-Raid team turned over his car at km 180, just 2 km after passing a check point, the car was destroyed but the crew were rescued unscathed it seems. Robby Gordon in his brutal Hummer did a great job right until the end of the stage and came in second to C. Sainz for only 21 seconds. 3rd place was for Mark Miller also in a VW Race Touareg, 7 min 39 sec behind Sainz. 4th place was for G. Chicherit with BMW (12:25),5th came in Joan Roma, the last surviving Mitsubishi Racing Lancer at 15:01 min. 6th was Giniel de Villiers with a VW Touareg at 18:15 min. The race is still on at this time, as ASO, the organizer delayed the start for almost 2 hours this morning on account of the prevailing fog (the helicopters for rescue, television and the organization could not take off). The stage was also shortened in 200 km as there were dunes with far too soft sand for the up to now tired crews to traverse. It seems the French organizers are weary that there will not be enough vehicles to end the race. There are still 5 more stages to go and it is believed that the Stage in Fiambala, La Rioja, Argentina is extremely difficult and shall be raced in marathon style, not allowing the vehicles to be serviced or repaired after the stage, only the crews by themselves will be allowed to repair. Tomorrow is the last stage in Chile and off they go back into Argentina by one of the highest passes there are in the Andes mountains. We'll have to wait and see who survives this last leg in Chile.

Carlos Sainz now leads the 2009 Dakar Rally-Raid by 27:31 minutes over his team mate Mark Miller, De Villiers is third 41:13 minutes from Sainz, 4th is Roma at 1:13:13 hour.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 9: La Serena - Copiapo - Cars Video

2009-01-13T11:56:00.001-02:00

Dakar 2009 - Stage 9: Sainz takes fifth Dakar stage victory

2009-01-12T18:38:00.003-02:00

Autosport.com

By Pablo Elizalde Monday, January 12th 2009, 18:46 GMT

Carlos Sainz stretched his lead at the top of the Dakar standings once again after scoring his fifth stage win of the rally.

The Volkswagen driver has now won three stages in a row to increase his lead at the top of the table to nearly 20 minutes over teammate Mark Miller, who took second place in today's stage.

In one of the longest and hardest specials of the rally at 449 km, Sainz avoided trouble and reached the finish line after nearly six hours of driving.
"This special was very hard," said Sainz. "Very, very, very hard with lots of rocks and with difficult navigation. Really complicated.

"Being here today is a victory. We'll see what happens later, but it was a difficult day."

Miller finished less than two minutes behind, but the American had looked set to win the stage before he was forced to stop to fix his steering and a wheel.

"We have been waiting for a year for this stage," said Miller. "We caught Carlos after 60 kms and we overtook him after around 150. Things were going quite well.

"In the last off-road section Carlos and I were both a little bit... The track was difficult to find and there were big boulders and I hit one on the right, I didn't even see it and it broke the steering so we had to stop and fix the steering and at the same time fix a wheel that broke. But it was a really, really fun day."

Thanks to today's result, Miller moved into second place in the overall standings after a difficult day for Giniel de Villiers, who finished far from his teammates after getting lost around the 80-km mark.

The South African, fourth in the special, dropped 12 minutes and is now nearly 23 behind Sainz in third.

American Robby Gordon was third in the stage after another solid day with his Hummer, ahead of the only works Mitsubishi left, that of Joan Roma.

The Spaniard, a former winner in the bikes category, set the fifth fastest time today, but over 24 minutes adrift of Sainz. Roma is now nearly an hour behind the former rally champion.

Standings after Stage 9

Dakar 2009 - Frans Verhoeven tames the dunes

2009-01-12T18:34:00.001-02:00

This 9th stage of the Dakar held all its promises with spectacular landscapes and imposing dunes. It was the first act of a probably decisive trilogy that will take place in the Atacama Desert, and was won by Dutchman Frans Verhoeven, even though he started in 33rd position this morning. Marc Coma remains in the lead in the general standings.

The bike race started very early this morning, without the fourth-placed rider in the general standings and winner of the special stage in San Rafael, Jonah Street. Having injured a wrist, the American was forced to withdraw, in spite of being second to Coma on leaving Argentina.

After an introduction to the South American dunes several days ago, but on the other side of the Andes, the bikers got to grips with the first part of a sandy triple whammy on this edition of the Dakar, with enough dunes to drive even the bravest crazy. Though, this was not the case for the leading lights on two wheels in this rally. The three leading performers from the day before, namely Despres, Coma and Lopez soon caught up with each other and spent the day together, with Coma thus neutralizing Despres.

However, it was left to other riders to create the headlines. Firstly, having started 10 minutes after Despres, David Frétigné toiled alone to get close to the leading trio. The Yamaha rider posted the best times at the first three CPs (after 131 km, 218 km and 235 km). Yet, the situation was rocked during the last part of the special stage, where the riders had to confront a section of dunes.

Secondly, Frans Verhoeven, who started in 33rd position, surprised everyone by putting in the best time after the 399-km mark. Thirty kilometers later, it was indeed the Dutchman who picked up his second special stage victory after his success in Puerto Madryn. Verhoeven beat Frétigné by 3.09 and Lopez by 3.40.

In the general standings, Coma now possesses a lead of 1 hour and 4 minutes over Frétigné and 1 hour and 34 minutes over title holder Despres, a comfortable cushion indeed. (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009: Stage 8 - Valparaíso - La Serena Video

2009-01-12T15:08:00.002-02:00

See more Dakar 2009 videos here

Dakar 2009 Stage 8: Interviews - Cars

2009-01-11T18:14:00.005-02:00

Carlos Sainz (Sp – Volkswagen) - 301

“As long as the rally isn’t over, then nothing is certain. Today was the first time we have driven on tracks. In fact, this stage was very much like a traditional rally stage. Up until now, those are the first real tracks that I’ve seen. But it was very nice, very slippery and sometimes quite tricky. I’m keeping my fingers crossed and I hope that we’ll carry on being as successful as we have been today”.

Mark Miller (USA – Volkswagen) - 308

“There were a lot of chances to lose the rally today and no chances of making up any time, so it’s not the kind of stage built for me. It was perfect for Carlos (Sainz) and the guys that like the rally stuff. At every turn there was a chance to ruin your race. It was difficult for me, but I did better than I expected so it was a success for me. Starting fifth or sixth tomorrow, maybe it’s an advantage, we’ll see”.

Nani Roma (Sp – Mitsubishi) - 304

“We came really close today. After 50 km we had a puncture, a double puncture in fact. We changed a front wheel and re-inflated a rear tire, so we lost quite a bit of time. As regards the gap at the end, after what happened on the stage, it’s not bad at all. It was a really nice stage in driving terms, but also the type of stage on which Carlos is very good.

But he’s also good at off-track racing. Anyway, in rally-raids there are always surprises. Now we’re going to be faced with two or three very difficult days. Everything can change, and we won’t not let anything go. Just wait and see”.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 8 Valparaíso - La Serena: Sainz stretches lead with stage win

2009-01-11T17:53:00.003-02:00

Autosport.com
By Matt Beer Sunday, January 11th 2009, 17:49 GMT

Carlos Sainz has extended his Dakar Rally lead to nearly 11 minutes after dominating stage eight of the event.

The former World Rally champion was just nine seconds clear of his Volkswagen teammate Giniel de Villiers when the rally resumed after Saturday's rest day, but the South African lost ten minutes to Sainz on the run from Valparaiso to La Serena.
Sainz said he had enjoyed the 294-kilometre stage, which was regarded as a relatively straightforward and easy section compared to the extremely punishing courses that will be used during the coming days.

"I think it's a nice track," he said. "Very slippery, sometimes very tricky also - you don't see a corner and then it's turning. We just have to keep going like today, with no problems, go, go, go."

VW continue to hold a one-two-three at the head of the field, with Mark Miller third, eight minutes behind de Villiers. Miller, who was third-fastest today behind Dieter Depping, said he felt the stage had been far better suited to Sainz than those with a background in rally raids.

"Lots of chance to lose your rally, and no chance to make any time really," said the American. "It's not the kind of stage that's built for me. It's perfect for Carlos and the guys that like the rally stuff.

"I stayed within four minutes of Carlos and I thought I would've lost six to eight, so I did better than I was expecting. So for me, it was a success. A few minutes is no big deal."

Joan Roma remains a distant fourth in the sole remaining factory Mitsubishi, with Robby Gordon hanging on to fifth in his Hummer despite losing a lot of time today when he became stuck on rocks while crossing a dried-up river bed.

Standings after Stage 8

Dakar 2009: Rest Day Video

2009-01-11T17:45:00.002-02:00

Like in the Dakar

2009-01-10T18:05:00.005-02:00

When racing the Dakar Rally you never know what route you will be taking the next day, you may have an idea, but just a slight one. In our daily lives we wake up in the morning and start our normal activities. We then leave home to work or travel, etc, but we don’t know what comes next, what we will be experiencing that day or the following, like in the Dakar. In the Dakar Rally, the drivers have just a slim idea of the terrain they will be traversing but cannot know in advance what kind of obstacles lie ahead and how difficult things may get. They must be fast but careful, be wise and persevere when difficulties abound; they may have to stop and repair their vehicles, but also not give in, and seek help from the other participants if they want to keep going. Crews are given a road-book everyday, with indications of the windings of the road, obstacles, timings, GPS, etc. All that is a like a map to follow, but the map is not the territory, so they must be extremely careful and intelligent to be able to reach the chequered flag that day, the next and the following… Similarly, we plan our lives in a certain way, but the roads we take go twisting that aim constantly. We sometimes encounter huge ‘dunes’ to overtake, some seem insurmountable, but with patience and dedication, intelligence and heart we can always circumvent or climb them altogether, like in the Dakar. Our road-book is ready for us every single day, but we must be willing to ‘see’ it (“Those who have eyes to see…”), read it and follow it. But beware, simply following our road-book is not like being on auto-pilot; we must use eyes, ears, intuition, wisdom, body, heart and soul to follow it. We must root ourselves in the terrain itself, be part but not attached to it, feel it, enjoy it, listen to its heartbeats, like in the Dakar. In that way we will be guided to the finish line unscathed, otherwise we shall suffer all sorts of difficulties, penuries, defeats, deceptions. However, by starting all over, repairing, learning from our experiences, incorporating, ingraining them in our souls not to make the same mistakes again, we can overcome them, like in the Dakar. With resolution and control of our desires and senses we will be driving our own life through the deserts, the mud lands, the forests, the mountains; we will cross the rivers and oceans, entire continents, and even jump into space. But nothing of this is possible if our drive is selfish. It will only take us ever so far from the chequered flag, unless we are prepared to help and lend a loving hand to all those who are alongside us, maybe suffering the same difficulties or worse. Only with camaraderie, solidarity and love, shall we reach our destination, the real one, like in the Dakar. We may have to postpone our victory that day, but we will taste the real triumph. In the end, we may not win the Dakar, but we will certainly win ‘our own Dakar.’ (by Marcos, a friend of mine)

Dakar 2009: Video Stage 7 - Cars

2009-01-10T13:19:00.002-02:00

Standings after Stage 7

Dakar 2009 - Stage 7: Cars, Interviews

2009-01-10T02:37:00.002-02:00

Carlos Sainz (Esp – Volkswagen) - 301

“The day went well, even if the stage was very hard. There was the mud, and the zones with lots of water, meaning sometimes we had to deal with a bit of wheel-spin. After that it was just as tough, really hard. But everything is going well for the team”.

Robby Gordon (USA – Hummer) - 309

“For us, it was a pretty good special. There was a little bit of mud at the end. I have to say for the first section we were right in the fight for the lead, but the last section where there was mud, since we have a two-wheel drive I was very conservative and cautious. We gave up probably 5 or 6 minutes to Sainz just in the last 70 kilometers. My Hummer is still hanging in there. We lost 35 minutes yesterday when we got lost, and that might make the difference at the end of the day between winning the rally or not. I’m happy to be half way there. We’ve come here for the win and we won’t stop until the finishing line, we’re pushing as hard as we can, but you’ve got to be smart: a lot of cars are starting to drop out of the rally. It’s still possible. The Volkswagens often break down during the last week”.

Nani Roma (Esp – Mitsubishi) - 304

“It was a good day. The car worked well. Still, there was a slight problem with the windscreen wipers. I finished without being able to see much. I don’t know what happened to Stéphane Peterhansel either. Perhaps he got a flat tire. Anyway, in this race every day something remarkable happens. We still have a long way to go before the finish. For the moment, we’re only near Valparaiso. At Mitsubishi, we have a huge team who work really hard. They’ve made a super car, but it’s a brand new car, so we have to fight and work hard, day after day, and not let the Volkswagens run away with it. The car is getting better and better, and I’m a professional. Mitsubishi pay me for this type of competition. So I’m going to battle and if VW want to win the rally, then it’s going to be tough, because I’m not going to let up, not one bit. I’ve worked a lot for this race”.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 7 - Mendoza - Valparaiso

2009-01-10T02:28:00.005-02:00

Summary of stage 7 - Cars

Pending validation of the

results by the race stewards, Spaniard Carlos Sainz (VW) has won the 7th stage, picking up his 3rd stage victory of this 31st Dakar, 3.41 ahead of his American team-mate Mark

Miller (VW) and 4.13 in front of American Robby Gordon and his Hummer. As a result, in the general standings "El Matador" Sainz has taken

the lead, 9 short seconds ahead of his South African team-mate Giniel De Villiers and 13.53 in front of the Race Touareg belonging to Miller, putting the 3 Volkswagens in the first 3

places! Worthy of note, the 9 times winner of the event Stéphane

Peterhansel again suffered problems today. After a fire in the engine of his Mitsubishi Racing Lancer, the Frenchman has now lost

all chance of grabbing a 10th victory on his 20th Dakar. In the Open category, Robby Gordon (Hummer) was again victorious and is the

undisputed category leader in the general standings. Finally, in the Production category, Japanese driver Jun Mitsuhashi (Toyota) won the

stage, but still only managed to claw back 10.20 on Frenchman Nicolas Gibon (Toyota) who retains a solid lead in the category in the general standings.

Summary of stage 7 - Bikes

Pending validation of the results by the race stewards, Chilean Francisco Lopez (KTM) has won the 7th stage, picking up his 1st success on the Dakar, 3.57 ahead of the leader of the general standings, Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM) and 5.21 in front of France’s Cyril Despres (KTM). As a result, in the general standings Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM) carries on opening up a gap at the top of the rankings, with a 51.22 lead over American Jonah Street (KTM), still leader in the marathon category, and a 52.31 lead over Frenchman David Frétigné (Yamaha), leader of the 450cc category.

Summary of stage 7 - Quads

Pending validation of the results by the race stewards, Argentine Marcos Patronelli (Can Am) has won the 7th stage, picking up his 1st success on the Dakar, 14.01 ahead of Uruguayan Luis Henderson (Suzuki) and 20.22 in front of Poland’s Rafal Sonik (Yamaha). As a result, in the general standings Czech rider Josef Machacek (Yamaha) is way out in the lead, 2:27.32 ahead of Patronelli and 2:38.27 in front of Polish rider Sonik.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 7: Volkswagen leads the Dakar Rally with three Race Touareg cars

2009-01-10T02:17:00.005-02:00

Volkswagen leads the Dakar Rally with three Race Touareg cars, ahead of Saturday’s rest day and after seven of the 14 legs.

Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn took over at the top on the seventh leg of the rally from Mendoza in Argentina to the Chilean city of Valparaíso. The former front-runners and Volkswagen team colleagues, Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz, trail them by just nine seconds. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford, driving a third Race Touareg with a 280 hp TDI diesel engine, are now third overall.

Carlos Sainz achieved his third leg victory on today’s difficult leg, which included the first Andes crossing of this first "Dakar” to be held in South America, thus placing him back at the top of the leader board. The day’s special stage was shortened from 419 to 243 kilometres due to inclement weather and rainfall overnight resulted in some treacherous driving conditions. Mark Miller is celebrating a double victory, having posted the second fastest time of the day and thus having given his best performance so far in this year’s legendary "Dakar”, which has been a tough one right from the start.

Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz ceded their lead today, after losing time due to a puncture and visibility problems on today’s muddy route, and were the sixth team to cross the finishing line. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk, who lost a lot of time in the fourth Race Touareg yesterday, made good ground today to take twelfth place, moving them up in the overall rankings to ninth.

Volkswagen’s appraisal after seven legs: Volkswagen can lay claim to five leg victories and five days of leading the rally, and now dominates the event ahead of Mitsubishi, who have remained unbeaten in the "Dakar” since 2001. The second half of this desert classic will get under way on Sunday, after Saturday’s rest day which will primarily serve as an opportunity to thoroughly service the rally vehicles. Seven legs now remain, covering a total distance of 4,622 kilometres.

Coming up …

Saturday, 10 January: Rest day, Valparaíso (RCH). The rally vehicles won’t be going anywhere on the eighth day of the "Dakar”. But the sole rest day during the toughest rally in the world will only mean a welcome break for the drivers and co-pilots at best, as the mechanics will be giving the race vehicles a thorough going-over in the Chilean port of Valparaíso. Meanwhile, the racers can lap up the attention of the media spotlight. (VW-Motorsport)

Standings after Stage 6

Dakar 2009: Video of Stage 6 - Cars: Al-Attiyah excluded from the race

2009-01-09T11:45:00.003-02:00

Standings after stage 6

Dakar 2009 - Stage 6: A difficult but favourable day for Vigouroux.

2009-01-09T00:31:00.001-02:00

Despite many difficulties, Eric Vigouroux finished amongst the first thirty racers during the first genuine rally-raid leg, which was both challenging and varied. As far as climate goes, temperatures hit thirty degrees in the early morning, snowflakes fell during a passage at 2,500 metres of altitude and, for the day's end, there was a strong thunderstorm, which even featured hail!

"As usual, the beginning of the special was hell, with over 100 km of fesh-fesh, no wind and broken-down vehicles everywhere. To avoid them, we had to make large detours through very thick brush. We were blocked for half an hour because of a 4x4 that was stuck in the fesh-fesh, and when we took off, Alex detected a fire that had just started under our hood.

We quickly extinguished it, but a spark plug melted and the engine was running poorly. At CP2, prior to the dunes, we decided to stop to change the spark plug wire and clean the air filter, from which we were able to remove a genuine bucket of sand", explained Eric.

"All things considered, these incidents made us lose an hour, but it was crucial that we pass through the dreaded strip of grey dunes before the night, since they seem to have trapped a large number of vehicles. When we drove through them, a thunderstorm broke out. It was six o'clock at night, but it seemed like the middle of the night. Now, though, we are quite happy to be done with this terrible day, and, once again, Robby Gordon came to congratulate us upon our arrival for our persistence." One of Eric and Alex's qualities it to never give up, and the American driver is particularly grateful for this attitude of theirs.

Dakar 2009 - Video of Stage 5 - Cars

2009-01-09T00:26:00.001-02:00

Dakar 2009: Stage 6 - San Rafael - Mendoza: Mitsubishi challenge down to two Lancer.

2009-01-09T00:21:00.004-02:00

The sixth stage of the 2009 Dakar Rally between San Rafael and Mendoza marked a day that Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart would rather forget, after team co-driver Gilles Picard (France) was taken ill on the special stage and forced the immediate retirement of his driver Luc Alphand (France) from the race.

Team mates Stephane Peterhansel (France) and Joan 'Nani' Roma (Spain) finished the stage with the fifth and sixth fastest times, but now hold sixth and fifth in the overall standings and face an uphill struggle to regain the lost time over the coming days.

Today's special stage was originally shortened from 394km to 232km and then to 178km because of the risk of standing water caused by recent rainfall. Event officials sent a route vehicle into the stage on Wednesday to monitor a river crossing which was already 80cm high and the decision was taken to skip the section on safety grounds.

Mitsubishi's mechanics finally completed the work on Peterhansel's and Jean-Paul Cottret's (France) 'Racing Lancer' just before the pair were scheduled to leave the bivouac and head into the liaison section to the sixth stage to Mendoza.

Peterhansel had incurred a 15-minute penalty in San Rafael on Wednesday evening for missing a time control. He eventually set the fifth fastest time.

Luc Alphand (France) was forced to withdraw from the Dakar Rally 12km after the start of the stage this morning, when co-driver Gilles Picard (France) was taken ill assisting Alphand in putting plates under a wheel when they were stuck in the mud. As a precaution he was airlifted to the bivouac in San Rafa?l for medical checks, but Alphand was unable to continue. Picard then underwent an electro-cardiogram test and everything was normal.

Joan 'Nani' Roma and Lucas Cruz Senra (Spain) held sixth position through the opening passage control and maintained his position to the finish. (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009 - Stage 6 - San Rafael - Mendoza - Breaking News: Al-Attiyah disqualified

2009-01-09T00:14:00.002-02:00

Nasser Al-Attiyah has been disqualified for missing hidden waypoints on today's stage of the Argentina-Chile Dakar Rally. The Qatari was leading after yesterday's stage to Mendoza, but complained of overheating and a possible cracked cylinder head to his BMW engineers last night. Only 5 kms into the stage that was shortened from 394 to 178 kilometres, Al Attiyah soon found the water temperature rocketing to 130 degrees with the first dunes approaching. (Marathonrally.com)

Standings after stage 6

Dakar 2009: Stage 5, Neuquen-San Rafael: De Villiers wins as Al-Attiyah leads

2009-01-07T19:15:00.002-02:00

By Pablo Elizalde Wednesday, January 7th 2009, 19:27 GMT

Giniel de Villiers scored his first stage win of the 2009 Dakar rally to move into second position in the overall standings after five days of the event.

In the longest special of the rally so far, the South African mastered the sand dunes to reach the finish line in first place with a time of 5h47:43.

The 506-km special from Neuquen to San Rafael proved to be the trickiest of the rally so far, and both Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al-Attiyah lost valuable time.

Sainz, who had led the rally until today, lost over 15 minutes after making a driving mistake and tearing off his front hood following a problem with his steering.

The Spaniard has dropped to third position in the overall standings, while BMW rival Al-Attiyah has moved into the lead, with de Villiers in second, just two minutes and 24 seconds adrift.

"I had to do 200 kms without power steering and the car was very hard to drive over the dunes," said Sainz. "And then in one of them we flipped the car."

Qatari Al-Attiyah also hit trouble after his engine began overheating.

"We stopped twice because the engine was overheating," said the new leader. "The temperature was very, very high and so we had to stop and clean everything."

De Villiers' teammate Dieter Depping was second in the stage, ahead of American Robby Gordon in the Hummer.

Stephane Peterhansel was the quickest Mitsubishi today, finishing in fifth positioon.

WTCC champion Yvan Muller, competing in a single-seater SMG buggy, was forced out of the event after his car caught fire following a collision with the truck of Portuguese driver Elisabete Jacinto. None of them were injured. (Autosport.com)

Standings after stage 5

Dakar 2009: Double victory for VW, de Villiers now second.

2009-01-07T19:10:00.003-02:00

Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) celebrated a Volkswagen stage victory on the fifth leg of the “Dakar” ahead of their teammates Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D), to improve their overall ranking by one place. De Villiers of South Africa is now ranked second overall, 2.24 minutes behind the new rally leaders Nasser Al-Attiyah/Tina Thörner (Q/S), and is the new leading Volkswagen driver in the field for the time being. Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) were at the front of the pack for several hundred kilometres of today’s leg, which featured altitudes ranging from 400 metres to 2,300 metres above sea level. The German pair eventually came second, securing their best result so far on this cross-country classic.

Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) likewise have reason to be pleased, having managed to supplant Mitsubishi driver Nani Roma to take fifth place in the overall rankings following their good performance on today´s turbulent 506-kilometre-long special stage from Neuquén to San Rafael in Argentina.

Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F) have suffered a setback: after leading the rally for three days, they finished today´s leg 15.42 minutes behind the day´s winners and have therefore dropped two places in the overall rankings, to third. They now trail the front runners by 6.33 minutes. (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009: A French motorist was found dead.

2009-01-07T18:11:00.002-02:00

Besides the Dakar ray being the most difficult, resultingly the most famous cross country rally, unfortunately it is the most infamous for taking victims every year. The French motorist, Pascal Terry (Yamaha, 192. start number) was found dead on the Argentinean pampas on the way of the Dakar. The competitor got lost on Sunday - and were searched for since then - and was found at an inaccessible place covered by bushy plants 15 meters away firm his motorbike.

After his accident he was alive, he took off his the helmet, food and drink was found near him, and he made a little shelter for himself. The 49 year old French competitor was participating on the first Dakar rally in his life.

Dakar 2009 - Video of Stage 4 - Cars/Autos

2009-01-07T09:13:00.001-02:00

Dakar 2009 - Video of Stage 3 - Motorbikes/Motos

2009-01-07T09:09:00.001-02:00

Dakar 2009: Video of Stage 3 - Cars

2009-01-06T19:17:00.003-02:00

See a Robby Gordon video on-board his Hummer

Dakar 2009 - Stage 4: Interviews

2009-01-06T18:27:00.002-02:00

Carlos Sainz (Esp – 301 – Volkswagen) - 301
“We started very well and very quickly. We soon caught up with Nasser Al Attiyah. When he realized it was us, he counter-attacked and we both continued to race at a very speedy pace, until I was able to overtake on an off-track section. However, just afterwards, I started loosing air from a tire. I had to stop and pump it back up, because it wasn’t a flat tire, just a slow puncture. I was regularly loosing tire pressure right up until the end of the special stage. I think I arrived with only half a kilo of pressure and must have won by just 5 of 6 seconds. It’s a shame, because I could have done better”.
Nasser Al Attiyah (Qat – 302 – BMW) - 302
“I think Carlos Sainz overtook me just before we reached the 100-km mark. After that, I followed on his tail and we raced up to the finish. It’s not a problem that he won the stage. It’s even a good thing for me that he will be leading the way for a stage where there should be sand dunes. I damaged the car a bit because there were plenty of trees and also a lot of overtaking to get past the bikers. So, we hit the odd tree, but fortunately it’s nothing serious. This Dakar is really going well and we’re right where we want to be!”
Giniel de Villiers (Zaf – 305 – BMW) - 305
“It wasn’t such a bad stage. I caught up with Dieter Depping who had a puncture. I saw Carlos Sainz and Nasser Al Attiyah. I was two minutes behind them. The route was very bumpy and undulating. It was difficult to go full throttle, attack and make up some ground. When you are two minutes behind, it isn’t all that easy to claw back time on the leaders. The stages are becoming more and more difficult. It’s a proper Dakar”.

Marc Coma (Esp – 2 – KTM) - 002

“It was a nice stage with some good riding at the beginning then a bit more navigation. The landscape changed, making it a bit more technical, and more physical because you start to feel all the efforts put in so far. Today, it was shorter but harder than the other days. It was a bit like Morocco, where the tricks are nice and quick. I didn’t have any problems with my tires. Since it was a shorter stage, we chose to use foam bibs, and I haven’t had any problems with them. What was strange was having to open 4 or 5 gates. They are cattle gates for keeping the cattle from leaving the farms. In the Patagonia - Atacama the tradition is to close them behind you so everyone is on an equal footing, but this time I left them open, especially as it was my team-mate Viladoms behind me!”

Jonah Street (Usa – 26 – KTM) - 026

“It was a nice day. Until refueling, I really enjoyed riding on these winding tracks. It was also good to be able to ride without having to constantly think about going easy on the tires, because on the first two stages, I had to slow down. I also liked the last part, because I knew there would be some off-track riding. When you have to ride without the others tracks, it’s even better”.

David Frétigné (Fra – 12 – Yamaha) - 012

“It was superb. We finished on the stony tracks, which were a bit quicker, with a crossing of a dry river where there was a big crowd to encourage us. It was a really great special, very varied. I’ve never had such a good time on the rally. It’s also the way the special stages are designed which helps. They are technical, interesting and require a lot of concentration. As a biker, that makes for great riding”.

Dakar 2009 - Stage 4 - Jacobacci - Neuquen: Coma, Sainz and De Rooy strike again.

2009-01-06T18:19:00.003-02:00

Over the 380 kilometers of the day’s special stage, Marc Coma boasted the best time and continues to increase his lead at the top of the general standings. In the car race, the struggle continues between Sainz and Al Attiyah, with a slight advantage for the Spaniard.

What more would Marc Coma need to feel good? He had a relaxed start to the day, with the prospect of a long journey through Patagonia as the pathfinder. Since there were few navigational constraints, there was no worry about getting lost and losing time, especially since his nearest pursuer in the general standings, David Frétigné, was 39 minutes behind him. All the conditions were combined for the Catalan to continue widening the gap, riding at a pace that others would consider supersonic, but which he considers to be gentle. That said, on a bike, everything is relative…

On the finishing line, in spite of a few cattle gets that he was careful to open on the way, Coma grabbed the day’s best time. He won his 7th stage victory on the Dakar with a lead of 1.17 over Cyril Despres and 1.21 over Jonah Street. With this display, the American rider pushed David Frétigné back into 3rd position, but with only 45 seconds between the two, the battle for second place is far from over.

Spain continued its distinguished display in the car category, with a new victory for Carlos Sainz. Arriving in Neuquen with 6 seconds less on the clock than Nasser Al Attiyah, the VW driver brings his total of triumphs on the Dakar to 11. After four days of racing, it would appear that the duel which has the spectators holding their breath is the one being fought out between Sainz and Al Attiyah, who have shared the stage wins this year so far and are only separated in the general standings by 3.49. However, will their vehicles continue to be reliable? After all there are still more than 6,000 kilometers of the race to go.

The expected rivalry with Mitsubishi could occur, as often is the case, later on in the race. In any case, it was not during this fourth stage that "Peter" and his team-mates were able to charge back up the standings. Far behind the leading Hispano-Qatari duo, Nani Roma was the best representative of the Japanese constructor, driving his Lancer to a 5th placed finish on the stage, 6.54 behind the day’s winner. In the general standings, after Masuoka’s withdrawal and the misfortunes of Alphand during yesterday’s stage, only Peterhansel and Roma are in a position to ambush the leaders, less than 20 minutes behind, in 4th and 5th place respectively.

Close pursuit is also a method used in the T2 category. Today, Jun Mitsuhashi was again the quickest in the category, with the 28th best time of the day, followed this time by Ronan Chabot, also a former winner in the Production category. Having arrived in Neuquen 2.26 behind his Japanese team-mate, Chabot is also well placed in terms of the final podium, because Nicolas Gibon, who lost almost 30 minutes during the special, only hung onto his third place by three minutes.

With his third stage victory in the truck category this year, Gerard De Rooy has strengthened his status as a legitimate pretender to the title. However, his rivals behind him are starting to apply pressure, meaning there is no room for error. The Russian fleet of Kamaz trucks lies in wait, with three drivers pursuing De Rooy. Indeed, Chagain is only 10.14 behind in the general standings. (Marathonrally.com)

Standings after Stage 4

Dakar 2009 - Stage 3 - Cars Interviews

2009-01-05T18:38:00.001-02:00

Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qat - 302 - BMW) - 302

Today, I had to attack. I lost a lot of time in yesterday’s stage so I had to take that into account and push hard during this special stage. So I drove fast and passed Terranova, then Miller, etc. And eventually, 80 km before the finish, I even passe a bike who went astray towards the left at the same time so I avoided him and ran flat. We lost about 3 min changing the tyre but then we drove on as fast as ever.

Now, I know that Carlos and I, we will be playing the game. Tomorrow, he will start behind me and I’m sure he will be putting the pressure on pretty quickly in the race.

Stéphane Peterhansel (Fra - 300 - Mitsubishi) - 300

"It was a fast stage. We had a hard time keeping the lead car in our sight. We lost time little by little. From then on, there was nothing but dust and without a pacemaker in front, it was hard to keep going. We finished with a delay. I hope we will find more technical routes with some tech crossing because this is how we can thing about making a difference. The car is going well; its performances are ok. But now we need bumpier trails to make the best of its good suspension and great balance."

Giniel De Villiers (Afs - 305 - VW) - 304

It was a pretty nice stage; this time, there were more sinuous sections and I found this more interesting than the two previous ones. It was very fast in the beginning and very fast at the end as well, so there were not many opportunities to create big gaps. We just tried to drive clean and avoid boulders as there were many on the trail. For now, we must keep putting pressure on the Mitsubishis. So far, we have had no problems so we will try to keep going that way and we’ll see what happens.

Verhoeven opportunistic whilst Sainz takes control

2009-01-05T16:59:00.004-02:00

On a stage that was mostly quick, which suited Marc Coma in theory, the leader of the general standings in the bike race lost part of his lead, slowed down by a mechanical problem. Frans Verhoeven won his first ever special stage on the Dakar. In the car category, Carlos Sainz carried off a twofold triumph, by winning the stage and also taking the lead in the general standings.

What is true one day is not always thus the day after. The same could be said for Marc Coma, whose display between Santa Rosa and Puerto Madryn could give hope to the other lead

ing bikers in the rally. Having set off first, with the responsibility of leading the way, the Spaniard continued in much the same vein to start with as his brilliant showing yesterday, landing the best time at CP2, 2.20 ahead of Jonah Street. But he was only half way there! The situation took a turn for the worse on one of the quick sections of which he is so

fond, when he was slowed down by a radiator problem. Frans Verhoven, renowned for his consistency, took advantage of this mishap to grab his first ever special stage victory on the Dakar, after having been water carrier for Cyril Despres in 2007. Indeed, his former team leader took second place on the day’s stage, 30 seconds behind and as a result climbs up to 12th place in the general standings.

Many riders would still like to be in Marc Coma’s shoes however, since he has a lead of 13.47 over his new pursuer, Frans Verhoven. Provisional third place on the podium went to Jonah Street, who was 5th to cross the finishing line today. This 2nd stage also gave David Fretigné the opportunity to climb up to 4th position in the general standings. Only 24 seconds behind Cyril Despres on today’s special stage, the Yamaha rider confirmed that his 450cc has nothing to envy against the KTMs.

In the car category, the first stage showed that the Volkswagen Race Touaregs would not be waiting in ambush for long, and today Carlos Sainz was the most capable at combining speed and wisdom. For Nasser Al Attiyah and Tina Thorner, yesterday’s winners, the task was proving that their talents as navigators were equal to their pure driving skills. At this level, small mistakes can change everything. Indeed, after a navigational error, when the crew had to execute a quick about-turn to avoid missing a WPM (way point marker, which drivers must pass through), the Qatari ended up behind Sainz and especially in a cloud of dust. Blinded by the Argentine version of fesh-fesh, Al Attiyah sensibly preferred to avoid potentially dangerous attacks. In these conditions, Carlos Sainz completed a faultless display, right up to the finishing line, with the day’s best time. As regards the Mitsubishis, Stéphane Peterhansel was not scared by the dust and his audacity paid off: he scored the second best time of the day, 1.14 behind Sainz.

The first surprises occurred in the T2 category, in which Miki Biasion, former WRC world champion, lost his place as leader. The day’s winner in the category, Michel De Nora, at the wheel of a Toyota Land Cruiser, only managed to rack up a lead of 1.30 over Jérôme Hardy, in a Mitsubishi Pajero. However, for the moment, Mr. Consistency is Jun Mitsuhashi, a former winner of the “Production” category, who is showing great resistance. He is currently in 36th position in the provisional general standings.

In the truck category, the turn that events are taking is starting to become a worry for title holder Hans Stacey, who, after only two special stages, is already 1:12.00 behind the race leader: Gerard De Rooy. The GINAF driver, who yesterday saw a stage victory slip through his grasp by just two seconds, was untroubled by the day’s route. He triumphed with a lead of 3.58 over Firdaus Kabirov and has taken the lead in the truck general standings. (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009: Al-Attiyah fastest again on day three

2009-01-05T16:45:00.005-02:00

Carlos Sainz still in the lead

By Matt Beer (Autosport.com) Monday, January 5th 2009, 17:51 GMT

Nassar Al-Attiyah took his second stage win of the 2009 Dakar Rally on day three, but a puncture meant he was unable to significantly reduce Carlos Sainz's overall lead.

X-Raid BMW driver Al-Attiyah had led the event after the opening stage, only to drop back when he went off-course on Sunday and struggled to find the correct route afterwards.

He looked set to make up for that today, when he reached the second checkpoint of the 551-kilometre Puerto Madryn to Jacobacci stage 2:45 faster than the rest of the field, but a puncture then cost him a lot of time in the final section.

Although Al-Attiyah still managed to win the stage, his margin over second-fastest man Sainz was eventually just 35 seconds, which means that the VW driver is now 3:40 ahead of Al-Attiyah in the overall standings.
"In the last 50 kilometres there was one bike that jumped in front of us and we hit some rocks and had to change the tyres," said Al-Attiyah, who still moved up from fourth to second on the leaderboard.

"I think it's cost us about two minutes, but really this was a very good run - no problems in all the 550 kilometres except the puncture. It's good we are here (at the finish) and the car is working very well. I think we did a good job today.

"We're taking care of the car because it's a long rally, but I think one day we must really push a lot to make good times. But at the moment it's good going and we'll see what happens."

Sainz's teammate Giniel de Villiers has dropped from second to third after a cautious run through today's stage.
It was a bad day for the usually-dominant Mitsubishi team, with 2006 Dakar victor Luc Alphand stopping for nearly half an hour in the stage with an apparent mechanical problem, and 2007 winner Stephane Peterhansel losing time to Al-Attiyah throughout the stage and finishing five and a half minutes off the pace. He is now fourth overall, ahead of teammate Joan Roma and VW's Mark Miller.

Dieter Depping was third quickest in today's stage, but is over an hour behind the leaders in the overall times having suffered costly electrical problems on Saturday.

Standings after Stage 3

Dakar 2009 - Stage 3 - Puerto Madryn-Ing. Jacobacci - Motorbike Interviews

2009-01-05T16:35:00.003-02:00

Marc Coma (Esp - 2 - KTM) - 002
"After the trouble I had yesterday, I was a bit concerned because there were a lot of riders ahead of me and a lot of dust too. But I could drive at my own pace. It was a fast stage with a very technical section; a very complex stage actually. One thing is certain: the bikes are suffering a lot and the tyres are suffering even more. For now, we are staying out of trouble. Each one has his own strategy and we are doing fine with ours."

David Frétigné (Fra - 12 - Yamaha) - 012
"Today was super fast again. This is the third fast stage and I am managing. I just mind my own business and do my own race. I manage. I am very demanding with my bike too. But I have to be careful and pay attention to absolutely everything even if my small 450cc is doing a great job right now."

Jordy Viladoms (Esp - 9 - KTM) - 009
"It was good team work. Everything went as planned. In the beginning of the stage, I had some trouble with the roadbook but it ended up allowing Marc and I to drive together from CP1 on. In the last kilometers, I was a bit careful with the tyres, because we drove a lot of kilometers. And our choice was really the right one. We know Dakar is Dakar and this one is only beginning."

Cyril Despres (Fra - 1 - KTM) - 001
"Since I’ve had a flat tyre, I am having a hard time believing in inner tubes This morning I pushed in a foam bib and after 200km the tyre was flat again. It’s hard if I cannot use either inner tubes or foam bibs. Marc Coma is doing great. They must have worked hard. There must be a secret. Today, I have lost a lot of time again. I have no solution to the problem. I don’t see my future: in three days, I had three tough times. I just cannot believe it. Today, I am not sure I have what it takes technically to win the Dakar.
At refueling I decided to wait for Alain Duclos who gave me his wheel. The good news is that as of that moment I could really start racing on the last 150 km, open up and give gas. It’s only 150 km out of the 2,000 in the race so far and it was pure pleasure... at last."

Dakar 2009 - Stage 2: Santa Rosa - Puerto Madryn

2009-01-05T10:11:00.003-02:00

Cars

Motorbikes

Standings after Stage 2

Dakar 2009 - The other Dakar: Kiwi making history for his countrymen

2009-01-04T18:34:00.004-02:00

By James Ihaka

Michael Shepherd, here with nephew Rory, has always wanted to ride in the Dakar rally.

Michael Shepherd is realistic that the only "first" he is likely to get in the Dakar 2009 rally is as the first New Zealander to race a motorbike in one of the world's most demanding endurance races.

In fact, 44-year-old Shepherd, Kaitaia born and bred and with no sponsorship or claims to professionalism, finished stage one of the rally from Buenos Aires to Santa Rosa in four hours and 37 minutes - an hour and 50 minutes behind the leader.

His brother, Auckland Medical School professor Peter Shepherd, giggled when he thought how Michael would fare, although he did improve his ranking from 234th to 167th after the 371km special stage.

"Every year a couple of people get killed doing this rally, so for him just to get to the end will be an achievement," said Professor Shepherd. "He started second to last in the rankings so if he finished in the top 100 he would be extraordinarily pleased."

Professor Shepherd said his brother had always been "a bit crazy" so it was not too much of a surprise when he found out he had paid about 50,000 ($123,854) out of his own pocket to compete.

"He didn't have any sponsorship so he saved all the money himself ... it's something he's always wanted to do," said Professor Shepherd.

"I'm sure it's been worth it, though. Everyone there has told him he's the first New Zealander to ever race a motorbike in the event."

This year's rally was moved to South America after threats of terrorism forced its departure from its traditional home in Africa.

About 500 trucks, quads, cars and motorbikes will race nearly 9574km, including treks across the Andes mountains into Chile and back across the Atacama Desert, the world's driest.

Competitors will cover an average of 736km on each of the 13 race days.

Professor Shepherd said a couple of motorbike rallies in Morocco had helped to get his brother into shape for the big one.

He said the terrain might be a bit like New Zealand, offering some advantages.

"Also all the other riders are doing it for the first time - on the old course some people have done it 10 times before," Professor Shepherd said.

"Having said that, it's still a pretty challenging course." (The New Zealand Herald)

Dakar 2009 - More inteviews after Stage 2 - Santa Rosa - Puerto Madryn

2009-01-04T18:17:00.002-02:00

Carlos Sainz (Esp – Volkswagen) - 301

“It was a very difficult stage with all the dust and the bikes. At times, we nearly had to stop. I even hit a biker at one point; I hope he’s going to be ok”.

Giniel De Villiers (SA - VW) - 300

1.56 behind the day’s winner Carlos Sainz, Giniel De Villiers displayed good consistency by finishing 3rd in the special stage, like yesterday.

“The start of the special was very quick, but as soon as we arrived in the off-track part, it was not very easy to navigate and we got a little bit lost. We must have lost a minute or two. Then in the last section, there was lots of fesh-fesh, so it was very difficult to get past the bikers. But I tried to be cautious and avoid any mishaps. We didn’t do too badly”.

Stéphane Peterhansel (Fra – Mitsubishi) - 300

Slowly but surely, the title holder is getting stronger. While still adapting to his brand new Mitsubishi Lancer, Peterhansel manage to pick up second place on the special.

“This special stage was a bit more technical. There was some off-terrain work for the first time, so we had to be on our guard. But, it was okay. I caught up with Luc (Alphand) at one point. After that, we ended up in the dust thrown up by the bikers then by Miller (VW). It wasn’t very nice, until we were able to overtake him. It was a short special but, in spite of that, there were some big fesh-fesh sections with quite thick vegetation. We were almost stopped at that point, because visibility was down to 1 or 2 meters. The bikers were all over the place, so we had to be very careful”.

Frans Verhoeven (Nld – 15 – KTM) - 015

Having set off in 4th this morning from Santa Rosa, Team Vectra’s Dutchman made the most of the navigation section, picking up a first stage victory on the Dakar.

“At the start it was quite technical, but then it became quicker. In the middle, there was a very difficult navigation section in amongst the vegetation and with the dust, it was impossible to see any tire tracks. I managed to find the route and at one time I saw there were no more tire tracks in front of me, so I knew I was in the lead…”

Cyril Despres (Fra – KTM) - 001

Without a visor on his helmet and with serious damage to the front of his KTM, Cyril Despres once again had a complicated day, but still managed to finish second in the day’s special stage.

“On arriving in the Pampa, I hit a tiny sod of grass, not even a cow pat and the bike went flying. I rolled over forwards. The Iritrack and the GPS broke, so it was another difficult day, but that’s racing. I didn’t hurt myself though: I was only riding at 20 kmph when I came off. At least this second stage is now finished. I hope all these mishaps are finished too”.

David Frétigné (Fra – Yamaha) - 012

Just like the day before, David Frétigné finished this second special stage with a broad smile on his face. The Frenchman really seems to be enjoying riding his Yamaha 450cc, and the results are following on accordingly.

“To be honest, that was 200 km of really interesting special stage. I really enjoyed myself. We had a bit of everything: quick tracks at the end, after a winding beginning on which we could slide the bike round the bends. So, just from a riding viewpoint, it was a real pleasure. There was also some off-track navigation that was very difficult. Honestly, I was really cautious about it. I thought I had lost time, but I didn’t do too badly in the end. I hope I can continue like this”.

Marc Coma (Esp – 2 – KTM) - 002

“I had a problem with the radiator. I noticed after 104 km that I had an oil leak. At the CP, which was just a few kilometers afterwards, I asked if they had any oil, because I could see it was a big leak. I had to continue, because they couldn’t help me out and I decided to stop at the first place I came across where there were people to see of I could find a solution. That was at the 108-km mark. Someone from the crowd brought me an oilcan. I was able to put it to good use, but I had to stop regularly”.

Sainz takes Dakar lead on day two

2009-01-04T16:39:00.005-02:00

By Matt Beer

Sunday, January 4th 2009, 14:48 GMT

Carlos Sainz has taken the Dakar Rally lead for Volkswagen after winning the second stage of the event.

Opening day leader Nassar Al-Attiyah (X-Raid BMW) had remained ahead through the first checkpoint in the Santa Rosa to Puerto Madryn stage, only to lose six minutes when he went off course in a particularly sandy section and struggled to find the stage route again - eventually having to double back to ensure he crossed the second checkpoint.

Sainz, who had already been slightly faster than Al-Attiyah in the first part of the stage, proceeded to take the fastest time and move into the overall lead, although he also had difficulty in the sand.

"It was very difficult with the dust and the motorbikes," said Sainz. "There were places where you basically had to stop. In one of these places I found a motorbike, and I hope it's okay."

The former World Rally champion now has a 2:19 lead over his VW teammate Giniel de Villiers in second place. Like Al-Attiyah, the South Africa had trouble staying on the rally route in the deep sand.

"The beginning was very fast, but in the middle there was an off piste section where it was not so easy with the navigation," said de Villiers.

"We lost about a minute or two but it was not too bad. Towards the end it was very, very dusty. We tried to be safe and not get stuck in anything."

Defending winner Stephane Peterhansel has now moved up to third for Mitsubishi, ahead of the delayed Al-Attiyah, after taking the second-fastest time in today's stage. (Autosport.com)

Stage 2 results

Dakar 2009: First Interviews after Stage 2.

2009-01-04T16:28:00.002-02:00

At the wheel of a Race Touareg with a slightly crumpled right wing, Carlos Sainz crossed the finishing line of today’s special stage as the winner… The Spaniard also takes the lead in the general standings. "It was a very difficult stage with all the dust and the bikes. At times, we nearly had to stop. I even hit a biker at one point; I hope he’s going to be ok".

1.56 behind the day’s winner Carlos Sainz, Giniel De Villiers displayed good consistency by finishing 3rd in the special stage, like yesterday. "The start of the special was very quick, but as soon as we arrived in the off-track part, it was not very easy to navigate and we got a little bit lost. We must have lost a minute or two. Then in the last section, there was lots of fesh-fesh, so it was very difficult to get past the bikers. But I tried to be cautious and avoid any mishaps. We didn’t do too badly".

Slowly but surely, the title holder is getting stronger. While still adapting to his brand new Mitsubishi Lancer, Peterhansel manage to pick up second place on the special. "This special stage was a bit more technical. There was some off-terrain work for the first time, so we had to be on our guard. But, it was okay. I caught up with Luc (Alphand) at one point. After that, we ended up in the dust thrown up by the bikers then by Miller (VW). It wasn’t very nice, until we were able to overtake him. It was a short special but, in spite of that, there were some big fesh-fesh sections with quite thick vegetation. We were almost stopped at that point, because visibility was down to 1 or 2 meters. The bikers were all over the place, so we had to be very careful". (Marathonrally.com)

Dakar 2009 - Stage 1: Buenos Aires - Santa Rosa

2009-01-04T12:51:00.006-02:00

Motorbikes

Cars and Trucks

Standings after first stage

More info on Stage 1

Still more info on Stage 1

Dakar 2009: Early pace-setter Chicherit crashes in the dust.

2009-01-03T23:01:00.009-02:00

X-raid BMW laid notice of its intent to win the 2009 Dakar Rally, when Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah and Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner set the overall fastest time through the opening 371km special stages between Buenos Aires and Santa Rosa de la Pampa on Saturday. The Qatari was the quickest driver on the course to the opening passage control and then inherited a lead that his team mate Guerlain Chicherit had held through the subsequent two passage controls, when the Frenchman lost his path in the dust, struck a hole and damaged the suspension on his BMW X3 CC.

Argentinean driver Orlando Terranova started brightly and held fourth in the stage, before slipping to seventh at the finish, while both Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn and Leonid

Novitskiy began on a good pace, with the Russian holding an 12th position.

Two hundred and seventeen bikes, 25 quads, 177 cars, 81 trucks eventually headed into the first of the timed specials between Buenos Aires and Santa Rosa de la Pampa, after an estimated 500,000 people had lined the streets of Buenos Aires and attended the official ceremonial start on Friday evening.

Nasser Al-Attiyah posted his intention of taking an outright victory from the start and was the fastest driver through the opening PC of the 2009 Dakar, the Qatari edging 11 seconds in front of American Mark Miller, with X-raid team mate Guerlain Chicherit holding third position. But Chicherit hit the front at the second passage control at the 248km point, with Germany’s Dieter Depping and Al-Attiyah running second and third fastest on the road. The Frenchman maintained a 14-second lead over Depping through the third control. Al-Attiyah held third position and Argentinean team mate Orlando Terranova was running well up the field and hovering in fourth position.

X-Raid’s Dutch Dakar debutant Peter van Merksteijn was an impressive 10. overall, with X-Raid’s Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy in 12 and René Kuipers down in 21st overall.

But Chicherit’s spirited early run was curtailed after the final passage control. Tomorrow (Sunday) marks the longest day of the entire event - a punishing 837km section between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and the tourist centre of Puerto Madryn, the head town of the Viedma department in the Patagonian province of Chubut. The day’s competitive action begins close to the overnight bivouac and extends for 237km, offering tricky navigation and a mixture of fast gravel and sandy sections, with two passage controls.

The bulk of the day is made up of a tiring 600km liaison section across the Rio Negro, passing the Rio Colorado and the town of General Conesa to arrive at Puerto Madryn near the Atlantic coast, the Gulf of San Matias and the entrance to the Valdes Peninsula. The city has strong Welsh connections and was founded in July 1865, when 150 Welsh immigrants arrived by clipper and named the town in memory of a Welsh landowner.

Team frustrated by Chicherit's error (Autosport.com)

By Toby Moody and Matt Beer Sunday, January 4th 2009, 10:49 GMT

X-Raid BMW team boss Sven Quant hit out at driver Guerlain Chicherit after the Frenchman's first stage error while leading the Dakar Rally.

Although the BMW squad ended the opening day of the new-look event in the overall lead thanks to Nassar Al-Attiyah's stage victory, X-Raid looked set to hold an even stronger position after Chicherit had been quickest through the first two check points.

But Chicherit then wrecked his suspension in a ditch and had to stop after 290 kilometres.

Quant was particularly frustrated because he had ordered his drivers to take extra care in the fast opening Buenos Aires to Santa Rosa stage.

"This stage is just like the Australian Safari," said Quant. "I've done that rally five times and knew this stage would be similar to the one down under. I am not impressed."

Al-Attiyah currently leads the Dakar by 2:17 over VW's Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard's teammate Giniel de Villiers in third, 23 seconds further back.

X-Raid BMW have three of their six cars in the top ten, with Orlando Terranova seventh and Peter van Merksteijn 10th.

Dakar 2009 - First Stage - COMA, ALONE IN THE PAMPA, BMWS ALL OVER THE PLACE

2009-01-03T17:56:00.011-02:00

First Stage: Buenos Aires - Santa Rosa

Whilst Marc Coma’s victory was foreseeable for the first stage, the magnitude of his success and the catastrophes experienced by other bike race favorites put paid to most of the predictions. Despres and Casteu may have already seen their hopes for overall Dakar victory evaporate. In the car race, BMW met both with success,

for Nasser Al Attiyah, and disappointment, with Guerlain Chicherit’s accident, after he started out of the blocks a bit too ambitiously.

Marc Coma’s methodology does not involve hesitation. He seems to have even grown in stature since the Dakar in 2007, where he was way ahead of all his pursuers in the first two decisive steps in Morocco, at Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate. On the inaugural special of this 31st edition, the Spaniard carved out a gulf between him and his rivals, confirming his unofficial status as the fastest rider in the world. Having started behind title holder Cyril Despres, the winner in 2006 already boasted the best intermediate time after 134 km of the race, 1” ahead. He used this first section to catch up with Despres, and what was to follow was a springboard to leaving him in his wake at CP 3 (after 248 km), with the race becoming a demonstration ride. On the 123 km of long straight tracks remaining, Coma showed the full extent of his power: at the finishing line at San Saladillo, he had to wait for almost half an hour before the first of his pursuers arrived. Finally, it was Jacek Czachor who came home in second position, with a gap to make up that would destabilize even the toughest of competitors: more than 22 minutes.

There is no way of really knowing whether the pitfalls at the start of this event will be fatal to overall hopes. However, the situation has never been as critical in terms of final triumph for Cyril Despres. With uncertainty hanging over his choice of tires for this year before the start, the Frenchman received some sort of confirmation on this first special stage: he crossed the line with the rims bare on his rear wheel, 41 minutes behind Coma! Others misfortune rarely lessens his own distress, but David Casteu, a serious challenger for the title, also experienced problems with his tires. Following a puncture, he was forced to turn round and head back to CP2, where one of his team-mates, Emanuel Gyenes, gave him his rear wheel. In total, he has a deficit of 1:01.53 to make up on Coma over the next 13 stages if he still hopes to win.

The day also turned out to be a catastrophe for one of the drivers involved in the struggle for the lead, because Guerlain Chicherit, having gone through CP3 with the best time of the day, lost all hope of making an impression on the stage, and probably even on the whole event, by rolling his car onto its roof after 277 km. The outcome was not as pessimistic for Dieter Depping, who also flew through the first 250 kilometers, but then experienced electronic problems with his VW Race Touareg. He finished the stage an hour behind Nasser Al Attiyah, whose victory will probably not help to console the X-Raid team. However, for the Qatari, triumphant the last time out during the UAE Desert Challenge race, it was his second success on the Dakar, after the Nema-Nema loop in 2007. Today’s showing confirms his status as an outside chance for overall victory.

Ultimately, the two biggest teams on the rally, Mitsubishi and Volkswagen, had to settle for battling for the runner-up position and other places. Carlos Sainz was the most convincing at this game, taking second place behind Al Attiyah, followed closely by his two team-mates, Giniel De Villiers and Mark Miller. Used to pursuing, the Mitsubishi drivers lost a bit of ground on their main rivals: Alphand finished 4.44 behind the day’s winner and Peterhansel 4.54. Just behind them, Argentine Orlando Terranova once again showed how competitive the BMW X-3s are, with a 7th-placed finish on his first day on the event.

Overall Standings here

View a Video of the Dakar cars in Buenos Aires and the podium at the obelisk

Dakar 2009 - Volkswagen by the numbers

2009-01-01T23:09:00.003-02:00

9 days until the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile

Number games: with 182 litres of water 9,578 km through

Wolfsburg (25 December 2008). 530 teams from 49 nations set off for new pastures on 3 January. This is not just figuratively but quite literally as the first Dakar Rally in South America runs not only to the Atlantic but also to the Pacific Ocean. The competitors in cars, motorbikes, quads or trucks conquer completely new terrain along the 9,500 kilometre route through Argentina and Chile. There are a huge amount of interesting facts regarding the first running of the cross country classic far away from Africa about the Volkswagen team and the four Race Touaregs for Carlos Sainz/Michel Perin (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D).

For example, did you know that ...

... the driver and co-driver have 13 litres of water each day on board the Race Touareg and the drinking supply can even be activated at the press of a button?

... fluid is hugely important? It is summer in South America and therefore hot. Furthermore, the Atacama Desert to be crossed has 100 times less moisture than the notorious Death Valley.

... just the special stages at a combined length of 5,656 kilometres easily exceed the distance covered during an entire Formula 1 season? The longest stage covers 837 kilometres, including liaison stages the 2009 "Dakar" ends after 9,578 kilometres.

... the loading list for one Service Truck belonging to the Volkswagen teams comprises of 60 DIN A4 pages?

... on every Service Truck a tool box with 27 sets of pliers, 58 spanners and 48 screwdrivers is transported? In addition, in a personal case every mechanic carries just the tools that are absolutely necessary for his work on the Race Touareg 2.

... Volkswagen Motorsport sends a total of 23 vehicle and 80 team members to South America?

... the Volkswagen Race Touareg is already a race winner? Since its debut in 2004 it has taken nine wins, 29 podium finishes, 79 stage victories and spent 70 days in the lead in 29 starts.

... the carbon bodywork of a Race Touareg only weighs 50 kilograms? Even more impressive is the weight of the spare parts that Volkswagen carries for all for cars: 50 tons.

... the participants will be confronted with temperature differences of up to 40 degrees Celsius and altitude differences of 4,700 metres?

... the rally armada crosses eleven Argentinean and three Chilean provinces on its way through South America?

-credit: volkswagen

VW Race Touareg - Technical Data

2009-01-01T23:06:00.001-02:00


Engine

	Construction	Five-cylinder ‘in-line’ TDI diesel engine, two-stage super charging system with turbochargers and intercooler located longitudinally behind the front suspension

	Cubic capacity	2.500 cm3

	Power	approx 206 kW (280 PS)

	Torque	over 600 Nm

	Air intake restrictor	38 mm (FIA/ASO regulation)

	Engine management	Bosch


Transmission system

	Gearbox	Longitudinally mounted five-speed sequential race gearbox

	Final drive	Permanent four-wheel drive, three mechanical differentials with viscous locking

	Clutch	Hydraulically operated ZF Sachs three-plate ceramic clutch


Suspension

	Front & rear axles	Double wishbone, two ZF Sachs spring/damper units per wheel

	Steering	Servo assisted rack and pinion steering

	Brake system	Front and rear ventilated disc brakes (320 mm diameter), aluminium brake calipers (six piston front, four piston rear)

	Wheels	Size 7.2 x 16 Inch

	Tyres	BFGoodrich 235-85/16


Chassis/bodywork

	Construction	Steel space-frame, two-door carbon-fibre composite bodywork


Dimensions and weight

	Length/width/height	4,171/1,996/1,762 mm

	Track width	1,750 mm front/rear

	Wheelbase	2,820 mm

	Minimum weight	1,787.5 kg

Dakar 2009 entry list

2009-01-01T20:47:00.002-02:00

See the Dakar 2009 entry list here

Dakar 2009 - Iritrack makes it possible: on the trail of the Race Touareg

2009-01-01T19:48:00.003-02:00

Wolfsburg (30 December 2008). Fighting uncertainty with satellites and Internet: When the four Volkswagen Race Touareg start the Dakar Rally through Argentina and Chile on Saturday (3 January) and cover more than 9,500 kilometres through desert, Pampa and mountainous terrain till 18 January the fans can nevertheless follow the action from the comfort of their own homes. Thanks to the Iritrack system they can monitor the progress of each vehicle live by mouse click. As a result, it is not only fans but also the team management in the next bivouac which is informed about positions, time loss and gaps during the ultra-long stages. The days of complete uncertainty as to when the participants arrive at the bivouac are over with Iritrack.

Iritrack is a satellite supported system for positioning with which the Dakar Rally stewards can determine the position and speed at any time of every single one of the 530 participants. The core component is a small transponder distributed by the rally organisers A.S.O. and fitted to every vehicle before transmitting the first signals are transmitted after the start on 3 January.

Volkswagen once again provides all fans with the Iritrack service: The signal can be followed live via the Internet portal www.volkswagen-motorsport.com. It provides the latest intermediate times as well as respective positions. In this way, the users see exactly where the four Race Touareg of Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) are at any given time. In addition, motorsport fans can also find the latest daily reports, photographs, audio files and videos from South America at the Volkswagen website.

See more about the Iritrack system here

Dakar 2009 - Series pre-event notes 2008-12-31

2009-01-01T19:44:00.002-02:00

And it's how they discovered America...

Three days prior to the start of the rally, the Argentine side of the scrutineering has started. The mission of the race stewards is to check the conformity of vehicles and see if it matches the rules for those who had not yet done so in Le Havre. The contenders -- already thrilled by the first part of their stays -- are now impatient to discover the rest of the continent.

The countdown is ticking slowly toward the start of the rally raid; the wheels have not yet turned for the start of the 2009 edition of the Dakar. But people are already talking about excitement and fascination. Out of the 100km or so between Delta Rock and the La Rural Exhibition Park where the second round of scrutineering is happening, the competitors already had several opportunities to enjoy the thrilling atmosphere that is now gaining the country. A lot of them had chosen to arrive a little earlier in the southern hemisphere: the most insatiable meat eaters of them all relished at eating "bife de chorizo", these huge slices of beef served in all restaurants in Buenos Aires; the most careful of them decided to take some margin to adapt to the jetlag and the tourists strolled down the colorful streets of the Boca area or tasted a nice and fresh Quilmes on a terrace in San Telmo. No matter why, all were conquered by the preparation and expressed nothing but enthusiasm when the time of the last formalities came. "First, I tried the car, then I tried the meat", nevertheless clarifies Carlos Sainz who is focused on his aim: the final victory.

The scrutineering of the participants -- mainly organized for the technical scrutineering of the vehicles from the American continent -- allowed the Porteños to catch a glimpse of some of the favorites in the race who had been summoned on this first day. In the bike category, France's David Casteu, flanked by his new team mate, Chile's Francisco Lopez, successfully passed this first test. It was also the case for the BMW X-Raid Team with its top drivers Nasser Al Attiyah and Guerlain Chicherit, and of truck title holder Hans Stacey, who is more concerned with his recently injured wrist than with the technical and admin scrutineering. Expected in the mid afternoon, the gems of the Mitsubishi team however asked for their scrutineering to be differed. Wishing to take a new series of tests on the brand new Lancer of Peterhansel, Alphand, Roma and Masuoka, Dominique Serieys asked the organizers to slightly postpone their scrutineering appointment: "At the shake-down session in Le Creusot, the temperature was 2o.C. The cars being packed with electronics, we had to change some parameters that are sensitive e.g. to temperature differences, height or fuel, which is not exactly the same here. This is why we went test driving the cars on the Buenos Aires test track today", explains the boss of the squad that has a track record of 12 success on the Dakar.

So New Year's Eve will be studious and busy for the pilots of the Japanese manufacturer who now have an appointment in the morning for the administrative scrutineering. In the afternoon, their cars might cross paths for the first time with their main rivals from Volkswagen, i.e. Sainz and De Villiers as well as Robby Gordon's Hummer. The last two winners in the bike category, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma, will also have the opportunity of chatting along the 9,500km of road and trail that await them. But one thing is sure: they will certainly not reveal their strategies to one another...

-credit: dakar

X-Raid set to field six X3CC in Dakar Rally 2009

2008-12-29T15:24:00.008-02:00

X-raid’s Power Racing Team will field six BMW X3 CCs in the Dakar Rally 2009, which takes place in South America for the first time. Newly-crowned FIA World Cup and FIA International Baja Cup champion Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah will be joined in the Trebur-based team’s line-up by Frenchman Guerlain Chicherit and Dutchman Peter van Merksteijn, with X-raid Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy, Argentina’s Orlando Terranova and Dutchman René Kuipers completing the driver line-up.

Al-Attiyah, from Qatar, will be partnered by Sweden’s Tina Thörner, while Frenchman Matthieu Baumel and Belgian Eddy Chevallier partner Chicherit and Van Merksteijn. Russian Oleg Tyupenkin, Frenchman Alain Guehennec and Portugal’s Filipe Palmeiro complete the six-car team’s co-driving line-up. All six drivers will wheel out the latest version of X-raid’s potent BMW X3 CC, updates of which have already taken outright wins in the punishing UAE Desert Challenge, Ha’il Saudi Baja, Baja Italy, Baja Spain and Baja Hungary this season in the hands of Al-Attiyah.

"We have a large team with strength and experience in depth," enthused team director Sven Quandt. "Our drivers have a wide range of experience in all forms of rallying and I am confident that our preparations will be rewarded with success in January. We have been developing the BMW X3 CC for many months and I have been delighted with the increased competitiveness of the car and the professional attitude of the entire team."

Al-Attiyah recently confirmed a third FIA title of the season, when he clinched the FIA Middle East Rally Championship for the fifth time in six seasons, but he would dearly love to add a Dakar win to his impressive list of recent victories. The Qatari finished sixth overall with Alain Guehennec in 2007, while co-driver Thörner has tackled the Dakar several times and finished runner-up with South African Giniel de Villiers in 2005.

"This is it, the big one," enthused Al-Attiyah. "This is the event that we have all been preparing for all year and I am so looking forward to the start. I have competed in Argentina before in the WRC and enjoyed the stages there very much. But this will be a totally different challenge. We have shown over the last few months that this new BMW is more than capable of winning the Dakar.

"I know we have the pace and the reliability to win stages and, maybe, take victory. It will not be easy. Volkswagen are very strong and Mitsubishi have a new car, but there are less difficult sand dunes than we would find on a traditional Dakar Rally in Africa and this could be more of a sprint event, which could suit me and the other WRC drivers better. Altitude will also play an important factor and it is important that we have the car set-up spot on for each day."

Chicherit, 30, has won a stage on the Dakar Rally in the past and his co-driver Matthieu Baumel is in winning form this season. The Frenchman partnered Al-Attiyah to success in Saudi Arabia earlier this year and won a recent special stage event in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia before switching his attention to final preparations for January’s Dakar.

Chicherit has the pace to match the Dakar Rally front-runners and is relishing his new South American challenge. The Tignes resident first competed in the African classic in 2005 and finished 49th overall and has set several useful times on off-road events in 2008.

Fifty-two-year-old Van Merksteijn is the oldest driver in the X-raid line-up, but the Dutchman is also one of the most experienced. The Enschede pilot has vast experience in Dutch special stage rallying and circuit racing, including success in numerous long-distance GT races.

He returned to rallying two years ago and tackled several WRC rallies, in addition to working on the 2006 Dakar Rally. He and Belgian co-driver Eddy Chevallier will need to call upon all his experience for his maiden Dakar outing.

Chevallier also has extensive WRC experience and finished ninth overall in the truck category of the Dakar Rally in 2004 and was leading the section with Hans Stacey in 2005 until engine failure robbed the pair of a potentially stunning result. In 2008, Chevallier finished fourth overall in the Monte Carlo Rally with François Duval and won the truck category in the Central Europe Rally.

Terranova tackled the Por Las Pampas Rally last season and will be doubly determined to achieve a top finish in his native Argentina. Orlando is the main local hope for success, is sure to attract massive local support and will be heavily reliant on the vast experience of co-driver Alain Guehennec.

The Frenchman has partnered Al-Attiyah, former Dakar winner Pierre Lartigue, former Group N world champion Grégoire de Mevius and X-raid’s former FIA World Cup champion Khalifa Al-Mutawei in the past. This will be Guehennec’s 17th Dakar Rally campaign.

Russian Leonid Novitskiy is one of the fastest improving drivers in off-road racing and had been second overall in the early stages of the recent UAE Desert Challenge. He and Oleg Tyupenkin will be hoping for a top five finish in the X-raid Russia-run BMW X3 CC.

Dutchman René Kuipers completes the driver line-up. He has tackled several rallies in Europe, including winning the Conrad Rally, finishing third in the Hellendoorn Rally and fourth at the Lautzits event this year. His co-driver Filipe Palmeiro has considerable cross-country rally experience and the Portuguese navigated for Brazilian Paulo Nobre on previous X-raid team campaigns.

The X-raid Racing Team faces its toughest ever challenge if it is to emerge victorious from the world’s most famous off-road rally. A provisional 230 bikes, 30 quads, 188 cars and 82 trucks from 49 countries will take part in the event, but X-raid will need to beat the might of the factory Volkswagen and Mitsubishi teams to stand a chance of taking an outright win in the car category for the first time.

The ever-improving BMW X3 CC has been a match for its factory rivals on several events this season, with Al-Attiyah beating the factory Mitsubishis fair and square in the Baja Spain and the X-raid car swapping fastest stage times with the Volkswagens and Mitsubishis on the two rounds of the 2008 Dakar Series.

Dakar 2009 gets underway from the Argentina capital on January 3rd, with a short liaison into a 371km special stage in the direction of Santa Rosa de la Pampa. This is followed by specials across remote Argentinean agricultural land and barren wasteland, taking in overnight stops at Puerto Madryn, Jacobacci, Neuquen and San Rafael.

On January 8th the event reaches the Argentine city of Mendoza, before crossing the border into Chile on the second longest day of the entire event on January 9th. This section consists of 397km of liaison roads and a 419km special stage in the Andes foothills en route to the Chilean Pacific coastal port of Valparaiso, which will also host the traditional rest day on Saturday, January 10th.

Competitive action resumes in Chile on Sunday, January 11th with a 294km special stage between Valparaiso and La Serena, using terrain similar to that used in the former Patagonia-Atacama Rally. The route continues to head north through Chile and into the Atacama Desert – the highest and driest desert in the world – where teams will benefit from much needed rest at two successive overnight halts in Copiapo.

The competitive action continues at high altitude as the route heads east towards the Argentinean border and a rest at Fiambala, after a tricky section in excess of 4,700 metres above sea level. Once the rally has returned to Argentina, the competition resumes with trails through sand dunes en route to La Rioja and on to more traditional FIA World Cup tracks en route to Cordoba, Argentina’s second largest city, on January 16th.

The final stage takes teams back to Buenos Aires on Saturday, January 17th for the traditional fanfare welcome and ceremonial finish after 5,652 competitive kilometres in a total route of 9,574km.

2008/12/24 | 11:11 CET | Editor: MR/HS/X-Raid

BMW X5 ALMOST ROLLS OVER IN DAKAR AMAZING SAVE!!!

BMW X3 X-Raid Paris Dakar Racer promo video

Mitsubishi aims for eight Dakars in a row

2008-12-29T15:00:00.004-02:00

GIVING JAPANESE FANS SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT

READY FOR ANYTHING: A "formal" team portrait of the works Mitsubishi entries for the 2009 'Dakar' rally.

December 29, 2008

Mitsubishi aims to lift the recent gloom which has enveloped Japan's motorsport industry by winning an eighth consecutive "Dakar" rally in January 2009.

The gruelling two-week race will start on January 3 in the relative stability of Argentina and Chile rather than in north Africa after the 2008 Dakar was cancelled because of security fears after the murders of four French tourists in Mauritania.

It was the first cancellation in the 30-year history of the race.

Mitsubishi won the previous seven Dakar rallies; French driver Stephane Peterhansel won in 2004, 2005 and 2007 with compatriot and former skiing ace Luc Alphand taking the 2006 titleDrivers and navigators underwent tough, physical fitness tests.

Japan's Hiroshi Masuoka won in 2002 and 2003 and will return for the 2009 race Spain's Joan Roma, a former winner in the motorcycle category, making up Mitsubishi's four-car assault.

All four drivers and their navigators underwent a series of tough, physical fitness tests in France before flying out to Buenos Aires where the race will start on January 3.

Masuoka said: "We have a new place for the 'Dakar', a new world, with a new engine and a new car. This will be my 21st Dakar Rally and I'll be hoping for my third win.

CHALLENGE FROM VW

There will be added interest in Mitsubishi's campaign in South America after the global financial crisis dealt a series of body blows to motorsport in Japan with Honda quitting Formula 1 and Subaru and Suzuki pulling out of the World Rally championship.

Mitsubishi's main challenge will come from Volkswagen whose four-car bid will be led by former World rally champion Carlos Sainz, who's no stranger to South America – he won the Rally of Argentina in 1992, 2002 and 2004.

South Africa's Giniel de Villiers, Germany's Dieter Depping and Mark Miller of the United States make up the VW team. – AFP

Mitsubishi Racing LANCER

Dakar 2009 - Robby Gordon - Team Dakar USA

2008-12-29T14:05:00.008-02:00

Led by American racer Robby Gordon, Team Dakar USA will be a national effort in the world’s most challenging international off-road race. Winning the race aside, Team Dakar USA’s main objectives will be to highlight American innovation, determination and international goodwill.

Hummer Action from Central Europe Rally

Robby Gordon in Baja 2008 race:

See a Robby Gordon shock test video

Robby Gordon Off-Road Dakar Hummer H3 Technical Specifications

Motorsport.com article on Robby Gordon and Team Dakar USA

Dakar 2009 - Francisco Otaño: «I will get a tattoo of my race number»

2008-12-29T13:29:00.002-02:00

The dream of his life. Francisco admits he has been waiting 20 years to participate on the Dakar. He knew that one day or another he’d be able to do it. «It is so important to me, I will get a tattoo of my race number and I don’t have any tattoos. » Francisco, ‘Patxi’ to his followers, has been making motor racing news in Argentina for 30 years. On a motorcycle or in a car, he has raced everywhere in the country. He has won the Patagonia-Atacama in two different categories. Coming from a motor racing family, he will also be racing in this Dakar for his father. «He is 88 and has suffered from cancer for the past three years. He told me no matter what happens, don’t change your ideas or stop chasing your dream. So, for me it is like I have a mission on this Dakar. » Used to running up front in other races, Francisco Otaño, admits he wants to have a strong result on the 31st Dakar. «We want to put in a credible race, » says Francisco. «We want to do better than just finish. » Having already gotten the better of the Mitsubishis and Volkswagens in Argentina, ’Patxi’ says he too wants to be one of the front runners in the rally. «I know we will do something on the La Serena and Copiapo stages. » Co-driver, Leonardo Monti confirms he would like a top 20 finish but has another preoccupation. « It is the start of a new adventure. We will race with the first example of a new prototype that we are developing. This is the beginning of a 15-year project. Patxi Otaño has number 411. »

Dakar 2009 - Cristian Romero: “I feel confident”

2008-12-29T13:24:00.005-02:00

In 1998 he wore the 118 bib on his back. Cristian Romero was at the time the first Argentinian to live the Dakar adventure on a bike. The attempt stopped in Mauritania, close to Atar after nine stages. The Buenos Aires native then failed to find the time to take on the Dakar again. Competition indeed isn’t his cup of tea: “I don’t compete in races anymore. On the other hand I often take off on tracks with a bunch of friends in Argentina or Chile. During four or five days we travel through the regions where the rally will go”. After being a good rugby second row player at CASI, one of the San Isidro clubs where his friend Agustin Pichot started, Cristian Romero switched to bike motorsports and worked on his technique: “My body forces me to be in shape and on a bike I don’t have strong assets. On the other hand I’m an all-rounder”. He was also helped out and given advice by biking references like Cris Hayden, Franco Picco, and his 11 appearances on the Dakar, or Kenny Roberts in his biking school of Barcelona. Used to riding a 990 KTM during his journeys with his friends, he will however go for a 690 on the Dakar that he just hopes to finish: “I feel confident at the idea of competing on the terrain here. I know that the Dakar has nothing to do with the other rallies that I have competed in but I know that I can make it to the finish”.