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

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

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

Dakar 2009 - Stage 7 - Mendoza - Valparaiso

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

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

Standings after stage 6

Dakar 2009 - Video of Stage 5 - Cars

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

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: Double victory for VW, de Villiers now second.

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 - Stage 4: Interviews

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”.

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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!”

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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!”

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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”.

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

Carlos Sainz (Esp – Volkswagen) - 301

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”.

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”.

Mitsubishi aims for eight Dakars in a row

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

Volkswagen tests its Race Touaregs for the upcoming Dakar

The Volkswagen team is preparing for the upcoming Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile at the beginning of January with further tests.

 From 18 to 26 October suspension set-ups and long runs of the Race Touareg 2 around Erfoud, Morocco, are on the agenda.

 The tests are run with two of the 280-hp "Dakar" prototypes and the driver pairings Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA).

A new continent, the same challenge: on 03 January 2009 – after 29 rounds in Africa – the legendary Dakar Rally 2009 will start in South America for the first time in its history.

 Among the vehicles moving across the starting ramp in Buenos Aires will be four Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 cars. The countdown for the desert classic has long begun. It will cover 15 legs through Argentina and Chile from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back, crossing landscapes that make extreme demands on man and material. The Volkswagen team is tackling the hot phase before the start to this new era backed by the self-confidence of successfully completed rallies and the awareness of facing a big task.

 The preparations of the four-factory fielded Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 vehicles for Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (RSA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/RSA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) as well as logistics planning are in full swing. By 15 November the parts and equipment will be loaded on the service trucks, on 26 and 27 November the technical scrutineering of the support vehicles and subsequent shipping to South America is scheduled to take place in Le Havre (F).

 "Already now the whole team is looking forward to the event with incredibly eager anticipation. The Dakar Rally’s debut in South America is one of the greatest challenges Volkswagen Motorsport has tackled so far,” said Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "With two victories and a second place at three events, the Race Touareg 2 has been one of the most successful cars in 2008. At the ‘Dakar’ we will give everything to add an important win to this tally. Everyone in the team knows that we’re strong enough to achieve this goal. But we also know that in sport – and particularly at the Dakar Rally – there are no guarantees, that we need to work with concentration and without compromise and that we’ve got strong rivals to beat."

 New challenges every day: 9,000 km through Argentina and Chile

 The 2009 "Dakar” offers new challenges galore. For the first time, the rally will be staged in South America. In a loop of roughly 9,000 kilometres, 6,000 of which are special stages, the route will lead from the start and finish in Buenos Aires through Argentina and Chile. Not only for the drivers and co-drivers this is truly new territory. Due to the constantly changing landscapes along the route, the technicians and engineers will be put to the test in terms of vehicle set-up and maintenance as well. Maximum demands will be made on the logisticians before and during the "Dakar". The smooth supply with spare parts, the preparation of the support vehicles as well as meals and accommodation for the crew on location have to be organised for the desert classic in advance and during the event. More than 500 teams will tackle this challenge. As in previous years, the starting slots have been booked out for months.

 Landscape of extremes: heat and dryness, cold and altitude 

The "Dakar” principle, "Expect the Unexpected” applies particularly to the four teams. Twice during the rally the crossing of the Andes is on the agenda. Extreme heights of up to 3,250 metres above normal zero during the special stages and up to 4,600 metres during the liaison stages must be mastered. As usual, man and machine are preparing themselves for these strains in their typical, professional manner: the Volkswagen drivers completed an altitude training in the Alps, the 280-hp 2.5-litre TDI diesel engine is subjected to test runs in an environmental chamber simulating the thin air. Aside from the extreme elevation, the teams will be facing a mix of highly varied terrain in the midst of the South American summer. In addition to hard and stony sections at the beginning of the rally, the passage through the Atacama desert is on the agenda – the driest desert of the world with the highest dune fields.

 Good omen: first victory for the Race Touareg in Argentina

 The evolution of the Race Tourareg 2 powered by a 280-hp TDI diesel engine was driven by the dictum of "evolution, not revolution”. Optimisations of rear suspension kinematics and changes to the dampers were made. In addition, the driver’s vision was improved by a flatter bonnet and modified seating positions. The development stages were subjected to extensive testing for durability over thousands of kilometres. During the tests the distance of a Dakar Rally was simulated several times.

 But also in competitive conditions the interaction between technology, team and drivers was extensively tested. During the preparation for the 2009 Dakar Rally the driver/co-driver pairings contested at least two rallies. The cross-country rally year of 2008 marked a successful season for Volkswagen: at the two rounds of the newly incepted Dakar Series Sainz/Périn secured victory in Central Europe and second place in Portugal. De Villiers/von Zitzewitz and Miller/Pitchford celebrated the one-two victory with Volkswagen at the Rallye dos Sertões in Brazil. The Race Touareg is ready to compete in Argentina – and thus is ready for the terrain on which - in 2005 at the Rallye Por las Pampas – it clinched its first ever victory. Altogether, the "Dakar” prototype scored nine wins at 24 events and 29 podium results.

Dakar: Volkswagen drivers undertake high altitude training

Racing series	DAKAR
Date	2008-10-03

92 days until the 2009 Dakar Rally in Argentina and Chile

From the Alps to the Andes: altitude training of the Volkswagen drivers

Wolfsburg. Rally drivers as mountaineers: the Volkswagen squad prepared for the Dakar Rally from 3 to 18 January 2009 with a five-day fitness training camp in the Swiss Alps. For the first time, the motorsport marathon on its route through Argentina and Chile will lead across the huge mountain ranges of the Andes -- at the "Dakar" this represents a new and extreme challenge for man and material, for which the four Race Touareg pairings, Carlos Sainz/Michel Perin (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (RSA/D), Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford (USA/RSA) as well as Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D), intensively train. 

"The 2009 Dakar Rally poses an enormous challenge to all participants. There's not much experience to draw on, many things are new. We know that, among other things, the rally will lead across sections at extreme altitudes, for which we prepare as best we can," says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "Our training camp in the Alps offered the drivers and co-drivers the opportunity to adjust to unusual heights while optimising their personal fitness with individual training regimes."

In Arosa, Switzerland, surrounded by peaks with heights of up to 3,000 metres, a diverse and sweat-inducing programme - individually developed and accompanied by physiotherapists and license

Carlos Sainz and Michel Périn

 physical education instructors from the Bad Nauheim Sports Clinic - was on the agenda. "Altitude training offers the athletes several positive effects. For one, a higher, specificcardiovascular stress level is achieved, and thus an increase in performance capacity. For the other, our regime is designed to be gentle on joints and muscles," says MD Johannes Peil, the director of the Bad Nauheim Sports Clinic

At 4000 metres: crossing the Andes with the Race Touareg at the 2009 "Dakar"

Endurance was systematically addressed by running and mountain biking activities beyond the snow line. "The training in the Alps was an important part of our physical preparation for the 'Dakar'. During the rally we'll be driving at altitudes of up to 4,000 metres," says Volkswagen driver Carlos Sainz. "Extreme mountains always pose a big challenge and I'm eager to cross the mighty Andes with the Race Touareg." Climbing the "Hoernli" steep face towering above the roofs of Arosa, led by experienced mountain guides, required utmost concentration of the athletes. "Climbing was a completely new experience. At first, the mountain seems to be insurmountable, but then you accept the challenge anyhow. After reaching the peak, you're rewarded with adrenalin and self-confidence," says Volkswagen co-driver Timo Gottschalk. "This is the motivation with which we'll tackle the 'Dakar' as well."

-credit: vw