12/16/14
The quad category has considerably increased in volume over the recent period and the South American riders have virtually made it a private club. However, Chilean Ignacio Casale, winner in 2014, will still have a hard time dealing with a pack of challengers…
They have transformed the Dakar! Among the changes that the event has experienced since its arrival in South America, the progression in quad rider numbers is one of the major trends. In 2009, 25 of them started the race. Almost double that figure, 46 to be precise, are expected in Buenos Aires on 4th January. Specifically, analysis of the spectacular increase in the quad pack reflects the strength of the discipline in Latin America: the three host countries will be presenting 24 vehicles in the category and the total even increases to 33 quads when broadening the scope to the continent's other nationalities.
The culture of “cuatriciclos” which is so massively evident in the list of riders enrolled can also be seen at the height of competition. Apart from the success of Joseph Machacek who extended his series of victories in 2009, the last five titles have been won by Argentinean or Chilean riders, whilst the South Americans have triumphed in 50 stages of the 82 contested over this period! Similarly, the title holder is a perfect illustration of the very excellence of Latin American quad riders. After having discovered the Dakar in his family's truck and then on a bike (40th in 2011), Ignacio Casale made a big entrance at the age of 23 years in the quad category by taking 4th place in 2012, before posing a threat the following year to the master of the discipline, Marcos Patronelli. In 2014, the Yamaha rider achieved consecration, dominating his rivals from the 7th stage onwards, finishing the rally with 7 stage wins in the bag.
However, it would be risky to designate Casale as the main favourite for his succession, in light of the promising signs coming from the competition, starting with his fellow South American passport holders. The Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente, provisionally in the lead last year, might not experience the mishaps that led to him dropping out last January, just like Argentinean Lucas Bonetto, 4th in 2013 and also forced into early withdrawal in 2014. Another Argentinean, the youngest rider on the last edition, Jeremias Gonzalez put in a sensational performance by taking 6th place at the age of 18 years and intends to improve on such an achievement. However, the threats to Casale's crown will not only come from his countrymen or neighbours. Rafal Sonik, a 5 times top 5 finisher and more significantly 2nd in 2014 has no intention of giving up his quest for victory and Qatari Mohammed Abu Issa (4th) displayed sufficient quality to aim for a place on the podium or even better this year. Finally, the women's race will not be limited this year to the lone figure of Camelia Liparoti, since the Franco-Italian rider will be accompanied this year by a rival, Paula Galvez, another Chilean who may come up trumps!
The culture of “cuatriciclos” which is so massively evident in the list of riders enrolled can also be seen at the height of competition. Apart from the success of Joseph Machacek who extended his series of victories in 2009, the last five titles have been won by Argentinean or Chilean riders, whilst the South Americans have triumphed in 50 stages of the 82 contested over this period! Similarly, the title holder is a perfect illustration of the very excellence of Latin American quad riders. After having discovered the Dakar in his family's truck and then on a bike (40th in 2011), Ignacio Casale made a big entrance at the age of 23 years in the quad category by taking 4th place in 2012, before posing a threat the following year to the master of the discipline, Marcos Patronelli. In 2014, the Yamaha rider achieved consecration, dominating his rivals from the 7th stage onwards, finishing the rally with 7 stage wins in the bag.
However, it would be risky to designate Casale as the main favourite for his succession, in light of the promising signs coming from the competition, starting with his fellow South American passport holders. The Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente, provisionally in the lead last year, might not experience the mishaps that led to him dropping out last January, just like Argentinean Lucas Bonetto, 4th in 2013 and also forced into early withdrawal in 2014. Another Argentinean, the youngest rider on the last edition, Jeremias Gonzalez put in a sensational performance by taking 6th place at the age of 18 years and intends to improve on such an achievement. However, the threats to Casale's crown will not only come from his countrymen or neighbours. Rafal Sonik, a 5 times top 5 finisher and more significantly 2nd in 2014 has no intention of giving up his quest for victory and Qatari Mohammed Abu Issa (4th) displayed sufficient quality to aim for a place on the podium or even better this year. Finally, the women's race will not be limited this year to the lone figure of Camelia Liparoti, since the Franco-Italian rider will be accompanied this year by a rival, Paula Galvez, another Chilean who may come up trumps!
12/15/14
At the end of last week, the 2015 Dakar presentation conferences enabled competitors from Argentina, Chile and Bolivia to get an enhanced taste of the rally's atmosphere. Three weeks before the start, the time for thrills is fast approaching.
It will be soon time to get down to business! Whilst most of the European competitors were able to release the pressure when loading their vehicles onto the cargo ship currently heading for the Argentinean coast, the tension has been building for the South Americans as they have attended the presentation conferences organised in the Dakar's three host countries. In Buenos Aires, it was in the reception lounges of the Casa Rosada, in front of which the start podium will be assembled; that Etienne Lavigne alongside Tourism Minister Enrique Meyer welcomed the competitors. The conversations of the fifty-something riders and drivers who made the journey last Wednesday were focused on the difficulties along the route of the 2015 edition, which have planted seeds of doubt even among the most ambitious participants such as Orlando Terranova: “The uncertainty this year concerns the marathon stage, because it will be the first time that the cars will have to tackle one. We'll have to be very careful in how we handle it”.
In Santiago in Chile, the competitors were singing from the same hymn sheet, such as quad category title holder, Ignacio Casale, who is expecting a particularly difficult challenge: “The truth is that the Dakar will be really tough, because there are some very long stages, even at the start of the rally". Whilst they await a chance to see their hero in action, the Chilean spectators can already start soaking up the atmosphere of the event, or at least the inhabitants of Iquique, which hosted the inauguration of the Museo Dakar museum, a photo exhibition zone set up in the cultural centre. In less than one month, on 9th January to be precise, the city will become the nerve centre of the race: on the Plaza Arturo Prat, a half-way point podium will allow the spectators to acclaim the competitors before they enjoy their rest days, held at different moments depending on the categories. In total, the festival in Iquique will last for 4 days until 12th January.
For the Dakar's second visit to Bolivia, the show will also be especially intense. This year, Uyuni and its surrounding region will be hosting the rally for three days, with the organisation of a marathon bivouac that will play host to the bikers and quad riders and then to the cars for the first time. The programme was presented last Friday in the city of Santa Cruz by David Castera, in the company of Bolivian President Evo Morales. The Head of State, still just as enthusiastic as last year when he attended the arrival of the riders and drivers and 400,000-strong crowds that were there to see them, is delighted at the opportunity to show the whole world images of his country and the possibility of seeing some of its ambassadors sparkle on the country's tracks: “We will be represented by 10 riders and drivers in 3 categories. We are very proud to see them take on the difficulty of this event and their performance will help bring all Bolivians together to support them”.
In Santiago in Chile, the competitors were singing from the same hymn sheet, such as quad category title holder, Ignacio Casale, who is expecting a particularly difficult challenge: “The truth is that the Dakar will be really tough, because there are some very long stages, even at the start of the rally". Whilst they await a chance to see their hero in action, the Chilean spectators can already start soaking up the atmosphere of the event, or at least the inhabitants of Iquique, which hosted the inauguration of the Museo Dakar museum, a photo exhibition zone set up in the cultural centre. In less than one month, on 9th January to be precise, the city will become the nerve centre of the race: on the Plaza Arturo Prat, a half-way point podium will allow the spectators to acclaim the competitors before they enjoy their rest days, held at different moments depending on the categories. In total, the festival in Iquique will last for 4 days until 12th January.
For the Dakar's second visit to Bolivia, the show will also be especially intense. This year, Uyuni and its surrounding region will be hosting the rally for three days, with the organisation of a marathon bivouac that will play host to the bikers and quad riders and then to the cars for the first time. The programme was presented last Friday in the city of Santa Cruz by David Castera, in the company of Bolivian President Evo Morales. The Head of State, still just as enthusiastic as last year when he attended the arrival of the riders and drivers and 400,000-strong crowds that were there to see them, is delighted at the opportunity to show the whole world images of his country and the possibility of seeing some of its ambassadors sparkle on the country's tracks: “We will be represented by 10 riders and drivers in 3 categories. We are very proud to see them take on the difficulty of this event and their performance will help bring all Bolivians together to support them”.
12/10/14
For the first time in history, the Dakar will feature a marathon stage for the truck category with a stop at a dedicated bivouac near Iquique. This important element will be among the difficulties Andrey Karginov and the Kamaz team will have to manage, which has many advantages to continue its domination on the event. But its rivals, led by Gerard De Rooy, lie in wait….
We see nothing but blue! In the Dakar record books, the truck category is dominated by the Kamaz team with 12 titles in the past 18 editions. The 2014 victory was even complemented by a high-flying parade of Russian drivers, because behind Andrey Karginov, three of his team mates completed the Top 5. Adding to the roadmap of the armada last year, the four drivers in question had an average age of just 31, which perfectly validates the entry in the post Chagin era… the Czar has assured his successors are worthy of continuing the pedigree.
The 2015 entry list is also a reminder that the fifth truck, which didn't manage to make it to Valparaiso in 2014, was that of Ayrat Mardeev, another important trump card in the game of Russian ogres. Even more than the individual talent of its ambassadors and the performance level of its machines, it is its collective power that makes Kamaz the favorite once again. However, impregnable fortresses don't exist, and another reading of the scenario of the previous battle shows that weaknesses exists…and that Gerard De Rooy plays the role of an ideal attacker to put in some prolific battering ram blows. The Dutchman and 2012 winner finished the rally just three minutes behind Karginov, after spending nine stages at the sharp end of the general classification and winning three special stages. The leader of the Ivecos seems to be in the best position to shake up the Kamaz clan, and will be seconded by his cousin Hans Stacey, one of the few to have found a way to counter Kamaz in recent history (2007).
In addition to the Kamaz - Iveco confrontation, the progression of the outsiders makes the emergence of a surprise contender possible in the fight for the title or the podium. Ales Loprais has already been there. And this year, the reluctant forfeiture of his loyal Tatra, for technical regulation incompatibilities, could turn into an opportunity because the Czech will be at the controls of a MAN, as will the ambitious Marcel Van Vliet (3rd in 2010).
The 2015 entry list is also a reminder that the fifth truck, which didn't manage to make it to Valparaiso in 2014, was that of Ayrat Mardeev, another important trump card in the game of Russian ogres. Even more than the individual talent of its ambassadors and the performance level of its machines, it is its collective power that makes Kamaz the favorite once again. However, impregnable fortresses don't exist, and another reading of the scenario of the previous battle shows that weaknesses exists…and that Gerard De Rooy plays the role of an ideal attacker to put in some prolific battering ram blows. The Dutchman and 2012 winner finished the rally just three minutes behind Karginov, after spending nine stages at the sharp end of the general classification and winning three special stages. The leader of the Ivecos seems to be in the best position to shake up the Kamaz clan, and will be seconded by his cousin Hans Stacey, one of the few to have found a way to counter Kamaz in recent history (2007).
In addition to the Kamaz - Iveco confrontation, the progression of the outsiders makes the emergence of a surprise contender possible in the fight for the title or the podium. Ales Loprais has already been there. And this year, the reluctant forfeiture of his loyal Tatra, for technical regulation incompatibilities, could turn into an opportunity because the Czech will be at the controls of a MAN, as will the ambitious Marcel Van Vliet (3rd in 2010).
12/09/14
After five Dakar's on a motorcycle, Annie Seel's first experience in a car was aborted last year. But this year, it will be as a driver that she will find herself at the start of the rally in Buenos Aires.
Times are changing for Annie Seel, and her passion for the Dakar is also taking another form. For many, the tiny Swedish lady is still the bike rider that struggled in the Mauritanian dunes on her big KTM 660cc! Because it is of course on a motorbike that she forged her nickname of Tiny Princess of the desert, with five editions completed between 2002 and 2011, most often in pain (career best finish, 45th and first female in 2010). Last year, the move from two to four wheels, as Garry Connell's co-driver, left a bitter taste in her mouth, that of her first withdrawal. But this experience didn't deter her from setting off on the quest for a new project, that took an unexpected turn with the proposal of Paul Round, the boss of Rally Raid UK: “I called him to see if he needed me as a co-driver, says Annie. And in fact he asked me to drive his car! I was ready to do anything, because the Dakar is where I feel best. I won't feel in control of the situation, because I don't know a lot about cars, but I am very happy. It's not a car capable of taking a top result, but it is very reliable and I am counting on Paul's experience to make it to the finish.”
12/03/14
For his second Dakar, Xavier De Soultrait's objective is to finish in the Top 15 aboard his Yamaha and he doesn't hesitate in stating his ambition of victory in the future. The French Enduro champion in the Elite category is among the talents to follow during the rally…
Motorcycle riding is all about balance. On the Dakar, it is precisely the delicate balance between attack and restraint that must be found. Xavier De Soultrait gave it plenty in the patience department in his first participation last year (34th), but now he is well decided to take more chances to join the battle at the top as quickly as possible. “In my first Dakar, the goal was to finish the race and finish in the top 50. That's done, and I certainly learned a lot. But I know that this year I will be better equipped to show what I can do, with the bike that Despres and Pain rode last year. Its top speed is more than 170km/h, where I topped out at 130km/h on my old bike.” For the French rider, the second attempt must be used to position him as a rising contender, capable of contending for the title in the medium term:“I am here to convince and try to be picked up by the factory Yamaha team; I have to finish in the Top 15, because my goal is to win the Dakar. Coma and Despres took four or five years to do it, so if I can get a good result, this will allow me to keep believing.”
12/01/14
23-year-old Llewelyn Pavey is set to make his Dakar debut alongside dad Simon —an old dream come true for these two Aussies living in Wales.
For the Paveys, the Dakar is a beautiful shared story, and they are now ready to write a new chapter. Dad Simon has been a regular in the motorcycle category since 1998, but his tenth participation will be different because he will be right behind his son on the start line in Buenos Aires: "We've wanted to do the Dakar together for a long time and now it's going to happen. I'm all fired up because I really enjoy riding with my son, seeing him improve and gain confidence."Llewelyn, the little kid who was there to see Dad get his first taste of the Dakar in Versailles 17 years ago, grew up with motorcycles and has always breathed the atmosphere of rallies. After helping his father prepare the various motorcycles he has ridden, he followed the race from the margins in 2013. Now that he has become an accomplished rider, the time has come for him to tackle the rally of his dreams: "I think I can do it, especially since only 450 cc bikes can compete now. At any rate, it'll be quite something to be there riding together. He's not just my dad, he's also my best friend."
11/26/14
Among the 138 cars expected at the start of the Dakar, Catherine Houlès and Sandrine Ridet comprise the only all-female team. The two Gazelles hope to stand out in the land of the Pumas…
She is counting very much on her “Zouzou“ for the journey that awaits next January. A stalwart on the Rallye des Gazelles, in which she has participated 12 times, Catherine Houlès, will this year take on the Dakar, in an Isuzu 4x4 that proudly announces its gender. With her accomplice Sandrine Ridet they are an all-female team, which will line up for the start in Buenos Aires next January 4. “It is not going to be easy every day, we are really expecting to have a rough time”, explains Catherine, aware of the extent of her challenge and the assets at her disposal to meet it. For this former horsewoman, what she has learned on the Rallye des Gazelles since her first entry in 2002 (5 podiums; including victory in 2008) constitutes a solid base. And while just one female team has finished the Dakar on South American soil (Florence Bourgnon- Clémence Joyeux in 2009), this characteristic shouldn't be considered as a weakness, quite the opposite: “it's like a male team…except that we are girls! Maybe we are not as strong physically, but that will force us to find ways to avoid having to use the shovels, for example. Because we don't run on testosterone, we know how to be more patient and obviously not be like nags.” Catherine and Sandrine will not try to compete with their fellow Dakar participants, but rather to drive their Zouzou to the end of the adventure: The only objective is to finish. "Because the message is to show that a gazelle can be successful on the Dakar.”
11/21/14
645 vehicles passed the mandatory technical and administrative checks at Le Havre Port on Thursday and Friday and were cleared to set sail for Argentina, where the rally will get under way on January 4.
If the Dakar is hallowed ground for all rally raid drivers and riders, then Le Havre is the great festival where competitors get together, exchange impressions and get up-to-date on one another… Ever since 2009, the loading of vehicles at the second biggest port in France has become a rite of passage and, in a way, the first stage of the rally.
The crowds relish the unique opportunity to see the vehicles and competitors from up close, while the drivers and riders ease into the racing mindset. To get here, some of them covered distances worthy of any of the 13 stages of the Dakar, with competitors flocking from the UK, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Russia and even the US.
The hodgepodge of vehicles and the crowds which turned out in force to gaze at them created a pleasant South American atmosphere. Once the safety devices (Iritrack and GPS) were set up, stickers were in place and customs formalities were out of the way, they all turned their minds to Buenos Aires, home to the start of the 2015 Dakar, full of impatience and excitement of sorts.
Le Havre Port's Ro-Ro terminal became the world's biggest motor sports logistics platform for 48 hours. 140 people made sure everything went smoothly during these two days of scrutineering on behalf of the rally organisers. They handled a 4.6 km line of vehicles, ready to be loaded onto the Grande Amburgo next weekend. Grimaldi's 200-metre cargo ship and its load of 645 race, assistance, press and organisation vehicles will then embark on a 21-day transatlantic crossing to Euro America Port, near Buenos Aires. The competitors will be there to retrieve them on December 31, a mere four days before the start. The real one!
The crowds relish the unique opportunity to see the vehicles and competitors from up close, while the drivers and riders ease into the racing mindset. To get here, some of them covered distances worthy of any of the 13 stages of the Dakar, with competitors flocking from the UK, the Czech Republic, Lithuania, Russia and even the US.
The hodgepodge of vehicles and the crowds which turned out in force to gaze at them created a pleasant South American atmosphere. Once the safety devices (Iritrack and GPS) were set up, stickers were in place and customs formalities were out of the way, they all turned their minds to Buenos Aires, home to the start of the 2015 Dakar, full of impatience and excitement of sorts.
Le Havre Port's Ro-Ro terminal became the world's biggest motor sports logistics platform for 48 hours. 140 people made sure everything went smoothly during these two days of scrutineering on behalf of the rally organisers. They handled a 4.6 km line of vehicles, ready to be loaded onto the Grande Amburgo next weekend. Grimaldi's 200-metre cargo ship and its load of 645 race, assistance, press and organisation vehicles will then embark on a 21-day transatlantic crossing to Euro America Port, near Buenos Aires. The competitors will be there to retrieve them on December 31, a mere four days before the start. The real one!
11/20/14
Albert Bosch is all set to tackle his ninth Dakar as the first driver ever to go 100% electric. A challenge worthy of this adventurer extraordinaire.
He just cannot say "no" to a challenge. Albert Bosch, a Dakar regular, has completed the rally on a motorcycle (51st in 1999) and in a car (29th in 2001). Since his last appearance, the tireless adventurer, who has the "Seven Summits" under his belt, has been on a solo trans-Antarctic journey on foot which took him 67 days, but now he is back with a project involving a technological challenge of the highest order. The Catalan driver will set off from Buenos Aires at the wheel of a 100% electric buggy: "I've got a long history at the Dakar, and now I want to prove that motor sports and caring for the environment aren't two mutually exclusive concepts". Success hinges on the vehicle designed by Team Acciona 100% Eco-Powered, with batteries providing enough juice to drive 250 to 300 kilometres in one go. The Dakar rule book for the green energy category has been tweaked to help him along. In the vein of refuelling posts for motorcycles, Albert Bosch will be able to call upon his mechanics to help him switch batteries at certain points (CPs, special starts, etc.). Bosch's crew will also include Agustín Payá, the engineer who designed the prototype and a three-time Electric Racing Series European champion. Sparks are about to fly!
11/19/14
When it crossed the Atlantic and was faced with a new setting, the Dakar was obliged to become more fl exible and to adapt to its surroundings, yet remain underpinned by the principles which have ensured its success: exploring the world's deserts, extreme endurance, and bringing together top level athletes and amateurs honing their performance in a shared adventure.
Six years ago, we discovered South America, our eyes brimming with desire, openness and innocence. The last edition, one of the most selective in the entire history of the event, was also one of the most exceptional, in terms of
structure and variety. It provided riders, drivers and their teams with routes which responded precisely to the needs and abilities of their vehicles, and renewed the format of the race by off ering more marathon stages. These subtle
manoeuvres ensure the Dakar remains both original and demanding. The participants, fi rst and foremost, are highly discerning when it comes to the challenges they undertake. The Dakar is the Everest of motor sports and Peugeot is driven by the fundamental desire to conquer new heights and provide a sensational experience for all. From the most structured teams to isolated adventurers, participants all take great care and pay ever more attention to preparing for the big event. The competitors must take full measure of the Dakar to maximise their chances of completing this off -road tour of South America's deserts. Humility and strength will be required in equal measure to cross the fi nish line in Buenos Aires, two weeks after setting off from there.
structure and variety. It provided riders, drivers and their teams with routes which responded precisely to the needs and abilities of their vehicles, and renewed the format of the race by off ering more marathon stages. These subtle
manoeuvres ensure the Dakar remains both original and demanding. The participants, fi rst and foremost, are highly discerning when it comes to the challenges they undertake. The Dakar is the Everest of motor sports and Peugeot is driven by the fundamental desire to conquer new heights and provide a sensational experience for all. From the most structured teams to isolated adventurers, participants all take great care and pay ever more attention to preparing for the big event. The competitors must take full measure of the Dakar to maximise their chances of completing this off -road tour of South America's deserts. Humility and strength will be required in equal measure to cross the fi nish line in Buenos Aires, two weeks after setting off from there.
11/19/14
The 37th edition of the Dakar, the seventh to be held on South American soil, will bring back the loop format with a course starting in Buenos Aires on January 4 and ending in the same city on January 17. The 414 vehicles on the start list and their drivers and riders will tackle over 9,000 kilometres of roads, tracks and dunes in their quest through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. With the motorcycle and quad rest day scheduled for a different date, the battle for glory will rage day after day, perhaps to be decided in the marathon stages all vehicles will have to face this time round…
It is no longer as much an event as a ritual. Drivers and riders flock to the Dakar presentation conference to find out as much as they can about the course they will be facing in January. It also sees the big teams fire the opening salvoes in the media war. It may look like a simple bivouac get-together, but competitors are already keeping a watchful eye on one another. The deck has been thoroughly shuffled this year. Marc Coma, the defending champion in the motorcycle category, will no longer have to ride with his "frenemy", but he faces stiff competition: the Joan Barreda-Hélder Rodrigues-Paolo Gonçalves trident makes the HRC a credible threat, while Olivier Pain (third in 2014) has set his sights on loftier goals at Yamaha, where he has been joined by Juan Pedrero.Meanwhile, in the car category, Peugeot's Dakar comeback raises as many questions as it does expectations. Peugeot has put together a strong team, but how far can the two-wheel drive 2008 DKR buggy go in its Dakar debut? Stéphane Peterhansel, Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres have a combined total of 17 titles, but that means nothing unless they can see off the Mini challenge on the course. X-Raid's constant improvements have made its car highly reliable and competitive, enabling it to claim seven of the nine podium spots available in the last three editions. The German team will be banking on Nani Roma's ambition, as well as Nasser Al-Attiyah, Krzysztof Hołowczyc, Orlando Terranova and Guerlain Chicherit in a buggy, to extend its dominance. Giniel De Villiers, the only driver able to prevent a Mini whitewash on the podium since 2012, will once again seek to thwart their plans at the wheel of his Toyota Hilux.Ignacio Casale, who won Chile its first Dakar title in the quad category in 2014, will also have his work cut out to see off challenges from Rafał Sonik, Sergio Lafuente and others. In the truck category, Gerard de Rooy will want to make up for letting Karginov (Kamaz) win by a nose last January, but will also have to reckon with Veka Man's surprise new recruit, Aleš Loprais.
11/18/14
Miguel Puertas, Rosa Romero and Antonio Gimeno make up a 100% Spanish team, Team Himoinsa, whose ambition is to make sure the three amateur riders reach the finish of the race; an objective to be taken seriously…
They may be amateurs, but that does not mean they are dilettantes. In fact, Team Himoinsa champions the designs of those whose sporting ambitions are moderate. The Spanish structure will be making its debut on the Dakar with the same seriousness shown by elite teams, whilst entrusting its bikes to a trio who are just aiming to finish the race. Completion of the route that they will take through South America will represent a special achievement for Miguel Puertas, unaccustomed to improvisation: “I've completed the last nine consecutive Dakar rallies, which means I've already covered slightly more than 90,000 kilometres on the race,” explains the Spanish air force pilot. “This year, my aim is to reach the finish to make sure I break the 100,000 kilometre mark”. Miguel's mission will also be to provide valuable advice to his team-mate who does not boast the same consistency. Although she is the wife of two times Dakar winner Nani Roma, Rosa Romero has failed three times to finish the rally, but is persevering and hoping to enjoy a collective and complete adventure: “This team has a group philosophy. The aim is for all three of us to reach the finishing line”. The third member of this small group is Spaniard Antonio Gimeno, who returns to the race after having finished the 2011 edition in 46th position.
11/17/14
This weekend, some South American competitors were at work in Buenos Aires, for a Dakar preparation course. The novices got to listen to David Castera, as well as attend Joan Barreda's debut of as a school teacher!
A fine class of studious and focused rookies! For the South American competitor course session essentially intended for Dakar newcomers, some 40 competitors from across the continent came to hear the all-important advice from the rally's Sporting Director, David Castera. Even for the more serious, who have spent their year fine-tuning their vehicles and looking after their physical condition, the daily bivouac routine, the timing and sequencing of the days of the race and the use of navigation instruments, required some attention to detail: “This is already a very important phase for the competitors, explains Castera. This day will allow them to integrate a large quantity of information in a very efficient manner that will be very useful for them to show up well prepared.” At this meeting, the trainees had the privilege to listen and to ask questions to one the favorites of the event, Joan Barreda, who for the first time swapped his rider leathers for a professorial coat and tie: “I am thrilled to take part in this session, I believe it is crucial for them to gather all the advantages and show up with the best chance to finish the Dakar. I hope that the little experience I have gained these past years will serve them”, summed up the seven time stage winner.
Preparations also concerned the organization throughout the week leading up to the competitor course, with three seminars to enact the operation of all the mobilized devices to address rescue problems and security in general. In Argentina, then in Chile and Bolivia, these work days brought together the heads of all the authorities involved (law enforcement, fire departments, emergency services, etc…), with the key members of the PC race, which centralizes all the information and intervention decisions on the rally.
Preparations also concerned the organization throughout the week leading up to the competitor course, with three seminars to enact the operation of all the mobilized devices to address rescue problems and security in general. In Argentina, then in Chile and Bolivia, these work days brought together the heads of all the authorities involved (law enforcement, fire departments, emergency services, etc…), with the key members of the PC race, which centralizes all the information and intervention decisions on the rally.
11/05/14
Six years after their participation in the Dakar with a Bowler in which they arrived in Buenos Aires in 71st place, Tim and Tom Coronel will again take part in the rally this coming January. Each in his own singe-place buggy…
Each leads his own life, but often their fates cross paths. This is normal for twin brothers who share the same passion for motor racing and have an abundance of qualities to distinguish themselves. On the Dakar, it is Tim Coronel who has become a personality, hailed for both his good humor and consistency in the car with six finishes from seven participations. Even more so, after an experience with his wife (2007) and another with his sibling (2009), Tim has become a specialist in competing in a single-place buggy, and has twice won his category (2010 and 2011). This year, Tim's challenge to go and fight at the sharp end of the order is intact, but his buggy like him will have a look alike, because Tom will drive the exact same machine, with an altogether different mission. “After making it to the finish in 2009, my Dakar objective was reached and for me do it again was out of the question”, says the man who concentrates all of his time to his career in the WTCC. Nevertheless, Tim's proposal to build two buggies was reason enough to think about it: “I asked myself what I could add to make the adventure even more interesting. I spoke to the RTL 7 network, who I proposed to deliver daily reports filmed in the stages with several cameras that they will supply me with for the entirety of the rally. I will be their race reporter and I will stop when I come across a nice story to tell.”
10/20/14
Before moving on to the real thing, a group of Dakar competitors have made the most of the theoretical explanations that were both detailed and tangible. The training course organized primarily for the newcomers is among the useful steps for a good preparation.
The Dakar drivers and crews are preparing to set off on a 9,000km journey on the roads and tracks of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. All already have solid experience, most often on adventures in the heart of the desert and have the skills to find a solution for most mechanical situations. Nevertheless, for the first-timers on the event, the training courses held first in Paris then in Buenos Aires on November 15, are a very useful pre-event opportunity. Last Friday, 28 competitors made the trip to hear precious advice from Mathieu Baumel, who just recently won the Morocco Rally as Nasser Al-Attiyah's co-driver. Among those present, Marc Meneghin, co-driver to Jean-Jacques Ratet in the rapid assistance vehicle for the lead Peugeot already at the end of the day recognized the expected benefits of this meeting:“To benefit from advice from experienced competitors is very much appreciated. They shared their know-how and offered a lot of advice that we now can't wait to use there. I have taken part in other rallies but the Dakar is a whole lot different.”
The coexistence between minutely orchestrated teams and amateurs who choose to do it all themselves, especially for service, is a specificity of the Dakar. David Casteau knew better than anyone else the full range of problems encountered by the pure amateurs, before becoming a contender in the general classification. The Nice native, invited to share his experience, was particularly prolific with tips to avoid getting lost in the unusual daily life of the Dakar bivouac. This abundance of information will be useful to Laurent Moulin, who is entered without any assistance. “I have already participated in two rallies and I am about to ride in my first Dakar. I remember everything that I experienced previously but this is 100 times bigger here. You really get a sense that the steamroller is up and running”. For Laurent as for the others, there are some 10 weeks left to reach the level of the event.
The coexistence between minutely orchestrated teams and amateurs who choose to do it all themselves, especially for service, is a specificity of the Dakar. David Casteau knew better than anyone else the full range of problems encountered by the pure amateurs, before becoming a contender in the general classification. The Nice native, invited to share his experience, was particularly prolific with tips to avoid getting lost in the unusual daily life of the Dakar bivouac. This abundance of information will be useful to Laurent Moulin, who is entered without any assistance. “I have already participated in two rallies and I am about to ride in my first Dakar. I remember everything that I experienced previously but this is 100 times bigger here. You really get a sense that the steamroller is up and running”. For Laurent as for the others, there are some 10 weeks left to reach the level of the event.
10/01/14
Joan Barreda, Helder Rodrigues and Paolo Gonçalves are ready to attack to win the Dakar on a Honda, while Laia Sanz is ready to aim for more than just the women's title…
They are already looking very strong. Team HRC presented its squad that will compete on the 2015 Dakar, with the goal of winning the rally which the Japanese constructor and its riders will take part in for a third consecutive year. With the group that will head to Buenos Aires, Honda has three riders potentially capable of finishing on the podium. Joan Barreda, winner of 14 special stages in just three completed editions, was second overall just until the stage 11 last January. Portugal's Paolo Gonçalves, 2013 world rally-raid champion, will try to forget the fire that eliminated him from the previous edition, while his compatriot, Helder Rodrigues, 3rd in 2011 and in 2012, will make the most of the progress made this season to the CRF 450 Rally. The leading trio will be supported by the very promising Jeremias Israel, who retired early from the rally while in 4th place overall. However, it is certainly at the bottom of the Honda list where you'll find the favourite of the team. Laia Sanz will not only go for another title in the female category: her 16th place in 2014 makes her a credible contender among the elite.
09/30/14
After 6 years of cooperation between the Dakar and the TECHO foundation, more than one million dollars have been invested in projects to develop emergency housing in Latin America.
At the annual dinner of TECHO - Chile, Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O.) was acknowledged as one of the organisation's most important allies. “Since it was created 36 years ago, the Dakar has always looked to lend a helping hand and South America is no exception. Since its arrival on the continent in 2009, the rally has supported TECHO and all the people who give their time every day to help the underprivileged. We are proud to participate in this solidarity initiative in Latin America,” declared the Director of the Dakar, Etienne Lavigne. In the wake of the organisers, the rally has also brought many competitors who have encouraged TECHO in its mission to build emergency housing. The annual contributions have helped to build 180 emergency housing units, 9 community centres and 4 reconstruction projects in Chile after the earthquake that devastated the country.
09/29/14
For the last Dakar Challenge event of 2014, Ian Blythe travelled from the USA to Australia to win his ticket to participate in the Dakar. He completes the list of the 13 newcomers on whom to keep a watchful eye on the tracks of Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
Sometimes the future is played out in the present. Every year, the Dakar Challenge holds impressive surprises in store by selecting the winners capable of distinguishing themselves on the tracks of the main event in January. It may just turn out that the small team of this year's “challengers” could again be capable of springing a surprise. In any case, this is the impression given in light of the performance by the winner of the last ticket, which was won on completion of the 3,500 kilometres of the Australasian Safari. For those in the know, Ian Blythe is already one of the bikers to watch over the last several years, after having posted the best time in the juniors on the Mexico Six Day Enduro (ISDE) in 2010. Since then, the American adventurer has honed his riding style all over the world, with the certainty of moving on from endurance racing to rally-raid in the near future.
Everything came to fruition in the last few weeks for the rider from Colorado, who decided to sign up for the Australasian Safari especially to try and win a pass to the Dakar. On the quick tracks of Western Australia, Blythe quickly set himself apart from the pretenders to the Dakar Challenge crown, but still had a fright on the last two days of the race which he had to tackle with a fifth gear that would not work! “It would have been difficult to accept if, over those last two stages I'd lost the three hour lead that I built up,” explained afterwards the winner of the Dakar Challenge, who more significantly made it onto the podium for the event behind two regulars in the leading places on the Dakar: Rodney Fagotter (14th on the Dakar 2013) and Quinn Cody (9th on the Dakar 2011). For Blythe, a first mission is accomplished, but now he will have to do his utmost to show that he is capable of tackling the main event in a little more than three months' time: “I came to Australia with the sole aim of winning my place on the Dakar. Now I'm going on a training camp with Quinn Cody in California, because I'm still relatively new to riding in the desert. What's more, I need to get used to navigating, because events with road-books are rare in North America”.
The winners of the Dakar Challenge 2014:
Desafio Ruta 40 (Argentina): German Fernandez (Uru - bike) / Giuliano Giordana (Arg - quad) / Lino Sisterna (Arg - car)
Tecate Score Baja 500 (Mexico): Tony Gera (USA - bike) / Mike Johnson (USA - car)
Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race (Botswana): Brian Baragwanath (SA - quad) / Bertholdt (SA - car)
Desafio Guarani (Paraguay): Kevin Echeveste (Arg - bike) / Beto Ramírez (Par - quad) / Rubén Irala (Par - car)
Desafio Inca (Peru): Cristobal Guldman (Chi - bike) / Rodolfo Guillioli (Gua - quad)
Australasian Safari (Australia): Ian Blythe (Usa - bike)
Everything came to fruition in the last few weeks for the rider from Colorado, who decided to sign up for the Australasian Safari especially to try and win a pass to the Dakar. On the quick tracks of Western Australia, Blythe quickly set himself apart from the pretenders to the Dakar Challenge crown, but still had a fright on the last two days of the race which he had to tackle with a fifth gear that would not work! “It would have been difficult to accept if, over those last two stages I'd lost the three hour lead that I built up,” explained afterwards the winner of the Dakar Challenge, who more significantly made it onto the podium for the event behind two regulars in the leading places on the Dakar: Rodney Fagotter (14th on the Dakar 2013) and Quinn Cody (9th on the Dakar 2011). For Blythe, a first mission is accomplished, but now he will have to do his utmost to show that he is capable of tackling the main event in a little more than three months' time: “I came to Australia with the sole aim of winning my place on the Dakar. Now I'm going on a training camp with Quinn Cody in California, because I'm still relatively new to riding in the desert. What's more, I need to get used to navigating, because events with road-books are rare in North America”.
The winners of the Dakar Challenge 2014:
Desafio Ruta 40 (Argentina): German Fernandez (Uru - bike) / Giuliano Giordana (Arg - quad) / Lino Sisterna (Arg - car)
Tecate Score Baja 500 (Mexico): Tony Gera (USA - bike) / Mike Johnson (USA - car)
Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race (Botswana): Brian Baragwanath (SA - quad) / Bertholdt (SA - car)
Desafio Guarani (Paraguay): Kevin Echeveste (Arg - bike) / Beto Ramírez (Par - quad) / Rubén Irala (Par - car)
Desafio Inca (Peru): Cristobal Guldman (Chi - bike) / Rodolfo Guillioli (Gua - quad)
Australasian Safari (Australia): Ian Blythe (Usa - bike)
09/16/14
From 19th to 27th September, the eight stages of the Australasian Safari will be scene of the last leg of the Dakar Challenge 2014. The ultimate example of the sport in Oceania has always selected quality competitors…
For the 2014 season, the Dakar Challenge has already picked out the best talent in Africa and North and South America. The successful candidates have competed at a high level and made life difficult for more experienced competitors in Argentina, Mexico, Botswana, Paraguay or Peru. The last ticket to the Dakar will be awarded in Australia through the Dakar Challenge, with the prospect of seeing the emergence of a future star in the rally's great battles in January. In the last two editions of the Australasian Safari, the riders who stood out in this “race within a race” did a really excellent job in terms of prizes, competing hard with the latinos on their home ground. After a hard learning curve, Rodney Faggoter took 14th place in the overall classification in Santiago in 2013, while Shane Diener, who won his place thanks to his 3rd position in Australia, finished the Dakar 2014 in 38th place in Valparaiso.
This year, the candidates for the Dakar Challenge - only in the Motorcycles category in the Australasian Safari - will have to really pull out the stops to stand out. In addition to the Australian riders, the importance of the event has also attracted riders from America, South Africa and Italy.
This year, the candidates for the Dakar Challenge - only in the Motorcycles category in the Australasian Safari - will have to really pull out the stops to stand out. In addition to the Australian riders, the importance of the event has also attracted riders from America, South Africa and Italy.
09/14/14
The second edition of the Desafío Inca on Peruvian soil was a massive success, with the best competitors in each of the three different categories claiming victory in a race open until the very end. Nani Roma (cars), Claudio Rodríguez (motorcycles) and Alonso Elías (quads) prevailed and took home the 2014 trophy.
CARS: NANI ROMA CROWNED IN PERU
Spain's top driver Nani Roma (Mini All 4 Racing) lived up to his status as one of the big favourites on the dunes of Ica and won the second edition of the Desafío Inca, clinching his first triumph on Peruvian soil with a final time of 13 h 21′48″. He and co-driver Michel Périn did an excellent job and put on a dominant performance throughout the three stages of the final leg of the Dakar Series.
Roma led the race from start to finish, claiming all three stages and six specials at stake in this edition. It was a strong showing by the official Mini driver, who left nothing to his rivals in the three-day race. Rodrigo Moreno (+1 h 37′42″) was runner-up, with Peru's Duro 4x4 team placing Diego Weber (+2 h 23′21″) in third place as the best Peruvian van in the race.
MOTORCYCLES: CLAUDIO RODRÍGUEZ BRINGS HOME THE BACON
Ica's just witnessed one of the tightest races of the 2014 Dakar Series. Chile's Claudio Rodríguez (KTM 450) struck the decisive blow at the eleventh hour to win the motorcycle category, in which four different riders were still in with a shout before the last special. Rodríguez took the top honours in Peru in one of the most closely fought categories in the entire race. Claudio pulled out all the stops in the last special, clocking a final time of 13 h 00′07″ and leapfrogging José Cornejo by a puny 3″.
A deserved win for Rodríguez at the end of today's stage, which he started in style by taking the first special, giving him the motivation he needed to dominate the rest of the day and become the worthy winner of the Peruvian event. José Cornejo (+3″) and France's David Casteu (+4′12″) also rode strongly on the majestic Peruvian dunes and took the remaining two steps on the podium.
QUADS: ALONSO ELÍAS WINS TO THE DELIGHT OF THE HOME CROWDS
Young Peruvian star Alonso Elías (Yamaha Raptor 700) went down in history in his country by winning the quad race with an outstanding time of 14 h 10′50″, after he used the last special of the day to blaze past Chile's Víctor Gallegos (+1′55″), leader of the race until the first special of the closing stage. Elías is the first Peruvian rider ever to have won a category at the Desafío Inca.
Alonso gave Peru its first champion, a big success for the young Peruvian quad rider, who showed huge potential and earned a place among the country's rising sports stars. Rodolfo Guillioli (+34′43″) rounded off the podium.
DAKAR SERIES: DAVID CASTEU AND NELSON SANABRIA TASTE VICTORY
France's David Casteu (motorcycles) and Paraguay's Nelson Sanabria (quads) were crowned champions of the 2014 Dakar Series thanks to their solid performances in Peru. After taking part in the Desafío Ruta 40 in Argentina and the Desafío Guaraní in Paraguay, the two riders capped a great season in Ica, taking the top honours in one of the most challenging tournaments in the world, featuring the elite of rally raid and the toughest races held on the continent. Casteu successfully defended in Peru the title he conquered last year.
GUILLIOLI AND GULDMAN PREVAIL IN THE DAKAR CHALLENGE
Cristóbal Guldman (motorcycles) and Rodolfo Guillioli (quads) were the best amateur competitors in the 2014 Desafío Inca and, after overcoming the majestic, challenging dunes around Ica, won the Dakar Challenge and the much coveted prize it entails: a ticket to the 2015 Dakar Rally. A deserved victory for the two riders, who made clear their ambition to continue shining in the future.
WHAT THE PROTAGONISTS HAD TO SAY
Claudio Rodríguez – Winner of the motorcycle classification: "This gives me the goose bumps. I'm delighted. Today's stage was fast but very much like the previous ones. I went flat out to get a podium place and beat Felipe Ríos. We were fighting within 24 seconds, it was very close. Then I saw how strong I was going, and I'm really happy. I'd like to thank my team and my mechanics. My entire team here at the rally, my family and my sponsors."
Alonso Elías – Winner of the quad classification: "I wasn't expecting this. I'm very surprised. I didn't expect to finish in the top 5. I'm happy I made it to the finish, which was my main goal, but even happier to have won. It comes as a surprise, but I think we were racing strongly from the beginning, with lots of common sense, calm and a level head. I gave it my all today."
Nani Roma – Winner of the car classification: "We're always happy when we win a race. I think the best part was tackling three gruelling stages with a total of over 900 kilometres raced mostly on dunes. It was very demanding, the dunes are very tough. We're happy we won, but we were the odds-on favourites. The best part was all this training, all these tests, lots of kilometres… That was the best part, to be honest."
09/13/14
The second stage of the 2014 Desafío Inca was one of the toughest held in Peru since its arrival last season. Pablo Quintanilla (motorcycles) bounced back to claim his first stage this year, but it was Frenchman David Casteu who moved into the lead. Víctor Gallegos and Nani Roma scored a double whammy with the stage win and the overall lead after proving their superiority on the dunes of Paracas.
MOTORCYCLES: QUINTANILLA CLINCHES THE STAGE, BUT CASTEU SEIZES THE LEAD
After leading the first special of the day, Chile's Pablo Quintanilla (KTM 450 Rally Replica) overcame his mechanical problems to win stage 2 of the Desafío Inca with a dominant ride from the get-go. The South American rider posted a time of 4 h 02′40″ to beat Eduardo "Tato" Heinrich (+5′34″) and David Casteu (+9′46″) after a solid performance on the stage with the longest special (199 kilometres). Nevertheless, it was the Frenchman who moved into the overall lead.
David Casteu (KTM 450) already staked his claim to the overall lead yesterday, and today he bested previous leader José Cornejo to take the reins of the race with a time of 9 h 03′47″ and just one day to go. Cornejo remains within striking distance, though, a mere 1′18″ behind the leader. Peru continues to pin its hopes on Felipe Ríos, who's also in the mix and will be feeling the pressure tomorrow to claw back the 3′08″ separating him from the French rider.
QUADS: VÍCTOR GALLEGOS TAKES THE STAGE AND THE LEAD
Chile's Víctor Gallegos (Honda TRX 700 XX) achieved one of the most important results of the day by taking the stage with a time of 5 h 03′29″, enough to catapult him into the lead after an unlucky Ignacio Casale was forced to withdraw due to mechanical problems. Gallegos has his sights set on the Peruvian race in which he claimed last year's Dakar Challenge.
Gallegos was 2′24″ quicker than Gastón Pando and 10′04″ faster than Rodolfo Guillioli in today's stage, and now leads the general classification with a time of 9 h 41′03″ and 10′39″ to spare on rising star Alonso Elías. The 17-year-old followed up on yesterday's surprisingly good ride with another solid performance today. Rodolfo Guillioli now holds the same place overall as in today's stage, third at +15′13″.
CARS: NANI ROMA STRENGTHENS HIS GRIP ON THE RACE
Spain's Nani Roma (Mini All 4 Racing) and navigator Michel Périn took their second straight win at the 2014 Desafío Inca. After triumphing in the opening stage, the official Mini driver clocked a time of 4 h 35′43″ to make it two out of two and consolidate his overall lead with a time of 9 h 09′04″.
Nani's taking no prisoners in this year's Desafío Inca as he grabs stage after stage on his quest for Peruvian glory. Rodrigo Moreno (+1 h 10′15″) and Diego Weber (+1 h 16′24″) rounded off today's podium. The Mini team will settle for nothing less than victory after tomorrow's stage.
WHAT THE PROTAGONISTS HAD TO SAY
Pablo Quintanilla (motorcycles) – Stage 2 winner: "Today's stage was long and the heat made it much harder than yesterday's. Navigating was a bit tricky. I got lost and it cost me several minutes, but after that I settled into a good pace and had no problems finding my way around. I rode well, I felt well. At least it washed away the bitter taste left by yesterday's stage."
Víctor Gallegos (quads) – Stage 2 winner and leader of the quad classification: "Today went much better than yesterday. This stage was much tougher than the previous one, to be honest. I think my quad's more suited to firmer terrain. Yesterday was too soft, with lots of fesh-fesh. I had trouble going full throttle, but today's stage was more stop-and-go, with cut dunes. I was in my element."
Nani Roma (cars) – Stage 2 winner and leader of the car classification: "I felt better this morning, but we had a small problem with the car which he had to check out, a strange noise inside the gearbox, and we took it a bit easier because the second gear didn't work properly. We'll have a look at it now, but I'm happy we made it to the finish. I started the second special very strongly and suddenly we heard a deafening noise coming from the gearbox, so we just eased up and finished in good condition."
09/12/14
The drivers and riders taking part in the Desafío Inca have flocked to Peru from all over America and Europe, eager to face a new challenge in a bid for glory. Peru extends a very warm welcome to all the competitors who signed up for the third and last leg of the Dakar Series. Technical and administrative checks will be carried out today with 13 different nationalities represented on Inca soil.
We're in the final hours of the countdown to a new edition of the Desafío Inca, which will pit competitors against Ica's majestic, never-ending dunes for the second year straight. Participants have started to reach the base camp of this great race in Paracas, where the presence of famous competitors and Dakar champions has electrified the atmosphere for weeks.
One of them is top Spanish driver Nani Roma, who's already in Peru and yesterday carried out a shakedown at the Asia Kartodrome (roughly 100 kilometres to the south of Lima) before heading to Paracas. Nani, who has quite a few pleasant memories of Peru, is now ready to rumble. Chilean rider Ignacio Casale is also a guarantee of spectacular racing, just like other elite riders such as David Casteu, Pablo Quintanilla, Ignacio Flores, Diego Weber and Nicolás Fuchs, who've also set up shop at the Paracas bivouac.
As the location of the bivouac, the DoubleTree – Hilton Hotel in Paracas will the competitors' base camp and host the technical and administrative scrutineering from 8 am to 4 pm today, with 86 crews and their vehicles ready to undergo tests. Participants cleared to continue will then wait inside the secure enclosure (4 pm to 5 pm) on Paracas's El Chaco Boulevard, where all the drivers and riders taking part in the Desafío Inca will have their official photos taken at 5 pm.
That's the last step before the opening ceremony, which will be held at 5:30 pm on the start podium set up on El Chaco Boulevard. Massive crowds are expected to turn out to see the big names taking part in this edition. The participants retrieved their safety equipment (GPS and Iritrack devices) yesterday, putting everything in place for the start of the race. The 2014 Desafío Inca's already revving up its engines.
09/11/14
The opening stage of the 2014 Desafío Inca saw the big favourites rise to the top after 326 kilometres of spectacular racing on the dunes around Ica. Nani Roma (cars) and Ignacio Casale (quads) produced a stunning performance to seize the lead at the end of the first stage, while Chile's José Cornejo (motorcycles) surprised everyone by taking the reins in his category.
MOTORCYCLES: JOSÉ CORNEJO STRIKES FIRST IN ICA
The star-studded field may have driven expectations in the motorcycle category to stratospheric levels over the last few months, but it was Chile's José Cornejo (Suzuki RMX 2) who sprang a huge surprise at the end of the Desafío Inca opener. The South American's time of 4 h 16′24″ was enough to propel him to the top of the classification, ahead of all the big names in the category, with Claudio Rodríguez (+3′32″) and Felipe Ríos (+3′53″) rounding off today's podium.
A fabulous start for Cornejo, who'd already shown he meant business in the last leg of this Dakar Series by posting the fastest time at the end of the first loop, whereas defending champion Pablo Quintanilla was unfortunately forced out of the race by mechanical problems.
QUADS: IGNACIO CASALE MOVES INTO THE LEAD
The reigning Dakar and Desafío Inca champion, Chile's Ignacio Casale (Yamaha Raptor 700), stormed into the lead in the quad category with another display of the skills and experience amassed over all these years. Casale posted a time of 4 h 17′56″ to steal the show in Paracas, beating Peru's Alexis Hernández (+6′33″) and Alonso Elías (+14′34″), who at the young age of 17 rubbed elbows with the top brass and showed promise as one of the rising stars in the Dakar Series firmament.
The opening special was a titanic struggle between Casale and Uruguay's Sergio Lafuente, which came to an unfortunate end when the defending Desafío Ruta 40 (Argentina) and Desafío Guaraní (Paraguay) champion had to withdraw due to a blow sustained during the race, leaving Ignacio to chase what would be his second Desafío Inca on Peruvian soil.
CARS: NANI ROMA STAMPS HIS AUTHORITY
Spain's Nani Roma (Mini All 4 Racing) was in a league of his own in the opening stage of the 2014 Desafío Inca. The Spanish driver and two-time Dakar champion made good use of all the experience accrued over the years to clock a fastest time of 4 h 33′21″ at the end of the two loops which he'd started in the early morning.
Roma's health issues didn't stop the two-time Dakar champion from bursting onto the scene. Nani had already opened up a sizeable gap with Michel Perin by the end of the first loop and never looked back as he charged towards the stage win.
WHAT THE PROTAGONISTS HAD TO SAY
Ignacio Casale – Stage 1 winner in quads: "It was a gruelling stage. The famous Paracas wind made the dunes extremely soft and we had trouble crossing them. Lots of motorcycles went down. I also had a small fall when I hesitated and let the motorcycle pitch up. Anyway, I had a great stage despite these problems. I was able to press on hard and ride well, and I got used to the new motorcycle. My right hand hurts a bit, but it's perfectly tolerable."
José Cornejo – Stage 1 winner in motorcycles: "It was a really hard stage with lots of dunes. We rode the same loop twice, and the second time things were quite messed up, with more dust, more stones and lots of fesh-fesh, more than the first time. Navigating wasn't too difficult today. I, at least, didn't have to do much work because I started further back and was able to use the openers' tracks a bit."
Nani Roma – Stage 1 winner in cars: "This morning was somewhat difficult because I wasn't feeling well. We knew the dunes and all the other things always make it hard to race here. It was a nice stage, no walk in the park. Some strings of dunes were difficult to cross, but anyway, my main problem was that I wasn't feeling well this morning and had to stop four times to throw up. The first special was a horror story, but the second one went well."
08/27/14
With less than one week to go until registration for the Desafío Inca closes, the drivers and riders who've already signed up will make up a star-studded field for the third and last leg of the 2014 Dakar Series. The start list features big names such as Spain's Nani Roma and Chile's Ignacio Casale (winners of the 2014 Dakar in the car and quad categories, respectively), as well as Peru's local hero Nicolas Fuchs, ready to make his big debut in the world of rally raids!
The second edition of the Desafío Inca will be a who's who of elite rally raids, with the leading specialists in each category going head-to-head in the Ica region from September 11 to 14. Chief among them, the big winner of the 2014 Dakar, Spain's Nani Roma! As he gears up for his title defence as the champion of the greatest rally raid on Earth, which he fought tooth and nail for in January, exactly ten years after winning the rally on a motorcycle, the Catalan has chosen to test his Mini on the roughly 930 km long Desafío Inca, an ideal, unique opportunity to tackle a course with lots of variety and a strong flavour of sand and dunes. The Mini driver will be on the hunt for another Dakar Series triumph to go with the Desafío Ruta 40 he won in 2013, when he also took part to prepare for the Dakar.
He'll come up against the stiff opposition of rivals such as Chile's Team Tamarugal and their sparkling-new SAM Mercedes, which have already proved their reliability and potential for several seasons with Germany's Matthias Kahle at the wheel. More than enough to light up the car race, which will also see the rally raid debut of Peruvian motor sports star Nicolás Fuchs. The 31-year-old driver from Lima, who took the production category WRC 2 World Championship in 2013, has already shown his ability to adapt and spring a surprise or two, or even become the kingmaker of the category.
The quad race should also go down to the wire, with defending champion and 2014 Dakar winner Ignacio Casale as the man to beat. He's back at a race which, in his own words, gave him the confidence he needed to finish on the top step of the podium in Valparaíso last January. The Chilean rider has no doubt set his sights on a repeat win. Some of his great rivals, all of them Dakar stage winners, will be out to thwart him, including Uruguay's Sergio Lafuente, Argentina's Sebastián Halpern, Chile's Víctor Manuel Gallegos and the other crowd favourite, Peru's Ignacio Flores. Another home boy, Alexis Hernández, will also strive to please his fans.
Eduardo "Tato" Heinrich and Felipe Ríos will fly the Peruvian colours in what is yet another star-studded field, including "official" riders like Olivier Pain and Javier Pizzolito. The Frenchman and the Argentinean, ready to test themselves and fine-tune their preparations for the Dakar, are clear favourites to win the last leg of the 2014 Dakar Series, which will also decide whether Chile's Pablo Quintanilla or France's David Casteu takes home the 2014 Dakar Series overall title.
The stellar cast in all categories could still pick up a few other big names and last-minute surprises before registration closes at midnight on September 1.
07/31/14
Following the confirmation of the presence of the Chilean rider Ignacio Casale (winner take-all in Quads in the Rally Dakar 2014) on this Dakar Series event that will take place in Peru, another multiple winner of the most difficult rally raid in the world will grace the new edition of the Desafio Inca with his presence. The Spanish driver Nani Roma has officially confirmed that he will line up, together with the Mini team, in search of the big trophy. So, last year's winner of the Rally Dakar in Cars will be there fight it out over the dunes of Peru, which make the Desafío Inca one of the most important and demanding tests in the world.
In one of the biggest years in his driving career after authoritatively winning the Rally Dakar 2014 in Cars after 10 years (he had already won the Bikes title in 2004), Nani Roma has set himself a new challenge within the Dakar Series in South America. The dunes of Peru, recognised worldwide for the tremendous demands they make on competitors and their machines, have been chosen by Roma to make his appearance in the tournament this season.
As Roma says, “It's an attractive race because Peru, where I raced two years in the Dakar, is a country and type of terrain I really like. It's an opportunity to take on the dunes again, those wonderful lands and deserts. Our objective is always to win. The important thing is to have a good race, compete well and try and achieve the objective. We're here with the idea of lifting the trophy. It's never easy to win a race like this one, but we'll pull out all the stops.”
The Spanish driver will arrive in Peru with the Mini team confident of doing the job that will take him to the top of the podium. Roma knows the dunes of Ica because he crossed them when he took part in 2012 and 2013, when Peru was part of the Dakar Rally route and where he has the best memories of the fans' enthusiasm. If he does win the event, it will be another victory in a Dakar Series tournament for Nani after his triumph in the Desafío Ruta 40 last year in Argentina.
“The Desafío Inca is key to our preparation for the next Dakar Rally because there are many dunes, a lot of sand, and it is hard to find races which only have dunes in them. So, I think that being able to drive on this terrain in difficult stages, in the open desert, is great training for us to test new things on the car. It's really interesting for us to be there,” the Spanish driver adds.
With his presence, the Desafío Inca already offers strong, demanding competition between 11th and 14th September, in which the two 2014 Dakar Rally champions in Quads and Cars confirm the high level that will be seen in Ica. Nani Roma has officially said ‘yes' to the invitation and will line up for the great Peruvian race. The Desafío Inca continues to attract great international-class competitors.
As Roma says, “It's an attractive race because Peru, where I raced two years in the Dakar, is a country and type of terrain I really like. It's an opportunity to take on the dunes again, those wonderful lands and deserts. Our objective is always to win. The important thing is to have a good race, compete well and try and achieve the objective. We're here with the idea of lifting the trophy. It's never easy to win a race like this one, but we'll pull out all the stops.”
The Spanish driver will arrive in Peru with the Mini team confident of doing the job that will take him to the top of the podium. Roma knows the dunes of Ica because he crossed them when he took part in 2012 and 2013, when Peru was part of the Dakar Rally route and where he has the best memories of the fans' enthusiasm. If he does win the event, it will be another victory in a Dakar Series tournament for Nani after his triumph in the Desafío Ruta 40 last year in Argentina.
“The Desafío Inca is key to our preparation for the next Dakar Rally because there are many dunes, a lot of sand, and it is hard to find races which only have dunes in them. So, I think that being able to drive on this terrain in difficult stages, in the open desert, is great training for us to test new things on the car. It's really interesting for us to be there,” the Spanish driver adds.
With his presence, the Desafío Inca already offers strong, demanding competition between 11th and 14th September, in which the two 2014 Dakar Rally champions in Quads and Cars confirm the high level that will be seen in Ica. Nani Roma has officially said ‘yes' to the invitation and will line up for the great Peruvian race. The Desafío Inca continues to attract great international-class competitors.
07/29/14
Darryl Curtis has recently been appointed by A.S.O. as its Dakar representative for the riders coming from South Africa, Namibia, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, from now on, to the Dakar 2016.
His role will be to bring and share his experience of the Dakar to the riders community, and help the future candidates to set-up their plan of preparation. He will notably organized a “Dakar Workshop” once a year.
Darryl, 42, is an experienced rider, and a figure in South Africa. Two-time winner of the Roof of Africa and several times enduro and off-road South African champion, Curtis showed-up on the Dakar for the first time in 2012.
The other Dakar representatives are:
- José Carmona: Portugal
- Chris Evans: UK, Australia
- Henk Hellegers: The Netherlands
- Manuel Tajada (RPM): Spain
07/25/14
Despite difficult weather conditions, the 1st Desafio Guarani will go down in history for the rugged route, the great battles between competitors along the route and the prestige of the winners' list, with victories at the end by the Chilean rider Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez in bikes, the Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente in quads and Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia in cars.
In its 1st edition, the Desafio Guarani provided a top-class winner in bikes in Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez from Chile, who won the race following his return to competition after his accident in the last edition of the Dakar. The torrential rain that fell in eastern Paraguay led the organisers to cancel the last stage for safety reasons after consultation with the competitors. This meant that the official KTM rider won the event with a big difference over his compatriot Pablo Quintanilla and Frenchman David Casteu. Both riders will therefore compete in the Dakar Series 2014 in Peru during the Desafio Inca in a few weeks' time.
In the 4x2 quads category, the Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente's experience as a winner of special stages in the Dakar showed as he pulled out all the stops and won his second consecutive event in the Dakar Series 2014 ahead of the Paraguayan Nelson Sanabria, who received tremendous support from his home crowd. In the four-wheel drive quad category, victory went to the Bolivian rider Leonardo Martinez, who finished 6'14” seconds ahead of his Chilean rival Sebastian Palma.
In the cars category, however, the race was fought hard over the 4 days planned, and Marco Bulacia took full advantage of his opportunity! Thanks to an impressive effort in the last timed sector, the Bolivian driver managed to get in front of the strong favourite Juan Manuel “Pato” Silva at the end, winning his very first Dakar Series race right on the finish line, just 2'35” ahead of the Argentinean.
Dakar Challenge: Echeveste leaves Lacunza empty-handed again
This 2nd Dakar Series 2014 was also the 4th of the 6 legs of the Dakar Challenge in 2014. The competitors who earned their invitations to the Dakar 2015 were the Paraguayan Beto Ramirez, 3rd in the overall quad ranking, and the Argentinean Kevin Echeveste, 6th in bikes. The other side of the coin was the disappointment felt by 18-year-old Argentinean Jorge Lacunza; as in the Ruta 40, he failed to qualify for the special ticket by just one place.
Finally, in cars the Paraguayan team of Rubén Irala Aquino / Enrique Fratta earned its place in the next edition of the Dakar with 4th place in the last stage.
In the 4x2 quads category, the Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente's experience as a winner of special stages in the Dakar showed as he pulled out all the stops and won his second consecutive event in the Dakar Series 2014 ahead of the Paraguayan Nelson Sanabria, who received tremendous support from his home crowd. In the four-wheel drive quad category, victory went to the Bolivian rider Leonardo Martinez, who finished 6'14” seconds ahead of his Chilean rival Sebastian Palma.
In the cars category, however, the race was fought hard over the 4 days planned, and Marco Bulacia took full advantage of his opportunity! Thanks to an impressive effort in the last timed sector, the Bolivian driver managed to get in front of the strong favourite Juan Manuel “Pato” Silva at the end, winning his very first Dakar Series race right on the finish line, just 2'35” ahead of the Argentinean.
Dakar Challenge: Echeveste leaves Lacunza empty-handed again
This 2nd Dakar Series 2014 was also the 4th of the 6 legs of the Dakar Challenge in 2014. The competitors who earned their invitations to the Dakar 2015 were the Paraguayan Beto Ramirez, 3rd in the overall quad ranking, and the Argentinean Kevin Echeveste, 6th in bikes. The other side of the coin was the disappointment felt by 18-year-old Argentinean Jorge Lacunza; as in the Ruta 40, he failed to qualify for the special ticket by just one place.
Finally, in cars the Paraguayan team of Rubén Irala Aquino / Enrique Fratta earned its place in the next edition of the Dakar with 4th place in the last stage.
07/21/14
Only two months after registration for the Dakar 2015 opened, the bike and quad categories closed applications on Tuesday 15th July. Now that all the registrations have been received, the selection can commence.
Once again, many bike and quad riders have submitted their applications to the Dakar organisers. Competitors, both amateurs and professionals, from all over the world have all had to fill in their registration packs in order to be admissible for the selection process.
“Since safety is our number one priority on the race, it is paramount for us to ensure that each competitor who will take starter's orders next January in Buenos Aires has met the compulsory criteria for participating in the race: previous experience, participation in first-class races, navigation experience, physical fitness, etc.” declares David Castera, the event's Sporting Director.
Whether they have been preparing their registration, sometimes for several years, with a view to their first participation, or whether they are competitors with plenty of experience of the South American tracks, they will receive the famous letter in several weeks, putting an end to their wait and to the suspense.
Registration for the car and truck categories will remain open until 1st November.
“Since safety is our number one priority on the race, it is paramount for us to ensure that each competitor who will take starter's orders next January in Buenos Aires has met the compulsory criteria for participating in the race: previous experience, participation in first-class races, navigation experience, physical fitness, etc.” declares David Castera, the event's Sporting Director.
Whether they have been preparing their registration, sometimes for several years, with a view to their first participation, or whether they are competitors with plenty of experience of the South American tracks, they will receive the famous letter in several weeks, putting an end to their wait and to the suspense.
Registration for the car and truck categories will remain open until 1st November.
07/18/14
With just two days to go until the inaugural Desafío Guaraní, rally fever has gripped Asunción, as the Paraguayan capital gets ready for the start of the second leg of the 2014 Dakar Series. The atmosphere among the competitors is abuzz in all the categories expected to go down to the wire, in light of the depth of the field in each category and the tough course.
With four stages totalling over 2,000 km, including a marathon stage 1,126 km long, the 83 contenders (32 motorcycles, 27 quads and 24 cars) will not be forgetting the first Desafío Guaraní anytime soon. Its route through several of the regions which make up Paraguay has loads of wonders and excitement in store for the four-day event. While the visit to Filadelfia region has been cancelled due to recent downpours rendering the tracks impassable, the menu remains a spicy one, starting with a loop almost 600 km long in Asunción region, followed by the famous 1,126 km stage via the Ciudad del Este Bivouac. Then comes the grand finale, with another loop over 300 km long around Encarnación, where the second leg of the 2014 Dakar Series and the South American Off-road Rally Championship will be decided.
It is a gourmet's recipe for a titanic struggle in all categories. While jousting for the win in the fourth of six legs in the 2014 Dakar Challenge, the favourites will need to watch out for several outstanding local "amateurs" on the hunt for a ticket to the next Dakar, always capable of springing a surprise or two.
Victory in the motorcycle race should fall to one of the "big boys" —the official KTMs and Hondas—, including Chile's Francisco "Chaleco" López, the only South American to finish on the podium of the Dakar (2010 and 2013), Argentina's Javier Pizzolito, Frenchman David Casteu and Chile's Pablo Quintanilla, who fought to the bitter end in April's Desafío Ruta 40, as well as South America's rising star Diego Martín Duplessis, who will be leading the Kawasaki charge.
Home boy Nelson Sanabria will hog the attention in the quads department, on the back of a twelfth place in the last Dakar and a second place in the Ruta 40 which elevated him to rally-raid pioneer status in his country. He knows the terrain like the back of his hand and will seek to capitalise on this advantage to win the race outright. To do so, he will have to pull off a major upset against next-door neighbour Sergio Lafuente. The Uruguayan's three Dakar stage wins and his victory in the first leg of the 2014 Dakar Series put him clearly in the pole position. And, of course, the entire Mazzuco Can-Am team, with Bolivian Lucas Zaffi at the helm and boss Daniel Mazzuco targeting a win in the 4x4 quad class… without ruling out an overall triumph. Finally, the ever fast and consistent Peruvian brothers, Daniel and Alexis Hernández, will do their best to turn the race on its head.
His dominant performance at the Desafío Ruta 40 makes Argentina's Juan Manuel "Pato" Silva the odds-on favourite to take home the win in the car category. He will have to prove his mettle against Bolivia's Marco Bulacia, whom he hopes to succeed as the new Dakar Series champion at the end of this season. Unless, of course, the impressive Team 4WD Jaton Racing and its eight Toyota Hiluxes rain on their parade.
07/11/14
The route of the 2nd edition of the Desafío Inca, the 3rd and final leg of the Dakar Series 2014, was unveiled on Thursday in Lima. There will be 1,128 km of racing on the programme in the Ica Desert. It all adds up to a tough challenge for the competitors, among whom we will see the title holder, Ignacio Casale, French riders Olivier Pain and David Casteu, or even Peruvian WRC2 driver Nicolas Fuchs, who is taking his first steps in the rally-raid discipline.
As the concluding race of the Dakar Series 2014, following the Desafío Ruta 40 and the brand new Desafío Guaraní, the route for the 2nd Desafío Inca was unveiled on Thursday at the Lima-Miraflorès Hilton Hotel, in the presence of around one hundred people, including Francisco Boza, the Chairman of the Peruvian Sports Institute, as well as representatives of the Ministry for Foreign Trade and Tourism. Furthermore, the Environment Ministry spokesperson Adrian Neyra was in attendance to provide the guarantee that protection of the environment had been taken into consideration when the route was drawn up. “Since the creation of this event, we have been working in close collaboration with the organisers in order to produce a route that protects the sensitive areas around the Paracas national reserve,” she reminded.
As regards the route, the competitors will be faced with a genuine challenge, with more than 930 km of special stages to be tackled over 3 days in the very heart of the Ica Desert, close to Pisco, and for which the base camp will be set up in Paracas. On the menu, there will be 3 different loops proposing a new route for each stage.
Although the watchwords will again be sand and dunes, the organisers have worked hard to ensure a veritable diversity of the terrains tackled in order to provide greater overall variety to the event. Naturally, navigation will also be a key factor right along the route, which also boasts several passages on quicker tracks, the outcome of which is a very comprehensive menu and an ideal terrain for the last major preparatory event before the Dakar 2015.
This is more than enough to whet the appetites of some of the discipline's finest specialists, who will be rising to the challenge and ensuring there is a high quality international field led by title holder Ignacio Casale. The Chilean was indeed in Lima on Thursday to attend the presentation of the race which, in his opinion, enabled him to gain the required confidence to genuinely aim for and succeed in winning the title in the quad category on the Dakar 2014.
Whilst there is little doubt that he will be one of the major favourites to obtain the title he won last year, the eclectic Chilean quad rider will nevertheless have his work cut out against some of the best in his category, such as Uruguayan Sergio Lafuente, Argentinean Sebastien Halpern or Peruvians Ignacio Florés and Enrique Alonso. This high quality is also evident in the bike category with the official KTM, Yamaha and Honda teams, represented by French riders David Casteu and Olivier Pain, Peruvians Felipe Rios and Eduardo Heinrich, as well as Argentinean Javier Pizzolito and Chilean Pablo Quintanilla, who have come to continue the duel they started on the Desafío Ruta 40 last April.
Lastly, in the car category, all eyes will be on the first steps in rally-raid for the Peruvian star of motorsport: Nicolas Fuchs. WRC 2 production category world champion in 2013, the native of Lima will be making his debut in the rally-raid discipline at the age of 31 years old behind the wheel of a Mitsubishi Pajero, and could be the surprise package in a category in which the favourites hail from the Tamarugal Team, which will be putting its leading riders and drivers into each of the 3 categories. Other major names could still join the party before 11th September, since registration for the rally is still open…
07/01/14
The 3rd leg of the Dakar Challenge 2014, which took place in Botswana, saw Gary Bertholdt and Siegfried Rousseau pick up their tickets for the Dakar 2015 in the car category, whilst in the bike race, quad rider Brian Baragwanath triumphed. More importantly, this leg once again demonstrated the success of the “Dakar Challenge” formula.
The leading race in the ultra-professional South African rally championship, thewas, for the 3rd consecutive year, a leg on the Dakar Challenge 2014 with, at the end, two new registrations for the Dakar 2015 to be won: one in the car category and one in the bike/quad category, although the bike race did not count towards the South African championships. This was a mere detail, however, for the very high quality field in attendance, since many of the riders came to race with the aim of obtaining their place on the world's biggest rally-raid next January.
It should be said that with a new route, including three days of racing and approximately 900 km of timed special stages on an exclusively sandy terrain, which was however rendered difficult and bumpy by the vegetation typical of the Southern African bush, this 3rdleg of the Dakar Challenge 2014 offered an ideal test for all the pretenders for a place on the Dakar 2015. Most of the participants admitted that they saw this event as the first major step of well and professionally developed long projects destined, over the medium term, to take them to the main event in January. In the space of only a few years, the Dakar Challenge has therefore become an important way of grabbing a ticket for its parent rally.
Indeed, this was the goal of 26-year old quad rider Brian Baragwanath who, by winning his category in Botswana, obtained his registration for the Dakar 2015… for which he had already registered! In fact, having launched a Dakar participation project 3 years ago, the South African rally-raid champion in 2008 came to Botswana with the sole intention of winning the precious ticket to South America, but had already filed his registration on the off-chance of it being accepted, along with 2 other quad rider friends. Now of course, his registration for the race is signed, sealed and delivered.
Gary Bertholdt and Siegfried Rousseau have also managed to save on registration in the car category. Once again, it was not down to luck! 4thin the general standings in Botswana behind the wheel of their Ford Ranger, the winner of the South African championship in 2003 and his co-pilot set themselves the Dakar as a goal in the short-term, going as far as travelling to South America last January in order to watch the event and especially familiarise themselves with the terrain with the view to possibly participating in 2015. With their victory, their plans have borne fruit!
06/24/14
The Dakar crew had a crush on this book issued on the 18th of June that received the prestigious National Geographic label.
It let the reader discover the unique Dakar universe, through original stories sublimated by high quality pictures.
Its author, the Polish JACEK BONECKI is a Dakar regular. More info here.
06/18/14
Here's a clip that comes back to the best images of the Dakar 2014 on the Cats on trees music - Sirens call...
Enjoy!
06/10/14
For general organisational reasons and requirements for the sporting balance of the event, the directors of the Dakar have decided to change the date of the rest day for all the categories. The new programme is as follows:
10/01: Rest day (bikes/quads); Iquique – Uyuni (cars); Iquique – Marathon Bivouac (trucks).
11/01: Iquique – Uyuni (bikes/quads); Uyuni – Iquique (cars); Marathon Bivouac – Iquique (trucks).
12/01: Uyuni – Iquique (bikes/quads); Rest day (cars/trucks).
06/10/14
This year, Ensenada in Mexico has partially been oriented towards the Dakar: past winner Gerard De Rooy dazzled the fans, while two strong characters in Mike Johnson (cars) and Tony Gera (bike) managed to win the Dakar Challenge.
Mexicans have long been enjoying themselves in the demanding atmosphere of extreme sport, and they particularly love off-road events. Tens of thousands lined the route and the start and finish of the Baja 500 to cheer on their favourite drivers and riders in an event that has become a must. This year, they got excited for the first time about an unusual machine for them, an Iveco truck from Holland driven by the mercurial Gerard De Rooy. Winner of the 2013 Dakar and the first to challenge the American Pro-Trucks on their home ground at the wheel of a truck, he also took a gamble by lining up at the start just one week after an operation for appendicitis. Impatient to fulfil a dream he had been nursing for two years, De Rooy took a risk on the dusty, bumpy and sometimes winding tracks in this legendary event. Exhausted after two hours' effort, pain and even vomiting, the first truck racer of the Baja 500 finally decided to throw in the towel before reaching the finish.
After De Rooy's demonstration, the Dakar was once again very present thanks to the winners of the second leg of the Dakar Challenge. In cars, Mike Johnson pulled off the big coup by winning in his buggy class 10 to earn his place in the Dakar. The American, who showed himself capable of clearly beating local hero Gus Vildasola, could be a likely challenger in the solo category next January. On two wheels, it is very likely that Dakar fans will hear a lot about a new young rider. At just 19, Tony Gera has already won twice in the famous “Vegas to Reno” (Ironman class), and he surprised all his ‘elders' by taking 4th place in the general ranking of the 500 (1st Ironman). The mechanic from California expects to line up in bikes without mechanical assistance next year, and will probably take part in the Desafio Inca or the Australasian Safari to get more experience as a solo rider.
After De Rooy's demonstration, the Dakar was once again very present thanks to the winners of the second leg of the Dakar Challenge. In cars, Mike Johnson pulled off the big coup by winning in his buggy class 10 to earn his place in the Dakar. The American, who showed himself capable of clearly beating local hero Gus Vildasola, could be a likely challenger in the solo category next January. On two wheels, it is very likely that Dakar fans will hear a lot about a new young rider. At just 19, Tony Gera has already won twice in the famous “Vegas to Reno” (Ironman class), and he surprised all his ‘elders' by taking 4th place in the general ranking of the 500 (1st Ironman). The mechanic from California expects to line up in bikes without mechanical assistance next year, and will probably take part in the Desafio Inca or the Australasian Safari to get more experience as a solo rider.
06/05/14
For the second leg of the Dakar Challenge, organised as part of the Tecate Score Baja 500 in Mexico, the spotlight will not only be on the competitors seeking to win a first participation on the Dakar: Gerard De Rooy, the truck category winner in 2012, will be taking his first steps on the North American event.
On the North American off-road calendar, it is the moment when the serious business begins. The most renowned riders and drivers will be present in Mexico to battle it out over around 500 miles, i.e. more than 800 kilometres of sandy or rocky tracks that will be quick in places but which will often require the utmost technical skill in others. The enthusiasts of this technical and physical challenge, who are growing in number thanks to the involvement of the Dakar, have started to distinguish themselves over the last years on the main event in January, which for example welcomed Robby Gordon as a pioneer, followed more recently by BJ Baldwin. On the previous edition, the South Americans also discovered Peter Hajas, winner of the American leg of the Dakar Challenge during its most recent edition, but who was not so lucky on the Dakar. This weekend, everybody will have the opportunity to put their helmets back on to fight for a prestigious trophy. Those who have not yet tasted the thrills of the Dakar will be striving to come out on top in the Dakar Challenge.
Whilst to date none of the regulars on the US scene has managed to win the Dakar, one of the former winners of the rally has made the journey from Europe to take part in this legendary event for the first time. To mark the occasion, the organisers did not hesitate to create a new category in order to welcome him, because it is indeed behind the wheel of his Iveco truck, with an appearance well-suited to the settings, that Gerard De Rooy will take starter's orders. The curious and slightly anxious Dutchman hopes first and foremost to enjoy discovering the race rather than competing with the cars with which he will be sharing the tracks: “We've already been on a drive to check out the route. The truck is running nicely, but there are lots of narrow tracks and that means I'm not going to be totally at ease. But anyway, I've been wanting to take part in the Baja 500 for a long time and we've been talking about it with the organisers for two years. So now I just want to get stuck into the race and enjoy it, because I don't think I'll be able to compete with the Pro-Trucks, for example. I'm not sure how it could pan out at all”.
http://score-international.com/
Whilst to date none of the regulars on the US scene has managed to win the Dakar, one of the former winners of the rally has made the journey from Europe to take part in this legendary event for the first time. To mark the occasion, the organisers did not hesitate to create a new category in order to welcome him, because it is indeed behind the wheel of his Iveco truck, with an appearance well-suited to the settings, that Gerard De Rooy will take starter's orders. The curious and slightly anxious Dutchman hopes first and foremost to enjoy discovering the race rather than competing with the cars with which he will be sharing the tracks: “We've already been on a drive to check out the route. The truck is running nicely, but there are lots of narrow tracks and that means I'm not going to be totally at ease. But anyway, I've been wanting to take part in the Baja 500 for a long time and we've been talking about it with the organisers for two years. So now I just want to get stuck into the race and enjoy it, because I don't think I'll be able to compete with the Pro-Trucks, for example. I'm not sure how it could pan out at all”.
http://score-international.com/
06/04/14
Announcing its programme of preparation for the Dakar 2015, the Yamaha Factory Racing team has confirmed an extension to Olivier Pain's contract. The French rider was 3rd in the last edition, and he will work with team-mate Michael Metge (13th) throughout the year. Now the leader of the Japanese team, Olivier is starting his season in Sardinia and expects to get up to speed in two Dakar Series events that he has already marked on his calendar: the Desafio Guarani in July (20-24th) and the Desafio Inca in September (11-14th).
Olivier Pain, after reaching the podium in the Dakar last January, you have decided on a preparation strategy aimed at winning the event that is completely different…
I've decided to stay with Yamaha to maintain some stability, working with people I know and equipment that suits me fine. Above all, I'm going to have a real season of preparation with four races before the Dakar, whereas before I turned up with just one behind me. I've been competing for a while now, but it will still be a boost to have all those miles behind me. It's one of the conditions for having a shot at the title in the Dakar.
Within your strategy, how will your participation in the Desafio Guarani help?
It will be a great opportunity to fine tune all the settings, and to get the whole team working as a unit. I don't know whether I'll be able to win it, because I need to be very careful too, and I need to hit peak form in January. Anyway, it will help us to develop the bike, and I'm also very keen to discover Paraguay. I visit new countries every year thanks to the Dakar, and I'm always open-minded because it is about exploring other territories and experiencing other cultures.
Your participation in the Desafio Inca will also be an important part of your preparation…
Of course, because it is essential to ride the dunes at some time of the year. I remember Peru in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the Dakar; those stages across the sand were very demanding. If I can be competitive on that kind of terrain from September onwards, I know that will help to keep those sensations fresh in my mind when I compete again four months later.
I've decided to stay with Yamaha to maintain some stability, working with people I know and equipment that suits me fine. Above all, I'm going to have a real season of preparation with four races before the Dakar, whereas before I turned up with just one behind me. I've been competing for a while now, but it will still be a boost to have all those miles behind me. It's one of the conditions for having a shot at the title in the Dakar.
Within your strategy, how will your participation in the Desafio Guarani help?
It will be a great opportunity to fine tune all the settings, and to get the whole team working as a unit. I don't know whether I'll be able to win it, because I need to be very careful too, and I need to hit peak form in January. Anyway, it will help us to develop the bike, and I'm also very keen to discover Paraguay. I visit new countries every year thanks to the Dakar, and I'm always open-minded because it is about exploring other territories and experiencing other cultures.
Your participation in the Desafio Inca will also be an important part of your preparation…
Of course, because it is essential to ride the dunes at some time of the year. I remember Peru in the 2012 and 2013 editions of the Dakar; those stages across the sand were very demanding. If I can be competitive on that kind of terrain from September onwards, I know that will help to keep those sensations fresh in my mind when I compete again four months later.
05/24/14
The Chilean authorities confirmed the course of the 2015 Dakar on May 24. In the aftermath of the earthquake which rocked Chile in April, a series of surveys were carried out at the places scheduled to host the Dakar during the upcoming edition of the event next January (Argentina - Bolivia – Chile), resulting in the confirmation of the original route.
07/01: Chilecito - Copiapó
08/01: Copiapó - Antofagasta
09/01: Antofagasta - Iquique
10/01: Rest day (cars/trucks); Iquique - Uyuni (Bolivia) (motorcycles/quads)
11/01: Iquique - Uyuni (Bolivia) (cars/trucks); Uyuni (Bolivia) - Iquique (motorcycles-quads)
12/01: Rest day (motorcycles/quads); Uyuni - Iquique (cars/trucks)
13/01: Iquique - Calama
08/01: Copiapó - Antofagasta
09/01: Antofagasta - Iquique
10/01: Rest day (cars/trucks); Iquique - Uyuni (Bolivia) (motorcycles/quads)
11/01: Iquique - Uyuni (Bolivia) (cars/trucks); Uyuni (Bolivia) - Iquique (motorcycles-quads)
12/01: Rest day (motorcycles/quads); Uyuni - Iquique (cars/trucks)
13/01: Iquique - Calama
05/14/14
The Dakar World Tour has made a stopover in Spain, making a special visit to two titleholders, Nani Roma and Marc Coma. The two champions already have their sights set on the Dakar 2015.
In Barcelona you get the feeling that exploits are properly recognised. In the last edition of the Dakar, Marc Coma (bikes) and Nani Roma (cars) saw the Spanish flag fly high, but also the flag of Catalonia. The media and other visitors were out in force yesterday to celebrate their wins, as well as the performances of some of their gallant pursuers such as Jordi Viladoms (2nd), Laia Sanz (16th, 1st woman) or Joan Barreda (7th, and a winner of five stages). As well as the competitors who won prizes, others turned up for the Spanish presentation of the Dakar 2015. Among them, Carlos Sainz wore Peugeot attire hoping to put an end to a run of two withdrawals with this new team. Although he has not yet been able to test the Peugeot 2008 DKR he will drive next January, the man from Madrid gave some clues to his intention to give the Minis a hard time, particularly Nani Roma: “For the time being I'm training to drive a tank, to get used to driving over those who will be in front of me”. The matador has spoken!
05/12/14
The reconnaissance put the last touches to the road book of the upcoming Desafío Inca (September 11–14, 2014), with a course celebrating rally raids, Peruvian style. The long strings of dunes of the Ica Desert will be a decisive test for drivers and riders in the run-up to the 2015 Dakar.
The Peruvian desert has built itself a certain reputation among those who took part in the 2012 and 2013 Dakars, as well as the inaugural edition of the Desafío Inca. Its stature will continue to grow and gain respect in the second edition, which will once again put motorcycle riders and car drivers' dune-crossing skills to the test. Having checked out the courses of the three loop stages on the race programme, sports manager Juan Valdivia confirmed that the Peruvian leg of the Dakar Series will pack more sand than any other: "Peru's endless dunes allow us to revamp the route of the Desafío Inca and set the drivers and riders who come here in September a real challenge. Of course, we'll take them to the famous giant dunes in Ica, where navigational mistakes can cost them lots of time before they find their bearings again. They will need to put all their technical skills and tricks to work to surf the fofas, an especially fine and light type of sand which tends to give way under their wheels."
The reconnaissance team has kept the loop geometry of the stages, but it has also introduced more varied terrains than in the 2013 edition. Competitors will therefore have to prove their worth to tackle the ríos and other surprises on the programme. Once reconnaissance was complete, the route details were sent to agents from the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of the Environment attended the reconnaissance so they can protect high-value archaeological and natural sites.
The reconnaissance team has kept the loop geometry of the stages, but it has also introduced more varied terrains than in the 2013 edition. Competitors will therefore have to prove their worth to tackle the ríos and other surprises on the programme. Once reconnaissance was complete, the route details were sent to agents from the Ministry of Culture and Ministry of the Environment attended the reconnaissance so they can protect high-value archaeological and natural sites.
04/29/14
Polish riders are active on all fronts, fighting for the top places and flocking to the Dakar in ever greater numbers. Their fans stand right behind them…
Strange as it may appear, Warsaw seems on the verge of becoming Dakar territory. At least, this is how it felt at the conference presenting the 2015 edition, where Poland's top drivers and riders put forward solid arguments which could shift the centre of gravity towards Eastern Europe in no time. From a purely sporting point of view, Krzysztof Hołowczyc (sixth in January) has hatched a plan to get himself in the fight for the podium from the next edition, among other things: "I'd like to bring my usual WRC co-driver to the Dakar. I think that'll help me eke out some more speed in the fastest specials." The man who finished just behind him (seventh) in the latest edition, Jacek Czachor, pulled off an amazing transformation after finishing 13 consecutive Dakars on a motorcycle: "It's extraordinary, and if I'm to do just as well or even better, I'd like my Toyota-Hilux to undergo the same preparation work as Giniel De Villiers's." These drivers, together with rising star Martin Kaczmarski, who at the young age of 23 rounded off the Polish trio in the cars top 10; Jakob Przygoński, who finished sixth in the motorcycle category; and Rafał Sonik, once again on the quad podium (second), give Poland a very strong hand to play. The figures also speak for themselves when looking beyond the front of the race, with 17 Poles in the 2014 edition compared with 12 in 2013. The 20-pilot barrier is now within reach.
04/28/14
The Dakar Tour Stopped last Sunday in China, at the occasion of the "Auto China 2014", where Peugeot revealed to the enthusiasts its 2008 DKR, the car model that will tackle with the 2015 route of the Dakar through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile.
Xavier Gavory, Head of the competitors department took this opportunity to meet the Chinese media, in order to show off the 2015 route.
04/21/14
The Dakar World Tour has visited Tokyo and the Japanese riders, drivers and constructors, who are an emerging force at all levels and in all the categories...
The Dakar is characterised by its increasingly varied and international field of competitors. It partially owes this distinction to Japanese riders and drivers, who were the first to bring this cultural diversity to the rally. As early as in 1983, Yoshimasa Sugawara made his appearance on the race, on a bike, before becoming the most loyal and consistent competitor, with 26 Dakar rallies completed out of 31 participations! Aside from Hino, its emblematic truck manufacturer, and despite not having boasted a delegation of imposing size, Japan has illustrated itself with three victories in the car category during the era dominated by the Mitsubishis, with Kenjiro Shinozuka (in 1997) then Hiroshi Masuoka (in 2002 and 2003). Jun Mitsuhashi has taken up the reins in a certain way by becoming the record holder in the Production category, with a fourth success for the Toyota Autobody team last January.
However, it was with the focus clearly on the future that the riders, drivers and media interested by the Dakar came together in Tokyo at the end of last week. At present, Japan's standing on the rally is represented by the strength of its constructors. This is precisely the message put across by Giniel De Villiers, who has twice climbed on to the podium behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux (3rd in 2012 and 2nd in 2013), “and we have every intention of winning the title in 2015,” declared the South African driver. With its Portuguese and Spanish ambassadors, the Honda Racing team (HRC) has also demonstrated its ambition to fight for the title in the bike category, whilst the Yamaha-Europe team again put a rider on the final podium. What's more, the next Japanese competitor likely to emerge at this level was perhaps among the audience...
However, it was with the focus clearly on the future that the riders, drivers and media interested by the Dakar came together in Tokyo at the end of last week. At present, Japan's standing on the rally is represented by the strength of its constructors. This is precisely the message put across by Giniel De Villiers, who has twice climbed on to the podium behind the wheel of a Toyota Hilux (3rd in 2012 and 2nd in 2013), “and we have every intention of winning the title in 2015,” declared the South African driver. With its Portuguese and Spanish ambassadors, the Honda Racing team (HRC) has also demonstrated its ambition to fight for the title in the bike category, whilst the Yamaha-Europe team again put a rider on the final podium. What's more, the next Japanese competitor likely to emerge at this level was perhaps among the audience...
04/15/14
The Dakar Tour stopped off in the Netherlands, to meet the delegation that makes up the second most frequent nationality on the rally. The riders and drivers are readying themselves to enter into the active phase of their preparation.
It was a relaxed atmosphere for the meeting with the Dutch contingent of the Dakar. The stakes are sufficiently far off for the main players in the truck category to avoid looking ahead to the competition at present. So, for the moment, on the shores of Loon op Zand Lake, near to Breda, Pieter Versluis focused on inviting journalists for an exhilarating ride in the cabin of his Man truck, just like Wulf Van Ginkel in his Ginaf. As for Tim Coronel, he gave visitors a chance to test the single-seat buggy with which he has completed four editions of the Dakar, promising to make up for the only blot on his record, when he had to drop out last January. For truck drivers Gerard De Rooy and Hans Stacey, car drivers Erik Van Loon and Erik Wevers, or biker Frans Verhoeven, all of them nonetheless came with the hunger to know a little more about the programme for the next edition of the Dakar. Invited to meet the Dutch media, Cyril Despres spoke of the stakes in his conversion from bike to car, with the return of Peugeot to the Dakar. Indeed, the meeting took on a more serious tone when Xavier Gavory, head of the rally competitors' department, spoke of the marathon stages, for example. This is not an aspect that worries Jurgen Van Den Goorbergh, the former Moto-GP rider, who is again changing category and is planning on racing as an unassisted biker after having experienced the thrills of the truck race on the last edition: “Taking part in the Dakar on a bike without assistance is an experience I'm keen on trying. It's definitely the most difficult challenge, so I'd like to get my teeth into it!” On completion of the meeting, it seems clear that the time for talk is over, with everyone now focused on preparation.
04/14/14
Javier Pizzolito (bike), Sergio Lafuente (quad) and “Pato” Silva (car) were the winners in the first act of the Dakar Series season, by taking advantage in the last section of the race, which just goes to show that lasting the distance is the way to achieve the ultimate goal…
Everyone knows that endurance and consistency are the essential qualities for enjoying success on an all-terrain rally. This was the key for Javier Pizzolito, dominated by David Casteu on the first part of the race, but who managed to turn the tables by winning the last two stages, whilst the French rider lost time. Having already won the event in 2011, the Honda rider was able to maintain a sufficient pace on the last stage, on which the crossing of the Nihuil dunes represented a major test. In the end, Pizzolito finished the week with a lead of 6'20'' over Casteu, for whom defending his Dakar Series title looks like being tricky: Pablo Quintanilla, in 3rd place only 13' behind Pizzolito, is sure to want to have his say in this battle over several episodes.
In the quad race, the fall from grace was even tougher for Lucas Bonetto, who seemed to have the situation in complete control at the half way point. However, the consistency of Sergio Lafuente was rewarded. The Uruguayan quad rider started to regain time on the 5th stage, coming to within 6 minutes of Bonetto, in an ideal position to take advantage of the leader dropping out. That was exactly what happened and Lafuente reached the rally finishing line in San Juan with a lead of 5'29'' over Nelson Sanabria and 10'12'' over Sebastian Halpern.
In the car race, Juan Manuel “Pato” Silva gave confirmation of his skills after taking control on the first half of the race. In the end, he triumphed on three of the four stages contested during the week, allowing him to manage his lead on the last stage, which was won by his closest rival in the general standings, Rodrigo Moreno.
Dakar Challenge: Sisterna takes up the reins
The first Dakar Series event of the year also produced the first results in the Dakar Challenge classification. It was topped respectively in the bike and quad categories by Uruguay's German Hernandez and Argentinean Giuliano Giordana, who won an invitation to the Dakar 2015. In the car category, it was the 5th placed competitor in the general standings, Lino Sisterna Junior, who picked up the ticket to the Dakar where he could emulate his father, who achieved his best finish on the rally, 49th, in 2010.
In the quad race, the fall from grace was even tougher for Lucas Bonetto, who seemed to have the situation in complete control at the half way point. However, the consistency of Sergio Lafuente was rewarded. The Uruguayan quad rider started to regain time on the 5th stage, coming to within 6 minutes of Bonetto, in an ideal position to take advantage of the leader dropping out. That was exactly what happened and Lafuente reached the rally finishing line in San Juan with a lead of 5'29'' over Nelson Sanabria and 10'12'' over Sebastian Halpern.
In the car race, Juan Manuel “Pato” Silva gave confirmation of his skills after taking control on the first half of the race. In the end, he triumphed on three of the four stages contested during the week, allowing him to manage his lead on the last stage, which was won by his closest rival in the general standings, Rodrigo Moreno.
Dakar Challenge: Sisterna takes up the reins
The first Dakar Series event of the year also produced the first results in the Dakar Challenge classification. It was topped respectively in the bike and quad categories by Uruguay's German Hernandez and Argentinean Giuliano Giordana, who won an invitation to the Dakar 2015. In the car category, it was the 5th placed competitor in the general standings, Lino Sisterna Junior, who picked up the ticket to the Dakar where he could emulate his father, who achieved his best finish on the rally, 49th, in 2010.
04/05/14
Almost 100 vehicles will be on the start line of the fifth edition of the Desafío Ruta 40 (44 motorcycles, 28 quads and 21 cars), the opening event of the 2014 Dakar Series.
The wheels are back in motion. The outline of the 2015 Dakar has only just been unveiled, but South American riders and drivers are already revving up for their first season objective, the Desafío Ruta 40. With a total of six stages on the menu linking Bariloche and San Juan over a distance of 3,376 kilometres, there will be plenty of opportunities to find out who the top dog of the increasingly competitive pack of the continent's best drivers and riders is. The clash among two-time off-road Argentinean champion Pablo Rodríguez, fellow countryman Javier Pizzolito (eighth in the 2013 Dakar) and Chile's Daniel Gouet (same place in the 2014 edition) looks set to make the motorcycle category a fiercely contested fight. This season's first Dakar Series leg will pit them against last year's overall champion David Casteu, as well as Pablo Quintanilla, the most recent winner of the Desafío Inca in Peru.
The stakes will be just as high in the quad category, in which the Desafío Ruta 40 will feature none other than the victor of the last Dakar, Ignacio Casale, who needs to come out with all guns blazing to keep his rivals in check and consolidate his position. The Chilean will have to keep an eye on rising star Jeremías González Ferioli, the winner of last year's Dakar Challenge who has since gone on to become the youngest rider to finish the Dakar of all time… sitting pretty in sixth place overall. If he is to confirm his progression, the young Argentinean will have to prove he can match Sebastián Halpern, Lucas Bonetto, Daniel Mazzucco and Sergio Lafuente punch-for-punch. The field in the car category gives Argentina's Alejandro Yacopini, Omar Gandara and Javier Campillay reason for hope… but the Dakar Challenge drivers, who tend to do well in the Desafío Ruta 40, will be ready to pounce on the slightest opportunity.
The stakes will be just as high in the quad category, in which the Desafío Ruta 40 will feature none other than the victor of the last Dakar, Ignacio Casale, who needs to come out with all guns blazing to keep his rivals in check and consolidate his position. The Chilean will have to keep an eye on rising star Jeremías González Ferioli, the winner of last year's Dakar Challenge who has since gone on to become the youngest rider to finish the Dakar of all time… sitting pretty in sixth place overall. If he is to confirm his progression, the young Argentinean will have to prove he can match Sebastián Halpern, Lucas Bonetto, Daniel Mazzucco and Sergio Lafuente punch-for-punch. The field in the car category gives Argentina's Alejandro Yacopini, Omar Gandara and Javier Campillay reason for hope… but the Dakar Challenge drivers, who tend to do well in the Desafío Ruta 40, will be ready to pounce on the slightest opportunity.
04/04/14
12 cities in Argentina, Chile* and Bolivia will play host to the 13 stages of the Dakar 2015 next January, for 14 days of sport in total. For the first time, whilst the competitors in some categories will be resting, the others will continue racing…
The Dakar organisers have devoted their week to a first preparatory tour of South America, with the main aim of announcing the host cities on the programme for the 2015 edition of the rally. A meeting with the Argentinean press was held at the Palacio San Martin in Buenos Aires. They were able to meet around thirty riders and drivers from the country, including the flag-bearer Orlando Terranova, 5th on the last two editions of the Dakar in the car category. The competitors discovered that they will be returning to Rosario, which hosted the start of the Dakar in 2014, immediately before they reach Buenos Aires for the rally's finish, where they will be acclaimed by the public during a podium ceremony organised in front of the presidential palace, the Casa Rosada.
Next January, the Dakar will also return to Chile, where the presentation conference was cancelled due to an earthquake that affected the region of Iquique, causing human tragedy and material damage, in particular to roads. The Chilean part of the route, which should normally include the cities of Copiapo, Antofagasta, Iquique and Calama, is therefore subject to confirmation, as explained by Etienne Lavigne on conclusion of a meeting with the Chilean authorities: “Naturally, we are adapting to the difficulties that the Chileans are going through at present. They have many problems to deal with and they will then need to assess the precise impact these earthquakes have had before confirming that our project can go ahead”.
At first glance, the Dakar should be able to proceed, and so will the “Iquique festival” that has been planned, since the bivouac will normally be set up the for three days, including two devoted to rest days, in alternation depending on the category. In such a format, Iquique will be directly linked to Bolivia and Uyuni, which will this time welcome the quads and bikes, before the cars and the trucks. During the press conference organised today in La Paz, President Evo Morales expressed his delight at the extension of the Dakar's stay in Bolivia, the rally having already met with country-wide enthusiasm on its first visit.
The stages of the Dakar 2015:
• 4/01: Buenos Aires - Villa Carlos Paz
• 5/01: Villa Carlos Paz - San Juan
• 6/01: San Juan - Chilecito
• 7/01: Chilecito - Copiapo *
• 8/01: Copiapo - Antofagasta *
• 9/01: Antofagasta - Iquique *
• 10/01: Rest (cars/trucks); Iquique - Uyuni (bikes-quads)
• 11/01: Iquique - Uyuni (cars/trucks); Uyuni - Iquique (bikes-quads)
• 12/01: Rest (bikes-quads); Uyuni - Iquique (cars-trucks)
• 13/01: Iquique - Calama *
• 14/01: Calama - Salta
• 15/01: Salta - Termas de Rio Hondo
• 16/01: Termas de Rio Hondo - Rosario
• 17/01: Rosario – Buenos Aires
*Pending confirmation by the Chilean authorities.
Next January, the Dakar will also return to Chile, where the presentation conference was cancelled due to an earthquake that affected the region of Iquique, causing human tragedy and material damage, in particular to roads. The Chilean part of the route, which should normally include the cities of Copiapo, Antofagasta, Iquique and Calama, is therefore subject to confirmation, as explained by Etienne Lavigne on conclusion of a meeting with the Chilean authorities: “Naturally, we are adapting to the difficulties that the Chileans are going through at present. They have many problems to deal with and they will then need to assess the precise impact these earthquakes have had before confirming that our project can go ahead”.
At first glance, the Dakar should be able to proceed, and so will the “Iquique festival” that has been planned, since the bivouac will normally be set up the for three days, including two devoted to rest days, in alternation depending on the category. In such a format, Iquique will be directly linked to Bolivia and Uyuni, which will this time welcome the quads and bikes, before the cars and the trucks. During the press conference organised today in La Paz, President Evo Morales expressed his delight at the extension of the Dakar's stay in Bolivia, the rally having already met with country-wide enthusiasm on its first visit.
The stages of the Dakar 2015:
• 4/01: Buenos Aires - Villa Carlos Paz
• 5/01: Villa Carlos Paz - San Juan
• 6/01: San Juan - Chilecito
• 7/01: Chilecito - Copiapo *
• 8/01: Copiapo - Antofagasta *
• 9/01: Antofagasta - Iquique *
• 10/01: Rest (cars/trucks); Iquique - Uyuni (bikes-quads)
• 11/01: Iquique - Uyuni (cars/trucks); Uyuni - Iquique (bikes-quads)
• 12/01: Rest (bikes-quads); Uyuni - Iquique (cars-trucks)
• 13/01: Iquique - Calama *
• 14/01: Calama - Salta
• 15/01: Salta - Termas de Rio Hondo
• 16/01: Termas de Rio Hondo - Rosario
• 17/01: Rosario – Buenos Aires
*Pending confirmation by the Chilean authorities.
04/01/14
Yesterday in Buenos Aires, the organisers announced the outlines of the Argentinean section on the Dakar 2015.
With a start and finish in Buenos Aires, the 37th edition will witness two sequences in the country. During the outward journey to Iquique in Chile, where the rest day will take place, three cities will be visited, including Villa Carlos Paz, which has not hosted the event before. On the inward journey, three other cities will play host to bivouacs, including Termas de Rio Hondo, which also makes its first appearance on the rally's route map.
The programme of the Argentinean stages:
4/01: Buenos Aires - Villa Carlos Paz
5/01: Villa Carlos Paz - San Juan
6/01: San Juan - Chilecito
14/01: ??? (Chile) - Salta
15/01: Salta - Termas de Rio Hondo
16/01: Termas de Rio Hondo - Rosario
17/01: Rosario – Buenos Aires
The programme of the Argentinean stages:
4/01: Buenos Aires - Villa Carlos Paz
5/01: Villa Carlos Paz - San Juan
6/01: San Juan - Chilecito
14/01: ??? (Chile) - Salta
15/01: Salta - Termas de Rio Hondo
16/01: Termas de Rio Hondo - Rosario
17/01: Rosario – Buenos Aires
03/26/14
On the fringe of the presentation of the Dakar route, Peugeot announced its return for the 2015 edition, with two outstanding recruits to start a new adventure on the event. Carlos Sainz, but also Cyril Despres, will be entrusted with putting the brand of the lion in the limelight, just like Ari Vatanen and Juha Kankkunen in the 1980's…
The news was expected for the last few months, but still harboured some areas of uncertainty. It is now official, Peugeot will be making its return to the Dakar for the 2015 edition and will be calling on the services of two of the discipline's leading competitors, who between them boast six titles on the event: Carlos Sainz and Cyril Despres. Whilst the rumours had been rife all week about the recruitment by Peugeot of the Spanish driver, winner of the event in 2010 behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Touareg, the secret concerning the switch by Cyril Despres from bike to car was carefully preserved. The five times winner on two wheels admits himself to being surprised at the speed with which this turning point in his career has arrived: “On leaving the last Dakar, the idea of not returning on a bike was far from my mind! But I was lucky enough to be contacted by Peugeot. It's an opportunity to make a grand entrance into the car category and the sort that only comes along once in a lifetime”. Aware of the magnitude of the challenge that awaits him in trying to reproduce his previous success this time on four wheels, the French competitor will start with a period of apprenticeship, during which Carlos Sainz will play the role of team captain, with the goal of winning as soon as possible. “I know that when Peugeot is involved in a discipline, they are 100% committed and in it to win it. For the moment, time is against us, but I know that the utmost will be done to allow us to be ready to do battle, if possible as early as 2015,” explains El Matador, without even having tried out the vehicle that he will be driving. To follow in the footsteps of the 205 T16 and 405 T16 which brought the brand of the lion success from 1987 to 1990, Peugeot Sport has merely unveiled the name of its new winning machine, the 2008 DKR, whose first tests are scheduled for the second half of the year. “It will be a very special car,” promises Sainz.
Carlos Sainz, winner of the Dakar 2010: “Peugeot is a brand that is not scared of commitment. In everything they do, they are always at the top level. I'm certain that this will again be the case for their involvement in the Dakar and I like major challenges. Succeeding in winning this race is an objective that demands a lot of work and, for the moment, time is against us. But we have an enthusiastic team and everybody is ready to give their utmost to achieve this goal”.
Cyril Despres, five times winner of the Dakar in the bike category (2005-07-10-12-13): “It's an opportunity that only comes along once in a lifetime. Now, I'm going to have to learn to be able to stamp my mark on the category like only a few competitors have managed in a car after having won on a bike. I've always said that I was able to make progress in the rally-raid discipline because I was surrounded by major names of the discipline like Roma, Meoni and Sainct who taught me a lot and paved the way for me. In this team, I've got the feeling that it will be the same. I'm convinced that Carlos will be able to teach me a great deal. It will be superb adventure, a logical progression for me, and that gives me the desire to do well”.
Carlos Sainz, winner of the Dakar 2010: “Peugeot is a brand that is not scared of commitment. In everything they do, they are always at the top level. I'm certain that this will again be the case for their involvement in the Dakar and I like major challenges. Succeeding in winning this race is an objective that demands a lot of work and, for the moment, time is against us. But we have an enthusiastic team and everybody is ready to give their utmost to achieve this goal”.
Cyril Despres, five times winner of the Dakar in the bike category (2005-07-10-12-13): “It's an opportunity that only comes along once in a lifetime. Now, I'm going to have to learn to be able to stamp my mark on the category like only a few competitors have managed in a car after having won on a bike. I've always said that I was able to make progress in the rally-raid discipline because I was surrounded by major names of the discipline like Roma, Meoni and Sainct who taught me a lot and paved the way for me. In this team, I've got the feeling that it will be the same. I'm convinced that Carlos will be able to teach me a great deal. It will be superb adventure, a logical progression for me, and that gives me the desire to do well”.
03/26/14
For its seventh edition in South America, the Dakar is returning to the concept of a looped route, with the start and finish in Buenos Aires. The tracks and dunes of Argentina, Chile and Bolivia will be the theatre of marathon stages and will witness the return of Peugeot, the brand of the lion, to all-terrain competition…
There will be a familiar tone at the ceremony to present the riders and drivers which will take place in front of the Casa Rosada on 3rd January, just before the start of the 37th edition of the Dakar. It was in Buenos Aires that the rally underwent a re-birth in 2009, with the start of a Latino era in its development. On this first journey to South America, the Dakar competitors were won over by the charm of the Argentinean landscapes, the Andes Mountains and the Atacama Desert in Chile. In 2015, a looped route with the start and finish in the Argentinean capital will again be on the programme to pay homage to this moment in the race's history.
Since 2009, the Dakar has been enhanced by the encounter with its hosts (with three times more vehicles ridden/driven by South Americans in 2014!) as well as the discovery of new lands and countries. In addition to Argentina and Chile, which will see Iquique host the rest day for the first time, the route again includes an incursion into Bolivia. The country that enthralled the bike and quad riders last January will also enchant the car drivers during the next edition. The continent's specific geographical features have won over the competitors and have also encouraged the organisers to try out new sporting challenges. The innovations will continue for the next edition with marathon stages that will involve all the categories.
The South American challenge, the seventh of its kind, will also mark a long-awaited return in the car category. Whilst the identity of its recruits and the name of the models that will take starter's orders in Buenos Aires will be unveiled in the near future, the 205s and 405s driven in Africa by Vatanen, Kankkunen or Ickx at the time of the Peugeot saga will see their heirs take their place on the Dakar 2015. Watch this space…
Since 2009, the Dakar has been enhanced by the encounter with its hosts (with three times more vehicles ridden/driven by South Americans in 2014!) as well as the discovery of new lands and countries. In addition to Argentina and Chile, which will see Iquique host the rest day for the first time, the route again includes an incursion into Bolivia. The country that enthralled the bike and quad riders last January will also enchant the car drivers during the next edition. The continent's specific geographical features have won over the competitors and have also encouraged the organisers to try out new sporting challenges. The innovations will continue for the next edition with marathon stages that will involve all the categories.
The South American challenge, the seventh of its kind, will also mark a long-awaited return in the car category. Whilst the identity of its recruits and the name of the models that will take starter's orders in Buenos Aires will be unveiled in the near future, the 205s and 405s driven in Africa by Vatanen, Kankkunen or Ickx at the time of the Peugeot saga will see their heirs take their place on the Dakar 2015. Watch this space…
03/26/14
The Dakar is both a tribute to the past and a vision of the future. A gigantic loop marked out across South America, starting and finishing in Buenos Aires: this is what comes to mind when we recall the renaissance of the Dakar, which first travelled to Argentina and Chile in 2009.
Ever since this daring leap into the unknown, the race has adopted a distinctly Latino flavour, reflecting its openness, its historical aim to create exchanges with others and its flexibility, enabling it to adapt to any situation. Without changing the nature of the race, the Dakar became richer as a result of these new cultures. Around forty South American vehicles joined in that first adventure: last January, nearly three times that number participated, with representatives from the highest levels, from Ignacio Casale to Orly Terranova to “Chaleco” Lopez and “Chavo” Salvatierra.
Over the course of the past seven years, the Dakar has welcomed many drivers. It has also been invited to visit new countries, which have overwhelmed us with their enthusiasm. As a result of the loyalty of Argentina and Chile, we are used to crossing the stunning contours of the Andes Cordillera, and have explored the Atacama Desert, which will be to the fore once again this year with a veritable extravaganza in Iquique. Meanwhile, Peru, a previous and future Dakar partner, took even the toughest drivers by surprise with its chains of Sahara-like dunes, while Bolivia dazzled them with the Salar de Uyuni and in particular the smiling faces of its inhabitants. Above all, these varied landscapes create new opportunities, year after year, by increasing the number of separate routes, the marathon stages, and even alternate rest days! The 2015 Dakar will be based on the expertise acquired since 2009 and will be like no other.
Over the course of the past seven years, the Dakar has welcomed many drivers. It has also been invited to visit new countries, which have overwhelmed us with their enthusiasm. As a result of the loyalty of Argentina and Chile, we are used to crossing the stunning contours of the Andes Cordillera, and have explored the Atacama Desert, which will be to the fore once again this year with a veritable extravaganza in Iquique. Meanwhile, Peru, a previous and future Dakar partner, took even the toughest drivers by surprise with its chains of Sahara-like dunes, while Bolivia dazzled them with the Salar de Uyuni and in particular the smiling faces of its inhabitants. Above all, these varied landscapes create new opportunities, year after year, by increasing the number of separate routes, the marathon stages, and even alternate rest days! The 2015 Dakar will be based on the expertise acquired since 2009 and will be like no other.
