Administrative checks & scrutineering
Start your engines!
Before the big start of the event on New Year’s Eve with the first stage of the Euromilhoes Lisboa-Dakar 2006, the first competitors showed up this morning at the Belem Cultural Centre for the administrative checks and technical scrutineering. Over 250 riders and crews enjoyed warm cheers from the Portuguese crowd and bright sunny conditions.
A perfect seaside scenery for the first big day of the Dakar, clear skies and a warm sunshine: the organisers couldn’t have dreamt of a better start to this 28th edition of the Dakar. The first competitors arrived early (8:00 AM) under the tents set up for scrutineering. On the day’s menu: the traditional administrative checks (passports, licences…) and technical scrutineering to make sure every single vehicle (bike, car and truck) was all set for Saturday’s stage heading to Portimao, south of Portugal. A first possibility to see the ever-growing number of Portuguese competitors (6 bikes, 1 quad, 19 cars and 1 truck).
In the bike category, all eyes were set on the KTM-Repsol team with the first few favourites showing up. Led by team manager Jordi Arcarons, the “men in orange” however only cleared the administrative side requesting an extra day before leaving their bikes to the race officials. Time for last minute changes! The KTM-Repsol boss however looked fairly confident. “We have the riders to aim for first position, the race is of course opened for all our riders but we’ll be betting on Coma and De Gavardo (KTM – n°2 and n°4)”. Meanwhile Coma was slightly less talkative explaining that “the race would be the decider”. Arcarons who had to cope with Jordi Duran’s late withdrawal due to an injury can also count on late starter Andy Caldecott (KTM – n°10) who finished 6th as a privateer last year, and experienced Giovanni Sala (KTM – n°6).
Also a man to follow during the 16 days of the event is Pal-Anders Ullevalseter (KTM – n°5). The Norwegian proudly pushed his green KTM through the technical examination. He too looked very keen to take off with high expectations after crashing out of last year race and finishing 5th of the 2004 event. “I feel great, even better than last year. I hope to manage a good performance, and even finish within the five best positions.”
While the main favourites of the car race are due tomorrow and Friday, quite a few familiar faces showed up for their first big exam. Hopping out of his D-Max Isuzu prototype vehicle, Hubert Auriol (ISU – n°350) was welcomed by warm cheers and a good old pat on the back. The three-time winner of the event (1981 and 83 on a bike, 1992 in a car) and former event director from 1995 to 2003 will be enjoying a long awaited comeback when he hits the road to Portimao. “I’m happy to be here. I feel relaxed, calm. I have no pressure. To have my a… back in a car suits me well. But when you come to start a Dakar, you don’t just come for a walk in the park. Our goal is to make it to Dakar in the best possible position”.
One of three former winners on the day, Auriol was to be followed in the corridors of the Belem Cultural Centre by his Isuzu team mate Edi Orioli (ISU – n°349), a winner in 1990 on a bike and Kenjiro Shinozuka (NIS – n°330) triumphant in 1997 on four wheels. The Japanese driver announced that this 2006 edition would be his last as a competitor. No longer a race-driver but a real supporter of the event as he proved it while supervising the “Dakar Challenge” jury that crowned Swedish pair Tobias Johansson-Bo Holmstradn… The rookies who conquered their starting place after winning the contest co-organised by Eurosport, were delighted by their first day as real Dakar competitors. “I’ve been competing in motorsport races ever since I was 8 years old and I had two dreams: to compete in the Pike Peaks race and start the Dakar, insisted Johansson. I haven’t yet fulfilled the first one, but being at the start of the Dakar is huge”.
Scrutineering carries on for the next two days and tomorrow’s session should attract quite a few rally-raid fanatics with the unveiling of the Volkswagen Race Touareg 2 and the first appearance of their prestigious crews led by Kleinschmidt, Saby, and Sainz. Also expected by many, the KTM-Gauloises boys and their title-holder Cyril Despres will get a first taste of this 28th edition.