Euromilhões Lisboa - Dakar 2007 : Dakar

Breaking news

21:06

Cyril Despres wants more

The winner in 2005 arrived at scrutineering with a smile on his face: this is good news for the motorbike race, because the runner up to Marc Coma in 2006 is not hiding his enthusiasm when it comes to the crunch. Smiling and relaxed, Despres endeavoured to highlight the qualities of the new KTM: "It’s the fruit of a development process that has lasted several years. The chassis is new, the engine is too and the fuel distribution is different". His Spanish rival will be riding the same machine, but Cyril Despres has returned with the aim to conquer: "Everyone will start from scratch", was his parting shot as he entered the administrative formalities circuit.

21:00

Marc Coma confident

The arrival of Marc Coma, winner in 2006, at the scrutineering enclosure in Lisbon was like a scene straight out of Hollywood. Jostling and camera flashes welcomed the grand favourite for the motorbike category who is perfectly at home with his new status: "We have worked well throughout the season. The bike is running excellently and our structure is well-oiled". The only things capable of denting Marc Coma’s shrewd confidence are chance events: "It’s important to avoid mistakes", he declared, "because in a race like the Dakar they can be very costly".

20:52

Bethys believes in the future

Thierry Bethys, three-times winner of the Touquet endurance event, will be at the Dakar starting line for the second time on a Honda 450. Last year, the Vendée area’s finest finished in 18th place. "I’m very happy that there will be sand during the first special stage on Saturday because it’s a terrain I like", declared the rider who will be in heaven amidst the Mauritanian dunes. As part of a team under construction, Thierry Bethys seems to have developed a taste for the adventure: "The Honda team is young but there is a good atmosphere. The constructor’s commitment to the race is encouraging. At any rate, personally, I loved last year’s Dakar and as long as my partners will support me, I will carry on doing it".

20:44

Brown is the colour for Ludivine

Following on a few hours after one of her major rivals Patricia Watson-Miller, lady rider Ludivine Puy, a brunette this year, also submitted her new 450-cm3 bike to technical scrutineering. The three-times French endurance champion and runner-up in the European championships will be taking part in her third Dakar this year. She finished 97th in 2005 and abandoned last year. "Mentally, it took time to get over my fall in 2006. Today, everything is fine and I’m playing to win in the women’s race, even if Patricia is an excellent rider. Once again, I’m wary of the dunes. I especially don’t want to have to drop out due to exhaustion…".

19:40

Robbie Allan: "I wish I was thirty years younger!"

Robbie Allan, the Dakar motorbike veteran, made a family outing of his appearance. At 66 years old, the Scotsman, accompanied by his brother and wife, is discovering this year’s edition of the Dakar: "I’ve never seen anything as big, it’s extraordinary". Somewhat lost in the crowds, Allan admitted that he would have like to have been, "30 years younger". But never mind age, the sixty-something has only one fear: "Not reaching Dakar. I also hope I won’t make a laughing stock of myself during the first two stages. Afterwards, I will have got used to it and it should be ok". One last detail: Robbie Allan has never used a GPS… Roll on Africa!

19:31

Carlos Sainz looks ahead

With four successes, Carlos Sainz led the way in the car category in terms of stages won in the 2006 edition of the Dakar. Unbeaten in Portugal, the Spanish driver is not counting out a repeat of last year’s feat. The recipe he uses is nonetheless a mix of prudence and attacking instinct, according to the WRC superstar: "You have to be careful of making the smallest mistakes. On the Dakar, it’s easy to lose a lot of time when trying to gain just a little bit more". In reality, Carlos Sainz is thinking especially of the Pink Lake as his goal, where he intends to make a marked improvement on his final ranking. He believes he is better prepared to achieve this than last year: "I’m glad I was able to take part in the Dubai, Tunisia and Morocco rallies this year".

18:21

Chagin thinking of the record

The Kamaz trucks made a very prominent entrance to the scrutineering site, arriving half a day in advance on their scheduled scrutineering time. On the face of it, team leader Vladimir Chagin, who will be 37 tomorrow, is in a hurry to start racing: "I know that as title holder, it will always be difficult to defend my position, especially since the De Rooy’s and Stacey are very competitive, but I’m going to do everything I can to equal the record of six victories for the rally, still held by Karel Loprais".

17:53

One last hurrah…

With two days remaining, Patricia Watson Miller says she is "excited and a bit scared". Even though she was the first-placed lady rider in 1990, 1991 and 2006, she is refusing to set herself difficult objectives, nor is she obsessed by defending her title: "I just want to finish the race, avoid accidents and enjoy the rally as much as possible. The Dakar is first and foremost a race against yourself than against the others". Patricia Watson-Miller is not hiding the fact that this is likely to be her last Dakar: "It’s becoming too hard for me to leave my children behind". The icing on the cake would be a good finish in this rally, letting her go out in a blaze of glory.

17:22

Blais aiming higher still

Fourth-placed in the last Dakar, Chris Blais is hoping to do even better for his third participation in the rally. The American rider is aiming for a place on the podium and will be boasting a new machine. "This bike is a lot better than the last one. I’ve been able to prepare for the Dakar by taking part in two rallies this year (finishing 10th in Morocco and 5th in Dubai). I really think the top 3 is possible", insists the 25-year old rider. However, Blais will only be able to count on himself this time: "I’m the only one in the team and will only have the support of KTM, unlike last year when we were helped by the official Repsol team".

16:46

Kolberg: Brazilian ambitions

Klever Kolberg aims to finish in the top 10 of the car category rankings for his twentieth Dakar. At technical scrutineering, he reiterated this ambition, which was cut short last year by his abandonment in Nouakchott, whilst occupying 13th position in the general rankings. "It’s a difficult objective, but we have prepared ourselves well". 5th on a motorbike in 1993, 8th in a car in 2002, Kolberg is this year teaming up with Eduardo Bampi, who is taking part in the Dakar for the second time.

16:27

Ronn Bailey: like a phoenix from the flames…

With a broad smile, Ronn Bailey had a crowd of journalists flocking around his bright yellow vehicle on his arrival at the scrutineering site. The unfortunate accident several weeks ago when his car set on fire during a test session is a distant memory. Since then, a phoenix has been painted on the bonnet. Like the firebird, Ronn Bailey has risen from the ashes, and the American would like to finally finish the Dakar for the first time: "I’ve fitted new tires which should be a godsend in the sand. I can’t wait to get to Mauritania".

16:06

Roma also wishing for victory

Nani Roma finished in 6th place on the Dakar in 2005 for his first participation in a car, then 3rd in 2006. In light of such progress, the former winner of the motorbike category is one of the main favourites. He is relaxed and feels free in a Mitsubishi team in which the competition is still just as strong. "As a competitor, you always want to win when you take part in a race. Mauritania will be a good place to stand out from the crowd, but it will also be the place where we could lose everything".

15:54

Isabelle Patissier and the clockwork orange

Isabelle Patissier arrived at scrutineering at the end of the morning on a fluorescent orange buggy. This vehicle is draped with history: it is the buggy which Henri Pescarolo drove last year until he bowed out of the rally. "It’s an ex-SMG buggy which required six months’ work. First we had to straighten the right hand chassis, which took two months alone". These repairs have not allowed the driver from Lyon to devote much time to preparation. "We had to be content with 125 miles’ worth of tests, and no more. However, our project is based on three seasons, so we’ll use the Dakar to get used to the buggy".

15:43

Hiroshi Masuoka: "Go for it"

Hiroshi Masuoka might be a discrete kind of guy, but he is especially a determined driver. At the scrutineering site, the two-times winner did not waste much time in explaining that for his twentieth participation in the rally, this year his goal is to win the race. His strategy is simple: "Avoid driving errors, avoid technical problems and go for it", faithful to his unwavering attacking temperament.

15:36

Turkey on two wheels

Side-by-side, two red and white bikes fly a discrete Turkish flag on their wing mirrors. They are the 450-cm3 of Kemal Merkit and Kutlu Torunlar. For his fourth participation, Kemal has convinced his friend and associate to accompany him. Kutlu Torunlar is thrilled to take part in the adventure: "We did a lot of training in 2006 on the sandy terrains north of Istanbul. Our strategy is to do the necessary in the first stages and then turn up the heat afterwards". The desired goal of the Jim Beam Turkish team is to finish in the first 20 positions for the scratch times and in the Top 5 of the 450 category.

13:51

An appointment with Jackie Chan

Serge Henninot, with his thirteen participations in the Dakar and various titles, has been providing the fruits of his experience on the rally to Chinese drivers for three years: "I’m a Dakar driving instructor," he jokes. Alongside Bin Liu, an up-and-coming driving ace from Beijing, Henninot has a special appointment in Dakar with actor and producer Jackie Chan: "He is, in fact, a partner of Ralliart and organises races for the benefit of underprivileged children in Asia. His logo ’JC’ has pride of place on our car and he has promised to come and meet us in Dakar if we manage to get there". One more reason to reach the Senegalese capital.

13:12

For Stéphane Peterhansel, winning is all

"Obviously, my aim is to win". Stéphane Peterhansel did not hide his ambitions on his arrival at administrative scrutineering, before setting out the Mitsubishi team’s philosophy: "We know that we won’t gain a thing by racing against each other. First and foremost, we are a close-knit team. It’s the race that will determine the rankings". Smiling yet determined, the two-time winner of the car category finds this competition healthy and normal. He also admits to being more relaxed than usual: "This year’s later start has allowed me to arrive less stressed". Words of warning for his rivals.

13:03

Alphand keen to get going

The winner of the 2006 car category has arrived at scrutineering. Luc Alphand also appeared to be in great shape physically and already concentrated on defending his title. "A fast start is going to be necessary", he declared. The Mitsubishi driver is disappointed with the modification to the route which led to the removal of the unassisted stage in Timbuktoo: "It’s a shame because that type of stage is the team’s strong point and bread and butter. But I’m satisfied with the organisers’ decision". The former skier is now comfortable with his status and confirms his ambitions by reminding everyone that he is "the favourite, and I can’t wait to get stuck in". His rivals should also take note that their task will be difficult: "Since the last Dakar, I really have the feeling that I’ve become an even better driver".

12:51

On time

At the end of the first day of scrutineering, the drive past of competitors was completed in compliance with the programme set out. More than a third of the vehicles were examined by the race commissaries on the circuit’s various stands. No major anomalies were detected. Whilst some competitors will need to re-submit their vehicles after a few adjustments, none of those hoping to be at the start were rejected. Today, the main favourites for the rally in the three categories will be arriving at the scrutineering site. During the morning, Luc Alphand and all the Mitsubishi Team will be there…