Euromilhões Lisboa - Dakar 2007 : Dakar

Under the Lisbon sun

A year after having welcomed the Euromilhoes Dakar caravan for the first time, Lisbon is reacquainting itself with the most prestigious rally in the world. Over a three day period, the vehicles of the 245 motorcyclists, 185 car crews and 85 truck crews enlisted, as well as their assistance vehicles, will be inspected during technical and administrative scrutineering which is taking place at the Belem Cultural Centre.

The day’s first rays of sunlight, which welcomed the competitors to the entrance of the waiting enclosure, were mainly reserved for the ‘local’ drivers and their co-pilots. The Spanish and Portuguese were in fact the first to be invited for the traditional pre-start formalities. The long parade of cars and bikes, slowed down by all sorts of mishap as is customary, is still winding its way to the Portuguese capital. This has meant that inquiring minds have had to put on ice their predictions of who will win the race. It has given rise to a few reunions, however, notably with four-time motorbike rally winner Edi Orioli, who is now behind the wheel of an Isuzu 4x4. The Italian, who is a team member of former WRC champion Markku Alen, shares the much less heady ambitions than before of the Finn: "We have to get to the finishing line," proclaim in unison the two old ‘new kids on the block’.

Speaking of former winners, Bruno Saby, who was still driving a Volkswagen Race Touareg in 2006, has also been forced to forget the battle for the top places. Grenoble’s finest has simply been assigned, just like the Italian Micky Biasion, to drive a Fiat Panda to Dakar. This very original challenge is seen by the Italian constructor as the first step toward a stronger commitment in the rally-raid.

On two wheels, David Frétigné, a challenger for first place on a 450-cm3, put his Yamaha under the microscope of the commissaries at the end of yesterday afternoon, at the time when all the competitors are keen to get their teeth into the local Belem speciality Pasteis, a type of pastry. Although he has a power handicap in comparison to the KTMs of Coma, Despres or Esteve, Frétigné does not have an inferiority complex at all: "I’m aiming for the podium", underlines the native of the Aveyron area in France, who already finished 5th in 2005.

The highlight of day two of scrutineering will be the checks on the title-holders from each of the three categories: Marc Coma for the motorbikes, Luc Alphand for the cars and Vladimir Chagin for the trucks.