Euromilhões Lisboa - Dakar 2007 : Dakar

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Hiroshi Masuoka (JAP): “The Dakar is my life”

Hiroshi Masuoka is both a quiet and spectacular driver. Known for his tireless attacking temperament, he is as good with paradoxes as with a steering wheel. Indeed despite his craziness that often isn’t suited to endurance disciplines, he has one of the most impressive and consistent CV in the Dakar. The emblematic figure of the Mitsubishi firm in Japan competed in his first off-road race in 1979 and took part in his first Dakar in 1987.

In 1990, he finished first of the T2 class, then took fourth spot overall four years later. Between 1995 and 2000, he finished in the top 10 on six occasions with peaks at 2nd and 4th spot in 1997 and 1998. The following season he managed excellent results with a Mitsubishi Pajero, and his hour of glory eventually came in 2002 when he became the second Japanese driver to put his name down on the winner’s list of this prestigious rally as part of the Mitsubishi Motors team. Hiroshi Masuoka then kept his title in 2003, a year during which he also claimed the Italian Baja. In 2004, the best of the Japanese drivers managed the most remarkable of series of ten Dakar rallies finished in the top ten when he finished second behind his team mate Stéphane Peterhansel en 2004.

During the last edition, the reference inside the Mitsubishi team suffered his first withdrawal in a Dakar for close to 15 years because of an engine problem during stage 10. This year, Masuoka is back and looks even stronger with quite a few arguments to manage a great Dakar. His personal story will be highlighted by the fact that he’ll be celebrating his 20th Dakar on this 2007 edition. “It’s a very exciting birthday!”, he simply explains, before adding: “The Dakar is my life”. Masuoka’s motivation for the 2007 Dakar will without doubt be huge.

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Verhoeven: “My life has changed”

Pure talent and huge generosity. Frans Verhoeven arrived on the 2005 edition of the Dakar with these two assets even if his reputation as an honest Enduro specialist had preceded him. Two weeks later, the Dutchman finished the race 16th. This result was enough to draw the attention of the prestigious KTM-Gauloises team that decided to find the most valorous team mates for their top riders Cyril Despres and Isidre Esteve in the 2006 edition. Because of some contractual problems and some administrative delays, the deal could not be made right away. This did not prevent Frans from completing his second Dakar. He finished 26th although his Yamaha had a series of mechanical problems which hampered his race: “I had loads of problems on this Dakar but thanks to this situation I could prove my persistence. I was 104th on the rest day and I finished 26th and arrived 5th in the last special. This must have impressed KTM”.

Frans is also a patient man and while he waited for some news from KTM, he started working again as a plasterer, “to feed his family”. Heinz Kinigadner called him in the summer 2006 and offered him a job as a support rider for Cyril Despres on the Dakar: “I was so happy that I asked him three times if it was really true. This has changed my life”. Indeed, Frans quickly put away his trowels and started his fulltime job as a motorbike racer. His first full-scale test was on the UAE Desert Challenge in Dubai: “I finished 6th and remained close to Cyril during the whole race. IT was really perfect, I truly fulfilled my mission”. Eric Bernard, the KTM – Gauloise Team Manager, actually had no doubts whatsoever about the ability of his new recruit. Verhoeven is courageous and speaks perfect French. And he really distinguishes himself for his ability in mechanics, which can be very useful on the track. In other words, the perfect support rider.

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Andre De Azevedo: “Remaining in the Top 5”

Following the example of the Marreau brothers, the Dakar is often a family affair. We have lost count of the numerous teams made up of father and son, of husband and wife or of two brothers. But it is not necessary to compete on the Dakar in the same vehicle to share this adventure. The De Azevedo brothers, André the oldest, and Jean, the youngest, are certainly the example which illustrates best this fact.

André De Azevedo was only 14 for his first motorbike race. This passion for bikes obviously led him to race his first Dakar on two wheels. In total, he has raced the Dakar 5 times on a bike, finishing in the Top 10 in 1993 and above all boasts of a 100% completion rate. André initiated and guided his younger brother. In 1999, he sat behind the wheel of a truck and he quickly became a key driver for Tatra, right behind Czech Karel Loprais.

In his first participation in a truck, the Brazilian reached the podium in his category. And repeated this performance four years later when he finished 2nd behind Tchaguine. This is so far his best result on the rally. De Azevedo finished 4th in 2006 and has become, this year, the number one driver of Tatra after the retirement of Karel Loprais, the record holder for the largest number of victories in his category: “I am sorry that he retired”, says André. “This does not really change my objectives because I know I am competitive, but the DAF and Kamaz trucks remain strong competitors. My goal is to finish the race in the Top 5”.

Abla Lassoued: “I am proud of being a Tunisian woman”

Abla Lassoued is no ordinary woman. She cultivates her great passion for motor sports when she breaks away from her various businesses (travel agencies, hotel). Some could think her participation in the Dakar is the whim of a modern woman looking for some adventure. But such a judgement would prove a lack of knowledge about Abla Lassoued’s background. In the mid-nineties, the Tunisian woman started to compete in offshore boat races. She actually had good results in this demanding and physical sport. For instance, Abla finished 5th in the World Offshore Powerboat Championship in 2003, i.e. the highest international level in the discipline. This is how this young lady discovered motor sports and became addict to them.

Her taste for speed further developed by competing in rally raids and in particular in the Rally of Tunisia, which opened a door to a new world for her: “When I started racing on the Rally of Tunisia, I really discovered the pleasure of driving in the desert. So, logically, I was drawn to the Dakar and I became one of the first Maghrebi women to compete in the Dakar. I love the spirit of this rally and also the fact that it crosses various countries. You discover many people and you learn many new things every day. Besides, it takes a lot of resistance to reach the end…”.

This extremely challenging race over 10 000 km is also a way for Abla to continue her efforts to improve the image of women in Tunisia. She is fully committed to this daily battle: “On the Dakar, we are in sole command in our vehicle. Tunisian women live a similar situation, they know how to take care of themselves and I am very proud of them. For two years now, I have been in charge of a female football club in Tunis. We organise international tournaments and matches. I really enjoy it because I believe we are going in the right direction”. Abla Lassoued did not race the Dakar in 2006 but this year she is back with ambitions: she wants to finish in the Top 20 and to promote the image of Tunisia, and will have a very visible flag of her country on the Mitsubishi she will share with Amine Dak Douk.

Michel Turon-Barrère: “A Project with a Human Dimension”

Michel Turon-Barrère and Jean-Marc Monbeig have not yet driven on the banks of the Pink Lake (Retba) despite the fact that they already have many friends out there. When they took part the first time, the two men from Pau, France, withdrew on stage 7. It was a big disappointment, but the feeling of a job not done was compensated by the success of the second part of their challenge. As taking part in the Dakar was not just a sporting event for Michel and Jean-Marc, they kept on driving outside of the race up to Bonaba Peul, a village located by the Pink Lake precisely, to start a project with the local villagers: “We gathered all the inhabitants of the village who wished to speak, in order to decide how we could help them as we knew that part of our budget was for them. It’s mainly women who spoke out and clearly identified a couple of needs: pouring a concrete slab to be used as foundation for the building of a school and planting trees to prevent the sand dunes from getting closer to the village.”

So the work was funded and started by the team from the Béarn, a team racing again this year with the firm intention of reaching the finish line. Completing the Dakar is important for the sporting event as such but also to see what has been done in the village of Bonaba Peul: “This is the interesting part; our project has a human dimension. Initially, we wanted to provide respirator systems, but it was rather complicated. Here, we have been involved from the start of the project up to the end of the project; it’s very concrete. It’s also an action in which villagers are directly involved as well and we like that,” says Michel Turon-Barrère. At the end of the Dakar, the trip the two team mates have prepared for their guests will stop in the village, no matter whether they win or lose the race: “And this time around, we will be able to sign the building of the school proper.”