N° 303 - TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART
- ALPHAND
- Luc
- FRA
- 06/08/1965
|
- PICARD
- Gilles
- FRA
- 19/03/1955
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| RACING LANCER |
MITSUBISHI |
 |
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
15 |
|
| Scratch |
5
|
5
|
15
|
3
|
7
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Stage |
5
|
5
|
15
|
3
|
6
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Overall |
5
|
6
|
10
|
8
|
8
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Luc Alphand: “Team spirit and solidarity are essential”
He didn’t win an Olympic gold medal. He did win the Dakar. In leaving the snow for sand after a first sporting career that ended with honours, Luc Alphand didn’t necessarily forecast winning the most prestigious of rally raids. his spirit of competition wasn’t blunted by the gold and crystal he amassed on the white powder. This experience helped “Lucho” who was a fast study, starting with the stage win (2003); then he showed that he had what it took to be brought in to the prestigious Mitsubishi team, where there is only room for winners. On his eighth participation, in 2006, he perfectly responded to the demands in saving the Japanese firm, menaced by Peterhansel’s Guinean tree incident. With this first win, he entered the restricted winner’s only club.
On the 2007 Dakar, Alphand’s consistency allowed Mitsubishi to better resist the Mauritanian difficulties than Volkswagen. But in the individual race, it was Stéphane Peterhansel who assured the control of the race. The horizon of the final stages, during which the two team mates and Dakar leader could have taken risks drove the team boss to ask everyone to hold position. Positioned six minutes adrift from his fake twin, (they were born on the same day), Alphand was content to make it three consecutive Dakar podium finishes with the added sentiment of having accomplished a team effort.
It is also in counting on the force of the group, in which each of the drivers is presented as a champion and that’s what Luc Alphand envisions the 2009 Dakar. “Team spirit and solidarity are essential. You never know when it will be your turn to need help”. Especially because this year is a real changing point for Mitsubishi: switching to diesel. Despite the unknown aspects, Luc Alphand remains confident. Still accompanied by his co-driver Gilles Picard, he knows that the South American edition of the Dakar represents a huge challenge. Finishing as the winner? “It’ll be a big challenge, really interesting”, he simply believes.
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com