N° 304 - TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART
- ROMA
- Joan (nani) - "Nani"
- ESP
- 17/02/1972
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- SENRA
- Lucas
- ESP
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«A new challenge»
Last year’s Dakar left a bitter a taste in his mouth. 10th overall, far from his ambitions as a competitor, this South American Dakar certainly brought an end to a long era. “For me it was a demoralising edition”, he says, without forgetting to underline how much he enjoyed discovering these two “marvellous” countries. But Joan ‘Nani’ Roma is nothing if not a competitor. And as soon as he joined his new team, the Dakar became his priority one. “BMW is a big team. It has never won the Dakar, but everyone is working hard to do it. We are preparing with a lot of humility, knowing that we have to be very careful. But it is a new and very exciting challenge for me.” A member of the team since last March, he wasn’t satisfied with his retirement during the Transiberico Rally with a mechanical problem and prefers to remember his victory on the Baja Aragon that demonstrated his abilities to adapt to his new vehicle. “We have also put in thousands of kilometres of testing in Morocco, nearly 10,000, and we have seen through the set ups and improvements how the team comes together and constantly progresses.” The team he forms with veteran co-driver Michel Perrin has a terrific shot, but ‘Nani’ prefers to temper any predictions. “The context isn’t simple. Winning is always a difficult proposition. There are the Volkswagens, the Hummers and the Lancers. Clearly, the race will be very competitive. Michel and I know we have to do the best possible job each day. But to win there is a big hurdle to overcome that will not be easy. In any case, what is sure is that the race will be wide open.”
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com