12/28/11
Over the rally fortnight, all eyes will be on the X-Raid team's 4x4s, and above all on Stéphane Peterhansel's Mini. But on the Dakar, no one's immune to technical faults or driving error. And there are plenty of contenders for the title just waiting for the competition to show the slightest sign of weakness, like former Dakar winners Nasser Al Attiyah (Hummer) and Giniel De Villiers (Toyota).
Dakar's record-holding driver is Stéphane Peterhansel. With the nine titles to his name – collected during the course of his motorcycle and car career – he ranks top of the winners' list, standing out among the rally pilots as a talented all-rounder thanks to the qualities and experience he has acquired since first taking part in 1988. Since the end of the Mitsubishi era though, rivals from Volkswagen have been causing trouble for the Frenchman and his long-standing co-pilot Jean-Paul Cottret. But the German brand's withdrawal now puts Peterhansel in an ideal position on the way to earning his tenth title. Behind the wheel of the Mini that met with initial painful experiences on the Dakar last year with Guerlain Chicherit, “Peter” is now tipped as favourite, but also warns ”the last thing we must do is start believing it's all cut and dried”. The predictions being made everywhere at the moment all see X-Raid armada way out in front with their five Minis, including those of Krzysztof Holowczyc, winner of the Silk Way 2011, and Nani Roma who came third in Dakar 2006. But on the 8300 km of tracks and dunes that await them, they face tough competition that has re-formed in the other teams.
Despite his late entry, Nasser Al Attiyah has in no way lowered his ambitions after his victory last year. The big-name recruit from Robby Gordon's team will be piloting a Hummer H3 that secured a place on the podium back in 2009. But the Qatari, who's refined his driving skills over the years, may get even further with this vehicle than the impetuous Californian. When the hour of truth comes in Lima, a further former winner, Giniel de Villiers, could well have clinched it. The South African is the spearhead at Toyota who are aiming to get a Hilux pickup among the top 3. A second specimen of the vehicle is being entrusted to Argentine standard bearer Orlando Terranova.
Given the density of outstanding vehicles on this year's starting line, places in the top 10, let alone the top 5, will be fiercely contested. Apart from the Mini, X-Raid is also entering three BMW X3s (Garafulic, Mironenko, Schott) which, for example, will be battling against Christian Lavieille (eighth in 2011) behind the wheel of a brand-new Proto 011 Dessoude. The Great Wall from Carlos Sousa, who's back again after missing a year (sixth in 2010), could also put a spanner in the works in just the same way as the Riwald team's Mitsubishi Lancers and, in particular, the one driven by Bernhard Ten Brinke who recently won the Morocco Rally.
12/26/11
Cars competing in the Dakar often have a crew made up of a pilot and a co-pilot, but there are a handful of adventurers who decide to face the challenge on their own. They are, in a sense, pioneers in a new way of living the rally raid adventure…
They want to face the desert alone, but have decided to rule out the bike or quad. This small group of pilots has decided to take up the challenge of riding solo in the car category and will therefore have to do without the navigation support and conversation of a copilot. Italian pilot Eduardo Mossi and Spaniard Ignacio Corcuera are among this group of loners. Corcuera is a first timer in the Dakar but has broad experience driving solo in improvised raids: "when I participated in the Rally of the Pharaohs, for example, I drove alone from Bilbao to Egypt and then returned home by my own means”.
In a completely different style, the starting line also welcomes other kinds of vehicles, among them single-seat buggies, which feature minimal structure with a favorable power to weight ratio. The first of these vehicles appeared some years ago and their childhood flaws caused premature dropouts. However, Tim Coronel, the best ambassador of this subcategory, has an immaculate record behind the wheel of his McRae buggy, with which he clinched the 34th position last year. "This year my goal is to finish in the Top 20”, warns the Dutchman. His rival could be former moto GP driver Jurgen Van den Goorbergh in another buggy that aims for no less: "Unless we have major problems, we should be able to finish in the Top 20”. The Xtreme Plus team, a bit less ambitious in terms of ranking, intends to develop a buggy that is less costly and attracts bikers willing to go for a four-wheel vehicle that is both affordable and reliable. Willy Alcaraz, who boasts 20 participations in the Dakar, will challenge solo drivers in the road towards Lima behind the wheel of his Polaris RZR 900.
12/22/11
4: the number of titles up for grabs at the Dakar, including the motorcycle, quad, car and truck categories
9: the record number of victories at the rally, held by Stéphane Peterhansel with six wins on motorcycles and three in cars. Vladimir Chagin holds the record for the most victories in a single category, with seven wins in trucks.
14: the number of racing days at the 2012 Dakar. Timed specials will be contested on each stage, from January 1 to January 15.
27: the number of countries visited by the Dakar since its inception, with Peru making its debut this year
20, 3, 5: the age in years, months and days of the youngest competitor in the rally, Argentinean Lucas Bonetto (quads)
50: the number of nationalities present at the rally
71, 3, 19: the age in years, months and days of the oldest competitor in the rally, Francisco Claudio Regunaschi (cars)
133: the number of French competitors in the race, representing the biggest national group with 18% of the total
190: the number of countries where pictures of the Dakar will be broadcast, by a total of 70 TV broadcasters
210: the number of organisation vehicles used at the rally on a daily basis (40 cars, 11 helicopters, 12 airplanes, 55 trucks, 5 buses, etc.)
260: the number of journalists following the entire rally, with 1,800 accredited members of the media (technicians, consultants, occasional visitors, etc.)
450: in cubic centimetres, the maximum permitted cylinder capacity for the engines of motorcycles taking part in the rally. This is the first time that this limit is imposed on all the competitors.
742: the number of competitors taking part in the race (pilots, co-pilots and mechanics)
980: the number of competitors participating as members of assistance teams
1,200: the estimated total hours of Dakar footage broadcast by TV channels from all over the world (based on 2011 data)
1978: the 1st edition, dated 1979, kicked off on December 26 of that year
8,373: the number of kilometres covered between Mar del Plata and Lima, with 4,406 kilometres' worth of special stages for motorcycles and 4,191 for cars
15,500: the number of carbon equivalent tonnes offset by the Dakar as part of the Madre de Dios project against deforestation, for a total sum of USD 200,000
302,703: the number of fans following the Dakar's official Facebook page a few days before the start of the race
510,000: in dollars, the grant paid by the Dakar over four years to the Un Techo Para Mi País foundation, devoted to building emergency housing in South America
710,000: in euros, the amount dedicated over seven years to the Actions Dakar projects, which promote good environmental practices in eastern Senegal
5 million: the number of spectators who came to see the Dakar start, finish or pass by in 2011, in Argentina and Chile
73.5 million: the number of page views on the www.dakar.com website during the 2011 edition of the rally
280 million: in dollars, the direct and indirect economic windfall generated by the Dakar for Argentina, as estimated by a study conducted by this country's government in 2011
1 billion: the number of TV viewers who watched pictures of the Dakar in 2011
12/21/11
With three wins apiece, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma are tied in the roll of honour of the Dakar. But it is not a done deal that one of the two champions will forge ahead of the other in 2012: the Aprilia, Yamaha, Husqvarna and Honda pilots, as well as their KTM teammates, are ready to overtake them without the slightest hesitation.
Cyril Despres and Marc Coma have spent the last six years taking turns at winning the rally and do not seem to feel the burden of the years weighing on their shoulders. The two stars of this sport may very well end up crossing swords again, racing on identical KTM 450 motorcycles and with the same lieutenants as last year: Ruben Faria and Juan Pedrero, respectively. Racing in the same colours and being based in the same truck in the bivouac has provided an opportunity for the two Dakar favourites to smooth ruffled feathers. "We have toned things down a bit", explains Despres. Coma adds that "there is no need for sparks to fly between two sporting rivals". Although a quick glance at the rally's palmarès reveals that KTM's stars have the best shot at victory, their performances so far this year have exposed chinks in their armour which their rivals could exploit. Despres won the Rally dos Sertões but was later forced to abandon his last race in Australia, one of the few times in his career that he had to withdraw from a rally. Coma triumphed in the Pharaons Rally, the Rally di Sardegna and the Dubai Rally, but mechanical issues prevented him from finishing higher than 10th in the Morocco Rally, his last test before defending his title in South America.
All of their expected opponents respect Despres and Coma's supposed superiority, but that does not mean they are unwilling to put up a fight. The sole exception is David Frétigné, whose plans to return to the Dakar were frustrated by medical concerns that he has still not fully recovered from his hard fall at last summer's Rally dos Sertões. But that will not stop the Husqvarna team from coming with an impressive line-up, with Frétigné's substitute, José Manuel Pellicer, and especially with last year's special stage winner Paulo Gonçalves. The threat posed by Team Aprilia should not be overlooked, in particular Francisco López, who let slip the podium place he had got in 2010 in the last stage of the 2011 Dakar. "Chaleco", who has already recovered from his accident at the Tunisian Rally, has already shown his credentials as the master of the Atacama and is ready to make the difference there this year round.
Hélder Rodrigues may very well prove to be the most tenacious challenger. The Portuguese pilot finished third last year and won the 2011 Rally Raid Championship (after winning both the Tunisian and Moroccan legs of the competition). Team Yamaha also got a bumper crop this year with David Casteu (2nd in the 2007 Dakar and 4th in 2009) racing alongside Olivier Pain, who will be looking to play a leading role in the race with his improved 450 YZF. Finally, surprises may also come from up-and-coming young pilots, some of whom have the potential to duke it out for a podium place. A couple of examples are Quinn Cody, 9th last year in his debut with Honda, and Felipe Zanol, who spent an entire week hot on the footsteps of Cyril Despres to finish 2nd at the Rally dos Sertões a few months ago. The Brazilian pilot will tackle his first Dakar with the same ambition.
12/15/11
With Marcos in 2010 and Alejandro in 2011, the Patronelli brothers took the lead in the quad category. But the competition didn't throw in the towel when confronted with the two Argentine heroes, with new engine capacity rules giving new impetus to all contenders.
Any obstacles are now consigned to the past for the Patronelli clan, which approached the Dakar 2011 with the title-holder suffering from an ankle injury. Marcos had also abandoned the race after three stages, leaving it up to his elder brother to represent the family at the highest level. In slightly less dominant but equally effective style, Alejandro took the highest podium step in Buenos Aires. While the victor's long-term handling of the competition seemed exemplary, the duo's position is far from being certain this year, especially as the Patronellis will be deprived of the Yamaha 900cc that they piloted last year. The limit has actually been set at 750cc for two-wheel drive quads, as part of a measure aimed at achieving consistency when it comes to vehicle power.
The favourites will certainly have to carefully watch their closest rivals. A look at the 2011 table shows us that, on current evidence, the Argentines are key players in the race. Ably supported by Sebastian Halpern, Tomas Maffei and Jorge Santamarina, the Argentine riders have won a total of 10 stages. However, the Europeans expect to give the Patronellis and other competitors a run for their money. For example, Czech competitor Josef Machacek's sole aim is to add a sixth title to his collection. While his Polish protégés Lukas Laskawiek and Rafal Sonik, who have already enjoyed a taste of achieving places of honour, could emerge as prime competitors for the Patronellis. Similarly, Christophe Declerck, who finished about fifty seconds from the podium last year, will no longer be penalised by the lack of power that he blamed from the handlebars of his Polaris.
12/09/11
The make-up of the last teams to enrol on the Dakar held some major surprises in store, with the return of Johnny Campbell, to accompany Robby Gordon.
With less than a month to go before the start of the rally, the last elements of uncertainty have been clarified regarding the make-up of the crews on the Dakar 2012. And clearly the week has been rich in announcements for Robby Gordon. After having signed the duo of Nasser Al Attiyah and Lucas Cruz for his team, the American will be calling on the services of Johnny Campbell on the right-hand seat of his Hummer. The former biker, who finished 8th in his only Dakar in 2001 (but who has won the Baja 1000 eleven times!), will be making his debut as a co-pilot on the event. He is very proud to be on-board a car capable of doing battle for the very top places: “I always said that I'd come back to the Dakar to win when the opportunity came along. When Robby called me, I knew it was the right time,” says the ambitious American.
A race circuit regular had planned his introduction to the desert for the Dakar 2012. However, Matt Lagrive's enrolment depended on him successfully obtaining his driving licence. His worries are no more, since the four times winner of the Bol d'Or passed his driving test several days ago and is relieved to have succeeded with this first step: “I was most worried about the highway code. I put myself under tons of pressure and studied like a madman. In the end it all paid off, since I didn't make the slightest mistake!” Such success was expected of him, given his status as a road safety ambassador in France. All that remains for him is to learn how to read the road-book, ride on rocky terrains and tackle sand dunes, amongst other things…
12/08/11
The landscape in the truck category has been transformed by the retirements of Chagin and Kabirov, who between them had won nine of the last eleven editions. Whilst their usual challengers can take heart from this new situation, the Kamaz drivers remain favourites for victory, with up-and-coming drivers ready to take up the reins.
It can happen that time suddenly catches up with you. Less than a year ago, on the podium in Buenos Aires, the Kamaz team was celebrating its tenth victory on the Dakar and the seventh record-breaking triumph for Vladimir Chagin. And as if that was not enough, four Russian trucks occupied the four first places in the general standings, after having won 12 of the 13 stages on the programme! Several weeks later, the Tsar announced his retirement, choosing to devote his time to managing the team which is now looking toward the younger generation. In the meantime, Firdaus Kabirov (winner in 2005 and 2009) also decided to depart the cab for good, leaving the responsibility for triumph on the tracks to the two up-and-coming Kamaz drivers, Eduard Nikolaev and Ayrat Mardeev (junior), whose mission will be to continue the blue trucks' domination of the rally.
“If it wasn't for Kamaz, I would have won!” points out Franz Echter, 5th in 2011, taking note of the changes that have occurred in the category this year. Behind the wheel of his Man truck, the German driver can stake a claim as a genuine pretender for the title, but he is not the only one on this list. This is perhaps the year where perseverance could reap rewards for Gerard De Rooy, following two editions in which he was not able to defend his chances. His Iveco truck, with a look reminiscent of French film Salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear), seems to have what it takes to challenge the Kamaz team. What's more, team De Rooy has been enhanced by the arrival of two key elements, namely Hans Stacey, winner of the Dakar in 2007, and Miki Biasion, two times world rally champion and a recent winner of the Rally of Morocco. The Dutch/Italian armada seems well prepared to throw a spanner in the works of any other team on the event.
However, to date, the biggest thorn in the side of the Kamaz team has been Ales Loprais. On the Dakar in 2011, he accomplished an initial objective by winning the special stage in Arica, bringing a halt to a series of 24 consecutive stages won by the Russian team. What's more, during the month of July, it was in Russia that the heir of Karel Loprais won his first major international race. The winner of the Silk Way Rally intends to go one step further with his Tatra truck, but he will have to go the distance, right up until Lima, and resist the constant pressure exerted by his rivals.
12/06/11
Car number 300 that is usually kept for the title holder will finally be present at the start of the 2012 Dakar. It will indeed be set on a Hummer that Nasser Al Attiyah will be driving for Team Robby Gordon, with Lucas Cruz as his co-driver.
"As of now, everyone will know where Qatar is on the map of the world", those were the words of Nasser Al Attiyah after capturing his first victory on the Dakar last January in Buenos Aires. Achieving his dream after a fantastic battle with team mate Carlos Sainz, the flying Qatari was forced to settle with the strategic choices of Volkswagen that left him without a steering wheel after retiring from off-road rallies. Always keen for new projects, Al Attiyah bounced back once again in style and will live a rather busy 2012 year, including a WRC season, the London Olympics in shooting and of course a mouth-watering start with the Dakar where he will defend his title in a … Hummer!
His name was announced or whispered in all the title-contending teams, but it will finally be as Robby Gordon's team mate that Al Attiyah will start the 2012 Dakar. And Qatar hasn't finished gaining in notoriousness: indeed the Hummer H3 that will be prepared for him by the North Carolina based team will be carrying the colours of his country. "The thought of not doing the Dakar almost made me sick but things eventually turned around. It's fantastic because it's a new challenge for me and I'm proud of being able to represent Qatar", insisted a delighted Nasser who doesn't forget that his main goal will be to manage a double on the Dakar, a performance that only Ari Vatanen has achieved in two different cars (1990-1991 / Peugeot-Citroën). Until now, the best performance of the Hummer was third spot back on the 2009 Dakar when Gordon had only been beaten by the Race Touareg VWs of Giniel De Villiers and Mark Miller. With a virtuoso of the calibre of Al Attiyah and a totally new panorama in terms of title contenders, all hopes are alive.
12/02/11
Whilst alternative fuels are often experimented on the Dakar, the project supported by the Latvian government is amongst the most ambitious of initiatives. Andris Dambis, the project founder, will be co-pilot in an electric-powered Oscar eO made in his workshops.
For most of the crews enrolled on the Dakar, reaching the finishing line is already an accomplishment to be proud of. This joy will have extra symbolic value for Maris Saukans and Andris Dambis, who will be behind the wheel of a 4x4 with a fully electric engine. As a result, the sporting challenge goes hand in hand with a technological challenge for Team Latvia, who will be presenting a ground-breaking vehicle under the code-name ‘OSCar eO', built from A to Z in less than a year: “We've escalated its capabilities several times during development,” admits Dambis. “The car is powered by an electric engine that has an operating range of around 800 km and a maximum speed of 150 kmph. We have adapted it to the constraints of the terrains encountered on the Dakar and we will be using the most advanced processes available at the current time. In spite of that, the long stages, sand, dust and heat will really be problematic. Whatever happens, perseverance and thoroughness will be vital to make this adventure a successful one”.
Armed with unfailing confidence, Saukans are Dambis are aware of how difficult their task will be, bearing in mind that between them they have completed the Dakar in Africa and South America. In particular, they are attentive to the impact of a possible success in Lima: “We want to prove that electric vehicles can be competitive. That said, we'll already be very satisfied just to get to the finishing line. It won't be easy, but it can be done. We'll be pioneers and I believe that alternative fuels, like all the ideas that follow this same logic, sit perfectly with the general state of mind of the Dakar”.
11/25/11
Ten years after his first combat against cancer, Gilles Gard is continuing to fight in his own way. Behind the handlebars, the native of the Aveyron region in France will be attempting to conquer the voyage from Mar del Plata to Lima to prove that triumph can be total thanks to sport.
Gilles Gard has already experienced mishaps in his life. As a 35-year old endurance enthusiast, he had to give up biking to fight a first bought of cancer in 2001. Four years later, he was again struck by illness, this time leukaemia, which he fought by using sport as an ally: “During the treatment, you have to spend several periods of one month in a sterile isolation room,” remembers Gilles. “I asked for an exercise bike, which allowed me to continue exercising, helped to pass the time and avoid brooding too much. These are advantages that help you pull through. In 2004 it was fairly ground-breaking, but now it's the type of support that is developing in most hospitals”. Since these two painful episodes, the time spent recovering was also an active one for the man from Aveyron, who has campaigned and spoken out in support of sport against cancer. What's more, he met Dakar rider David Frétigné whilst organising an event for the Telethon. The discussions with his illustrious neighbour convinced him that the plan to participate in the Dakar was feasible. Indeed, for several days now, Gilles' bike has been crossing the sees on the boat heading for Argentina.
Whilst in his life Gilles has since turned the page on cancer, and is now in impeccable shape, the Dakar is both a challenge and an opportunity to strike home a resounding message about the illness. “I want to show that cancer can be beaten, that you need to fight, believe in yourself and that taking part in sport gives better chances of recovery. You can get back on top form and tackle a sporting event like the Dakar. At the same time, I'm hoping to equip certain oncology departments in the Midi-Pyrenees region's hospitals with physiotherapy bikes. In total, there will be 12 bikes for a budget of € 12,000, including 6 for the Toulouse Cancer Centre”.
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