N° 251 - TEAM YAMAHA RACING
- PATRONELLI
- Marcos
- ARG
- 01/02/1980
- 182 cm
- 77 kg
|
| MODEL |
MAKE |
| RAPTOR 700 |
YAMAHA |
|
|
| |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
14 |
|
| Scratch |
2 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
| Stage |
1 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
- |
| Overall |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
- |
«The finish was impressive»
«It is the hardest rally-raid in the world, no?” Young Marcos Patronelli, business owner in Las Flores, 180 kilometres south of Buenos Aires, wasn’t overly worried as he set off on his first Dakar. Quiet and determined, he was clearly ready to take on the difficulties of a unique rally. Yet, no one imagined that the lone Argentinean entered in the quad category could battle and finish just behind Dakar quad living legend, the Czech Republic’s Josef Machacek.
Marcos created quite a stir in Argentina finishing second, including two stage wins on his maiden Dakar. “It was impressive”, he remembers. “At the finish, in the heart of La Rural, there were people all over me. And after the Dakar, the media wouldn’t leave me alone for three weeks. It was impossible to recover.” With his nerves of steel, Marcos is set for his second Dakar in a totally different context. Yamaha offered him a deal that Can Am couldn’t match. Thus, this new Dakar star will ride aboard a Raptor 700 as he attempts the difficult task of confirming his newfound status. “I am very happy to compete with the Raptor, because it is a simpler and more reliable machine. My ambition is the same: make it to the finish.” He shares this ambition with older brother Alejandro, who has the largest motor racing aptitudes in this family of enthusiasts that, like last year, will follow the rally as one in two motor homes to be at the foot of the podium if Marcos happens to saunter on to the top step.
Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com