VAN DEIJNE Tonnie NLD 24/03/1961 189 cm 88 kg

ROSEGAAR Wouter NLD

Vehicle

MODEL	MAKE
Pajero Evolution	MITSUBISHI

RANKING

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14
Scratch	21	19	17	28	21	21	26	23	23	14	16	14	13	14
Stage	21	19	16	28	21	21	26	23	22	14	16	14	13	14	-
Overall	21	19	15	17	17	18	19	18	17	17	17	15	15	15	-

« We have a job to finish»

More than 20 years separate the two friends that will take on the tracks of the Dakar together. 48 year old Tonnie Van Deijne and just barely 26 year old Wouter Rosegaar are not of the same generation but are closely linked by their mutual love of rally and competition. This age difference doesn’t worry Tonnie, who operates with young Wouter like an old married couple with well broken in reflexes. “He is a young guy who learns very fast”, says Tonnie. “We have put in 40,000kms of racing together, which has given us a good amount of experience.”

For proof of their cohesion, the two Dutchmen can refer to the constant progress they’ve made on the Dakar. After finishing 34th in 2006 and 2007, they raised their game in the first Dakar to be held in South America, finishing 27th after battling for a spot just outside the top ten for most of the rally. “During stage 12, we had a mechanical setback. And of course, on this day, our rapid assistance truck was very far behind us. We had to wait for more than six hours. For 2010, we have to finish the job.” This year, the partnership seems well armed to fulfil its objective. They have bought the Mitsubishi Pajero MPR 13 that finished 2nd in 2007 with Luc Alphand at the controls. “It will be impossible to do as well as he did”, Tonnie says jokingly. “But if everything goes well, we could maybe finish somewhere between 5th and 10th place.” This tandem proved how good it can be in winning the Baja of Hungary. In Argentina and Chile they will have to keep up the rhythm over the distance.

Dakar start photos on line: www.maindruphoto.com

»