Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard wins 07 UAE Desert Challenge

Reigning Dakar Rally champions Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard clinched outright victory for Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart after five punishing desert legs of the 2006 UAE Desert Challenge, today (Friday).

The French duo of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret confirmed second overall on the final timed selective sections on Friday, while team mates Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon finished in seventh place. Mitsubishi also confirmed victory in the 2006 FIA Cross-Country Manufacturers’ Championship.

The event is arguably the most difficult round of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, held across some of the most remote and spectacular desert terrain in the world. This year it took place in some of the most extreme temperatures ever faced by teams in international Cross-Country rallying.

Alphand became the sixth Mitsubishi driver to win the UAE Desert Challenge in its 14-year history in the FIA World Cup. The Japanese manufacturer has now clinched eight wins in the last 14 seasons – the most successful run of form by any team in the history of the event. Alphand joins a list of Mitsubishi winners that includes Saeed Al-Hajri, Bruno Saby, Jean-Pierre Fontenay and team mates Masuoka and Peterhansel (three wins).

Alphand and Picard began the final day with a 20m 45s lead over Peterhansel and Cottret, the latter pairing giving the MPR13 version of Mitsubishi’s new Pajero/Montero Evolution its competitive debut before the Dakar Rally in January.

The new car recorded its first ever stage win on Wednesday’s third leg and the French duo confirmed the runner-up spot over today’s final two selective sections, as both leading cars stayed clear of trouble to complete a resounding Mitsubishi 1-2 finish. Alphand’s winning margin was 15m 59s.

"Today was a matter of staying out of trouble and making no mistakes," said Alphand. "This was a long and difficult rally and I am delighted to win here for the first time. The terrain here is quite stunning and the temperatures inside and outside the car made it that much more of a challenge. Our whole team has performed superbly well."

"There was no point in taking any risks today," said Peterhansel. "We proved again that we are a very strong team and I am very happy with the performance of the new car. This was a good test for me and a great result for the whole team."

Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon began the day 2m 42s behind sixth-placed Jutta Kleinschmidt and the Mitsubishi duo reduced the deficit to a mere 1m 17s after the first section of the final selective by recording the third fastest time. But Kleinschmidt fended off the Japanese driver’s late challenge on the second timed test and Masuoka duly settled for seventh place, the finish boosting the twice Dakar champion’s confidence before his next Dakar challenge.

"The entire team has worked very hard in the last six months to develop our new car," said MMSP’s Managing and Sporting Director Dominique Serieys. "We carried out tests in June and September and now we have achieved this great success in the UAE Desert Challenge. I am obviously delighted for the entire team that we have achieved this result, but my thoughts are also on the fact that it is only six months since we lost Henri (Magne) in Morocco and that was on my mind today.

"The goal will be to hopefully dedicate the next Dakar victory to him. We are pleased that another difficult test with the new MPR13 has gone well. Luc, Stéphane and Hiroshi did a good job and ‘Nani (Roma) will test the new MPR13 here in the next couple of days. We can now look forward to the Dakar with this good result behind us."

"I am very proud of our team and their achievements this week," said MMSP’s President Isao Torii. "They have worked well together to achieve this result and we can now concentrate our efforts on the target of winning the Dakar Rally again next year."

"The rally in Dubai is held in special and unique conditions and is not really a true test of the new MPR13," admitted MMSP’s Technical Director Thierry Viardot. "But we have proved one thing and that is we have no problems with the cooling. In fact, we even have a safety margin. The rally was good training for the drivers and the team, but we are under no illusions that the task on the Dakar will be much different."

Team Mitsubishi Ralliart crews will now embark upon a further desert test this weekend in the dunes to the south of Dubai and then one final physical training and team building session in Brittany in December. Then the entire team’s efforts are concentrated on the defence of the Dakar Rally title for a record-breaking seventh successive season. The African classic gets underway from Lisbon on Saturday, January 6th.

Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard with Isao Torii and Dominique Serieys

Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard in the Pajero/Montero MPR12

Stephane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret in the new Pajero/Montero Evolution MPR13

-MMSP

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team plans three-pronged Moroccan challenge

• Peterhansel, Masuoka and Roma set for Morocco showdown
• Mitsubishi aims to avenge last year’s defeat in crucial African event
• Orpi Rally of Morocco, May 31st-June 6th, 2006
• 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round four
  

PONT-DE-VAUX (France) – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will send three Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolutions to next week’s Orpi Rally of Morocco, round three of the 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, which starts in Erfoud on Wednesday, May 31st.

The French duo of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret will be joined by Spaniard Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne and Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon in MPR12 versions of the Japanese manufacturer’s all-conquering off-road vehicles. Team drivers Luc Alphand and Peterhansel have already won this year’s Dakar, Patagonia-Atacama and Tunisia rallies.

“We know the area around Erfoud very well,” said Peterhansel, who led until the final stage in Morocco last year and was the winner of the rally in 2004. “For the last three years Mitsubishi has used the region for its summer and autumn testing and development programs. As we head south the stages around Ouarzazate are likely to be more difficult and I know from past experience that punctures can be a major risk on the big rocks and sharp stones.

“I am pleased that Cyril Neveu and his organising team have decided to use this part of the country after two years starting in Agadir and using stages in the south. Cyril deserves credit for always coming up with a new and innovative route where possible. At Mitsubishi we know that it will not be easy to win in Morocco this year. Our rivals have closed the gap and it is no longer possible to play a waiting game and plan your attack on a given day. To win in Morocco this year we will all need to be competitive from the start of the very first stage.”

Team mate Masuoka needs a good result in Morocco to maintain his confidence. “The Moroccan stages of this year’s Dakar Rally were the closest of the entire race,” said Masuoka. “I was forced to retire from the event there, but we know that are rivals are very competitive on these stages and this event will be important to us to assess our improvement and the progress of our rivals.”

Spaniard ‘Nani’ Roma came within a few kilometers of recording his second victory for the Mitsubishi team earlier this month on the Transiberico Rally. Roma is probably the most improved driver in the championship and has belied his relative lack of experience of rallying on four-wheels. Bearing in mind he only switched from motorcycles to cars at the end of 2004, Roma will be one of the favourites for a podium finish in Morocco.

This year’s Orpi Rally of Morocco will see the Mitsubishi Ralliart Team come face-to-face with a pair of Volkswagen Race Touaregs, driven by Carlos Sainz and 2003 event winner Giniel de Villiers. Former winner Jean-Louis Schlesser is also entered in a Ford-engined Buggy and former Mitsubishi driver Carlos Sousa makes his first appearance in a Phoenix Sport VW.

After scrutineering in the eastern town of Erfoud on Tuesday, May 30th, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will embark upon the opening 310 km loop stage around Erfoud on Wednesday, May 31st. The second 475 kms leg takes teams from Erfoud to Ain Beni Mathar and the third 479 kms leg returns to Erfoud.

The route then heads in a southerly direction towards the town of Zagora and on to the popular tourist city of Ouarzazate on Sunday, June 4th. The sixth and final stage of the event is a 311 kms loop around Ouarzazate, with the event drawing to a conclusion on Monday, June 5th.

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart driver Roma loses thrilling Transiberico Rally in final kilometers

• Spaniard Roma edged out of victory by rival De Villiers on final stage
• French duo of Alphand and Picard consolidate third overall
• Vodafone Transiberico Rally, May 12th-15th, 2006
• 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round three
• Leg 4 - Liaison 146.04 km, Special 112.32 km, Liaison 14.71 km, Special
• Weather conditions: hot and sunny with a slight breeze ­ 16C-28C
  

ESTORIL (Portugal) – Spaniard Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne were deprived of victory on the final kilometres of the final stage of a breathtaking 2nd Vodafone Transiberico Rally, when they lost crucial seconds and the win to arch South African rival Giniel de Villiers, today (Monday).

The Spaniard, who only switched from motorcycle enduro racing to join the Japanese manufacturer’s team at the end of the 2004 season, had increased his 25-second overnight lead to 36 seconds after the fourth leg’s first two stages and was cruising to an emphatic win until the last dramatic kilometers. Team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard finished a solid and distant third overall in a second Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution.

"I cannot believe it," said Roma. "I drove a good stage and could not believe that I had lost the race. I am so disappointed. I improved on each of the laps today and set a better time every lap. I was absolutely flat out this morning. I had no option. You know if you make a slight mistake, each second lost is going through your mind. I think this is the hardest I have ever pushed a car since I switched from bike racing.

"When we passed a section which I thought was flat out on the first lap, I told Henri and he made a mental note to modify our road book for the next lap. There were many places where I thought that we could be quicker on the repeat runs."

Alphand and Picard began the day in third place and the Frenchman accepted that it was unrealistic to think about catching his rivals. He slowed to a sensible pace to conserve the car and earned a second podium place for Mitsubishi, "Today was merely a case of making sure I finished third and not damaging the car, because it is needed for the next race in Morocco," admitted Alphand. "I knew that Nani and Giniel would be pushing hard and there was no way that I could make up eight minutes. The starter problem yesterday was so disappointing. A puncture can happen at any time, but to lose four minutes with that problem really cost us the race. One big positive though was to regain my confidence after the accident in Tunisia."

Today’s trio of 112.32 km special stages were located to the north of Portalegre in a rural region to the south and east of Castelo Branco. The special ran in an anti-clockwise direction, started to the west of the town and skirted Vila Velha de Bodao, before heading in a north-easterly direction to a finish near the town. Teams then embarked upon a 254.29 km liaison section across the breadth of Portugal to Estoril.

Roma and De Villiers were inseparable after 16 km of the opening stage, but Roma edged into a seven-second lead at the 49 km point, with Alphand and Kahle trailing well behind. Roma led by 10s after 65 km and nine seconds after 88 km, but De Villiers regained vital seconds over the faster closing kilometers, as Roma reached the finish a mere one second ahead of his rival to extend his lead to 26s. Alphand used the opportunity to try out
suspension settings and set the third fastest time, the Frenchman finishing the stage 2m 20s behind Roma.

As the excitement and tension mounted, the leaders embarked upon the second lap. "I was feeling a lot happier before the second lap," admitted Roma. "It is much better when you have seen the stage and know what to expect, but I am sure it was the same for Giniel."

Roma and De Villiers were again closely matched, but Roma managed to edge a further 10 seconds ahead over the sixth stage and headed into the final 112.32 km section with a lead of 36s in the overall standings. Alphand was an untroubled third, 13m 32s adrift.

The drama continued with De Villiers edging seven seconds ahead of Roma at the 16 km point on the final stage. The difference remained the same after 32 km, but Roma had overturned the difference by PC1 and was eight seconds ahead of his rival and 44s to the good with less than half of the stage to complete.

The difference was up to 11s on the stage after 65 km, but De Villiers had overturned the momentum after 88 km and was running 16s in front of Roma. It set the scene for a thrilling showdown, with the Spaniard defending a 20s lead over the closing 24 km. But Roma was unable to hold De Villiers at bay over the final nail-biting kilometers and the South African took full advantage to take the outright lead and victory by the margin of just 24 seconds after nearly 15 hours of racing.

"It was a truly exciting race and one on which the whole team can be proud of their performances," said MMSP’s Team President Isao Torii. "I am obviously disappointed for Nani. He did not know where he had lost those seconds at the end of the last stage. He had beaten his first two lap times and is improving all the time as a driver. We must accept this defeat and use it to make ourselves stronger for the next race and for the Dakar Rally next year."

The 2nd Transiberico Rally ran over a total route of 2,075.85 km and 1,173.08 km were competitive, with teams tackling a total of seven timed special stages and a super special over four days. Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team driver Joan Roma won five specials, including the opening timed super special, while Volkswagen’s De Villiers clinched victories on the first, fourth and final stages.

Provisional final positions at end of leg 4:
1. Giniel de Villiers (ZA)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 14h 51m 41s
2. Joan Roma (E)/Henri Magne (AND) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 14h 52m 05s
3. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 15h 06m 55s
4. Matthias Kahle (D)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 15h 39m 14s
5. Pedro Grancha (P)/Pedro Tavares (P) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero 16h 13m 49s
6. Filipe Campos (P)/Jaime Baptista (P) Renault Mégane 16h 27m 37s

'Nani' Roma extends Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team’s advantage in Transiberico Rally

• Roma and Magne take 25-second advantage over De Villers into final day
• Starter problems and flat tire spoil Alphand’s chances on Spanish stages
• Vodafone Transiberico Rally, May 12th-15th, 2006
• 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round three
• Leg 3 - Liaison 152.16 km, Special 155.74 km, Liaisons 7.36 km, Special 155.74 km, Liaison 74.66 km – Total 545.66 km
• Weather conditions: hot and sunny – 16C-27C

CÅCERAS (Spain) – Spaniard Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne extended their overnight advantage from nine to 25 seconds after two punishing special stages, which made up the third leg of the 2nd Vodafone Transiberico Rally in western Spain, today (Sunday).

French team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard maintained third position in a second Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution, but lost four minutes with starter problems in the first stage of the day and sustained a time-consuming flat tire near the start of the repeat run on Sunday afternoon. They will start the final day 8m 25s behind their team mates.

Roma and Magne led from the front this morning and extended their leg two advantage over South African Giniel de Villiers to 1m 20s after setting the fastest time in SS3. They finished the second stage 55 seconds behind their rival, but will take a 25-second lead into the final three stages in Portugal on Monday.

“The problem I found this morning was finding a fast line through the stage,” said Roma. “I lost a lot of time early on. There were no tracks. I was making the tracks for the others to follow. On several occasions I saw that I was not on the fastest line. It was frustrating. But I was much happier for the second lap. I could see where I made mistakes this morning and was able to take a quicker line.”

Alphand and Picard began the day 57s behind their team mates and in third position on the road. They were running at such a pace that they would have taken the overall lead at the end of the opening stage, until they stalled and lost valuable time restarting the Mitsubishi’s V6 engine.

“We went straight on at a left-hand corner, but only for five meters,” groaned Alphand. “I maybe braked too much and the engine cut out and would not restart. We waited and I tried many times to start the engine. Gilles eventually got out of the car and we had to push it to get going again.”

“It was such an annoying thing,” added co-driver Picard. “The engine stopped. Luc selected reverse gear and it was impossible to start the car. I had no option but to push.”

Today’s pair of 155.74 km special stages ran on punishing terrain just across the border in Spain to the south-east of Portalegre and to the north of the Portuguese town of Elvas and the larger Spanish town of Badajoz. Servicing was centralised on the outskirts of the village of Alburquerque.

Roma soon came under pressure from De Villiers this morning and the South African was ahead after 16 km, with Alphand a mere five seconds behind. Roma slipped over a minute adrift of De Villiers at the 40 km point, after finding it difficult to run as the first car on the stage, while Alphand slipped into contention for the outright lead by running ahead of his two rivals. He was a full 19s quicker that De Villiers after 40 km.

After 100 km, Germany’s Matthias Kahle was running on a similar pace to Alphand, although the Frenchman looked to be heading for the outright lead of the event until he approached that innocuous left-hand corner and stalled the engine. Kahle also hit problems and Roma duly coasted to his second successive stage win and extended his overall lead over De Villiers to 1m 20s, as Alphand slipped 5m 18s behind his team mate.

With renewed confidence and a better knowledge of the special for the repeat run, Roma decided to try and press home his advantage. He and De Villiers were inseparable after 40 km, but Alphand punctured and fell a further three minutes behind his rivals. De Villiers edged 15s ahead of Roma at the 81 km point and 20s in front after 101 km, but the Spaniard remained in close contention to finish the stage 55 seconds behind his rival.

‘I am disappointed with what happened with Luc’s car today on the first stage,” said MMSP’s Team Director Dominique Serieys. “Maybe there was a mistake by one of the mechanics, but we cannot afford things like this if we want to keep up our winning streak. I was pleased with Nani’s performance. He started slowly and really pushed hard when it mattered. He did a great job today and is making excellent progress.”

“This is developing into a very interesting race,” said MMSP’s Team President Isao Torii. “Our rivals are getting better and it is getting closer each day. On some sections of the stages we are quicker. On others the VWs are faster. It is fascinating. We have to learn from this and put the information to good use in our preparations for the next Dakar.”

Tomorrow (Monday), the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will tackle the longest and potentially most difficult final leg of this year’s Vodafone Transiberico Rally. Three 112.32 km special stages are planned after a 146.04 km liaison returns teams across the border into Portugal. Servicing will be centralised in Castelo Branco, before a 254.29 km liaison returns the surviving crews to Estoril, south-west of Lisbon.


Positions at end of leg 3 (unofficial):
1. Joan Roma (E)/Henri Magne (AND) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 10h 15m 38s
2. Giniel de Villiers (ZA)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 10h 16m 03s
3. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 10h 24m 03s
4. Matthias Kahle (D)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 10h 55m 24s
5. Pedro Grancha (P)/Pedro Tavares (P) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero 11h 04m 52s
6. Filipe Campos (P)/Jaime Baptista (P) Renault Mégane 11h 14m 17s

Roma and Alphand hold first and third places after leg two of Transiberico Rally

• Rally leader Joan Roma sets fastest time in third stage
• Frenchman Alphand bounces back after Tunisia accident
• Vodafone Transiberico Rally, May 12th-15th, 2006
• 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round three
• Leg 2 - Liaison 136.26 km, Special 258.82 km, Special 258.82 km, Liaison 68.91 km – Total 722.81 km
• Weather conditions: warm and sunny with little breeze – 15C-26C

EVORA (Portugal) – Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team drivers Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Luc Alphand held first and third positions after a thrilling second leg of the Vodafone Transiberico Rally, round three of the 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, today (Saturday).

Spaniard Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne began the day with a 4.5 second lead and arrived in Evora with an advantage of a mere nine seconds in the overall standings, after setting the fastest time on the second stage of the day to compensate for losing time behind three quad bikes on the opening special.

“I was running so well on the first stage and then we caught three quads and it was impossible to overtake,” said Roma. “The Portuguese Federation said that it was unnecessary for them to have a Sentinel system, so I just couldn’t get passed. I was on full attack for many kilometres and then I lost all the time behind the quads. It was so frustrating. The stage was difficult, but I cannot understand why they did not put a Sentinel system on the quads.”

French team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard began the day in fourth place and tackled the first stage behind Volkswagen’s Giniel de Villiers. They moved into a tie for second overall after setting the second fastest time in SS2 and finished the day in third overall, courtesy of the third quickest time on the second run.

“I started cautiously this morning,” said Alphand. “I was still a little nervous after the accident in Tunisia. To balance the car we adjusted the brake bias to the front, but I was maybe a little too careful this morning early in the stage. When I realised that I was around a minute behind I decided to push harder. I enjoyed this special. I remembered it well from three years ago when I was here with BMW. It was exactly the same stage – narrow between the trees.

“The key is to be smooth, control the car carefully and maintain your concentration. We had no dust, just lost a little time behind a couple of bikes. There are still two more days, so I did not intend to push this afternoon. It was all about avoiding punctures and getting the confidence back.”

Today’s competitive action was centred around remote terrain to the north-east of Lisbon in the area between Montemor-o-Novo, Santarem and Ponte de Sor. A varied 258.82 km stage was run in a clockwise direction, starting and finishing in a scenic parkland service park, north of the village of Mora. The special featured several potentially tricky river crossings and numerous narrow tree-lined tracks in rural farmland in the Alentejo region.

Local national champion Armindo Araújo and French co-driver Pascal Maimon began the day in second overall in a Mitsubishi L200 Strakar, prepared by Mitsubishi Motors Portugal, and were running ahead of Roma and leading the rally outright when the gearbox failed suddenly around 60 km into the stage.

Following the Portuguese driver‘s demise, Roma and De Villiers became locked in a frantic tussle for the fastest time in SS2, with Alphand 26s adrift in third overall after 115 km. Roma gradually pulled a handful of seconds clear of De Villiers, but the South African fought back and was three seconds ahead after 153 km, 23s in front at 168 km and 49s up at 225 km. He eventually finished the stage 41s ahead of Roma and 27s in front of a resurgent Alphand, who set the second fastest time after a late flurry.

The stage was repeated at 14.00 hrs on Saturday afternoon and De Villiers took an overall 32s lead over a tying Roma and Alphand into the special. Benefiting from a clearer track, Roma led his team mate by 24s and De Villiers by 43s at PC1 after 63 km and extended his advantage over De Villiers to 1m 11s and Alphand to 55s at the PC2 point after 143.78 km.

The Spaniard was 53s ahead of De Villiers at the 195.21 km point (PC3) and reached the finish of the stage 45s ahead, to enter the overnight halt with a slender nine-second advantage in the overall classification.

‘This was a short stage on a sprint-type event,” said MMSP’s Team Director Dominique Serieys. “This is not the type of race where you can expect to gain 15 minutes in one stage. I suppose it is a blend of a WRC event and a Cross-Country Rally. Luc took it easy on the first lap, just to find his confidence, but I am quite happy after the first long day with our position.”

Tomorrow (Sunday), the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will tackle two timed runs through a 155.74 km special stage across the border in Spain. A 152.16 km liaison will take crews from the overnight halt in Evora to the Spanish town of Alburquerque, which will also be the location of the service park. After the two timed specials, a 74.66 km liaison will guide teams into the overnight halt at Cåceres.

Positions at end of leg 2 (unofficial):
1. Joan Roma (E)/Henri Magne (AND) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 6h 18m 53s
2. Giniel de Villiers (ZA)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 6h 19m 02s
3. Luc Alphand (F)/Gilles Picard (F) Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution 6h 19m 50s
4. Matthias Kahle (D)/Andreas Schulz (D) Volkswagen Touareg 6h 29m 43s

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team holds first and fourth after opening stage of Transiberico Rally

• Spaniard Roma edges into overall 4.5 second advantage
• Frenchman Alphand handily-placed in fourth overall
• Vodafone Transiberico Rally, May 12th-15th, 2006, 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round three
• Leg 1 - Liaison, 0.50 km, Special 7.43 km, Liaison 36.17 km – Total 44.10 km
• Weather conditions: warm and sunny – 20C-24C

ESTORIL (Portugal) – Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team drivers Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Luc Alphand held first and fourth positions after the opening timed super special stage of the Vodafone Transiberico Rally, round three of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, today (Friday).

Spaniard Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne tackled the stage behind team mate Alphand and South African Giniel de Villiers and set the fastest time of the day to edge into an 4.5-second lead after the opening leg of the event.

“I was surprised to discover that I had won the stage today,” said a delighted Roma. “I have this problem that I never know when I have driven really fast or not. I know when I feel good and make no mistakes, but when the track is narrow and slow, like today, it is not easy to judge your pace.

“Last year Mitsubishi had an advantage on this type of rally, but each of our rivals have upped their level over the last months and all the top drivers are now very closely matched. That means speeds have increased and we are driving at a higher level. When you make mistakes at this level, the team pays in cash! Mitsubishi and Volkswagen discovered that in Tunisia. We must make sure that we are fast, but also driving at a safe level.”

Frenchman Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard headed the 87-car international entry into today’s stage across military land, near Mafra, north of Estoril, and set the fourth fastest time of 6m 56s in a second Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution.

“Today was just a matter of getting back into the car after the accident in Tunisia and getting the confidence back,” said Alphand. “I am quite happy to be fourth. I did not want to lead the way tomorrow. We opened the stage today and it is never easy being the first car on to the track when you sweep the road.

“This event will be totally different to when we won in Portalegre last year. It will be very difficult to pass on some of the stages we will face over the next three days and everyone wanted a good starting position for Saturday. Rain and mud will not be a factor here, as it was last October, but dust could be a major problem if you find yourself behind a slower car. I am pleased to be behind Giniel on Saturday. We have a similar pace.”

Recent Rally of Portugal winner and local national champion Armindo Araújo teamed up with regular MMSP team co-driver Pascal Maimon to tackle the event in a Mitsubishi L200 Pick-Up, built and run on the event by Mitsubishi Motors Portugal. The pair set the second fastest time behind Roma to hold a fine second position after the opening timed special stage.

Tomorrow (Saturday), the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team will tackle the longest competitive leg of the rally, 517.64 timed kilometers, comprising two runs through a 258.82 km selective section between Mora and Evora. Road liaison sections will take teams from Estoril to Mora and on to the overnight halt in Evora, while servicing will be centralised in Mora.

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team enters Alphand and ’Nani’ Roma in new-look Transiberico Rally

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team enters Alphand and ’Nani’ Roma in new-look Transiberico Rally

• Japanese manufacturer aims to continue unbeaten start to 2006 season
• Alphand aims for third win of the year; Roma determined on home soil
• Transiberico Rally, May 12th-15th, 2006
• 2006 FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup, round three
  

PONT-DE-VAUX (France) – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will be bidding to continue its unbeaten start to the 2006 season, when the French pairing of Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard team up with Spaniard Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne to tackle the Transiberico Rally on May 12th-15th, 2006.
Both crews will drive MPR12 versions of Mitsubishi’s Pajero/Montero Evolution on this third round of the FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup. Alphand and Picard were fighting for the lead in the recent Rally of Tunisia, when they made an uncharacteristic mistake and Alphand rolled the car into retirement. But the defending Dakar Rally champions are determined to return to winning ways in Europe after taking victories in Dakar and South America this season.

“This event will not be easy, but it offers me an excellent opportunity to get back into winning ways after the setback in Tunisia,” said Alphand, the joint leader of this year’s FIA Cross-Country Rally Drivers’ Championship with Mitsubishi team mate Stéphane Peterhansel. “I am looking forward to competing here. I won the Baja Spain a few years ago and Gilles and I won the Baja Portalegre in Portugal last October, so we have a proven record on this type of terrain.”

Roma and Magne last competed for Mitsubishi to take second overall in the Patagonia-Atacama Rally back in March, but they have a good track record together in a relatively short space of time and won last summer’s Baja Spain – their first win as a partnership for the Mitsubishi team - over similar special stages to those they will face in the Transiberico Rally.

They are both brimming with confidence and relishing the prospect of taking a second win together so close to home. Roma is determined to maintain his progress on four-wheels since switching from a triumphant career on a motorcycle, while Magne is one of the most experienced co-drivers in cross-country rallying and won the Baja Vodafone Portugal in 2003 and 2004 and finished third back in 2001.

‘We have made a very good winning start to this season and I have every confidence that we can win again on the Transiberico Rally,” said MMSP’s Team Director Dominique Serieys. “We proved in Tunisia that we still have the competitive edge over our rivals, but everyone is improving all the time and we need to continue our momentum this season if we are to be successful on the Dakar Rally in 2007.”

The new-look Transiberico Rally ran for the first time in 2005 and is organised by Club Aventura. Like its predecessor, the Baja Vodafone Portugal, the event uses remote rural farm tracks, forests, several river crossings and hilly terrain in Portugal and a new route in Spain.

Mitsubishi has been the most successful manufacturer in recent seasons on the Baja Portugal, with Lisbon’s Carlos Sousa taking victory for the Japanese manufacturer on five occasions between 1999 and 2004. Last year’s inaugural Transiberico Rally was won by Filipe Campos in a Nissan.

This year’s new-look Transiberico Rally will be held in Portugal and Spain and consists of 1,200 km of special stages in a 2,000 km route. After scrutineering and documentation at the Estoril race circuit, near Lisbon, on Thursday, May 11th, teams will tackle a timed ‘super special’ stage at Mafra, 30 km from the circuit, on Friday, May 12th.

Leg two – the first of three further punishing legs in Portugal and Spain - will begin on Saturday, May 13th, after a 140 km road liaison section between Estoril and Mora. The leg will be made up of two runs through a 250 km special stage. Both specials will be split by a refuelling, servicing and a regrouping halt. Following the second stage an 80 km liaison will take teams to the overnight halt in Evora.

Leg three, on Sunday, May 14th, runs between Evora and the Spanish heritage city of Cåceres and will also offer a pair of 200 km special stages after a 130 km road liaison into Spain. The fourth and final leg on Monday, May 15th begins with a 130 km road section back into Portugal and includes two special stages near the town of Castelo Branco. A 250 km road section will take teams back to Estoril on Monday evening.

Peterhansel clinches 3rd victory for Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart in Rally of Tunisia

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team driver Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret clinched their third victory in the Optic 2000 Rally of Tunisia. The victory was the team’s 19th win out of 21 starts with the Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution – only defeats in Morocco in 2004 and South America’s Patagonia-Atacama Rally last March have blotted a clean sweep of international rally wins.

Peterhansel’s success marked Mitsubishi’s fourth win in Tunisia in the last five years and the Japanese manufacturer’s eighth triumph on the event since Frenchman Jean Da Silva’s first win back in 1987. Peterhansel and Cottret won the event together in 2002 and 2004 and ’Peter’ was twice a winner on factory motorcycles in 1990 and 1994.

The result also means that Stéphane Peterhansel joins his Mitsubishi team mate Luc Alphand at the head of the driver’s points standings in this year’s FIA Cross-Country Rally World Cup. Alphand claimed 15 points for his victory in last month’s Patagonia-Atacama Rally. Peterhansel’s winning margin over Volkswagen’s Giniel de Villiers was 7m 13s, with third-placed Jean-Louis Schlesser 15m 33s adrift.