Peterhansel wins Shamrock Rally 09 with BMW X-Raid

30^th October 2009, Day 2

STÉPHANE PETERHANSEL CLINCHES VICTORY IN SHAMROCK RALLY 2009

The final stage of the race was just one loop with 182 kilometers and varied tracks, sometimes fast with many undulations. Leonid Novitskiy and Andreas Schulz finished first, two minutes ahead of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret.

With an excellent performance during the whole rally Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret won the Morocco Rally. The X-raid team tested different options for the drivers throughout the race to find the perfect setting for the Dakar in January. “First of all I am very happy about the victory but it is also important to know that the car is now ready for Dakar” said Peterhansel. “It was a good decision to participate in the Shamrock rally and drive the car once more under race conditions. We made a test in September in Morocco but a race is always a different situation, consequently I am glad that everything works perfect and we did not have any technical problem.”

07 Dakar Leg 6 Report

MIXED FORTUNES FOR TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART ON LONGEST DAY OF THE 29TH DAKAR RALLY

11 January 2007
Tan Tan - Zouérat
Liaison 423kms / SS 394kms
Total 817kms

The longest day of this year’s Dakar Rally – a tiring 817km section between Tan Tan in southern Morocco and Zouérat in north-western Mauritania – offered mixed fortunes for Team Repsol Misubishi Ralliart. Team drivers Luc Alphand, Stéphane Peterhansel, Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Hiroshi Masuoka now hold fourth, fifth, seventh and ninth places in the overall standings.


Stephane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret

Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret were the leading Mitsubishi crew through the first passage control in sixth position and finished the stage a mere 32 seconds behind the overall rally leader Carlos Sainz in fourth place. The French duo will now start the subsequent special into Atar, 25m 03s behind the Spaniard and in fifth position overall.

"My stage time was not so bad," said Peterhansel. "The stage was so fast. We did 157km in the first hour! We are not as fast as some of the other cars on the high-speed sections. I hope now the race has entered Mauritania we have some big dunes. Maybe this is my opportunity to take some time back. For the last two years tomorrow’s stage has been good for Mitsubishi, but we do not know where the route will go, so we must wait and see."

Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard were classified eighth through the first passage control and eventually finished the stage in seventh position. They now hold fourth in the overall standings.


Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard

"We must have spent three quarters of the stage absolutely flat out," admitted Alphand. "I really tried hard in the camel grass and I still lost two minutes to Stéphane by the first passage control. Maybe my tire pressure was slightly under the ideal setting. The last part of the stage was a sandy track, with some camel grass and small dunes. I just have to keep up my pace and try again tomorrow. The others are really pushing."


Joan ’Nani’ Roma/Lucas Cruz

Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Lucas Cruz began the stage as the leading Mitsubishi crew in fourth place and were 10th through the first passage control, but they lost over 20 minutes through the latter sections; four minutes to assist at the scene of the accident involving Guerlain Chicherit’s BMW X3CC and further vital minutes attempting to change a flat tire. Roma now holds seventh overall.

"At about 204km we stopped to help at the scene of the Chicherit accident for about four minutes," said co-driver Lucas Cruz. "Then we passed Mark Miller and Carlos Sousa, but we had to stop with a flat right tire. We tried to change the wheel, but it took a lot longer than we hoped and we lost more time than usual for a flat tire."


Hiroshi Masuoka/Pascal Maimon

Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon lost 35 minutes before the first passage control after stopping 60km into the stage to affect emergency repairs to their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution, which had suffered clutch problems.

"Everything was going very well," said Masuoka. "Then we had a problem with the clutch and we had to stop and change it in the stage."

"We limited the difference between us, the VWs and the Buggies in today’s stage and that was the priority," said MMSP’s Managing and Sporting Director Dominique Serieys. "’Nani’ lost some time stopping to help Guerlain and then he had a flat tire, Hiroshi was delayed, but Stéphane and Luc did a good job. The average speeds were so high today.

"For nearly 400km, it took less than three hours for the leading cars. Now we must look ahead to tomorrow and the stage into Atar. It is not the same stage as last year and passes the right side of Atar. You never know what the weather conditions will be, but it is a new day and I hope that we can get some time back to organize a nice fight for the remainder of the race into Dakar."

China’s Lui Bin climbs up to 44th overall in Dakar Rally

Thailand’s Pornsiriched back on the pace after delays into Tan Tan


Lui Bin/Serge Henninot

China’s Lui Bin and French co-driver Serge Henninot began the stage between Tan Tan and Zouerat in 50th in the overall standings and 58th on the stage. They were 68th at the first passage control, but the Chinese drove in a safe and professional manner over the closing kilometres to clinch the 56th fastest time. He now holds 44th overall and climbed six places in the rankings today.

"We are taking each day at a time," said Lui Bin. "Today was very fast and quite easy for the co-driver. It was a holiday for him before we start in the dunes tomorrow. No problems with the car today. I go back to school in the sand dunes in the morning!"


Mana Pornsiriched/Jean Brucy

Thailand’s Mana Pornsiriched and French co-driver Jean Brucy began the sixth stage from Tan Tan to Zouerat in 78th overall and 139th position on the road after losing time into the final Moroccan bivouac with a broken front axle. But the Thai driver was in superb form in his rebuilt car and was classified 53rd overall at the first passage control on the high-speed stage after starting at the rear of the field this morning. He went on to finish in 49th place.

"I passed about 40 cars today on the stage," said Pornsiriched. "Tomorrow we can expect many sand dunes. Just to arrive in Atar in a good position will be a good day for us."

"Today was merely an aperitif for the sand dunes in the morning," joked co-driver Brucy.

Japan’s Yoshio Ikemachi began the stage out of Tan Tan in 44th position. He had climbed to 39th overall at the first passage control and completed the section in 36th place in his Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. He now lies 28th, immediately ahead of Germany’s former Dakar winner Jutta Kleinschmidt in the overall standings.

Brazilian Klever Kolberg finished the stage in 24th place and now holds 54th position in the overall rankings in his Tibau Team-run Mitsubishis.

Tomorrow (Friday), Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will tackle the first of the very difficult Dakar special stages between Zouérat and the rest day location at Atar. The 542km special begins just four kilometres from the overnight halt and is the longest of the event so far. It finishes in Atar after a short 34km liaison section.

The day marks the first of the treacherous Mauritanian dune crossings, the incentive to reach the finish being the onset of the rest day on Saturday. The stage loops its way around Choûm before heading south-west of Atar and returning on sandy tracks between Akjoujt and Ain Attaya.

07 Dakar Leg 5 Report

TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART HEAD TOWARDS MAURITANIA IN 4TH, 5TH, 7TH AND 8TH PLACES IN DAKAR RALLY

10 January 2007
Ouarzazata - Tan Tan
Liaison 443kms / SS 325kms
Total 768kms

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart completed the third and final Moroccan special stage of the 29th Dakar Rally handily-placed to mount a major challenge on their leading rivals, as the event heads across the border into the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on Thursday morning.


Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret

Twice former winners Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret set the second fastest time, a mere 30 seconds behind the stage winner and overall rally leader Carlos Sainz, after 325km of high-speed driving through a wide variety of punishing roads. The French duo’s performance duly pushed them up to seventh position in the overall standings.

"I feel better with our performance today, but it was not easy to set a fast time, starting 10th on the road this morning," said Peterhansel. "There were many stones and it was easy to get a puncture. My time was not my best, but it was easy to lose time and I slowed down. Tomorrow’s stage is very fast and it will not be easy to gain too much time."


Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard

Team mates Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard and Joan ’Nani’ Roma/Lucas Cruz set the fourth and fifth fastest times in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolutions and reached the Tan Tan bivouac, classified fifth and fourth respectively, in the overall results.

"We had a puncture and when we changed the wheel a pin broke in the lid of the rear hatch and we had to stop again," said Alphand. "This cost us two minutes for repairs, so I lost three minutes for the wheel and two minutes for the pin. It was another frustrating day. Our pace is good, but we do not have the luck at the moment. Every day we are stopping for small things. If we lose five minutes every day it will not be possible to win the Dakar. Our luck needs to change."


Joan Roma/Lucas Cruz Senra

"It was a long day and it was not easy," said Roma. "It was a technical stage and I had a puncture after 12km. I had to stop in one place and it was not good. Giniel passed me. The stage passed near where I had the accident on the Rally of Morocco in June and that was never going to be easy. I just had to concentrate. I am a little further behind than I would have liked and made a mistake with the flat tyre, but tomorrow is the start of a new race in Mauritania. The target is to reach Dakar, but it is not going to be easy to win. It is very hard this year."


Hiroshi Masuoka/Pascal Maimon

Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon were well-placed at the first passage control, but lost over 10 minutes with three punctures. Masuoka, winner of the event in 2002 and 2003 and taking part in his 20th Dakar Rally this year, completed the stage in 10th place, albeit 12m 30s behind the overall rally leader. He now holds eighth in the overall classification, but is still close enough to the leaders to mount a serious challenge in Mauritania.

"We had a flat rear tire at 20km and then we had two more rear punctures in the next 120km," said Masuoka. "I could not understand why. I touched no rocks and then we had a flat. I was very careful after that and we still had two flat tires. I was scared then because I had no spare wheels left. If I had one more flat tire I would have been in trouble.

"We would have needed to wait for the assistance truck and that could have meant losing four or five hours. It was not good for my heart, the thought of getting another flat tire. But we were lucky and only dropped 10 minutes."

Today’s special stage crossed sinuous mountain roads between the first and second passage controls and this route gave way to broken rocky tracks damaged by adverse weather conditions and fast roads with many treacherous wadis and ditches to catch out the unaware.

"Punctures were not the real issue today," said MMSP’s Managing and Sporting Director Dominique Serieys. "Stephane, Luc and ’Nani’ did a good job, even with two punctures for Luc and ’Nani’. In two days’ time we will do another check and see if we are still losing time or whether we are wrong in our strategy. Three or four days in Mauritania will be very tough. Maybe we will be talking about differences of 30 minutes per day in a few days…"

China’s Lui Bin climbs back into the top 50 in Tan Tan

Thailand’s Pornsiriched breaks front axle and loses over three hours


Lui Bin/Serge Henninot

China’s Lui Bin and French co-driver Serge Henninot began the stage between Ouarzazate and Tan Tan in 52nd overall and were soon into a consistent pace, holding 47th and 53rd through the first two passage controls in the stage in their Ralliart Inc-run Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution. They finished the stage in 58th position and now hold 50th in the overall standings, rising two places on the longest day of the event so far.

"It was a good day," said Lui Bin. "The car was repaired perfectly after yesterday. I enjoyed the driving. Nothing mechanical went wrong today and the working relationship with my co-driver is fantastic. But, at the end of the stage, one very fast car overtook me and a big stone smashed my windscreen."


Mana Pornsiriched/Jean Brucy

Thailand’s Mana Pornsiriched and French co-driver Jean Brucy began the final Moroccan stage in 42nd place in their Mitsubishi L200 Triton. The Thai driver was 32nd quickest through the first passage control, but suffered problems soon afterwards and lost over three hours. He passed the third passage control in 143rd position after striking a rock at speed and breaking the front axle. Mana finished the stage in 8h 12m.

Japan’s Yoshio Ikemachi began the stage into Tan Tan in 30th position in the overall standings and finished the stage in 42nd position and slipped to 32nd place. "I had a punctuyre on the left front," said the Japanese. "No problems at all after that and it was a good day for us. I will try to continue at this pace for the next few days in Mauritania. If I continue like this, I will be very happy."

Russian Alexey Berkut and Brazilian Klever Kolberg finished the stage in 20th and 24th places and now hold 18th and 68th positions in the overall rankings in their Tibau Team-run Mitsubishis.

Tomorrow (Thursday) is the longest day of the entire rally in terms of combined liaison and special stage distances. A daunting 414km liaison steers teams from Tan Tan, through the southern extremities of Morocco and across the border into the Islamic Republic of Mauritania via the Moroccan town of Smara.

The road liaison continued into Mauritania to the settlement at Bir Mogrein and the start of a 394km special stage which finishes a mere nine kilometres from the iron ore mining town of Zouérat. The special offers a combination of fast tracks, camel grass and twisty roads along the westernmost terrain in Mauritania and is commonly considered to be the toughest test faced by teams in the 2007 Dakar Rally so far.





-MMSP

07 Dakar Leg 4 Report

TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART TEAM MAINTAINS PRESSURE AFTER SECOND PUNISHING MOROCCAN STAGE

09 January 2007
Er Rachidia - Ouarzazata
Liaison 274kms / SS 405kms
Total 679kms

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart maintained the pressure on their main rivals after a punishing 405km special stage through the heart of Morocco between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate on Tuesday.


Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard

Team drivers Joan Roma, Hiroshi Masuoka and Luc Alphand now hold fourth, fifth and sixth in the overall standings, although team mate Stéphane Peterhansel lost a potential stage win with minor clutch problems and slipped to ninth overall.


Joan 'Nani' Roma/Lucas Cruz

Roma and co-driver Lucas Cruz began the day in seventh place and were running fourth through PC2, before reaching the stage finish in third position behind stage winner Jean-Louis Schlesser and rally leader Carlos Sainz. The Spaniards duly climbed the leaderboard into fourth place.

"Every day is different and it was not so bad for me today," said Roma. "There was a lot of dust. I was behind Schlesser and we had some problems finding the way, but it is okay, nothing too serious. Tomorrow’s stage will not be easy through the mountains. For me, the difficult stages start on Thursday. It is important not to make any mistakes."

Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret began the stage third on the track behind rivals Sainz and Giniel de Villiers, but the French duo were in sparkling form over familiar terrain and were the first car to reach the second passage control in just over three hours, 8m 19s ahead of Sainz - the overnight rally leader - although Schlesser was in the fastest car at that point.

The twice former winners looked set for a top stage finish and the outright rally lead, until they got stuck in soft sand in a series of tricky sand dunes. After extricating the car from the sand they experienced clutch problems and were forced to stop and make emergency repairs. A clutch replacement was carried out swiftly and the crew dropped a total of 25 minutes, but slipped from fourth to ninth in the overall standings.


Stephane Peterhansel/Jean Paul Cottret

"I never really seem to have much luck in Morocco," said Peterhansel. "And I don’t know why…At the beginning it was a good stage, but we got stuck 300 metres from the end of some small dunes, three times, and we burned out the clutch. Two kilometres later we decided to change the clutch and this cost us around 25 minutes. Before that I passed Carlos (Sainz) when he lost his way and Giniel - when we stopped to clean some debris the front of his car - so I know that we have the pace and the car to beat our rivals in this race.

"The design of our clutch is so important. I remember last year, when Carlos Sainz burned his clutch, it took three or four hours to change it and it only took Jean-Paul and I 25 minutes today. Things like this make a major difference on an event like the Dakar."

MMSP’s Technical Director Thierry Viardot explained why it is much quicker for a Mitsubishi team member to change a damaged clutch than a rival team. "On a normal car the clutch is between the engine and the gearbox, but in the Mitsubishi Evolution the clutch is designed outside the gearbox so that it can be changed quickly. Its quick-fit shape is designed for days like today. Without this technology you lose your chance of taking a possible victory."


Hiroshi Masuoka/Pascal Maimon

Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon were running sixth on the stage at PC2 and finished the section in fifth place in a third Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution. The Japanese duly moved up to fifth overall, despite sustaining two flat tires.

"Two punctures today, one about 90km from the start and one near the finish," said Masuoka. "It was a difficult stage. There were two moments when I had big landings over jumps. I needed to be careful. We stopped to change the first tire and ’Nani’ and Schlesser came passed. Then they lost their way and we passed them again. It was quite funny."

Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard were fifth through PC2 and arrived at the stage finish in seventh position. The defending champions now hold sixth place in the general classification.

"It was more difficult than we thought today," said Alphand. "The dunes at Merzouga are easier than they used to be, but there was some camel grass, more sand dunes and some big holes on the stage. With the navigation and the fesh-fesh, it was a varied and difficult stage. We did not have a clean run.

"I hit a rock and we had a puncture and we had another small navigation problem, so it was not possible to be clean today. The bikes made a good path through the dunes, but the tracks before were more difficult. Tomorrow, we need to make no mistakes. We are suffering at the moment, but the positive is no problems at all with the car."

Today’s special offered a fine balance of fast tracks, rocky roads and sand dunes and was a far cry from the chilly night most of Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart had spent at the Er Rachidia bivouac, where external temperatures plunged to just above zero.

"We had some ups and downs today, but that is the nature of the Dakar," said MMSP’s Managing and Sporting Director Dominique Serieys. "Stéphane did a very good job to change the clutch so quickly. It was not so bad. We have three cars in close contention and we will continue the same way. This is a long race. When we reach Mauritania, we are not talking about losing five or 10 minutes, we are talking about losing many more minutes with problems. Then we will see what happens."

"We had good news early this morning and then I heard about Stéphane’s problems so it was a mixed day," said MMSP President Isao Torii. "Our rivals have improved since last year, but I still feel that we have the advantage on twisty roads and with our experience. I have no negative feelings at the moment. We have plenty of hard stages to make up the time."

Thailand’s Pornsiriched gets stuck twice but climbs to 42nd overall

Broken suspension pushes China’s Lui Bin back to 52nd position


Mana Pornsiriched/Jean Brucy

Thailand’s Mana Pornsiriched and French co-driver Jean Brucy began the second African stage in 52nd overall and were the 30th quickest crew through the first passage control on today’s 405km stage in their Mitsubishi L200 Triton. They eventually reached the finish in 44th place and climbed up the leaderboard to 42nd place.

"I got stuck on two occasions in the sand today, but I did not panic and I reached the finish without a big time delay," said Pornsiriched. "I am gaining more experience all the time and that is important."


Lui Bin/Serge Henninot

China’s Lui Bin and French co-driver Serge Henninot began this morning’s special into Ouarzazate in 44th position in the overall classification and were running 40th through the first passage control in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. They were delayed through the closing kilometres and eventually finished the stage in 66th position to hold 52nd overall.

"I started well today and had no problems in the sand dunes," said Lui Bin. "But, unfortunately, I broke the rear suspension at 250km and we had to stop and change some parts and that cost us about 40 minutes. It was a shame to break the suspension, because it would have been a good day."

Japan’s Yoshio Ikemachi now holds 30th position in the overall standings after reaching the stage finish in 29th place. "I am enjoying the rally very much," said the Japanese. "Today we came upon the first dunes. I deflated my tyres to one bar pressure and I was okay. I passed several cars stuck in the sand, but it was good experience for me before we reach Mauritania. I will drive carefully into Tan Tan."

Russian Tibau Team driver Boris Bukatov rolled his Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero before the first passage control in today’s stage after leaving the start in 126th position.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) marks the final special stage in Morocco and a punishing 768km section through the heart of the country from Ouarzazate to the southerly coastal town of Tan Tan. A 164km liaison takes teams to the start of the 325km special stage, before a tiring 279km liaison to Tan Tan.

The region is well known to regular competitors on the Dakar and Morocco rallies, but the Dakar organizers, the ASO, insist that this year’s special offers a balance of sinuous tracks through the Anti-Atlas mountain range and fast stony terrain to a finish to the east of Bouizakarne.





-MMSP

07 Dakar Leg 3 Report

PETERHANSEL UP TO FOURTH AS ALL FOUR TEAM REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART CARS SURGE INTO TOP EIGHT

08 January 2007
Nador - Er Rachidia
Liaison 396kms / SS 252kms
Total 648kms

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart drivers Stéphane Peterhansel, Luc Alphand, Hiroshi Masuoka and Joan ’Nani’ Roma completed the 252 km special between Nador and Er Rachidia in Morocco in third, fourth, seventh and eighth places on Monday. They will now start the fourth special stage of the 29th Dakar Rally on Tuesday morning with all four cars inside the top eight in the overall classification.

The Mitsubishi quartet had begun the first day of the race in Africa in fourth, fifth, eighth and 12th positions and now hold fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth overall, as they continue to apply the pressure on early rally leaders Carlos Sainz, Giniel de Villiers and Carlos Sousa from the rival Volkswagen team.


Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret

Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret were the fastest of the Mitsubishi crews on today’s stage, the French pair pipping defending champions and team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard by 24 seconds in bright, sunny conditions in North Africa.

"It was not easy at all," said Peterhansel. "The stage was not so long, but very hard. There was a lot of dust. Maybe we passed more than 100 bikes and that means you need to take care. I took no risks. I prefer not to open the stage in the morning, so I have a good position now. We know the beginning of the stage well, but it will be a long day. Normally in Morocco the stages are around 300km, but this will be much longer."


Luc Alphand/Gilles Picard

Alphand began the stage behind Spaniard Carlos Sainz and team mates Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Lucas Cruz. Alphand lost a couple of minutes to his rivals before the first passage control, but maintained a measured pace over the closing kilometres to secure the fourth fastest time and move up four places in the overall standings.

"I started quite slowly, because I did not want to get a puncture," said Alphand. "Over the first 25km there were some big rocks and maybe we drove a little too slowly. There was lots of dust and too many bikes to overtake. Afterwards we finished much better. There were a couple of tiny diversions on two parallel tracks, but nothing too serious."


Hiroshi Masuoka/Pascal Maimon

Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon began brightly this morning and were running fastest on the road in the early kilometres, before slipping behind Sainz and De Villiers. They were the fastest of the Mitsubishi crews at the first passage control, 28 seconds ahead of Roma and Cruz, but eventually finished the special in seventh position after damaging the power-assisted steering while overtaking a motorcycle competitor in dusty conditions on a rock-lined track 90km from the stage finish.

"Ninety kilometres before the finish there were four bikes and one quad in a wadi, with a lot of dust," said Masuoka. "We touched a big stone and damaged the power steering. It was very difficult to finish the stage."


Joan ’Nani’ Roma/Lucas Cruz

Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Mitsubishi team debutant Lucas Cruz were the second crew on the stage this morning in a fourth Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution, but a puncture cost them over six minutes and the crew slipped to seventh in the overall rankings after the passage control.

"Not so good today," said Roma. "I had two punctures and a shock absorber problem. The jack was not working properly and we had to change the wheel manually. I expected to be around 15th at the end of the stage, so eighth was okay, because I lost my concentration a little after the punctures and the delays cost me six minutes It was frustrating."

"It is a nice feeling to finish my first African special stage with Mitsubishi," said co-driver Lucas Cruz. "But it was not easy. It was difficult to take the right road. There were many junctions and parallel pistes.

"We know that Volkswagen are pushing, but the rally has started in a similar fashion to last year," said MMSP’s Managing and Sporting Director Dominique Serieys. "Last year Stéphane lost some minutes with illness and a puncture and ’Nani’ had the puncture today. There are three days in Morocco and it appears each of the teams have a different strategy. Hiroshi was very fast this morning. That is very pleasing.

"We know that this area of Morocco is not to our advantage. The higher altitude in the mountains seems to suit the Volkswagens better. The leading VWs will need to open the track tomorrow, so we will bide our time and be patient. In Tan Tan, last year, Stéphane was some way behind and it all changed in Mauritania. We will keep calm and look at the situation very carefully in Atar on the rest day next Saturday."

China’s Lui Bin climbs to 44th with 32nd fastest time

Thailand’s Pornsiriched leaps to 52nd overall

China’s Lui Bin and French co-driver Serge Henninot held 64th place at the start of the first African stage in their Ralliart Inc-supported Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero and were running as the 32nd fastest crew through the opening passage control and maintained that position to the end of the special stage.

"We made up quite a few places yesterday and did the same today," said Lui Bin, who now lies 44th overall in the 29th Dakar Rally after gaining 20 places on the first Africa stage this afternoon. "I know this kind of car very well for four years in China. Now I must learn to drive the car cleanly in the desert. Tomorrow I will try and make up some places, without risks, and reach the real desert."

Co-driver Henninot was upbeat: "Today was good fun and very fast, but also quite dangerous. This was the first real lesson of Africa for Lui Bin. I have to brief him to adapt to Africa and not drive so fast. He has good skills, but he needs to be careful.""


Mana Pornsiriched/Jean Brucy

Thailand’s Mana Pornsiriched and French co-driver Jean Brucy began the opening African stage in 79th overall and were 41st through the opening passage control, before slipping back to 39th at the stage finish. But their excellent performance lifted the Mitsubishi L200 Triton team to 52nd overall after leg three

"I had a flat tire on the stage, about five kilometres after the start, when we hit a rock in the dust," said Pornsiriched. "But I am enjoying the rally very much. Tomorrow is much longer, so I will drive only at 50% on the stage."

Japan’s Yoshio Ikemachi finished the stage in 41st place and now holds a similar position in the overall standings. "I had a puncture on the rear right after 180km. I was in the dust from the bikes and when I overtake I hit a stone. I must learn more about diesel engine driving. I found many tricky wadis today. They were not easy."

Brazilian Klever Kolberg suffered a driveshaft failure and one broken suspension knuckle, according to assistant team manager Angelo Das Sujit. "Klever was waiting for the T4 truck to stop and help him. They reached the car, gave him the parts and then he was on his way again to the end of the stage." Kolberg rolled his Mitsubishi on the second Portuguese stage on Sunday.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) marks the second special stage in Africa between Er Rachidia and the tourist town of Ouarzazate. A 96km liaison takes teams to the beginning of the gruelling 405km special – the longest timed section in Morocco – and a 178km liaison steers crews into the bivouac.

The second Morocco stage features several sections used in the past by teams for testing, including sand dunes and numerous rutted and pot-holed roads. The stage starts near Erfoud – the base for Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart during two test sessions in July and September last year – and skirts Rissani, before heading south of Zagora to a finish near Foum-Zguid.





-MMSP