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STAGE REPORTS: STAGE 1-11

STAGE 12-15

STAGE 11 of 15 REPORT, JAN 11, 2006

MITSUBISHI: PETERHANSEL SEES OVERALL DAKAR RALLY LEAD PEGGED BACK

BAMAKO, Mali – Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team driver Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret saw their overall lead in the 28th Dakar Rally trimmed to 25m 09s after the 231 kms, 11th special stage between Kayes and Bamako in the Republic of Mali, today (Wednesday). The French pair lost 19 minutes with a navigational error before the first passage control.
Team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard began the day’s stage in 15th position on the road, after hitting a tree on Tuesday, and set the third fastest time in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution, behind stage winner Giniel de Villiers and Frenchman Bruno Saby. Alphand duly trimmed 14m 55s from his team mate’s overall advantage, although Peterhansel remains 42m 19s ahead of stage winner De Villiers in the overall standings.
"It was a bad day," admitted Peterhansel. "There was a small track and we went the wrong way for four kilometers and then came back the wrong way for another four kilometers. Then we found the correct track, but we were in the thick dust behind Carlos Sousa. I used the horn, but we followed behind him for over 120 kms. Luc started 15th today and had a good time, so maybe we will not lose too much time in the dust tomorrow."
"I made my mistake yesterday and there will be no more risks from my side over the next few days," said Alphand. "I think that Giniel is playing his last joker with the speed he drove at today. That is not a pace safe enough to reach Dakar. Tomorrow I will try and catch Bruno Saby’s dust and try and pass without risks, but it could be an interesting day..."
Spaniard Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne also fell foul of a similar navigational mistake before the first passage control and arrived in Bamako with the 13th fastest time. But main rival Jutta Kleinschmidt crashed into a hole, cannoned into a tree and damaged her steering and suspension and Roma found himself in an unchallenged fourth place in the overall classification, as teams prepared for Thursday’s Marathon stage into Guinea.
I saw Stéphane’s car and he took a track to the left," said Roma. "He doubled back and we followed and then he turned again. I followed him for about six kilometers and then we realised our mistake. The road book was very vague. It was our team’s mistake, but the book was so confusing. After that we were just driving in dust. It was too dangerous to take risks."
"We must congratulate Giniel de Villiers today on his great stage win," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "He proved that he is a very talented driver and a potential winner of the Dakar Rally in the future. Two of our drivers lost some time today, but we remain in a strong position and Stéphane and Luc will try and maintain a safe pace for the last few days."
Tomorrow (Thursday) teams leave the hustle and bustle of Bamako for a visit to the Republic of Guinea for the first time since 1996. A 197 kms road liaison section through western Mali is followed by a 368 kms competitive stage into the heart of Guinea to a finish near Dabola.
The stage crosses fords and narrow tracks replace fast laterite piste. There is the added risk of damaging the car with no assistance vehicles or service permitted at the overnight halt in Labé, which will be reached by a tiring and hazardous 307 kms road liaison.

STAGE 10 of 15 REPORT, JAN 10, 2006

MITSUBISHI: PETERHANSEL EXTENDS OVERALL DAKAR RALLY LEAD TO 40 MINUTES

KAYES, Mali – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team maintained the overall lead in the 28th Dakar Rally, after the 10th timed special stage between Kiffa in Mauritania and Kayes in Mali on Tuesday.
Overnight leaders and defending champions Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret completed the varied 283 kms special in third position and extended their advantage over second-placed team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard to 40m 04s. Their nearest non-Mitsubishi rivals is the third-placed South African Giniel de Villiers, 1h 03m 17s adrift.
But team mates Alphand and Picard, who had begun the stage a mere 9m 16s behind the leaders, hit a tree and damaged a front right wheel on their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution at the 228 kms point. Co-driver Picard made emergency repairs, but the crew lost around half an hour in the incident. Spaniard Carlos Sainz set the fastest time into Kayes - his fourth stage win of the event.
"It was not an easy stage at all," admitted Peterhansel. "Between the trees and the rocks it was very slow. It was not easy to open the road, even though it was a short stage. We had no problems with the car. It was so technical, turning in tight situations. It was difficult to find a rhythm."
Alphand was fortunate to maintain his second position in the overall standings after today’s collision, but the Frenchman was also annoyed with himself for yesterday’s delays.
"I was angry with myself for making a mistake on yesterday’s stage," said Alphand. "I got stuck and used the jack, but the jack lock was not fastened securely and we had to keep stopping to put it away again. It cost me so much time. I was trying to keep in touch with Stéphane and then I found myself nine minutes behind."
Spaniard Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne began the day in fourth place in the third Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution and beat Peterhansel and Cottret by 50 seconds into the Kayes bivouac by setting the third fastest time. Roma moved further clear of his fourth-placed German rival Jutta Kleinschmidt.
"I stopped to make sure that Luc and Gilles were okay," said Roma. "They had the spare part needed for the wheel, so I carried on. The terrain has changed a lot. We have left the desert behind and now we face new challenges. I drove sensibly and made no mistakes. This race is so long. People said that the race was over after Mauritania. But this is just not true. There is a long way to go."
"Uncertainty is the nature of this race," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "It is never over until you see Dakar. Luc has lost 30 minutes today, so maybe any thoughts of a team order have now been extinguished by Africa! Now I will stress to our drivers to keep their concentration and make no mistakes."
Tomorrow (Wednesday) the route heads south-east across Mali to the bustling and sprawling capital city of Bamako on the banks of the vast muddy waters of the Niger River. After a 50 kms liaison section, the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team tackles a 231 kms special stage and a grueling 424 kms road liaison to the airport campsite on the outskirts of the city.
This year the event skirts the Badinko wildlife reserve and the tricky Baoulé loop and features numerous tricky gravel and off-road tracks with the inherant dangers associated with crossing Black Africa at speed

STAGE 9 of 15 REPORT, JAN 8, 2006

MITSUBISHI: TEAM EXTENDS OVERALL ADVANTAGE ON LAST MAURITANIAN STAGE OF DAKAR RALLY

KIFFA, Mauritania – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team continued to tighten its grip on a potential sixth successive victory in the 28th Dakar Rally, as overnight leaders Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret extended their overall lead in the daunting 599 kms special stage between Nouakchott and Kiffa in Mauritania on Monday.
The pair had led team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard by a mere 32 seconds at the start of what promised to the hardest day of the entire event and had already edged over two and a half minutes further away from their nearest rival Giniel de Villiers after the first passage control at 97 kms.
Peterhansel stopped to change a puncture at the 315 kms point and arrived at the third and final passage control at 428 kms, with his advantage over team mate Alphand pegged back to 3m 38s. The defending champion eventually clinched his third stage win of the event to extend his advantage in the overall standings to a commanding 9m 16s. Mitsubishi’s nearest rival de Villiers now trails Peterhansel by 54m 16s
Today’s stage began near a large dune field to the east of Nouakchott and headed across one of the remotest parts of the Western Sahara to Tamassoumit, before turning in a southerly direction towards a finish near Letfata in the Tagant region, south-west of the former overnight bivouac in Tidjikja.
Spaniard Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne began the stage in fourth overall and fourth on the stage. They lost 25 minutes to the first passage control, but progressed over the remainder of the special to arrive in Kiffa with the fifth fastest time after holding ninth at PC3. But Roma maintained fourth place, albeit 1h 36m 14s behind his leading team mate.
"Now we can say that we performed very well on the three very difficult stages across Mauritania," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "Our position is becoming more comfortable, although you never know in Africa what is around the next corner and we must keep our concentration and make no mistakes. But, for sure, Stéphane and Luc did a very good job today."
Tomorrow (Tuesday) the event resumes with a one-kilometer liaison to the start of a 283 kms special stage across the border into the Republic of Mali. The nature of the terrain begins to change, with dunes and sandy wastelands giving way to savannah, bushland, thicker vegetation and fast laterite piste. The arrival in Black Africa is completed by a 49 kms road liaison section to the bivouac in nearby Kayes.

STAGE 8 of 15 REPORT, JAN 7, 2006

VOLKSWAGEN: Volkswagen in third and fifth at half-way stage

The Volkswagen works team defended third and fifth places at the half- way stage during on one of the most bitterly fought Dakar Rally.
Giniel de Villiers improved from fourth to third on the 568 kilometre eighth stage in the Race Touareg 2. Mark Miller set exactly the same time as new leader Stéphane Peterhansel on his way to being second quickest between Atar and Nouakchott. Jutta Kleinschmidt's and Carlos Sainz's day was a series of setbacks: The former third placed driver lost more than one hour and fell back to fifth place, after she got stuck in sand. Her Spanish team mate Sainz had a clutch problem at the start of the stage and restarted the stage extremely late. Bruno Saby put in an excellent drive after starting 90th; he overtook 80 competitors on the stage which brought him seventh on the day.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport-Director)
"We were hit hard today. Although we are still in the leading group with third and fifth positions the gaps have grown significantly. Mark Miller proved that the Race Touareg 2 is also equally competitive on the most difficult of subsoil with second fastest time."
#301 Bruno Saby (F), 7th place (leg) / 11th position overall
"That was an excellent stage. Despite the number of overtaking manoeuvres we set seventh best time. We had difficulty passing some of the Race-Trucks. We also stopped for Carlos, and another competitor who had rolled."
#303 Jutta Kleinschmidt (D), 11th place (leg) / 5th position overall
"We ground to a halt on a straight and had to use the sand boards to build some sort of road to get out again, which cost us 47 minutes. This was followed up by another two tyre failures. Fabrizia and I are obviously very disappointed."
#305 Giniel de Villiers (RSA), 6th place (leg) / 3rd position overall
"It's amazing to think that we gained a position, because everything went wrong today: Three tyre failures, bogged down once, then we caught up another car, got lost and to cap it all we stopped to clean grass out of the blocked cooler."
#309 Mark Miller (USA), 3rd place (leg) / 8th position overall
"The second best time is incredible, particularly as we drove seven kilometres in the wrong direction together with Giniel! At the start we saw Carlos stationary in a river bed, but the ground was too soft to help him. Later Jutta waved us by, as she had only just freed herself. The final kilometres were great fun."

MITSUBISHI: MITSUBISHI TEAM PRESSES HOME ITS ADVANTAGE INTO REST DAY IN NOUAKCHOTT

NOUAKCHOTT, Mauritania – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team remained firmly on course to defend its Dakar Rally title after the punishing eighth 508 kms special stage between Atar and Nouakchott in Mauritania, today (Saturday).
Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret began the longest stage of the event so far, a mere 3m 43s behind French team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard in the overall standings and the pair were evenly matched to the first passage control at 165 kms, with Alphand holding a slender 20 second advantage.
Through a tricky sea of dunes and engulfing sand to the second passage control at the 371 kms point, both Mitsubishis struggled in dunes at around 240 kms, but regained the piste, only for Alphand to fall behind Peterhansel in subsequent sand dunes at the 285 kms point.
Peterhansel and Cottret duly arrived at the stage finish with a 3m 44s advantage over their colleagues and will take a 32 second overall lead into the fourth and final Mauritanian stage between Nouakchott and Kiffa on Monday.
Their nearest non-Mitsubishi rival is third-placed Giniel de Villers, who lies 26m 16s adrift after eight special stages. Frenchman Thierry Magnaldi won today’s special - his second of the campaign - with American Mark Miller matching Peterhansel’s equal second fastest time.
"I got stuck in the sand and we also had two flat tires," said Peterhansel. "The latter part of the stage was very fast and we reached 196 km/h with a tail wind on this section."
"It was a bad day for me," said Alphand. "I got stuck for about a quarter of an hour and we got lost for a time. It is disappointing to lose four minutes to Stéphane as well."
Spanish Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Henri Magne were classified seventh at the first passage control, but were running third on the road after a tricky waypoint between PCs one and two and eventually finished the stage with the fourth fastest time.
"It was a very difficult stage with a lot of sand and we spent too much time trying to find a difficult waypoint," said Roma. "We spent five or six minutes trying to find this point. But our three cars are here in one piece and some of our rivals have had problems, so we should be very relieved at this point."
"It is only half way to Dakar, but I will not deny that we have had a very positive couple of days," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "But this is the Dakar Rally and anything can happen at any time. We will just keep our focus and maintain our concentration next week and see what develops."
Tomorrow (Sunday) is the official rest day for competitors in this year’s Dakar Rally. While mechanics use the day to refettle battle-worn cars, drivers and co-drivers use the time for well-earned rest and mix with large numbers of VIPs and members of the media who are flown in to visit the Dakar to absorb the atmosphere of the event.

STAGE 7 of 15 REPORT, JAN 6, 2006

MITSUBISHI: PETERHANSEL AND ALPHAND STORM INTO CONTENTION FOR DAKAR VICTORY ON STAGE INTO ATAR

ATAR, Mauritania – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team leapt into contention to retain their Dakar Rally title for the sixth successive time, when Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret set the fastest time on the grueling special stage between Zouérat and Atar in Mauritania and team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard moved into the overall lead after setting the second fastest time, today (Friday).
Peterhansel and Cottret, the defending champions, were fastest through the opening passage control and maintained their momentum through the grueling latter part of the first all-desert stage of this year’s Dakar to leap from ninth to second overall, 3m 12s behind their team mates. It was on the stage between Zouérat and Tichit, 12 months ago to the very day, that Peterhansel had stamped his authority on proceedings in Mauritania and moved into the outright lead.
"It was a very difficult stage with many sand dunes and some camel grass," said Peterhansel. "The emphasis was on good navigation and not getting stuck. I had a puncture and we lost some time inflating and deflating the tires. It was necessary. But it was a very positive day for us."
The French pairing of Alphand and Gilles Picard began the day in fifth place and pushed home the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team’s supremacy in the desert by moving into the overall lead, 5m 58s ahead of their nearest non-Mitsubishi rival Jutta Kleinschmidt, who held third overall.
"It is nice to be in front at the end of the first real desert stage," said Alphand. "But there is a long way to go. I hurt my neck a little and suffered a strain after a heavy landing, but not too serious. I got stuck four times today in total and think we lost around 15 minutes in the camel grass. But I am very happy to have arrived in Atar at this time without serious problems when there are so many teams still in the desert."
Team mates Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Henri Magne were classified 10th through the first passage control and eventually reached the finish of the stage in seventh place to climb to sixth in the unofficial overall standings.
Tomorrow (Saturday) is the final special stage before Sunday’s rest day at the windy coastal city of Nouakchott, Mauritanian’s commercial capital. A 34 kms liaison takes crews south-west from Atar to the start of a 508 kms special across western Mauritania. The stage crosses several canyons and wadis and there are numerous fast sections across a variety of track surfaces. The stage finishes by Ouad Naga, 26 kms east of Nouakchott.

STAGE 6 of 15 REPORT, JAN 5, 2006

MITSUBISHI: REPSOL MITSUBISHI RALLIART TEAM ENTERS ZOUERAT IN FIFTH, NINTH AND TENTH PLACES IN DAKAR RALLY

ZOUERAT, Mauritania – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team completed the first timed special stage in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in fifth, sixth and 12th positions and team drivers Luc Alphand, Stéphane Peterhansel and Joan ’Nani’ Roma now hold fifth, ninth and 10th in the overall classification, today (Thursday).
Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret were the first crew into the stage today, courtesy of their fastest time into Tan Tan, but Peterhansel was aware that the lightweight Buggies would have the advantage on the high-speed piste, which was a feature of the stage in northern Mauritania.
Today’s timed section was duly won by Frenchman Thierry Magnaldi in a Buggy, with Spaniard Carlos Sainz slipping 22 seconds behind South African team mate Giniel de Villiers in the overall classification after six special stages.
"This morning I said that a Buggy could be leading tonight and I was nearly right," said Peterhansel. "It was a very fast stage. We were fine with the navigation, but we did not expect to win the stage today. I will start in sixth place in the morning and I feel that this could give me a little advantage. We will see."
Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard began the day in the final podium place and arrived at Zouérat in fifth position after setting the fifth fastest time. "It was a case of surviving today," said Alphand. "It was not really a stage suited to the strengths of the Mitsubishis. It was interesting to compare our speed with the Volkswagens and now they have the twin turbo engines, there is really very little difference between us in terms of the top speed.
Spaniard Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne were 12th quickest today in the third Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution and now hold 10th place in the overall standings.
"It was not the best of stages for me," said Roma. "I need more experience in the camel grass and the dunes. I followed close behind Mark Miller and lost some time in the dust, but I am happy at the moment. I will keep plugging away and make sure that I make no mistakes. Tomorrow is a hard day and one mistake could cost you 10 minutes and your place in the top group of cars. It is that close at the moment."
Today’s stage finished a mere 12 kms from the steel town of Zouérat. The settlement emerged from the desert in 1962 and became an industrial hub for the nearby iron ore mines at Tazadit.
Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys said: "We crossed the first camel grass and the first dunes and I feel we have arrived in Africa now. We have to push to stay in the group. I feel that our team’s experience and car reliability will be the key to winning this race. Tomorrow we will start in the middle of the leading group and that is great. That will place less of a burden on navigation."
Tomorrow (Friday) the bulk of the day’s action is competitive, with a short 10 kms liaison from Zouérat guiding the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team to the start of the arduous 499 kms special stage into Atar, the former rest day location for the Dakar Rally. This menacing stage features camel grass, tricky navigation, stony plateaux and many kilometers of testing dunes and latent sand traps.

STAGE 5 of 15 REPORT, JAN 4, 2006

MITSUBISHI: REPSOL MITSUBISH RALLIART TEAM CLOSES THE GAP ON LEADERS IN FINAL MOROCCAN STAGE OF DAKAR RALLY

TAN TAN, Morocco – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team clinched its first stage victory of the 28th Dakar Rally, when Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret guided their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution to the quickest time on the 350 kms special stage between Ouarzazate and Tan Tan, today (Wednesday).
The defending champions moved up from 11th in the overall standings to ninth place, as team mates Luc Alphand and Joan ’Nani’ Roma climbed to third and seventh positions, respectively. Spaniard Carlos Sainz continues to lead the event, although his advantage has been substantially trimmed to just 1m 28s.
Peterhansel had begun this morning’s stage behind all his major rivals for victory. "I started 14th on the road behind many cars this morning and managed to make good progress," said Peterhansel. "A couple of cars had flat tires and we moved up the field. Tomorrow I will start first on the stage and we will enter Mauritania. The race may well take on a different form from now on. I lost 17 minutes in Morocco yesterday, but now I have a good chance to make up that time over the next few days."
Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard had begun the stage in fourth place in the overall standings and moved up to third overall after setting the fifth fastest time.
Team mates Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Henri Magne were third quickest today, after leading at the first passage control, and will now head into the Islamic Republic of Mauritania in seventh place. "It was not easy and I had to start at the back of the first group of drivers," said Roma. "Mark Miller was in front of me and I was lucky that he was driving quickly. It was not possible to push too much in the dust. Now I think the race will change. It will become very difficult over the next three days and I think that the overall leaderboard will change a lot."
"I was not too unhappy yesterday," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "Today has been much better. We have not been able to use the true potential of our cars yet, because of the narrow tracks and the risks associated with passing motorbikes in dust. Stéphane will open the track on Thursday. We know this area quite well and it isa fast track, which may also suit the Buggies. Tomorrow is not the only day in Mauritania. There are four days and the stage tomorrow may be the quickest of them all. We will see."
Tomorrow (Thursday) marks the final journey through Morocco before the rally heads across the border into the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Teams will leave Tan Tan - one of the southernmost settlements in Morocco and main centre of the Tarfaya province - in the middle of the night to tackle the first punishing 336 kms liaison section across a remote border control.
The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will then enter a southerly 444 kms special stage along the western Mauritanian border to a finish 12 kms from the town of Zouérat. The stage is arguably the most difficult so far and features rocky tracks, gravel roads and sand dunes.

STAGE 4 of 15 REPORT, JAN 3, 2006

MITSUBISHI: Hiroshi Masuoka and co-driver Pascal Maimon were forced out of the 28th Dakar Rally at the overnight bivouac in Ouarzazate on Monday evening.

The twice former winner rolled his car in the 386 kms special stage between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate and the tubular frame of the car sustained damage beyond repair.
"Hiroshi had an accident and the car sustained some damage which we cannot repair," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "A technical expert looked at the car and we had no alternative but to withdraw Hiroshi from the race. It is unfortunate, but that is rallying sometimes. Thankfully, neither Hiroshi nor Pascal were injured."

MITSUBISHI: MIXED FORTUNES IN SECOND AFRICAN STAGE OF DAKAR RALLY

OUARZAZATE, Morocco – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team endured mixed fortunes on the 386 kms special stage between Er Rachidia and Ouarzazate in Morocco today (Tuesday). Team drivers Luc Alphand, Joan ’Nani’ Roma, Stéphane Peterhansel and Hiroshi Masuoka completed the timed section in third, 11th, 14th and 15th positions and now hold fourth, ninth, 11th and 13th in the overall classification.
The French duo of Alphand and Gilles Picard were fifth through PC1, as they attempted to climb back up the leaderboard after a cautious run on Monday. They finished the stage in third position, behind Spaniard Carlos Sainz and Frenchman Thierry Magnaldi, with Sainz regaining the overall lead.
"Today was again a game of avoiding the dust," said Alphand. "We had a good run for about 100 kms, but then we caught some drivers, including Stéphane, who had taken the wrong track and finished the stage in the dust again. Tomorrow is a tight stage with a fast chott at the finish, but dust will be a factor."
Overnight leaders Roma and Henri Magne started the stage in sixth place on the road and finished the section in 11th position. They slipped to ninth place on the leaderboard.
"Not a good day for me," said Roma. "After the dunes I was running well, but then we made a navigational error and took a track to the right. Then the problems started. I had a puncture after that and the jacking system was not fastened away securely and we had to stop again to secure it. Then we finished the stage in the dust."
Japan’s Masuoka and co-driver Pascal Maimon began this morning’s special stage behind yesterday’s winner Jean-Louis Schlesser and shadowed the Frenchman to the first passage control. But the twice former champion lost over 27 minutes soon after when he rolled his Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution. He eventually completed the stage in 15th place. The Japanese driver slipped to 13th overall, but his car was damaged in the accident.
"We saw this obstacle in the track far too late and we went over twice," said Masuoka. "We passed a crossroads with some spectators and then it was too late to slow for this obstacle and we crashed."
Defending champions Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret held seventh place through the first passage control, but had slipped 17 minutes behind the stage winner at the finish after a costly navigational mistake. The Frenchman finished the stage 17m 44s behind the winner and is now 11th overall.
"This junction was not very clear in the road book and we followed the dust of the motor bikes," admitted Peterhansel. "We turned right, followed the wrong track for seven kilometers and then decided to go back to this junction. All the following cars saw me and took the correct way. It was very frustrating. I had passed Schlesser and Hiroshi had a puncture, so I was running first on the road."
"We had some minor and typical Dakar Rally problems today," said MMSP’s Team Director Dominique Serieys. "Stéphane lost some time with a minor navigational error. This was a case of suffering, like Carlos Sainz yesterday, when running first on the road. He tried to find a good track and everyone else benefited. I am quite happy at the moment though. There are 15 drivers out there driving at the same level, so we will see over the coming days what develops."
This evening the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team will camp at the garrison city of Ouazazate, the ’Gateway to the Desert’. The city overlooks the nearby Valley of the Draa and Valley of the Dades.
Tomorrow (Wednesday) teams will tackle a 350 kms special stage, sandwiched by a 187 kms liaison section south from Ouarzazate and a tiring 282 kms liaison to the Atlantic coastal settlement of Tan Tan. The technical stage begins at Foum-Zguid and finishes south of Tafraoute.

STAGE 3 of 15 REPORT, JAN 2, 2006

MITSUBISHI: ROMA AND MASUOKA HOLD FIRST AND SECOND PLACES IN 28TH DAKAR RALLY

Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team driver Joan ’Nani’ Roma and co-driver Henri Magne set the sixth fastest time in the first African stage of this year’s Dakar Rally between Nador and Er Rachidia in Morocco. But they now hold the outright lead in the overall classification, today (Monday).
Capping a successful day for the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team, Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon set the second fastest time in another Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution behind French stage winner Jean-Louis Schlesser.
Team mates Stéphane Peterhansel and Luc Alphand completed the stage in third and 11th places and now hold sixth and ninth in the overall classification. Roma and co-driver Henri Magne had begun the day in fourth place, before arriving in Er Rachidia as the overall leaders.
"I am very surprised and happy to be leading" said Roma. "I just tried to reach the finish without any mistakes. I had no real problems and I will continue with this strategy tomorrow - just drive and make no mistakes. It is dangerous to push in the dust. At one point there were 10 or 15 bikes together."
Today’s 314 kms stage offered a mixture of twisty gravel tracks, technical off-road sections, the occasional perilous wadi crossing and some navigation. It finished at Beni Tadjite, 121 kms from the overnight bivouac, adjacent to the small elevated airstrip at Er Rachidia.
Masuoka and French co-driver Maimon, with whom he won the Dakar Rally for the first time in 2002, held third overall through the opening passage control at the 122 kms point this morning, but were the first car across the finish line after starting sixth on the road.
"Today there was a lot of dust," said Masuoka. "We drove for about 200 kms with Carlos (Sainz), Luc and (Nasser) Al-Attiyah. Then I overtook Luc, Carlos lost his way a little and I was in second position. Then I overtook Nasser and was first at the end of the stage. There were many motorcycles."
Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret entered Africa in 10th position in the overall standings and rose to sixth place. "Today’s stage was difficult with the number of bikes and cars running closely together," said Peterhansel. "I kept my distance to avoid the dust and to avoid having any problems in some big holes in the rocky tracks."
Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard began the first African stage behind the early leader Carlos Sainz, but slipped to ninth in the results after losing time in rivals’ dust.
"We let Carlos, Nasser and Hiroshi passed us today and then we were in dust," said Alphand. "If you want to finish the stage safely you need to leave a gap behind the car in front in the dust. It was just like a long train of cars and bikes today. There was no chance to get into a rhythm."
"We opted for a safe strategy over the first few days in Morocco, but it is very pleasing to be, not only in touch with our rivals, but actually leading the rally with the first two places," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "’Nani’ has really benefited from his recent experience and again proved that we have four drivers who can win the Dakar this year."
"I told our drivers that Volkswagen are the main rivals, but we should also watch out for Jean-Louis Schlesser and Robbie Gordon and ’Schless’ proved the point and was the fastest today. We will maintain our strategy and see what develops. But it was a good day for us."
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the longest special stage of the event so far, starting 56 kms from Er Rachidia, north of Erfoud, and finishing 197 kms from Ouarzazate, near the town of Tagounite. The 386 kms special offers a fine balance of twisty and rocky tracks, high-speed roads, laterite piste and stretches of treacherous sand.

STAGE 2 of 15 REPORT, JAN 1, 2006

VOLKSWAGEN: Volkswagen leads with Carlos Sainz after second stage win

After the second Dakar Rally leg, Volkswagen still tops the leader board with Carlos Sainz and travels as leading team to Africa as a result.
Having won yesterday, the Spaniard repeated his success in the Race Touareg 2 on the second 115 kilometre special stage between Portimao and Malaga (total 567 km). With Sainz leading the field, Bruno Saby in fourth and Jutta Kleinschmidt in seventh place, three Volkswagen works drivers are in the top ten of the 174 competing teams in the car category.
Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"The team and our drivers have worked absolutely perfectly since the first minutes of the rally. We are delighted with the second stage victory today, but we are also well aware of the importance of it: The rally has only just started, there are still another 8,100 kilometres to go. Mitsubishi are already having a cut-and-thrust battle with Volkswagen in a rally which should be close all the way to the finish."

MITSUBISHI: MALAGA, Spain – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team completed the final European stage of the 28th Dakar Rally in second, fourth, fifth and sixth positions, today (Sunday).

The French pairing of Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard now lead the four-car team in a threatening second position in the overall classification after Sunday’s 115 kms special stage in the hills above the Portuguese Algarve. Their three team mates hold third, sixth and 10th places, with Spaniard Carlos Sainz maintaining the outright lead of the event out of Europe.
The stage across higher ground above the Algarve was drier and faster than the opening day’s and took place on narrow, flowing tracks in remote farmland and upland terrain. There was the additional risk for the leaders of having to pass slower quads and motorbikes running at the rear of their category, although hanging dust was not a factor.
Alphand and Picard began the stage in sixth position on the road and quickly began a move up the leaderboard to record the second fastest time and head into Africa sandwiched between their rivals Sainz and Frenchman Bruno Saby.
"I expected today’s stage to be drier than yesterday, because of the slightly higher altitude," said Alphand. "The important thing was to stay in touch with the leaders without taking any risks and dropping too much time. It was a good day for me."
Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Henri Magne had started the stage in fifth place in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution and set the fourth fastest time to move up to third overall.
"I had the same strategy for today’s stage as Saturday," said Roma. "That was to take no risks at all. Now we can put Europe behind us and concentrate on the real Dakar. For me the Dakar Rally starts in Morocco on Monday morning."
Japanese driver Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon set the fourth fastest time today and head towards Morocco in sixth place in the overall standings.
Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret started the New Year with a second flat tire, but the French pair had been running as high as second overall in the stage. "We had to stop to change another tire and lost more time," said Peterhansel. "I will not have fond memories of my passage through Portugal on the Dakar Rally." The defending champions moved up to tenth nonetheless.
"I am very pleased with the way we finished the last stage in Europe," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "It is a good feeling to go to Africa with all four of our cars in the top 10. Stéphane had a puncture passing a motorbike, but everyone else drove very well and we can look ahead now to the start of a fresh challenge on Monday. Luc put in a great performance to finish so close to Carlos Sainz on a track which was more like a WRC stage."
"I am very happy with the way we have finished the European stages without any problems," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team President Isao Torii. "Our drivers put in great performances today and I am confident that we can maintain this progress in Africa next week."
Tomorrow (Monday) will be the first African special stage on the 28th Dakar Rally. After arriving at Nador, teams will embark upon a 237 kms liaison section to the start of a 314 kms special stage, east of Guercif. This section runs south towards the first overnight bivouac at Er Rachidia, crosses several wadis and requires navigational skills. A 121 kms road section will take teams to the overnight halt adjacent to the local airport at Er Rachidia.

KTM: Faria 1st the Stage, Esteve 1st Overall

Well, Ruben Faria, who was 2nd in the yesterday stage, has won the second special test of the Dakar 2006. Over the 115 kilometres between Portimao and the extreme South of the Algarve region, the Portuguese feeds the rumours of a special prize to be assigned to a native winner in the European part of the race. But last night Faria was penalized because of a late entry in the parc ferme. 12 heavy minutes. So the last chance was wasted. In fact the best overall pilot after two legs is Isidre Esteve, the Spanish that has passed in the KTM Gauloises Team just before this Dakar. In the today's stage Esteve finished in second position.
But let us make a step behind. Yesterday night Astrid made a call for all the team members and introduced Hans Trunkenpolz. The general manager wanted to speak to everybody for a moment. The old "year" was ending and the new was incoming. A half a hour only between the two years. Trunkenpolz spoken for minutes to the biggest family of this Dakar. Intense moments when he remembered unforgettable Champions Richard Sainct and Fabrizio Meoni, and their memorable exploits. Then the "Boss" spoken about the difficulties of the race, and about the meaning of a so large group involved in. Cyril Despres, who lived both the main glorious and the tragic episodes of the strongest team ever seen on the Dakar, was thrilled. The winner of the past edition of the rally knows his role perfectly. And his sensitivity and his talent can flow together in the growth of this family. Then Mr. Trukenpolz addressed to all the members of the large KTM Team the best wishes of the Factory. The new year was just there.
This morning the "crew" faced the last European day of the Dakar. The track was similar to the one of yesterday. Terrain was slippery because of wet weather conditions and because of the particular sandy ground of the zone. Many corners and technical passages, fords to be wadded and jumps. And a strong wind blowing out. A demanding test for talent riders and for effective bikes. Thousand of peoples along the entire section completed the race frame.
Despres preferred to keep a "low profile", gliding corners and never forcing. He closed the special test in eleventh position, but with some advantages acquired for the next stage. By this way the French Champion will start behind some riders in the first African special test, and this is a good, logical strategy in order to avoid navigation problems.
Marc Coma was fifth today, and he is now second in the overall standing. He forced a little bit only in the final part of the special test, mainly because of the pleasure he token riding in the enthusiastic atmosphere created by the spectators. Marc joked with the race until he slipped away in a little fall. Then he resumed his full concentration. "It was very exciting to race between this two wings of spectators", said the Repsol KTM world champion, "You can take a lot of risks also in a short leg like this one. But I want to ask to you: is not a pure happiness to run in this kind of atmosphere? Starting from tomorrow things will be so complicated, so let me enjoy this race break."
Same force has pushed out David Casteu, Gauloises team mate, that is with Michel Gau at his first Dakaras Factory Rider.
Then, after the special test, all the competitors crossed the border between Portugaland Spain, and they complete the stage reaching Malaga. There a ferryboat is waiting for the long convoy. Tomorrow the Dakarwill change again his context. A new continent, Africa, a new Country, Algeria, a new day of race. A long stage of 672 kilometres, with a special test of 387. The first bivouac will maybe reached at night.

STAGE 1 of 15 REPORT, DEC 31, 2005

MITSUBISHI: PORTIMAO, Portugal – The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team held sixth, seventh, 12th and 13th positions after the opening timed 83 kms special stage in the Alentejo region between Lisbon and Portimao today (Saturday).

Leading the way for the defending champions and winners of the grueling African classic for the last five years were Spaniard Joan ’Nani’ Roma and Andorra-based co-driver Henri Magne in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution. The pair held sixth position at the end of the opening stage, ahead of team mates Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard, but some way behind the stage-winning Spaniard Carlos Sainz.
"I have mixed feelings about these long European stages," said Luc Alphand, winner of this year’s Baja Portalegre, across similar terrain in the east of Portugal. "Unlike some of our rivals we had no problems with the windscreen misting over when it rained in October. But I think the problems could arise tomorrow if it rains. If it is really muddy on the second stage it could be dangerous. If you slide or lose traction, that is where the problems begin."
Frenchman Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret had the disadvantage of running first on the road this morning and paid the price by collecting a flat tire near the start. They were forced to stop and change the wheel and lost over two minutes, slipping down a highly-competitive leaderboard to 12th position.
"Today’s stage was quite varied," said Peterhansel. "There were places where you needed to be very careful. It was muddy in parts and some puddles of water stood in sheltered areas. Other places were much faster across rural farmland and you could push a little, but after the puncture we had no chance of setting a fast time."
Twice former winner Hiroshi Masuoka and French co-driver Pascal Maimon were running in third position in the stage until they also sustained a flat tire a mere eight kilometers from the finish. The delay dropped the Japanese star down to 13th place.
"We were a little unlucky today," said Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team Director Dominique Serieys. "It is never easy to open the stage and Stéphane paid the price by getting a puncture. He lost time there and then Hiroshi also had to stop near the finish to change a tire. It is very early days. We will be patient, take no risks and wait until we reach Africa."
After the entire field had completed pre-event technical checks in Lisbon, a record number of 475 vehicles were permitted to start from the Portuguese capital this morning. The final number included 232 bikes, 174 cars and 69 trucks with 108 assistance cars and 129 assistance trucks registered to lend support. The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team has 59 staff on hand forthe entire duration of the event, with a further 11 scheduled to arrive for the rest day in Nouakchott on January 8th.
Tomorrow (Sunday) the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team heads out of Portimao on a 65 kms road liaison section to the start of a 115 kms timed special stage across the hilly ridges of the Algarve. This tricky stage along mountaineous and winding tracks will be followed by a 387 kms road section to the city of Malaga. Teams will then embark upon a seven-hour overnight Mediterranean sea crossing to Morocco, where the African section of the event will commence on Monday morning.

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