A Volkswagen começou o Rally Dakar na Argentina e Chile, em frente a uma plateia inspiradora. Mais de 300.000 fãs acompanharam a partida dos defensores do título, Giniel de Villiers / Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA / D) e seus companheiros de equipa, Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz (E / E), Mark Miller / Ralph Pitchford (E.U.A. / ZA), Nasser Al -Attiyah / Timo Gottschalk (Q / D) e Maurício Neves / Clécio Maestrelli (BR / BR) na capital argentina, Buenos Aires. Após a passagem obrigatória na rampa de partida, o percurso levou os cinco Race Touareg equipados com motores diesel TDI até Colón, onde a primeira especial terá início amanhã, no sábado.
The enthusiastic spectators gathered around the famous obelisk included Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Volkswagen management board member for Technical Development, and Hans-Joachim Stuck, the Volkswagen Group’s motorsport representative. After this liaison leg to the first bivouac on the outskirts of Buenos Aires on New Year’s Day the competition of the Dakar Rally will start the following day with the first, 251-kilometre special stage from Colón to Córdoba. On Saturday a total of 684 kilometres, including liaison stages, are on the agenda.
"The ceremonial start marks a successful, emotional and appropriate beginning for the Dakar Rally,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "The enthusiasm of the spectators for our sport is fantastic and provides everyone in the Volkswagen team with that final bit of motivation to show top performances. There’s no better way to start to the new year than completing the first few ‘Dakar’ kilometres in the presence of such a cheering crowd before things really get serious the next day.”
Coming up next …
Saturday, 02 January: 1st leg, Colón (RA)–Córdoba (RA). The Dakar Rally starts to the 2010 edition with a 251-kilometre special stage. Yet the first leg covering a total of 684 kilometres is anything but an easy warm-up: The Sierras Pampeanas put the material to the test with the route’s initial mountain passages. The drivers and co-drivers are well-advised to find their rhythm from the outset in order to establish good positions for the days ahead.
