Uma Zebra na América do Sul

• „Buggy All Terrain“ survives toughest desert Rally 

• Fighting and team spirit are the keys 

For the first time ever X-raid put a buggy on the starting line of the Rally Dakar. The original intention was to test and gain experience with this 2WD vehicle concept. But the “Buggy All Terrain” quickly became one of the fans favorite cars and because of its eye-catching design the nickname “Zebra Buggy” was given to it. Additionally the fighting spirit of driver Guerlain Chiherit and navigator Alex Winocq increased the interest, because to giving up was never ever an option.

 So the two Frenchmen lived through one of these stories which only the Dakar writes. During stage 5 heading towards Antofagasta, Chile the message that the Buggy All Terrain caught up fire ran through the newsfeed. Almost everybody interpreted this as the clear out for the “Zebra”. But Chicherit and Winoqc were able to extinguish the fire right in time before it caused major damages. So they waited for the race truck and repaired the damaged buggy and continued. After the arrival in the bivouac the mechanics immediately took care of the “Zebra” and after a night full of work Chicherit said thank you with position 22 in the following stage.

 All in all the “Buggy All Terrain” never let his crew and his mechanics take a breath. Very often Winocq had to work on the car in the stage and fix it with some very improvised solutions which gave him the nickname “McGyver”. But also the mechanics worked through a lot of nights and somehow managed it to put the Buggy every morning on the starting line. With this effort Chicherit and Winocq managed it to bring their “Zebra” through all the 13 stages into the finish in Buenos Aires.

 Guerlain Chicherit: “It was really a hard piece of work, but we reached the finish. A lot of people didn’t expect this before and even during this Dakar. It is a lot of fun to drive the Zebra Buggy, but there is still a lot of work to do. What all the mechanics and involved people did during the last two weeks is just outstanding.”

 Sven Quandt, CEO X-raid GmbH: “It was really a lot of work and there is still a lot to do. We brought the Buggy All Terrain here to gain some first experience with a Buggy at a Dakar. I think our mechanics now know each screw on this car due to the many times of assembling and disassembling. But everybody did a great job and helped to bring the Buggy back to Buenos Aires. Also Guerlain and Alex never lost their hope and their fun. We gained a lot of experience during this Dakar, on this base now we have to check how to move on.”

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Depois do 2.º lugar, Paulo Gonçalves já só pensa na vitória no Dakar em 2016

Piloto português chegou esta segunda-feira a Portugal e foi recebido em festa no aeroporto por família, amigos e apoiantes 

Paulo Gonçalves está de regresso a Portugal depois da brilhante conquista do segundo lugar final na 37.ª edição do Rali Dakar, prova que decorreu entre os passados dias 4 e 17 de Janeiro por entre a Argentina, Bolívia e Chile.

 O piloto português foi recebido em festa esta segunda-feira, 19 de janeiro, na sua chegada ao Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro, no Porto, celebrando pela primeira vez em território nacional a importante conquista do lugar intermédio pódio final na maior competição de Todo-o-Terreno do mundo.

  “Chego felicíssimo a Portugal, melhor que isto só a primeira posição. É esse o próximo objetivo a que me posso propor, o único acima do segundo lugar. Portugal tem já dois terceiros lugares e dois segundos no Rali Dakar, agora falta mesmo a vitória. Espero ser eu a consegui-la daqui por um ano. Esta prova foi disputadíssima, claro que a vitória é sempre a mais desejada, mas estou contente por a ter perdido contra o Marc [Coma], é um piloto fabuloso, tem cinco vitórias no Dakar e seis títulos mundiais, penso que isso diz tudo. Agora temos mais um ano pela frente e espero chegar ao próximo Dakar na máxima força com a equipa HRC”, afirmou Paulo Gonçalves à chegada a Portugal.

 Na edição de 2015 do Rali Dakar Paulo Gonçalves fechou o somatório das treze etapas na segunda posição, depois de mais um animado duelo contra o espanhol Marc Coma, vencedor por cinco ocasiões da mítica prova de Todo-o-Terreno mundial. O piloto de Esposende ficou a 16min53s da vitória, somando um total de 17min de penalização que lhe roubaram a primeira posição.

 Detentor do record de títulos nacionais em diferentes disciplinas do motociclismo português, além do recente 2.º lugar no Rali Dakar Paulo Gonçalves consagrou-se ainda Campeão do Mundo de Ralis Todo-o-Terreno em 2013 e Vice-Campeão “Mundial” em 2014, integrando a equipa da Honda.

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Team HRC vai voltar!

Seven stage victories, leaders for half the rally, overall runner-up place for Paulo Gonçalves and ninth spot for Laia Sanz, add up to a more-than-positive final report-card for Honda and Team HRC at the Rally Dakar 2015. The team will be back next year to win.

 Just one day after the end of the Rally Dakar 2015 and Team HRC already have their sights on the 2016 edition. Important conclusions drawn from this year’s event will form the backbone of work to be carried out in preparation for Dakar 2016.

 After an almost twenty-five year official absence from the race, Team HRC have retaken the world’s most gruelling rally by storm, scoring the greatest number of stage victories. The ‘all for one’ work ethic, the ability to overcome every type of adversity, and the never-say-die approach, make it the team to be reckoned with.

 It was a genuine challenge for the riders and the team responded accordingly with great competitiveness from both riders and machines. The Honda CRF450 RALLY passes the test with flying colours, with four of the five bikes making it to Buenos Aires over every type of possible terrain, at sea-level or at over 4,000 metres altitude, on route through Argentina, Chile and Bolivia. 

Joan Barreda proved to be an unyielding leader throughout the first week of rally and only a highly-controversial decision to race in perilous conditions robbed the Spaniard of final victory. Barreda collected more stages than any other in the Dakar 2015 and showed an unparallel level of competitiveness, hunger for speed, dexterity at navigation, sharp strategy, and above all leadership for Team HRC.

 Paulo Gonçalves, similarly to Barreda, was in the running against a tough rival. The Portuguese ace finished as an exceptional runner-up not far off the eventual overall winner in Buenos Aires. Likewise, Hélder Rodrigues, two-time stage winner, and Jeremías Israel, put in fine unselfish performances and were always on hand whenever the team was in need.

 A brilliant Laia Sanz shone throughout, surpassing all her own objectives and setting precedents by finishing higher than any other female in the entire history of the Dakar as she rubbed shoulders with the elite of the cross-country rally competition.

 See you in the Dakar 2016!


Martino Bianchi (Team HRC General Manager): The final evaluation is, of course, good. We are on the podium, and we haven’t been on there for many years, so we deserve it. We have proved that we are very close to being the top in this race. We’ve shown everyone the potential of this project. The bike is very fast and the team is working very well, and our riders are very well-prepared to be able to win this it. We had a few unlucky situations, but we won seven out of thirteen stages and we won these with three different riders. So this is also something important, that we have shown our potential. I wish to thank everyone for the great work that they have done so far, and let’s do a bit of fine-tuning to reach the target in the next edition of the Dakar.

  Martino Bianchi (Team HRC General Manager: I’m pleased with the results, but a bit disappointed because we had a few setbacks during the race. Fortunately, the team was able to work together in those moments as if it were one rider. Paulo finished second and Laia ninth and that’s really good. The bike’s performance was better than last year’s, and we have discovered some issues that we will be able to work on before next year, and we will be back at the Dakar with the highest expectations.

  Wolfgang Fischer (Team HRC Team Manager): So the 2015 Dakar is over, with a smile in one eye and a tear in the other. Of course, we didn’t achieve our main target to win the race. We tried everything. We had the tools for it. We had the team for it. We had the bike, but in the end it wasn’t the race for us to make it all happen. On the other hand, we can be really happy to have the second place. Achieving that with Paulo Goncalves is really the spirit of the team. It shows the quality of the team and its teamwork together, and we are really proud of this. Now we can build a really strong team, and are now looking forward to coming back at the next one even stronger. Next time we will do it in the second week, the way we did in the first week. Thanks to everybody in the team, and thanks for the great cooperation and for the strong belief in our commitments.

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Paulo Gonçalves termina Dakar em segundo. Impressionante prestação de Laia Sanz

The Dakar 2015 ends after circling the loop and ending up back in Buenos Aires a fortnight later, bringing new successes for Team HRC. Paulo Goncalves finishes the world’s toughest rally in second place, while Laia Sanz breaks new ground with an unprecedented ninth place overall finish.

 After picking up the world championship runner-up prize last October at the Morocco Rally, Portuguese ace Paulo Goncalves has once again pulled off another achievement for Team HRC. It was a display of grit, tireless effort, consistency and teamwork, which finally brought the rider’s Rally Dakar 2015 adventure to a close as runner-up in the final rankings.

 Paulo Goncalves very nearly pulled it off in the world’s greatest rally challenge too. The rider had collected a total of 17 minutes of penalties, and eventually finished just 16’53” behind the eventual race winner Marc Coma.

 Another of the big Team HRC success stories from this Dakar has been the astonishing ninth-place finish for a brilliant Laia Sanz. The Spaniard claims the best ever final position in the race’s female category. Besides showing excellent riding dexterity and a true command of navigation aboard the Honda CRF450 RALLY, the athlete proved herself by finishing several of the special timed stages up among the top ten riders.

 Noteworthy too, was the overall performance of Joan Barreda, with four stage victories, and always the man to beat at this Dakar 2015. The Castellon rider was unstoppable at the head of the race until stage eight, when extreme weather conditions at the Uyuni salt flats put an end to his chances of a win in the campaign. Barreda’s final overall ranking was an unjust 17th.

 Helder Rodrigues has, likewise, been a cornerstone of the Team. In addition to two stage victories, Hélder finished in 12th place on the final leaderboard.

 Honda South America Rally Team close their crusade after a valiant effort that sees Javier Pizzolito and Jean Azevedo take 19thand 22ndrespectively. HSA Rally Team offered crucial support to the riders of Team HRC throughout the event.

 The rally came to an end in Baradero, with what had been planned as a 174 kilometre special, reduced by 73 kilometres due to the conditions, before the final connection phase brought the entourage into Buenos Aires, where the final ceremonial podium was held in Tecnopolis.

Paulo Gonçalves: I think the whole team deserves this result, especially after all the hard work that they have done. All that’s needed now is to go one small step further and win the rally. We are well-prepared and on the right track. I’m pleased with the result, and I want to thank the whole team, but most especially my team-mates Joan, Hélder and Jere, who were there to help me out in the most delicate moments. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be on the podium here in Dakar.

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MINI All4 Racing vence o quarto Dakar consecutivo com Nasser Al-Attiyah

- The desert racer secures its fourth consecutive win. 

- Qatar Rally Team wins courtesy of Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel 

The MINI ALL4 Racing is and remains the yardstick in the Dakar Rally. The vehicle designed and built by X-raid celebrated its fourth consecutive win in the legendary event, this year. Today, Nasser Al-Attiyah, representing the Qatar Rally Team, follows the footsteps of Stéphane Peterhansel and Nani Roma by crossing the podium as the winner. In addition, a total of four MINI ALL4 Racing vehicles secured top-five positions, six made it to the top 10 and eight to the top 20. Third place, behind the Toyota of Giniel de Villiers, was secured by the Monster Energy Rally Raid Team pairing Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL) / Xavier Panseri (FRA). Right behind them, the Dutchmen Erik van Loon / Wouter Rosegaar (Van Loon Racing) and the Russians Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov in the VRT-MINI ALL4 Racing finished fourths and fifths respectively.

 The 2015 Dakar winners, Nasser Al-Attiyah and Mathieu Baumel, celebrated a total of five of the possible 13 stage wins. The driver from Qatar took the lead as early as on day two and defended it throughout the event. The Skeet Shooting Bronze Medallist in the London Olympics knew exactly when to push and when to back off, this year. As a result, he arrived in every bivouac with an undamaged MINI ALL4 Racing. “I’m virtually over the moon and just want to enjoy this day,” beamed Al-Attiyah. “I’ve got a lot of Dakar experience under my belt, in the meantime, and therefore I only and fully focused on the respective day. And this approach was the key to our success. If you had a bad day you just have to forget it to not lose your focus.”

 After several difficult years, Monster Energy Rally Raid Team driver Holowczyc finally made it to the Dakar podium, this year. In August, he opted for cooperating with a new navigator: it was the first Dakar for Xavier Panseri but the Frenchman has got several WRC successes under his belt. In late August, in the Baja Poland, the pairing made its first and only joint appearance to date and only in Buenos Aires they were back in the cockpit of the MINI ALL4 Racing. Nonetheless, their collaboration worked well right from the start and was rewarded with a podium. “I’m so happy, I just can’t find the words to describe how I feel,” beamed Holowczyc. “After 10 years in the Dakar I finally made it to the podium.”

 Van Loon and Rosegaar mainly convinced with their consistency, this year. Seven times, the Dutch pairing secured a top-10 result and in the end, this consistency resulted in fourth place. “What a fantastic result,” said Van Loon. “We came here to try to secure a top-10 result and now, we finished fourth. That’s a result I really didn’t expect. This Dakar was rather tough, particularly during the first days. But to be honest, it just can’t be tough enough, for me.”

 Vasilyev and Zhiltsov also succeeded in shining several times, this year, with the win in stage five, from Copiapo to Antofagasta, representing the highlight for them. Navigator Zhiltsov had detected a legal shortcut and so, the MINI ALL4 Racing could take the lead. And in the penultimate stage, from Termas de Rio Hondo to Rosario, the Russians came second. “We had a great rally,” Zhiltsov said beaming. “Yes, there were things that didn’t run perfectly but you can call our 2015 Dakar nearly perfect, nevertheless. Having finished fifth is just great.”

Sven Quandt, CEO X-raid GmbH: The MINI ALL4 Racing once again succeeded in convincing to the max. Four MINI racers in the top five is another sensational result. With our experience and our good preparation we prevailed against our really strong competitors. In addition, we also clinched XY of 13 possible stage wins. You couldn’t expect to achieve far more, in a Dakar. Nasser did everything the right way, this year, and used his own wits. That’s the approach that gave him the win.

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RUBEN FARIA ALCANÇA SEXTO POSTO NO DAKAR 2015

Terminou ontem em Buenos Aires a edição 2015 do Dakar. Após duas intensas e duras semanas de competição nas pistas da Argentina, Chile e Bolivia os 78 pilotos que resistiram a uma prova bastante dura foram recebidos em ambiente de festa na capital argentina. No dia de despedida as fortes chuvas que se abateram na região da derradeira especial obrigaram a que esta fosse encurtada pois o piso enlameado era demasiado perigoso para os pilotos de todas as categorias e assim terminou o Dakar um pouco mais cedo que o previsto.

 Ruben Faria fechou esta sua participação num brilhante sexto posto, resultado muito positivo especialmente tendo em conta que o piloto da KTM chegou à prova ainda em recuperação de duas intervenções cirúrgicas à clavícula direita fracturada no dia 1 de Novembro.

‘É uma emoção enorme estar no final depois de ter abandonado no terceiro dia no ano passado. A questão de saber se conseguiria terminar manteve-se durante quase todo o ano e estar aqui em Buenos Aires no final de mais um Dakar é uma emoção imensa. O Dakar correu muito bem com excepção a um ou dois dias no Chile em que senti maiores dificuldades.’

 Na derradeira especial deste Dakar, que consagrou os vencedores da prova nas suas diversas categorias, Ruben Faria foi o 16º mais rápido, garantindo assim a sexta posição da classificação geral, o segundo melhor entre os portugueses, após uma prova onde mais uma vez a equipa do piloto da Olhão garantiu a vitória, a 14ª consecutiva para a KTM.

‘Correu tudo muito bem a equipa conseguiu mais uma vitória, o Marc fez um excelente trabalho e toda a equipa trabalhou para se conseguir o resultado desejado. Quero aproveitar também para felicitar o Paulo Gonçalves, que foi um piloto muito forte e um grande adversário do Marc. Acho que estamos todos de parabéns e agora...venha o Dakar 2016.’ 

Terminou assim de forma perfeita mais uma participação de Ruben Faria na mais importante prova do TT mundial, na qual foi segundo classificado em 2013. Após o regresso a Portugal o piloto dará continuidade à recuperação definitiva da lesão na clavícula para estar na sua melhor forma aquando do arranque de mais uma edição do campeonato do mundo Cross-Country e Rallies onde estará presente com a equipa austríaca.

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Villagra e Memi alcançam o objectivo e levam a Ford Ranger ao final do Dakar

• Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claims second Dakar Rally win on shortened final stage 

 • 68 of the original 136 starters make it to the fanfare Dakar finish in Buenos Aires 

The Argentine crew of Federico Villagra and Andrés Memi achieved their goal of reaching the finish of the punishing Dakar Rally in Buenos Aires on Saturday.

 The YPF Competicion Ford Ranger duo rounded off 13 days of intense competition across some of the most demanding desert, mountainous and rocky lowland terrain on the planet to guide their car to the ceremonial finish in 27th overall.

 A fortnight of racing that had got off to the worst possible start, when they broke a prop shaft on the very first special stage between Buenos Aires and Villa Carlos Paz and plummeted to the foot of the general classification, ended on a high note with several strong stage performances and a sterling climb back through the field.

 Their determination, coupled with hard work from the entire team from South Racing and Neil Woolridge Motorsport, ensured that Villagra finished the rally for the second year in succession and continued the Ford Ranger’s consistent Dakar record of finishing on each the two occasions it has been entered. Only 68 of the original 136 starters made it to the finish ramp in Buenos Aires.

“The last few special were really fun and a chance to show the strengths of the Ford Ranger and make a move up the leader board,” said Villagra. “Yesterday, we started 26th and quickly caught Cyril Despres ahead of us. He did not let us through and we were stuck behind him for the entire stage, despite using the Sentinel repeatedly. But we made it to Rosario and today was a case of taking no risks and cruising to the finish in awful weather conditions.”

 South Racing looked after Villagra’s on-event logistics and day-to-day management under the directorship of Scott Abraham and his team. The Ford Ranger was prepared and developed in South Africa by Neil Woolridge Motorsport (NWM).

  “It was certainly a very tough Dakar, but the whole team pulled through until the end and did not give up,” said Abraham. “Federico and Andrés did an amazing job bringing the Ranger home every day. I would like to thank the entire team who worked tirelessly and they have made us proud.

“YPF, Ford, Rudy Project, OMP and Gold Nutrition have been great and, without their support, it would not have been possible. Lastly, I would like to thank the team from NWM, who designed and built a great Ranger.”

 The final 174km sprint through Argentina to the finish used a special stage between the city of San Nicolás de los Arroyos and Baradero in the province of Buenos Aires. Villagra started the special in 23rd on the road, but heavy rain had already forced race officials to shorten the bike stage to just 101km and the decision was taken to stop the car stage at PC1, after just 34km. The Argentine stayed clear of trouble and recorded the 25th quickest time to confirm the team’s goal of finishing the Dakar Rally.

 Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah won the Dakar Rally in 2011 and began the final stage with a comfortable advantage of 35min 39sec over Giniel de Villiers. The Qatari had controlled the race from the start and, save for a penalty for speeding on the first day, had led from the first stage. He eventually reached the end of the shortened stage in sixth position to claim a second Dakar win by the margin of 35min 34sec. American Robbie Gordon clinched the day’s stage.

 In addition to Argentine energy company YPF, Villagra’s Dakar programme was supported by suspension and OEM parts company Fric Rot, Brenson (Dealer Ford), Piamontesa and construction company Natania. OMP, Michelin, Rudy Project and Gold Nutrition provided technical assistance.

  2015 Dakar Rally – final positions

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Mini All4 Racing 40hr 32min 25sec
2. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Hilux 41hr 07min 59sec
 3. Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Mini All4 Racing 42hr 04min 26sec
4. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Wouter Roesegar (NLD) Mini All4 Racing 42hr 04min 26sec
5. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS) Mini All4 Racing 43hr 45min 06sec
27. Federico Villagra (ARG)/Andrés Memi (ARG) Ford Ranger 53hr 49min 01sec

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De Villiers foi o melhor piloto da Toyota e termina Dakar em segundo

· Overdrive’s Issabayev, Dabrowski and Vanagas end rally in 17th, 23rd and 24th 

· Toyota Imperial’s Poulter seals 16th; Bensadoun 32nd and Jerie in 42nd 

· Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claims second Dakar victory; last stage win for Gordon 

Overdrive Racing and Hallspeed enjoyed another demanding and exciting Dakar Rally and managed to bring three Toyota Hiluxes to the finish of the world’s most difficult cross-country rally in second, sixth and seventh overall.

 Nine of the entire operation’s 12 Toyotas reached the finish in Buenos Aires, with South African driver Giniel De Villiers and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz leading the way in second position with the first of two Toyota Imperial South Africa Hiluxes.

 De Villiers has now finished second on two occasions and third and fourth in his four Dakar appearances with the Toyota team and is the most consistent of any of the current crop of drivers. Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claimed his second Dakar victory by the margin of 35min 34sec, while American Robbie Gordon won the final stage.

  “For us, the navigational mistake a few days ago cost us the win and we just decided to drive through the last couple of stages. There was no point in taking risks,” said De Villiers. “It’s a great relief to make it to Buenos Aires.” 

Frenchman Christian Lavieille and his 2002 Dakar Rally-winning co-driver Pascal Maimon slipped from fifth to sixth overall on the penultimate special stage and trailed Russian Vladimir Vasilyev by just under three minutes at the start of the final 174km sprint from San Nicolás de los Arroyos to a finish in Baradero.

 Heavy rain had forced race officials to stop the motorcycle and quad stage at PC2, after 101km, and the decision was taken to call a halt to the car special at PC1, after just 34km. Lavieille recorded the 13th quickest time and finished the rally in sixth place.

 Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke and Belgian co-driver Tom Colsoul continued to improve as the race progressed and actually led the penultimate stage after 120km, before finishing the special in fifth place. They reached Buenos Aires in seventh overall.

 Kazakh Bauyrzhan Issabayev and Russian team-mate Vladimir Demyanenko produced an impressive and consistent display of driving to reach the finish in 17th overall in their Overdrive Racing Toyota.

 Leeroy Poulter and fellow South African co-driver Robert Howie drove the second Toyota Imperial car. Early rally problems cost them the chance to challenge for a top 10 finish, but Poulter dug deep during the second week and climbed back to finish 16th, even setting the second quickest time on the last stage to overhaul Overdrive’s Issabayev.

 Pole Marek Dabrowski and Dubai-based British navigator Mark Powell joined together in unfortunate and tragic circumstances before the rally had even started, but the pair bonded well and overcame the loss of several hours with axle and drive shaft problems to bring the Team Orlen Toyota Hilux home in 23rd, despite losing 20 minutes on the final stage.

 Lithuanian Benediktas Vanagas and his Belarussian navigator Andrei Rudnitski produced their best ever Dakar display; the highlight being the fourth quickest time on stage 11. They reached the podium in Buenos Aires in 24th.

 The French-Canadian duo of David Bensadoun and Patrick Beaulé rolled their Overdrive Toyota Hilux early in the rally, but recovered strongly from that setback and continued to improve as the event progressed. They were classified in 32nd at the finish ramp.

 Czech driver Peter Jerie and his experienced French co-driver Laurent Lichtleuchter brought up the rear of the Toyota fleet, but were delighted to complete the rally in 42nd place.

  “It was a thrilling and demanding Dakar Rally and I would like to thank my entire team for their hard work and efforts over the last two weeks in South America and in the build up to the rally to get everything ready for an operation of this scale,” said Overdrive Racing’s team director Jean Marc Fortin.

  “We proved that the Toyota Hilux is a potent force at the very top level of cross-country rallying. We won a special stage and were challenging for podium finishes all the way to the end.”

 Overdrive Racing lost Lucio Alvarez and Roberto Patti early on in Argentina with engine problems and the local crew was joined by the Australian driver Geoff Olholm after he crashed heavily and sustained a back injury on the sixth stage.

 Another bitter pill came three days from the end when Saudi Arabian rookie Yazeed Al-Rajhi – who had set an outright fastest time and held third overall for long periods – was forced out of the rally with technical problems in Salta.

 2015 Dakar Rally – final positions:

1. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA) Mini All4 Racing 40hr 32min 25sec
2. Giniel de Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk von Zitzewitz (DEU) Toyota Imperial Hilux 41hr 07min 59sec
3. Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL)/Xavier Panseri (FRA) Mini All4 Racing 42hr 04min 26sec
 4. Erik van Loon (NLD)/Wouter Roesegar (NLD) Mini All4Racing 43hr 34min 17sec
5. Vladimir Vasilyev (RUS)/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS) Mini All4 Racing 43hr 45min 06sec
6. Christian Lavieille (FRA)/Pascal Maimon (FRA) Overdrive Toyota Hilux 43hr 48min 23sec
 7. Bernhard Ten Brinke (NLD)/Tom Colsoul (BEL) Overdrive Toyota Hilux 44hr 14min 27sec
8. Carlos Sousa (PRT)/Paulo Fuiza (PRT) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 44hr 17min 24sec
9. Aidyn Rakhimbayev (KAZ)/Anton Nikolaev (RUS) Mini All4 Racing 44hr 41min 09sec
10. Ronan Chabot (FRA)/Gilles Pillot (FRA) SMG Buggy 45hr 15min 01sec

 Other Overdrive/Imperial Toyota crews – final positions:

 16. Leeroy Poulter (ZAF)/Robert Howie (ZAF) Toyota Imperial Hilux 46hr 57min 34sec
 17. Bauyrzhan Issabayev (KAZ)/Vladimir Demyanenko (RUS) Overdrive Toyota Hilux 47hr 27min 21sec
23. Marek Dabrowski (POL)/Mark Powell (GBR) Overdrive Toyota Hilux 51hr 41min 08sec
24. Benediktas Vanagas (LTU)/Andrei Rudnitski (BLR) Overdrive Toyota Hilux TBA 51hr 42min 18sec
32. David Bensadoun (CAN)/Patrick Beaulé (CAN) Toyota Hilux 54hr 57min 39sec
 42. Peter Jerie (CZE)/Laurent Lichtleuchter (FRA) Overdrive Toyota Hilux 64hr 58min 43sec

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Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras termina o Rally Dakar em 8º e faz sua melhor classificação na prova

A bordo do ASX Racing, Carlos Sousa e Paulo Fiuza estão satisfeitos com o resultado no maior rali do mundo 

A Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras completa o Rally Dakar entre os 10 melhores. "Missão cumprida", festejou o piloto Carlos Sousa ao cruzar a linha de chegada. Ao lado do navegador Paulo Fiuza, a dupla terminou a prova na 8ª colocação da classificação geral, com 44h17min24. Foi o melhor resultado da equipe no Rally Dakar, considerada a mais difícil prova off-road do mundo.

"É sempre uma emoção bastante grande, pois não deixa de ser também uma responsabilidade com os patrocinadores, com a equipe e com os mecânicos, que trabalharam duro e prepararam o carro da melhor maneira possível", disse Carlos. "Este é o momento que respiramos aliviados, independente se o resultado poderia ter sido melhor ou pior. Estamos satisfeitos em estar aqui", completa o piloto.

 O Rally Dakar teve 13 etapas e passou por três países, Argentina, Chile e Bolívia, percorrendo regiões inóspitas e muito difíceis, como o Deserto do Atacama, Cordilheira dos Andes e o Salar do Uyuni.

"Cumprimos nosso planejamento e terminamos entre os 10 melhores. Dakar é prova de resistência e o ASX Racing se portou muito bem", disse Paulo. "Estou muito feliz com tudo."

Carlos Sousa exalta o comportamento do ASX Racing nos mais de 9.000 quilômetros de prova, graças ao desenvolvimento, aperfeiçoamento e testes que foram feitos ao longo de 2014. "O carro foi muito bem e só paramos uma vez durante as especiais para trocar pneu. Iremos continuar a evolução, trabalhar mais nele, mas a base é muito boa", afirma.

 O piloto se sentiu muito bem em uma equipe que fala português. "Nesses 15 dias que convivi com a Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras e com todo o time brasileiro, me senti em casa. E também foi o Dakar que mais falei português", completa, aos risos.

 Recordações

Para a dupla, o momento mais marcante da prova foi a passagem pela Bolívia. Mas cada um a seu jeito:

  "Fazer aquela especial na altitude, subindo aquelas montanhas debaixo de forte chuva, com os vidros embaçando. Foi o dia mais complicado e o mais intenso", revela Carlos.

"A largada em linha, com os carros lado a lado no salar da Bolívia foi muito interessante. É o momento que irei guardar deste Dakar", conta Paulo.

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Coma vence o seu quinto Dakar; 14º título para a KTM

Red Bull KTM factory rider Marc Coma of Spain on Saturday sealed his fifth Dakar title and presented KTM with its fourteenth win in this offroad classic. Paolo Goncalves of Portugal took second place and KTM rookie Toby Price of Australia took the minor podium place.

 Coma, A Red Bull athlete, rode to the start of the final Stage 13 with a 17-minute lead over Goncalves however riders were unable to complete the 393 km of the final stage into Buenos Aires after heavy rain made the track surface slippery and too dangerous. The race was halted at CP2 and Coma was declared the winner. The win for Coma equals that of his former KTM teammate Cyril Despres and represents the domination of these two riders on the event for a decade.

 Coma tackled the Dakar with his usual passion and attention to detail, true to his belief that the only result that counts was that in the final day. He took victory in Stage Five and was top three in six other stages. He also rode with care and prudence in the two marathon stages, nursing a damaged tire in the first and safely bringing his KTM 450 RALLY home across the salt flats of Bolivia in wet conditions that resulted in many riders having to exit the rally after salt clogged their engines and electronics.

 Marc Coma: “I’m happy and proud. As usual it was a grueling rally. We had to overcome a problem on the second day that slowed us down a bit in the rankings. So from then on we had to change the strategy a little and push to recover that time. We knew that the marathons would be key stages and they were. I am happy with the team and the people we have around us. This fifth win says a lot about all of us.” Coma also congratulated his two rivals Joan Barreda and Paolo Goncalves who he said were tough opponents. “The level was very high and this also makes the win very valuable,” he added.

 The 2015 rally was an emotional roller coaster for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing Team and the KTM-supported riders. Factory racer Sam Sunderland got things off to a brilliant start with a solid first stage win, only to get lost at the tail end of Stage Two in what was the longest stage in the 2015 edition. He then crashed out early in Stage Three and had to retire.

 At the same time it was already clear that two young pretenders, KTM-supported Dakar newcomers Matthias Walkner of Austria and Australian Toby Price were out to impress. Both came to the Dakar with only one rally under their tires having raced the Morocco Rally in October. Both were also new to road book-style navigation.

 Walkner drew attention early. After finishing 8-6 in the two opening stages he then won Stage Three. The rest of his rally saw him making great recoveries after difficult days until he finally succumbed to altitude sickness and stomach problems in Stage Nine and had to withdraw. It was an unfortunate end for a rider with great potential and as yet little experience and he exited after making his mark as a rider to watch in the future.

 Price, a four-time winner of Australia’s Finke Desert classic said at the beginning of the rally that navigation would be difficult. He did have some difficulties in stages 4-6 but by the time he started in the final stage he had eight top five finishes and including a win in Stage 12. Price by then had moved up to third overall and was able to make it stick until the race was declared over.

 Regular Red Bull KTM Factory rider Ruben Faria of Portugal finished sixth overall, which was a solid result given that Faria had broken his collarbone only six weeks before the rally. His teammate Jordi Viladoms was one rider who was unable to finish the difficult stage over the Bolivian salt flats. Villadoms was fifteenth overall when he retired from the race. KTM-supported rider Riaan van Niekerk also retired after Stage Seven left Bolivia. He was overall twelfth. Jakub Przygonski of Poland, a regular KTM-supported rider who competes for Team Orlen was eighteenth overall. He has had a difficult season after a serious injury in Abu Dhabi at the beginning of 2014.

 Line honors in the final shortened stage went to three KTM riders. Ivan Jakes of Slovakia won the stage. Countryman Stefan Svitko finished second and Price was third. Svitko finishes fifth overall and Jakes was eighth overall. KTM riders took seven of the top 10 places in the 2015 edition.

 The Dakar 2015 was indeed a battle of attrition. Of the 168 starters in the bikes division only 78 were on the starting line for the final run into Buenos Aires.

 ***

 Dakar Rally 2015 Final Overall Results

 1, Marc Coma, ESP, KTM at 46.03.49 (5th Dakar title for Coma; 14th for KTM)
 2, Paolo Goncalves, POR Honda at 16.53
3, Toby Price, AUS, KTM at 23.14
4, Pablo Qunitanilla, CHI, KTM at 38.38
5, Stefan Svitko, SVK, KTM at 44.17
6, Ruben Faria, POR, KTM at 1:57.50
7, David Casteu, FRA, KTM at 2:00.14
8, Ivan Jakes, SVK, KTM at 2:18.18

Other KTM

11, Hans Vogels, NDL, KTM, at 3:31.50
14, Paolo Ceci, ITA, KTM at 4:58.14
18, Jakub Przygonski, POL, KTM 6:21.12

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Ponto final no Dakar 2015 onde Hélder Rodrigues venceu duas etapas

Com um final chuvoso, tal como aconteceu noutras ocasiões ao longo deste Dakar Argentina Bolívia Chile, encerrou-se hoje a edição de 2015 com uma especial cronometrada que deveria ter tido 174 quilómetros mas dos quais apenas foram disputados 101. Todavia esta situação não se refletiu na prestação de Hélder Rodrigues que juntamente com Joan Barreda esperou por Paulo Gonçalves para com ele terminar a etapa.

 Num Dakar para o qual partiu muito bem preparado, Hélder Rodrigues viu uma gripe dificultar-lhe as prestações das primeiras etapas mas conseguiu entrar na corrida onde venceu duas etapas mas acabou por ser traído por alguns problemas mecânicos que o atrasaram irremediavelmente. O piloto oficial da Honda terminou o Dakar pela nona vez consecutiva tendo-se estreado em 2006. Com as duas vitórias alcançadas nesta edição Hélder Rodrigues passou a ser o português com mais triunfos de em etapas do Dakar onde são já sete os que alcançou.

  “Para mim, este Dakar foi um pouco infeliz. Nada pude fazer face às contrariedades que tive, mas estou muito feliz não só por ter ganho duas etapas, mas acima de tudo porque a equipa HRC conquistou um lugar no pódio com o Paulo. A equipa trabalhou muito bem e agora temos que começar a pensar já no próximo Dakar”, salientou no final da corrida, Hélder Rodrigues, piloto oficial da Honda, apoiado pela MEO e Red Bull.

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Projecto BAMP completou com sucesso estreia no Dakar

Excelente prestação da dupla luso-brasileira com a Nissan V8 

Num dia marcado pela chuva intensa, que obrigou a reduzir substancialmente o derradeiro sector selectivo, terminou em festa mais uma edição do Rali Dakar Argentina Bolívia Chile. Numa etapa em que estava apostada em conseguir o seu melhor resultado no Dakar 2015, a dupla Ricardo Leal dos Santos e Carlos Du Sachs teve, face à diminuta extensão do troço, de se contentar com uma posição dentro do Top 20; mas acima de tudo finalizou com sucesso a estreia do projecto BAMP (Brasil Angola Moçambique Portugal) e demonstrou todo o seu potencial para futuras participações na grande maratona de todo-o-terreno.

 Na curta especial, de pouco mais de 30 quilómetros, em lugar dos 174 que estavam previstos, Ricardo Leal dos Santos levou a Nissan V8 a realizar o 17º tempo e o balanço final que faz é muito positivo.

  "Foi a estreia deste projecto no Dakar e estar à chegada é sempre um dos mais importantes objectivos. Desportivamente gostávamos de ter conseguido um melhor resultado mas, tal como muitas equipas e pilotos, que até dispunham de mais argumentos que nós, fomos vítimas de pequenas situações que nos atrasaram irremediavelmente. Estamos todavia cientes de que temos uma bela máquina, que pode ser ainda muito melhorada. Todas as três Nissan da Red Lined Motorsports terminaram a corrida sem grandes problemas. É um regresso importante da Nissan ao Dakar, onde viveu tempos áureos. Levamos desta prova dados muito importantes para o desenvolvimento futuro do carro que, estou seguro, nos poderá permitir vir a lutar por um lugar no Top 10. Por outro lado, toda a nossa estrutura funcionou de forma excelente e isso revelou-se muito importante quando foi necessário superar todas as dificuldades geradas pela dureza deste rali", salientou Ricardo Leal dos Santos à chegada a Buenos Aires.

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Carlos Sousa termina Dakar na 8ª posição

Mais uma vez, o piloto de Almada voltou a estar em destaque no Dakar. Em 16 participações, esta foi a 11ª vez em que terminou no top-10, desta feita, a defender as cores da equipa Mitsubishi Petrobras 

Pela 11ª vez em 16 participações, Carlos Sousa concluiu o Dakar no top-10 da classificação. Na edição deste ano do mais duro rali do mundo, o piloto nacional, foi o 8º classificado. Um resultado que até poderia ter sido ainda mais positivo – um 5º lugar final – não fosse a penalização de 40 minutos que lhe foi imposta no final da 9ª etapa, por ter falhado um dos pontos de passagem obrigatória da especial.

 Apesar de tudo, Carlos Sousa reconhece “a alegria por chegarmos ao fim de mais uma edição bastante dura e logo num positivo 8º lugar. Um excelente resultado, até pelo facto de, à nossa frente, apenas terem terminado pilotos da Mini e da Toyota que, a par da Peugeot, foram as marcas que, este ano, investiram mais meios e recursos. Também por isso a Mitsubishi Petrobras tem de estar satisfeita. O ASX Racing revelou potencial e mostrou ser uma excelente base para o futuro. No meu entender, ainda há um longo caminho a percorrer ao nível do desenvolvimento das suspensões, mas depois desse trabalho, as ambições podem ser outras”.

Aliás, Carlos Sousa faz questão de salientar “o empenho da equipa, no final da etapa maratona, resolvendo os graves problemas de suspensão de que fomos vítimas na passagem pelo Chile. Isso permitiu impor um ritmo bastante forte nestes últimos dias, com o ASX Racing a não revelar problemas ou sequer sintomas de fadiga. Inclusivamente, fico com a sensação que o Dakar devia estar a começar era agora”, confessa o português.

 Para terminar, Carlos Sousa enaltece “a atuação dos ‘motards’ portugueses, naturalmente, com destaque para o Paulo Gonçalves. Mas todos estiveram em excelente nível, voltando a dignificar o nome de Portugal pelo mundo”.

 Na etapa de hoje, a última da edição 2015 do Dakar, Carlos Sousa e o navegador Paulo Fiuza chegaram a acalentar a esperança de subir um lugar na classificação. Mas com a decisão da organização de encurtar a etapa, devido à muita chuva que se fazia sentir, a única dupla nacional em prova acabou por contentar-se com a 8ª posição da geral.

 Mais um excelente registo para o currículo de Carlos Sousa. Em 16 participações no Dakar, só por duas vezes conheceu o sabor da desistência, tendo cometido a proeza de terminar 11 vezes no top-10. 

O futuro poderá, também, passar pela disputa do Campeonato de Portugal de Todo-o-Terreno deste ano. “É provável que a decisão seja tomada nas próximas semanas. A equipa tem consciência que é importante disputar provas para evoluir ainda mais o ASX Racing e, confesso, que esse é um dos cenários que está em cima da mesa. Vamos ver se é possível reunir condições para que isso aconteça, nomeadamente alguns apoios nacionais”, conclui o piloto, quatro vezes campeão nacional absoluto da modalidade.

 CLASSIFICAÇÃO FINAL

1º Al-Attiyah/Baumel (MINI), 40h32m25s
2º De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), + 35m34s
3º Holowczyc/Panseri (MINI), + 1h32m01s
4º Van Loon/Rosegaar (Toyota), + 3h01m52s
5º Vasilyev/Zhiltsov (MINI), + 3h12m41s
6º Lavieille/Maimon (Toyota), +3h15m58s
7º Ten Brinke/Colsoul (Toyota), + 3h42m02s
8º SOUSA/FIUZA (Mitsubishi) + 3h44m59s (…)

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Paulo Gonçalves conquista fantástico 2.º lugar no pódio final do Dakar 2015

Piloto português cumpre sonho de subir ao pódio final da mais importante prova de Todo-o-Terreno do mundo 

Paulo Gonçalves está no pódio final do Dakar 2015. O piloto português conseguiu fechar o somatório das treze etapas na segunda posição final, depois de mais um animado duelo contra o espanhol Marc Coma, vencedor agora por cinco ocasiões da mítica prova de Todo-o-Terreno mundial.

 A última etapa da 37.ª edição do Rali Dakar terminou em Buenos Aires, depois de uma “especial” cronometrada que contava inicialmente 174 quilómetros mas que a organização acabou por encurtar para metade devido às más condições do percurso. Paulo Gonçalves apostou as últimas fichas nos últimos quilómetros para segurar o segundo lugar final e espreitar o lugar mais alto do pódio final, uma vez mais entregue a Marc Coma, que à semelhança das temporadas de 2013 e 2014 do Campeonato do Mundo de Ralis Todo-o-Terreno, disputou o título até ao último instante com o piloto português.

“Devo estar contente com o meu segundo lugar, foi um lugar muito disputado. Comecei o rali precisamente aqui com a segunda posição e mantive-me segundo, terceiro, todo o rali. Houve uma altura da corrida que fiquei na luta com o Marc [Coma], mas depois com o problema no motor e os quinze minutos de penalização acabei por praticamente ficar fora dessa luta”, afirmou Paulo Gonçalves na chegada a Buenos Aires.

 Integrando a linha da frente da equipa HRC no Dakar 2015, Paulo Gonçalves e Joan Barreda impuseram desde o início da competição, a 4 de Janeiro, em Buenos Aires, um ritmo notável e mantiveram-se praticamente toda a corrida no “pódio” das etapas, com destaque para a liderança de Barreda até ao oitavo dia de prova, altura em que surgiram os inquietantes problemas no Salar de Uyuni, na Bolívia, que vitimou grande parte da caravana de participantes.

“A equipa HRC fez um trabalho fantástico, o [Joan] Barreda neste momento poderia estar aqui certamente a comemorar um grande resultado, mas infelizmente a Bolívia este ano foi um bocado desgastante para a nossa equipa, pois perdemos lá praticamente dois pilotos, o Hélder [Rodrigues] e o Barreda, em termos de classificação”, continuou.

 Apesar de ter conseguido uma prova de regularidade, com apenas três etapas fora do “Top 5” e seis no pódio final, incluindo uma vitória, Paulo Gonçalves conseguiu ser o mais rápido no terreno no conjunto das treze etapas, por margem de sete segundos de vantagem para Marc Coma, mas graças um conjunto de 17min de penalizações (15min por troca de motor e 2min por excesso de velocidade numa zona limitada), o piloto de Esposende acabou por ser o segundo classificado na tabela geral final a 16min53s da desejada vitória.

 No balanço final, aparte dos contratempos na segunda etapa maratona, Paulo Gonçalves mostrou-se naturalmente satisfeito com o resultado e, especialmente, com todo o trabalho da equipa HRC em prol do mesmo.

“Na segunda etapa maratona perdemos o Jeremias [Israel] que cedeu o seu motor e fez com que eu estivesse aqui hoje a celebrar o segundo lugar no rali, por isso tenho de estar contente por mim, pelo trabalho da equipa HRC, acho que tenho os melhores colegas de equipa do mundo, obrigado Barreda, obrigado Hélder Rodrigues, obrigado Jeremias Israel, se não fossem eles possivelmente eu não estaria aqui hoje a celebrar, tivemos aquele problema na etapa maratona e eles foram decisivos para que eu pudesse continuar em prova”, concluiu o piloto de Esposende.

 Paulo Gonçalves conquista assim o quarto pódio para Portugal no Rali Dakar, depois dos terceiros lugares de Hélder Rodrigues em 2011 e 2012 e do segundo lugar de Ruben Faria na edição de 2013 da prova.

 A chegada de Paulo Gonçalves a Portugal está prevista para a próxima Segunda-Feira, 19 de Janeiro, pelas 16h35, ao Aeroporto Francisco Sá Carneiro, no Porto, num voo proveniente de Madrid.

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MINI All4 Racing segura 11ª vitória em etapas

• Orlando Terranova wins penultimate stage 

• Vladimir Vasilyev finishes second

 The MINI ALL4 Racing is virtually unstoppable, in the 2015 Dakar. Today, in the 12th stage – to Rosario – the Argentineans Orlando Terranova and Bernardo ‘Ronnie’ Graue, racing for the Monster Energy Rally Raid Team, celebrated their third stage win – and the 11th of the MINI ALL4 Racing at the same time! Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov also once again secured a top result by finishing runner-up, today. In the overall standings, they gained another position and hold fifth, now. This means that four of the five top five positions are held by the MINI ALL4 Racing!

 Terranova already tried to win the previous two stages on his home soil and today, after two second places, he finally did it. “The route was really nice,” said the Argentinean. “During the course of the special stage we closed in on Nasser but then, we lost time in his dust. Trying to pass him would have been just too dangerous. Later, however, I could push again and secure the win.”

Meanwhile, Vasilyev and Zhiltsov seemed to be on the way to securing their second stage win for a long time but were passed by Terranova during the final kilometres. “Today’s route definitely was more interesting and more difficult than yesterday’s although it once again resembled a WRC stage,” said Zhiltsov. “Today we pushed to a certain extent to try to work our way further up. Tomorrow we want to push again as we think that the other’s will do the same. Although you actually don’t do so, on the final day.”

 The overall leaders, the Qatar Rally Team represented by Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Mathieu Baumel (FRA), finished fourth today and extended their lead with this result. Now, the driver from Qatar just has to survive tomorrow’s final stage to secure his second Dakar win. “Today it was only about contesting and finishing the stage,” said Al-Attiyah. “For us, the special stage seemed to be really, really long. The route wasn’t easy – partially extremely narrow and rocky. I tried to drive fast enough to not lose my concentration. And that’s the approach will also want to opt for tomorrow.”

 Poland’s Krzysztof Holowczyc and his French co-driver Xavier Panseri, also representing the Monster Energy Rally Raid Team colours, came eighth, thus consolidating their third place in the overall standings. Aidyn Rakhimbayev (KAZ) and Anton Nikolaev (RUS) once again made it to the top 10 by finishing 10th and in addition, they hold the safe ninth place in the overall standings. “This was fun and we were really fast,” said co-driver Nikolaev. “We went off the track several times but didn’t lose much time.”

 The two Dutchman Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar finished 14th today, nine minutes behind the winners, and still hold fourth place in the overall standings. Right behind them, Boris Garafulic (CHI) and Filipe Palmeiro (POR) came 15th, thus defending their 12th position in the overall standings. 13th position still is held by China’s Zhou Yong who finished 19th with his German navigator Andreas Schulz, today. German pairing Stephan Schott / Holm Schmidt finished 25th, in stage 12, and are 22nd in the overall standings.

 Meanwhile, the Frenchmen Guerlain Chicherit and Alex Winoqc took their Buggy All Terrain to the really fine 11th place.

 Tomorrow, the competitors will contest the final stage of the 2015 Dakar Rally, taking them back to Buenos Aires. The day begins with a 77-kilometre liaison section, followed by 174 special-stage kilometres. And over the course of the last 142 kilometres of this year’s Dakar, the winner already may look forward to the podium in the Tecnopolis / Buenos Aires.

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Quinta vitória em etapas para a Monster Energy Rally Raid Team

• Next stage win for Orlando Terranova 

• Holowczyc consolidates his third place in the overall standings 

Having finished second in the two previous stages, the two Argentineans finally celebrated their next stage win, in stage 12. Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL) and Xavier Panseri (FRA) finished eighth, today, thus consolidating their third place in the overall standings. Now, the two crews just have to complete the final stage that will take them back to Buenos Aires.

 Terranova held second position for a long time but succeeded in stepping it up a notch and clinching the win, in the closing stages. “The route was nice to drive and the car also was great,” said Terranova. “During the course of the special stage we closed in on Nasser but then, we lost time in his dust. Trying to pass him would have been just too dangerous. Later, however, I could push again and secure the win. Vasilyev was really fast, today. In the closing stages, a big crowd were standing next to the road – that always is great to witness.”

 Meanwhile, Holowczyc focused on consolidating his third position in the overall standings. “We opted for a careful approach today to not jeopardise our third position,” revealed the Pole. “We had to drive for 100 kilometres in the dust of a rival but the road was narrow and I didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks. But then, the adrenalin took over and I passed him, nevertheless. Afterwards, we returned to our careful approach. But I’m not yet ready to be happy about this position. After all, we still have to survive tomorrow’s stage.”

 Tomorrow, in the last stage of the 2015 Dakar Rally, the field will return to Buenos Aires. The day comprises 77 liaison kilometres followed by 174-kilometre special stage. And then, during the final 142 kilometres of the event, the new Dakar winner already may look forward to the podium in the Tecnopolis / Buenos Aires.

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Nissan BAMP pela terceira vez no Top 20

Dupla luso-brasileira vence entre os privados 

Na penúltima etapa do Dakar Argentina Bolívia Chile 2015, que hoje levou a caravana de Termas Rio Hondo a Rosário, a dupla Ricardo Leal dos Santos e Carlos Du Sachs voltou a conseguir uma posição dentro do Top 20, mas desta feita conseguiu ainda ser a mais rápida de entre as formações que competem com o estatuto de privados, do qual fazem parte a grande maioria dos concorrentes, mas raros são os que ocupam lugares de destaque como o alcançado hoje pela Nissan Navara V8 nº 360.

 Nesta que foi a mais longa etapa desta edição de 2015 do Dakar, com 1024 quilómetros de extensão, a dupla Ricardo Leal dos Santos e Carlos Du Sachs gastou 3h15m26s, realizando o 17º tempo no troço cronometrado de 298 km comum a todas as categorias.

  "A primeira parte da etapa foi muito dolorosa para nós. A pista tinha um traçado muito ao nosso jeito, muito técnico, como um troço de rali mas em tamanho grande, só que o pó levantado pelos carros que partiram à nossa frente impedia-nos de rolar ao nosso ritmo. Estávamos sempre a ser travados. Conseguimos passar alguns concorrentes, nalguns casos acidentados, e mais para o final da especial já foi possível andar um pouco melhor. Talvez amanhã, na derradeira etapa, consigamos fazer um resultado melhor", salientou Ricardo Leal dos Santos à chegada a Rosario.

 De salientar que na sua anterior participação, em 2012, Ricardo Leal dos Santos culminou o seu desempenho na prova com uma vitória na derradeira etapa.

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Carlos Sousa faz um brilharete em dia de aniversário e garante 6º lugar na especial

No dia em que o Dakar cumpriu a sua etapa mais longa – foram 1.204 km para ligar Termos de Rio Hondo a Rosario – a dupla portuguesa da Mitsubishi Brasil voltou a estar em plano de evidência, chegando a ser mais rápida na fase inicial da especial, que terminaria a apenas 1m52s do vencedor e a apenas 2s de um lugar no top-5 

Cumprindo com o prometido na véspera, Carlos Sousa e Paulo Fiuza entraram ao ataque na 12ª e penúltima especial do Dakar 2015, procurando anular os 2m40s que os separam do 7º lugar da classificação geral. E o dia começou logo da melhor maneira, com a dupla portuguesa da Mitsubishi Petrobras a garantir o melhor tempo à passagem pelo primeiro ponto de cronometragem.

 Rodando sempre entre o grupo dos mais rápidos, Carlos Sousa chegou a estar a ganhar quase 1 minuto ao holandês Ten Brinke a sensivelmente meio da especial. Embora atacando ao máximo, o piloto português acabaria por completar os 298 km no 6º lugar, a 1m52s do vencedor, cedendo 2s para o seu adversário do Toyota.

  “Entrámos decididos a atacar e cumprimos a especial a um ritmo forte. Só que os nossos adversários também andaram muito bem hoje e infelizmente não conseguimos recuperar o atraso. Seja como for e independentemente do que venha a reservar o dia de amanhã, estou satisfeito com o resultado. O ASX Racing esteve impecável nestes últimos dias. Puxámos ao máximo pelo carro e não registamos qualquer problema. Só é pena o Dakar não estar agora a começar”, afirmou Carlos Sousa, que manteve o 8º lugar da geral no dia em que completou o seu 49º aniversário.

 CLASSIFICAÇÃO - ETAPA 12

1º Terranova/Graue (MINI), 3h04m06s
2º Vasilyev/Zhiltsov (MINI), + 30s
3º Spataro/Lozada (Renault), + 1m29s
4º Al-Attiyah/Baumel (MINI), + 1m37s
5º Ten Brinke/Colsoul (Toyota), + 1m50s
6º SOUSA/FIUZA (Mitsubishi) + 1m52s
(…)

 GERAL - APÓS ETAPA 12

1º Al-Attiyah/Baumel (MINI), 40h18m30s
2º De Villiers/Von Zitzewitz (Toyota), + 35m39s
3º Holowczyc/Panseri (MINI), + 1h31m51s
4º Van Loon/Rosegaar (Toyota), + 3h01m34s
5º Vasilyev/Zhiltsov (MINI), + 3h12m19s
6º Lavieille/Maimon (Toyota), +3h15m16s
7º Ten Brinke/Colsoul (Toyota), + 3h41m53s
8º SOUSA/FIUZA (Mitsubishi) + 3h44m35s
(…)

 A ETAPA DE AMANHÃ

Etapa 13: Rosario – Buenos Aires
Total: 393 km
Especial: 174 km

É a última etapa do Dakar 2015. Até à chegada a Buenos Aires, os concorrentes têm ainda pela frente uma especial de 174 km cronometrados. Nenhum dos pilotos pode considerar como ganho o que quer que seja. Por alguma razão, todos os anos há pelo menos um veículo que desiste no derradeiro dia. Sobre pistas rápidas, a prudência e o rigor impõem-se. Porque o pódio na capital argentina será para todos o grande momento que todos esperam.

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Team HRC com 4 pilotos no Top 10 da penúltima etapa

As the Dakar draws towards its conclusion, the final push to secure podium places continues. The penultimate stage sees Paulo Gonçalves defend his overall second. Barreda finishes the stage second, as Laia seals tenth spot both on the day and in the general rankings.

 Paulo Gonçalves has refused to throw in the towel, and remains locked in the battle at the head of the Dakar 2015 course. The Portuguese star grabbed third place in the rally’s twelfth day of racing, behind Joan Barreda, and goes into the final showdown tomorrow 17’49” off the leader, but 7’29” clear of the nearest third place pretender.

 Rosario, the city where the race started from last year, played host to the last but one Dakar assault and featured the longest liaison section so far encountered, at 726 kilometres, with a modest 298 km timed special. It was a relatively complication-free affair, not too navigationally demanding, but not without its dangers either, with regular incursions from animals popping up at various points on the route. 

Joan Barreda, once more, opened the way and was once again untouchable, crossing the finish-line outside Córdoba on the Honda CRF450 RALLY without having been reached. He recorded the second fastest time in the special.

 Hélder Rodrigues, had it tougher, heading out from behind and having to eat a lot of dust before the day was done. Hélder chose the prudent option and sat it out with the group instead of going for the high-risk overtaking alternative. 

All Team HRC finishers thus find themselves congregating the top-ten for the first time in the Dakar 2015. Laia Sanz scored a notable tenth, and barring eventualities, should hold on to tenth on tomorrow’s final leaderboard.

 Argentine local-boy Javier Pizzolito again was the top Honda South America Rally Team finisher in 12th. Brazilian Jean Azevedo registered his best stage to date with a 14th position at the end of the special, and hops two places up the overall rankings.

Joan Barreda: Today was a very fast stage – the surface was all track, and it was very slippery for practically the whole distance. I open the road throughout the special and it was a bit dangerous because I kept coming across animals that had strayed across the track, and even police coming in the opposite direction. Anyway, I’m pleased because I was able to maintain a rapid pace. There is only one stage still to go, and we are going to do everything in our power to get Paulo to his goal.

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Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras conquista a 6ª posição no penúltimo dia do Rally Dakar

Carlos Sousa e Paulo Fiuza se mantém entre os 10 melhores da prova 

No penúltimo dia de Rally Dakar, Carlos Sousa e Paulo Fiuza marcaram o sexto melhor tempo na etapa de hoje, com uma diferença de 1min52 para o líder e apenas 2s para o quinto colocado.

  "Estamos satisfeitos por estar aqui, falta apenas mais um dia. Fomos em um ritmo forte, mas nossos concorrentes também estão andando bem. Infelizmente está acabando, mas estou plenamente satisfeito", afirma Sousa, que está na 6ª colocação da classificação geral.

"O ASX Racing esteve impecável nesses últimos dias, aceleramos muito e nada falhou. O carro aguentaria mais 10.000 km. Eu não, mas ele sim", brinca o piloto. A dupla chegou a marcar o melhor tempo na primeira parcial da prova.

"Tivemos um bom dia e fomos para o ataque. Falta só mais uma. O ASX está impecável, tudo bom", disse Paulo.

 Hoje foi o dia mais longo desta edição do Rally Dakar e um dos maiores da história da prova. No total, o trecho entre Termas de Rio Hondo e Rosario, na Argentina, teve 1.024 quilômetros, mas com uma especial de 298 km.

"O Dakar é isso mesmo, mistura de velocidade, regularidade e mecânica. Tudo colocado à prova", finaliza Carlos.

  Etapa 13 - 17 de janeiro
Rosario / Buenos Aires (ARG)
Deslocamento: 219 km
Especial: 174 km
Total: 393 km

 Último dia do Rally Dakar 2015!! A especial curta, de 174 quilômetros, exige atenção de toda a Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras para a tão aguardada chegada em Buenos Aires.

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Coma mantém-se na frente antes da última etapa

Red Bull KTM factory rider Marc Coma of Spain goes into Saturday’s final stage of the 2015 Dakar Rally with a 17 minute 49 lead over second places Paolo Goncalves of Portugal. The Stage 12 victory went to KTM rookie Toby Price of Australia who further consolidates his third overall position in the rankings.

 Riders are now almost at the end of the 9,000 km journey in South America and on Friday traveled from Termas Rio Honda to Rosario in Argentina, a timed special of 298 km and a 725 km liaison section.

 Coma finished a comfortable sixth in the stage sacrificing 6.25 of his lead time as he preserved tire wear and is now looking at the possibility of winning his fifth Dakar title.

 The final stage into the finish line at Buenos Aires involves another 393 km, of which just 174 km is timed special. Should Coma succeed in taking the title, it will be a fourteenth victory for KTM in this epic annual race.

 Coma said it had been another hard 300 km ride of Friday. “There was a lot to lose so it was important not to make any mistakes or crash. It is not easy to find the balance to ride like that but I am happy we are here. Today the tires were wearing a lot so I took care about that at the beginning of the special. I felt a bit fresher on the last part and made a good pace to the end. There are still some kilometers left, but the end is getting closer now. The conditions are always very tough all the time. The young riders are pushing a lot, so I have to use my energy. We spend all year preparing to arrive here in a good shape, so it's time to spend that energy”.

 Stage 12 was also an opportunity for Toby Price to illustrate his speed and skills. A passionate desert racer in Australia, Price is contesting his first Dakar Rally as a KTM-supported rider and has shown constant improvement of form as the rally has progressed.

 At the beginning of this edition Price had ridden only in the Morocco Rally and was new to the navigation using the road book. Price said on Thursday that he was finally coming to grips with the navigation technique and this was illustrated on Friday when he rode a very strong stage throughout. 

Price was in the lead at CP1 after 126 km and had accumulated a one minute 36 advantage over second placed Joan Barreda. He stretched the lead to 1.46 by the 231km mark at CP2 and went on to win from Barreda by a margin of 1.55. Price has been in the top five in seven stages since the rally started on January 3.

 Speaking after the stage, Price said he was aware that anything could still happen. “At this stage everything is just feeling good. We're enjoying it, so it's been a good experience. There have been a lot of highs and lows and good learning curves as well as a few mistakes, but we're trying to fix them as best as we can and get to the finishing line. Hopefully, that will happen tomorrow. I always knew it was going to be difficult, but you don't know until you actually come here and have a go. Then you find out how hard it really is.” 

In the overall rankings Price now has a cushion of eleven minutes to KTM rider Pablo Quintanilla of Chile who is in fourth place, but whatever the outcome on Saturday, he can go away pleased with his debut ride.It was also a very good day for the Slovak duo of Ivan Jakes and Stefan Svitko, both riding KTM who finished Stage 12 in positions 4-5, ahead of Coma who opted to conserve his strength for the final push into Buenos Aires.

 Red Bull KTM’s Ruben Faria finished twentieth, dropping 16.21 during the stage but stays at sixth on the overall rankings. KTM continues to have seven riders in the top 10 in the overall standings. KTM factory riders and supported-riders are contesting the rally on the KTM 450 RALLY machine.

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RUBEN FARIA NO SEXTO LUGAR APÓS PENÚLTIMA ETAPA

Com 298 quilómetros de especial cumpriu-se hoje o penúltimo dia do Dakar 2015. Com partida de Termas de Rio Hondo, junto ao circuito que habitualmente recebe eventos dos campeonatos argentinos e também dos campeonatos do mundo de Moto GP e WTCC e final em Rosario a caravana de resistentes enfrentou mais uma longa jornada de ligações e um sector selectivo mais curto.

 Saindo na quarta posição para esta penúltima especial Ruben Faria assumiu o papel de ‘escudeiro’ de Marc Coma e logo após o arranque esperou pelo espanhol que lidera a classificação geral, seu colega na estrutura oficial do construtor austriaco. Desta forma o seu resultado no final do dia ficou de imediato colocado de parte e no fecho da especial a 20ª posição reflectiu essa mesma opção táctica por parte da equipa que o algarvio defende. Uma prestação condicionada que o levou a perder algum tempo em termos de classificação geral, segurando no entanto o sexto posto da mesma antes da derradeira especial deste Dakar.

‘O dia hoje não foi fácil mas também não foi muito complicado. O terreno estava muito duro e com as pedras tornou a pista muito escorregadia. No início esperei pelo Marc, o nosso objectivo era mesmo esse, para ele poder vencer o Dakar. Agora falta apenas um dia e espero chegar bem ao final.’

 Amanhã o Dakar despede-se da sua edição 2015 com a realização da derradeira etapa que levará os sobreviventes desde Rosario até Buenos Aires. Com 175 quilómetros de extensão a especial promete ser rápida e vai certamente exigir atenção aos pilotos que nem mesmo no dia da consagração terão oportunidade de comemorar mais cedo o final da prova. O Dakar está prestes a terminar...mas ainda não acabou.

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Hélder Rodrigues subiu uma posição

A penúltima etapa do Dakar Argentina Bolívia Chile 2015 que hoje levou a caravana de Termas Rio Hondo a Rosário, a mais longa desta edição de 2015 com 1024 quilómetros, compreendeu um troço cronometrado comum a todas as categorias com uma extensão de 298 km. Hélder Rodrigues gastou 3h27m44s realizou o 7º tempo e com esse resultado subiu uma posição na classificação geral.

 O piloto oficial da Honda que foi o oitavo piloto a partir para esta etapa terminou a especial colado a dois dos pilotos que partiram à sua frente.

  “Esta penúltima etapa era muito técnica, porque a pista estava muito escorregadia. Apanhei o Ruben Faria e Quintanilla e fiz a última centena de quilómetros atrás deles, sem ser capaz de os ultrapassar, tal era a poeira que as motos levantavam. Agora só falta disputar a derradeira especial, e amanhã eu vou partir de uma boa posição que, espero, me permita terminar o Dakar com um bom resultado”, salientou à chegada a Termas Rio Hondo, Hélder Rodrigues, piloto oficial da Honda, apoiado pela MEO e Red Bull.

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Paulo Gonçalves ganha tempo a Marc Coma e mantém luta pela vitória no Dakar 2015

Piloto português cumpriu a penúltima etapa no 3.º lugar, ganhando mais 3min23s a Marc Coma, e mantém o 2.º posto da tabela geral 

Já muito próximo do final da 37.ª edição do Rali Dakar, Portugal continua a sonhar cm a vitória inédita de Paulo Gonçalves nas duas rodas. O piloto português está no segundo lugar da classificação geral, a apenas 17min49s do líder, Marc Coma, a quem voltou hoje a ganhar mais 3min23s à geral.

 A penúltima etapa, com cerca de 700 quilómetros de ligações e mais 298 a contra-relógio, levou a caravana de Termas Rio Hondo a Rosário, na Argentina, e por pouco não teve mais uma dobradinha da equipa oficial Honda. Paulo Gonçalves saiu no segundo lugar e cruzou a meta em terceiro, na frente do pelotão, atrás do seu colega de equipa Joan Barreda, segundo classificado, tendo ambos apenas perdido tempo para o Toby Price, vencedor da tirada.

 De partida para o último dia, Paulo Gonçalves procurará assegurar o segundo lugar da tabela geral classificativa, sempre com a esperança em tomar o primeiro lugar da classificação na mítica prova do Todo-o-Terreno mundial.

  “O Dakar não está terminado, falta mais um dia de corrida. Estou na segunda posição, mas nada está garantido. Tudo pode acontecer ainda, positiva ou negativamente. Mas estou muito feliz por mim e por toda a equipa HRC, e por todo o trabalho que tem vindo a ser feito. O Joan Barreda esteve na frente da corrida até ao Salar de Uyuni, mas perdeu o comando devido a um problema causado pela água no motor. Se terminarmos o Dakar no pódio já será bom”, afirmou Paulo Gonçalves.

 O último dia será mais curto, mas ainda assim promete emoções fortes até à chegada a Buenos Aires. O programa aponta 219 quilómetros de ligação e 174 de “especial” cronometrada pelas pistas rápidas da Argentina.

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Dupla da Ford Ranger termina penúltima etapa sem problemas

• Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah edges closer to second Dakar title; stage win for Terranova 

• Battle weary Dakar crews reach Rosario and face one more hurdle to Buenos Aires 

Federico Villagra and Andrés Memi have had the bit between their teeth over the last few days and produced another sterling performance in their YPF Competicion Ford Ranger on the penultimate 298km special stage of the 2015 Dakar Rally, between Termas de Rio Hondo and Rosario, on Friday.
Sixty-eight crews began the stage, which finished just north of Villagra’s home city of Córdoba. The Argentine pair began the day in 29th overall and were seeded 26th for the start of the stage behind Frenchman Cyril Despres. Outside the top 20, cars left the start in 30-second intervals.

“I was very happy with the work done over the last couple of days,” admitted the Argentine before the start of the special.

  “It was a really interesting and fun day yesterday,” added Memi. “We have overcome numerous cars and achieved a great time. I enjoyed the way Federico managed his pace on the roads through Tucumán.”

Villagra held a virtual 26th through the first 50km checkpoint in the day’s special and climbed a position after 85km. He continued to press on and was 24th after 150km and went on to reach the stage finish in 21st position, a mere three seconds behind Despres.

 Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah began the penultimate special stage with a lead of 29min 01sec over his long-time closest challenger Giniel de Villiers. With the pressure off, it was a matter of keeping out of trouble and staying focused for the 2011 winner. He reached the finish in third place and takes an advantage of 35min 39sec into the final stage on Saturday. Argentina’s Orlando Terranova claimed a fourth stage win.

 South Racing is looking after Villagra’s on-event logistics and day-to-day management under the directorship of Scott Abraham and his team. Villagra’s Ford Ranger was prepared and developed in South Africa by Neil Woolridge Motorsport.

  “Federico continues to do a great job for the whole team and has shown perfect mastery of the Ford Ranger,” said Abraham. “Hopefully he will have a clean run through the final stage and achieve our target of the finish in Buenos Aires.”

 In addition to Argentine energy company YPF, Villagra’s Dakar programme is being supported by suspension and OEM parts company Fric Rot, Brenson (Dealer Ford), Piamontesa and construction company Natania. OMP, Michelin, Rudy Project and Gold Nutrition have provided technical assistance.

 Tomorrow (Saturday, January 17), is the final day of what has been one of the most demanding Dakar rallies since the world’s greatest off-road race graced the African continent. It’s a short day by recent standards, but no less important.

 In a total distance of 393km, from Rosario to the finish in Buenos Aires, race officials have only planned a short special stage of 174km, but teams will be hearing every creak and groan from their vehicles over those last nervy kilometres.

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Al-Attiyah vence mais uma etapa e aumenta vantagem

• Qatar Rally Team on the way to securing the overall win 

• Just two more stages to go to Buenos Aires 

The 11th stage, from Salta to Termas Rio Hondo, also was won by a MINI ALL4 Racing. This means that 10 of the 11 stages contested to date were won by the rally car designed and built by X-raid. Today, the Qatar Rally Team, represented by Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Mathieu Baumel (FRA), celebrated its fifth stage win and extended its lead over second-placed Giniel de Villiers another time. Behind Al-Attiyah, the Argentineans Orlando Terranova and Bernardo ‘Ronnie’ Graue, racing for the Monster Energy Rally Raid Team, finished second, thus repeating the result they had secured yesterday.

 Al-Attiyah is getting closer and closer to securing his second Dakar win but he is not yet ready to be pleased. “There are another two days to go and we have to survive these days,” the driver from Qatar stresses. “We didn’t take any unnecessary risks today but we found a good rhythm and that’s crucial in WRC-like stages such as today’s.” Terranova also got on well and finished runner-up, 27 seconds behind the winner. “It was muddy and slippery at some places and you had to be rather careful. Therefore, we didn’t push to the max.”

 By finishing fourth, Russian pairing Vladimir Vasilyev and Konstantin Zhiltsov also added another top-five result to their tally. “We had another good day but to be honest, we don’t really like these WRC tracks,” revealed Zhiltsov. “You are going flat out all the time – or there’s a corner. We rather see our advantages in the sand and the dunes.

 The Dutch Van Loon racing crew, Erik van Loon and Wouter Rosegaar, came 11th today. “The track was nice and easy to drive but exciting, too,” said Van Loon who now holds fourth position in the overall standings. The previously third-placed Yazeed Al-Rahji was forced into retirement by a technical problem. “It goes without saying that we noticed that Yazeed was in problems and that we gained another position in the overall standings, thanks to this incident. There were rather muddy sections and I feared to make a mistake in every single corner. But we didn’t lose too much time. And that’s how we want to continue until the Dakar is over.”

 The Astana Dakar Team with Aidyn Rakhimbayev (KAZ) and Anton Nikolaev (RUS) came 12th and holds ninth place in the overall standings, now.

 Poland’s Krzysztof Holowczyc and his French navigator Xavier Panseri finished 18th, today. “When we saw Yazeed in the liaison section in problems we only thought that we may have the chance to climb up to the podium,” revealed the Pole who now holds third position in the overall standings. “This doesn’t mean that I want my rivals to be forced into retirement like that. But in motor racing, everything has to work perfectly – from the first to the final metre.”

 The pairings Boris Garafulic (CHI) / Filipe Palmeiro (POR) and Zhou Yong / Andreas Schulz (GER) finished 21st and 22nd respectively, hold 11th and 12thpositions in the oveerall standings and still have got the chance of making it to the top 10!

 Following their accident during the course of stage 10, Nani Roma (ESP) and Michel Périn (FRA) made it back to the bivouac with their damaged MINI ALL4 Racing at 22:45hrs. The team worked on the car throughout the night and at 05:15, it was taken out for a test ride. Later in the morning, however, the race director decided to not let Roma and Périn continue. Afterwards, they drove to the next bivouac via the service route.

 Tomorrow, the crews will have to cope with an extremely long stage: on the way to Rosario they have to cover a total distance of 1024 kilometres, comprising of a 248-kilometre liaison section, a 298-kilometre special stage and another 478 kilometres to the bivouac.

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Krzysztof Holowczyc sobe para terceiro na classificação geral

• Terranova once again runner-up in the stage

 • Nani Roma wasn’t allowed to continue 

In the 11th stage, from Salta to Termas Rio Hondo, the two Argentineans Orlando Terranova and Bernardo ‘Ronnie’ Graue repeated yesterday’s achievement and once again crossed the finish line in second position. Meanwhile, his team-mates Krzysztof Holowczyc (POL) and Xavier Panseri (FRA) had to settle for finishing 18th but did so because they had opted for backing off deliberately. While their main rival for third position, Yazeed Al-Rahji, had been forced into retirement by a technical failure during the liaison section. Therefore, Holowczyc moved up to third and wants to defend this position to the finish in Buenos Aires.

 Terranova currently is on a roll and seems to feel well on his home soil: “It was a beautiful but also really fast track, resembling a WRC special stage. In some sections it was slippery and muddy and you had to be really careful. Therefore, we didn’t push to the max.” In the meantime, he has worked his way back up into the top 20 and holds 18th place.

 Just another two days to go and Holowczyc made another step on the way to realising his goal: to make it to the Dakar podium. “When we saw Yazeed in the liaison section in problems we only thought that we may have the chance to climb up to the podium,” revealed the Pole who now holds third position in the overall standings. “This doesn’t mean that I want my rivals to be forced into retirement like that. But in motor racing, everything has to work perfectly – from the first to the final metre. Our MINI ran very well throughout the Dakar to date, apart from some minor problems in the opening stages. But I adapted my style of driving afterwards and tried to take the car to the finish every day in fast but safe style. And this approach paid off.”

 Following their accident during the course of stage 10, Nani Roma (ESP) and Michel Périn (FRA) made it back to the bivouac with their damaged MINI ALL4 Racing at 22:45hrs. The team worked on the car throughout the night and at 05:15, it was taken out for a test ride. Later in the morning, however, the race director decided to not let Roma and Périn continue. Afterwards, they drove to the next bivouac via the service route. “Yesterday’s accident shouldn’t have happened and could have been avoided. But the hole wasn’t documented in the road book and so, we just had no chance. Now I feel really sorry for the mechanics who worked in vain throughout the night as we weren’t allowed to continue.”

 Tomorrow, on the way to Rosario, the crews will have to cover a massive distance. The stage will feature a total of 1024 kilometres but the special-stage distance adds up to just 298 kilometres. Many of the competitors and their teams, however, are convinced that the organisers will add some difficulties, here, to keep the result open to the very end.

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Hélder passou a noite a fazer mecânica

Piloto português partiu para a etapa sem preparar o road book 

A 11ª etapa, que hoje ligou Salta a Termas Rio Hondo, foi a segunda metade de mais uma etapa maratona, o que implicou que, ontem, à chegada à Salta, os pilotos estivessem por sua conta para todas as reparações mecânicas a efectuar nas suas motos. Na equipa Honda foi necessário mudar o motor da moto de Paulo Gonçalves, o que acabou por implicar a desmontagem de três motores e a sua recolocação. Uma situação que obrigou a um exautivo trabalho de equipa e levou a que Hélder Rodrigues partisse para a etapa de hoje depois de dormir apenas três horas e deixando de lado algumas tarefas normalmente imprescindíveis.

 Mesmo assim o piloto cumpriu os 375 quilómetros de sector selectivo mantendo a sua posição de partida para a etapa, onde registou o 8º melhor tempo.

  “Era muito importante para a equipa que esse trabalho fosse feito e conseguimos. Terminámos às duas da manhã e levantámo-nos às cinco e meia. Com isso não houve tempo para preparar o road book pelo que tivemos de ser mais cautelosos. Mas correu tudo bem. Estou feliz por ter podido ajudar a equipa a manter as suas ambições de uma boa classificação”, salientou à chegada a Termas Rio Hondo, Hélder Rodrigues, piloto oficial da Honda, apoiado pela MEO e Red Bull.

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