The Dakar Rally: unfinished business for Team HRC

The Rally Dakar 2016 is over. Team HRC is packing up to go home with a score still remaining to be settled at the Dakar; one for which the team will go all out to achieve. Now, the data has to be analysed and a year-long project planned, if the team is to capture rally’s top prize next year. The team’s endeavour to accomplish this mission in 2017 begins right away.

 The two weeks of racing have ended in Team HRC’s fourth year back in the event, but the entourage will come home disappointed after a bad run of luck put an end to what had appeared to be a promising opening week.

The team returns empty-handed, but more resolved than ever to take top honours next time round. The 2016 edition has been particularly tough on the squad, losing one of the main riders before the rest day and another after having led the rally for three consecutive days. Yet, even after such setbacks, the never-say-die Team HRC attitude prevailed with Dakar rookie Ricky Brabec displaying great promise on his debut. The 24 year old Californian finished ninth overall in addition to having finished runner-up in stage nine.

 Paolo Ceci played an important role for the team, coming to the aid of both Paulo Gonçalves and Joan Barreda on separate occasions when they ran into trouble. Paulo had clinched two stage wins, while Joan had won the prologue and would have won the first two stages too, were it not for time penalties incurred for speeding.

 A special mention goes out to Team HRC’s great collaborator Honda South America Rally Team, who not only scored a stage victory, but also managed to consistently finish among the rally’s front-runners. Argentinean rookie Kevin Benavides rode to a noteworthy and well-deserved fourth place overall. A bright future beckons for this brilliant young rider.

 Frenchman Adrien Metge, also on his maiden Dakar outing, finished the challenge in eleventh overall position. Jean Azevedo and Javier Pizzolito were both forced to retire after heavy falls. Team HRC wishes to express its gratitude to all the sponsors and collaborators who have so loyally supported the team through thick and thin. Many thanks also to all the fans who have offered very active support on social media.

 Now, all that remains is for the team management to analyse and evaluate what has occurred during the Dakar 2016.

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Hélder Rodrigues regressou a Portugal

Piloto da Yamaha vai disputar o Campeonato do Mundo 

Hélder Rodrigues regressou a Portugal depois de ter alcançado o 5º lugar na edição de 2016 do Dakar. Está foi a 7ª vez que o piloto oficial da Yamaha terminou a corrida no Top 5. Ao longo destes 10 anos de Dakar Hélder Rodrigues subiu por duas vezes ao pódio e averbou oito vitórias em etapas, uma das quais na penúltima etapa do Dakar 2016. De salientar que o piloto português completou este ano a sua décima participação no Dakar, sem nunca ter abandonado.

 À chegada a Lisboa Hélder Rodrigues fez um balanço da sua corrida. “ O balanço final é positivo. Estive com gripe. Não é desculpa, é verdade, e também existiram algumas partes técnicas que, no início, ainda não estavam a 100%. Depois, na segunda semana, em que eu queria mesmo muito atacar, sofri uma luxação no ombro. Foram dias difíceis de ultrapassar. A partir daí as coisas começaram a melhorar, evoluímos a mota, eu também comecei a melhorar e a atacar com um nível e ritmo muito fortes”, referiu o piloto.

 Uma das coisas que deixou Hélder Rodrigues muito satisfeito foi a fiabilidade da sua Yamaha. “Nunca tivemos nenhum problema em pista o que é muito bom e me permitiu ganhar muita confiança. Os últimos três Dakar foram muito difíceis. A mota parava sempre na pista e eu tinha de parar para a arranjar. Isso mexeu muito com a minha autoconfiança. Este ano voltei a conseguir fazer um Dakar sem ter de estar parado em pista e isso é muito importante para mim e para o meu futuro”, salientou o piloto oficial da Yamaha que anunciou a sua participação nas várias etapas de um Campeonato do Mundo que já conquistou em 2011.

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2016 Dakar // Al-Attiyah and the MINI ALL4 Racing – Winners in the four-wheel-drive ranking

· Successful Dakar debut for Mikko Hirvonen and Harry Hunt 

· Four MINI ALL4 Racing vehicles secure top-10 positions 

Torrential rain, floodings, heat, enormous heights… The 2016 edition off the Dakar rally once again proved to be an event featuring extremes for man and machine. With their MINI ALL4 Racing, Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Mathieu Baumel (FRA) finished as best placed all-wheel drive pairing. Only one driver, Stéphane Peterhansel, completed the 2016 Dakar faster than Al-Attiyah but the French two wheel buggy driver still has to face an appeal. And so, the entire Dakar result is provisional, so far. “The rollover in the Fiambala stage cost us a lot of time. Otherwise, we could have made it to the very top by our own effort,” revealed Nasser Al-Attiyah. “But that’s the Dakar. Everybody makes mistakes. I would love to also contest the 2017 Dakar and once again battle it out for the win.”

 While the battle of the 4x4 vehicles – particularly the MINI ALL4 Racing and the Toyota – was extremely close, the buggies succeeded in – in particular in the first week – using both the routes suiting them well and the advantage they enjoyed due to the technical regulations for opening a big lead over the rest of the field. But in the second week, the reliability, durability, manoeuverability and staying power of the MINI ALL4 Racing vehicles allowed their drivers to close the gap and battle their way up to the top positions. The stage win of Al-Attiyah on the eighth stage represented the necessary boost for the final attack, resulting in another two stage wins. In the end, three of the MINI ALL4 Racing vehicles made it to the top six in the overall standings.

 Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen who switched from WRC to cross-country rallying, last year, made a sensational Dakar debut. He contested the 2016 edition of the legendary event together with the experienced French navigator Michel Périn. The pairing particularly impressed with their consistency, finished fifth in nearly every stage and made virtually no mistakes. “I just can’t believe how well the Dakar ran for me,” beamed the Finn. “The cooperation between Michel and me improved day by day and the team did a fantastic job. As I see it, the key to our success was the fact that we completed the Dakar without encountering any major problems on our MINI ALL4 Racing or making any bigger mistakes. I had hoped for making it to the top five and that’s exactly what we achieved.” 

For Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP), the Dakar began with a major setback. On stage two they got stuck in a mud hole for nearly an hour. But they didn’t give up and step by step, they battled their way back up in the overall standings. In stage nine, when many of their rivals struggled with problems, they had a trouble-free day and as a result, the leaped back up to the top 10. On the following days they kept on gaining ground to finish 6th., in the end. ´´It was a somewhat weird Dakar for us and the first days didn’t run really well,” admitted Roma. “It was the only second Dakar for Alex and we needed some days to learn to chime together. But now, we have found the way to an automatic cooperation and I’m really happy that we achieved this level. That’s why we were able to work our way back up to the top flight. The difficult stages just suit us. There, we can make maximum use of our strengths and there we gained a lot of time.” 

For Orlando Terranova and Ronnie Graue (both ARG), the 2016 Dakar didn’t run as they had hoped it would. Like Nani Roma they got stuck in a mud hole in stage two, thus losing a lot of time. And on the following days, things also didn’t run according to the Argentineans’ plans. “Unfortunately, the only thing I can say is that it wasn’t a good Dakar for us,” said the Argentinean. “It just wasn’t to be, for us.” 

Young Briton Harry Hunt, however, impressed with a good Dakar debut. Like Hirvonen, he also had been teamed up with an experienced co-driver: Andreas Schulz. The two-time Dakar winner particularly focused on making sure that the Dakar rookie contested the special stages with the necessary calmness. A strategy that paid off. In the end, the pairing took their MINI ALL4 racing to 10th position overall. “I’m virtually over the moon,” the Briton beamed after having crossed the finish podium. “My first Dakar, I made it to the finish and I secured 10th place. That’s just incredible. “It was extremely tough but we completed the event nearly without being hampered by major problems. And a big thank you to Andy. He was the calm anchor in our car.”

Meanwhile, Poland’s Adam Malysz and his French co-driver Panseri displayed true Dakar spirit. On stage nine, from Uyuni to Salta, their clutch broke in the opening stages. The two waited for the race truck to afterwards let it tow them through the entire special stage, including all the waypoints. At 10:00hrs on the day of rest, nearly 24 hours after having started into the stage in Bolivia, they arrived in the bivouac at Salta. “That’s not the way how we hoped to finish the first week,” admitted Malysz. “But we also weren’t ready to give up. Therefore, we opted for passing all the waypoints with the race truck instead of taking shortcuts. Fortunately, we and our mechanics could use the day of rest for getting the MINI ready to race again.”

 The Dakar itself will be remembered as one of the wettest in the sport’s history. The first stage had to be cancelled due to too much water and later, several special stages had to be shortened due to too high water levels of rivers. In Jujuiy, Argentina, rain falling hour by hour flooded the entire bivouac. From the rain, the Dakar baggage hit the road to Bolivia’s heights. On stage five, the competitors arrived at 4,600 metres above sea level, the highest point ever in a Dakar special stage. Numerous drivers struggled with head ache caused by the low oxygen content in the air. Then, back in Argentina, in the dunes of Fiambala, the field had to cope with a heat wave. Because of the temperatures rising up to 50° C, the 9th special stage had to be stopped early.

 Sven Quandt, X-raid Team Manager “I’m proud of our crews and our mechanics who never gave up although many already had written us off, in the first week. But we battled our way back up. In the second week, the MINI ALL4 Racing could make full use of its strengths and advantages. I have to congratulate Nasser who once again made it to the very top, with his pace. Mikko delivered in sensational style. To make so few mistakes in your first Dakar is truly amazing. It was an extremely gruelling Dakar – not only for the drivers but for the entire team. The rain in the first week, the extreme altitude and the enormous heat in the second represented an extreme strain but was mastered in fantastic style by everybody.” 

Overall standings Dakar 2016

1st S. Peterhansel (FRA) / J.-P. Cottret (FRA) Peugeot – 45h 22m 10s*
2nd N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / M. Baumel (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 45h 57m 08s
3rd G. De Villiers (ZAF) / D. von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 46h 24m 57s
4th M. Hirvonen (FIN) / M. Périn (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 46h 27m 28s
5th L. Poulter (ZAF) / R. Howie (ZAF) Toyota – 46h 52m 53s
6th J. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) MINI ALL4 Racing – 47h 03m 16s
... 10th H. Hunt (GBR) / A. Schulz (GER) MINI ALL4 Racing – 48h 33m 40s
... 12th O. Terranova (ARG) / B. Graue (ARG) MINI ALL4 Racing – 50h 11m 04s
13th E. van Loon (NDL) / W. Rosegaar (NDL) MINI ALL4 Racing – 50h 44m 23s
... 15th J. Przygonski (POL) / A. Rudnitski (BLR) MINI ALL4 Racing – 51h 02m 10s
... 23rd B. Garafulic (CHL) / F. Palmeiro (POR) MINI ALL4 Racing – 54h 55m 28s
... 45th N. Lopez (ARG) / S. Lafuente (URU) MINI ALL4 Racing – 69h 53m 55s
... 53rd A. Malysz (POL) / X. Panseri (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 74h 08m 13s

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Honda place three rookies amongst top Dakar finishers

The Rally Dakar 2016 finished today in Rosario with three Honda riders up amidst rally raid’s elite: Kevin Benavides and Ricky Brabec have proved to be two of the sport’s bright lights for the future. 

Kevin Benavides of Honda South America Rally Team and Ricky Brabec of Team HRC concluded the adventure in the top ten of the general standings at the close of the Rally Dakar 2016; Adrien Metge was eleventh overall. For all of them, this had been the maiden Dakar outing. The thirteenth and final stage of the rally consolidated rider’s overall positions in the general rankings, with the 180 kilometre trek to the finish-line in Rosario, not enough to allow any major upsets to the previous day’s standings. Ricky Brabec was particularly attentive over the final stretch on his Dakar debut, but held a steady, fast rhythm throughout to post eighth place on the day.

The American rider, who managed to take ninth overall position, had good cause to celebrate, with the Californian – an expert in desert races – churning out consistently fine performances. Brabec, 24, took a well-deserved top ten place, especially given that he had been out of racing for five months after a serious accident in an American rally in 2015.

 Italian Paolo Ceci, 40, completed his double objective for the Dakar well: firstly, he made it through the whole 9000 km ordeal until the Rosario finish-line, and secondly, was able to aid his team-mates on numerous crucial occasions. Ceci was fundamental in various stages, having to tow Paulo Gonçalves and Joan Barreda when they ran into different problems. Paolo Ceci has become something of Team HRC’s guardian angel and adds another completed Dakar to his honour’s list which now stands at a 100% finish rate for each of his five participations.

 Honda South America Rally Team has been the revelation of the Rally Dakar. After the falls suffered by its most veteran components, the inexperienced newcomers took over and stole the show, finishing amongst the big guns. It was Kevin Benavides, 27, whose star shone the brightest, not only for Team HSA, but also for Argentinean motorcycling, as he became the first Argentine ever to win a Dakar stage. Kevin finished in fourth overall place.

 Frenchman, Adrien Metge, 29, also of Honda South America Rally Team, by way of Honda Brasil with whom he began racing in 2015, will also go home happy after a more-than-satisfactory Dakar, taking 12ths spot on the day to finish 11th overall.

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Com o ASX Racing, Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras completa o Rally Dakar 2016

João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin superaram todas as dificuldades dos mais de 9.000 km para comemorar na rampa de chegada em Rosario, na Argentina

 Depois de 9.583 km entre a Argentina e Bolívia, terminou hoje em Rosario (ARG) o Rally Dakar, a maior e mais difícil prova off-road do mundo. A bordo do ASX Racing da Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras, a dupla João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin cruzou a linha de chegada e comemorou por ter conseguido concluir um desafio tão grande.

"É um sonho que se realizada a cada dia. Tudo o que fizemos se resume a essa chegada", vibra Franciosi. "Foi o meu primeiro e já conseguimos completar. É uma satisfação muito grande. Estou muito feliz por ter chegado, um sonho que se tornou realidade", disse ele com a voz embargada pela emoção.

 A dupla superou as mais diversas dificuldades em 14 dias de competição. Foram condições inóspitas percorrendo desertos, estradas, montanhas e serras. Na Bolívia, enfrentaram a neve e até chuva de pedra. Pelo interior da Argentina, muita poeira, montanhas e temperaturas que beiraram os 50ºC, tornando a prova ainda mais desgastante e chegando ao limite do corpo e dos equipamentos. Só de cruzar a linha de chegada já é o maior troféu para a carreira de qualquer piloto.

 João Franciosi fez sua estreia na competição e já conseguiu concluir a prova e o navegador Gustavo Gugelmin, apesar de ter participado da edição de 2014, não teve o gostinho de terminar o Rally Dakar.

  "Mesmo com os problemas que foram aparecendo, a gente se motivada cada vez mais. Desistir jamais. Sempre que chegávamos a noite ao acampamento a equipe estava feliz, animada por termos concluído mais um dia. Foi dessa maneira que conseguimos chegar até o final. As dificuldades foram nos dando ainda mais motivação. Fazer as dunas a noite foi uma loucura, atolamos várias vezes e achamos que não íamos conseguir. Mas o espírito do rali é isso. Ninguém vem para um Dakar para não encontrar dificuldades. E hoje, ao cruzar a linha de chegada, foi muito bom, todos se abraçando, comemorando", vibra o piloto.

  "Em 2014 realizei o sonho de ir ao Dakar e hoje estou completando a prova. Foi duríssimo. Estou muito feliz e, ao mesmo tempo, cansado, desgastado. Nos últimos dias chegamos ao limite do corpo", comenta Gustavo. "Mas, com certeza, além do sonho de todos que correm o rali, que é fazer o Dakar, estou realizando e chegando ao final dele. Terminar essa prova é algo pra levar pra vida toda. Superação, força, dedicação e profissionalismo", completa o navegador.

  Carreiras

João Franciosi tem 51 anos e é natural de Casca (RS), mas reside há mais de três décadas em Luis Eduardo Magalhães (BA), onde atua no setor de agronegócio. Graças a seu talento, João Franciosi fez uma rápida ascensão no rali. Sua carreira começou no Auto Cross, onde correu por 11 anos e foi 10 vezes campeão baiano. Mas mais de 10 anos se dedica ao cross-country. Apenas em sua segunda participação no Rally dos Sertões, foi campeão geral da prova com uma Mitsubishi L200 inscrita na categoria Production (carro de produção, com poucas modificações). É o único piloto na história a conseguir esse feito. Em 2015, completou 11 participações na maior prova off-road do Brasil e tem em seu currículo um feito único: das 104 etapas disputadas, só não completou uma, em 2009.

 O navegador Gustavo Gugelmin ingressou no kart aos 8 anos influenciado por seu pai, Sergio Gugelmin, também piloto e campeão em várias modalidades. Passando por ralis de regularidade e velocidade, conquistou diversos títulos, em dupla com seu pai, associando habilidade, rapidez e precisão, juntamente com amplo conhecimento em mecânica, tanto para pilotar quanto para navegar. Entre suas principais conquistas estão o Rally dos Sertões na geral e categoria T2, Mitsubishi Cup e, em 2012, o Campeonato Mundial na categoria T2 como navegador.

  "Foi a empreitada mais difícil que tive na minha vida. O sonho de fazer um Dakar e chegar ao final aconteceu. Sempre vou estar pronto para desafios", revela Franciosi.

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Quinto lugar de Hélder Rodrigues no Dakar

Sétimo Top 5 em dez participações sem registar qualquer abandono 

Depois de uma brilhante vitória na penúltima etapa, Hélder Rodrigues completou hoje a sua décima participação no Dakar. Nestes dez anos, iniciados em 2006 quando a prova saiu pela primeira vez de Portugal, o agora piloto da equipa oficial da Yamaha nunca abandonou e terminou a corrida por sete vezes no Top 5. Subiu por duas vezes ao pódio, tendo ainda averbado oito vitórias em etapas.

 Na derradeira etapa, hoje disputada entre Villa Carlos Paz a Rosario, Hélder Rodrigues, aos comandos da sua WR450F Rally, foi o terceiro mais rápido na especial cronometrada com 180 quilómetros de extensão. Um resultado que não foi contudo suficiente para melhorar o quinto lugar conquistado na véspera. O piloto português, que esteve fortemente condicionado ao longo da primeira semana por se encontrar doente, terminou este Dakar 2016 a 4m56s de um lugar no pódio.

  “Estou muito feliz por ter cortado a meta neste meu décimo Dakar. A partida de hoje, dada pela classificação invertida, tornou mais difícil atacar para tentar conquistar uma posição. O pó levantado pelos concorrentes que partiam à minha frente tornaram a especial perigosa. Esse desafio implicava correr riscos e este Top 5 satisfaz-me, tendo em conta que estive doente na primeira semana do rali. Foi um Dakar muito duro, mas fizemos um excelente trabalho com a Yamaha. Quero aproveitar para lembrar os meus colegas de equipa Alessandro Botturi e Xavier De Soultrait que, infelizmente, foram forçados a abandonar uns dias antes de a prova terminar. Com eles e com o Adrien Van Beveren, trabalhámos bem em conjunto e partilhámos bons momentos. Obrigado Yamaha”, referiu o piloto da equipa oficial da Yamaha em Rosario, Argentina.

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MARCO BULACIA AND PETER JERIE STEER THEIR SOUTH RACING TOYOTA HILUXES SAFELY TO FINISH OF PUNISHING DAKAR RALLY IN ROSARIO

Consistent South Racing Toyota duo finish 21st and 32nd overall 

DMAS South Racing Ford Rangers complete Dakar in 30th and 35th 

Bolivian driver Marco Bulacia and Czech-born Australian counterpart Peter Jerie enjoyed a superb Dakar Rally in a pair of South Racing-run Toyota Hiluxes. They reached the Rosario finish in 21st and 32nd overall.

 Bulacia and his Argentinean navigator Ruben Garcia gradually climbed the leader board as the rally made its way through Argentina into Bolivia and back across the Andes mountain range for a final few days in the heat, sand and dust of northern Argentina. They completed the final stage in 26th position to confirm an impressive 21st in the final standings.

  “It was a great race for me, Ruben and my country,” enthused Bulacia. “To be able to reach the finish in such a good spot is fantastic. Ruben did a faultless job and I would like to thank the team, my mechanics and all the people who supported us. We are looking forward to more races in the future.”

 Jerie was partnered by fellow Australian navigator Dale Moscatt for the first time and followed up his success in last year’s Dakar Series to reach the finish podium in 32nd.

  “It has been a funny Dakar and not a conventional one,” admitted Jerie. “But we are happy to be here at the finish in Rosario. It was my first Dakar with Dale and he was magic and gave his all. The blisters on his hands are proof of that. We had no problems with the car during the stages and that is a testament to the hard work of our mechanics.”

 Bulacia and Jerie started the rally strongly and held 26th and 33rd overall at the event’s traditional rest day at Salta in northern Argentina. Torrential rain, thunderstorms and modified stages were a thing of the past as the route headed south and competitors had to deal with a totally different threat from the elements over the final few days – temperatures that soared to the high forties Centigrade around the La Rioja and San Juan regions of north-western Argentina.

 Bulacia began the demanding loop stage through the dunes around Belén from 25th and finished the special in an impressive 19th place to move up to 21st overall. Jerie climbed a place to 32nd soon after the rest day, but slipped back to 33rd overall after the punishing heat and treacherous sand of the special stage out of La Rioja.

 The duo were classified in 21st and 32nd into San Juan and held similar positions after the longest day of the entire rally into Villa Carlos Paz, positions they held to the finish.

 DMAS South Racing was also involved in running a pair of Ford Rangers in a joint venture with the Spanish company Esponsorama. Former WRC star Xavier Pons and Chilean driver Daniel Mas Valdes drove the two cars and reached the finish in Rosario in 30th and 35th overall. It meant that all four South Racing cars reached the finish.

  “It was a great race for the team and to be able to bring all the cars to the finish is a wonderful achievement,” said South Racing’s team director Scott Abraham. “The crews did a great job, but the heroes of the race are the mechanics, store men, logistics personnel and our race support crews in the T2 and T4 vehicles. I cannot express how proud I am to have such a team, who really are a family. I also thank all our partners for their support.”

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OVERDRIVE RACING AND TOYOTA GAZOO RACING FINISH GRUELLING DAKAR RALLY WITH PODIUM AND THREE CARS IN TOP 10

· De Villiers, Poulter and Vasilyev reach Rosario in third, fifth and eighth overall 

· Al-Rajhi, Prokop, Chabot and Dabrowski finish race in 11th, 14th, 22nd and 29th 

Overdrive Racing and Toyota Gazoo Racing South Africa emphasised the strength and reliability of the Toyota Hilux by completing the gruelling Dakar Rally with a podium finish, three cars inside the top 10 and seven of their original eight cars at the ceremonial ramp in Rosario on Saturday.

 Giniel de Villiers and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz had been the model of consistency on recent Dakar rallies and the Toyota Gazoo South Africa team’s hard work was rewarded with a superb third place after two weeks battling against the elements and treacherous terrain on the world’s most difficult off-road rally.

 The duo had been sixth overall at the rest day but, as the temperatures climbed over the final week and the route became tougher – with treacherous sand dunes, fesh-fesh and punishing navigation – De Villiers was in his element.

  “At the end of the day we waged all-out war for the podium with Mikko Hirvonen and I pulled out all the stops on the last long stage to make it happen,” said De Villiers. “I’m happy for Toyota and the team to keep the podium spot. The first week was frustrating for me. We were behind, but I’m happy with the reliability of our vehicle, even if it’s difficult to hold your own against turbo engines. Its my 13th Dakar and my fifth podium.”

 South African colleagues, Leeroy Poulter and Robert Howie, enjoyed a superb Dakar as well in the second Toyota Gazoo car. They produced numerous impressive stage performances and were rewarded with a career-best fifth overall.

 Vladimir Vasilyev and navigator Konstantin Zhiltsov began the second half of the event in ninth overall and maintained a consistent pace through the most demanding of the stages to reach Rosario in eighth in their Overdrive Toyota. The highlight for the former FIA World Cup champion was the third quickest time on the special stage between Belén and La Rioja, where he had been running as the second quickest driver through the early checkpoints.

 Saudi Arabian driver Yazeed Al-Rajhi and German navigator Timo Gottschalk were eighth overall at the rest day and survived the punishing second half of the event to reach the finish in 11th. Al-Rajhi was not able to show the form that took him to third place near the finish 12 months ago and a time-consuming crash, that damaged the wheels on his Toyota and cost him three hours between Belén and La Rioja, prevented the Saudi from climbing higher up the final leader board.

 Czech WRC star Martin Prokop finished his first ever Dakar Rally in impressive fashion with co-driver Jan Tomanek in an Overdrive Toyota Hilux. Prokop drove in a professional and measured fashion, avoided risks and was rewarded with a 14th-placed finish.

 The French pairing of Ronan Chabot and Gilles Pillot enjoyed their first Dakar with Overdrive Racing. They began the second half of the rally in 19th and, despite a few minor setbacks on the way through Argentina, Chabot reached the finish in 22nd.

 The Polish former enduro-riding duo of Marek Dabrowski and Jacek Czachor had gearbox problems during the first week and started the second half of the rally in a lowly 66th overall. But the Poles are experienced at the Dakar and, where others hit trouble and fell by the wayside, Dabrowski and Czachor came into their own and climbed back into the top 30. They reached Rosario in 29th place.

 Dutchman Bernhard Ten Brinke and Belgian navigator Tom Colsoul lost eighth overall in the eighth car after their Toyota Hllux sustained a flat tyre and the flailing rubber overheated, caught fire and set the car alight near the end of a stage.

  “Seven cars from eight at the finish of Dakar, a podium, three cars in the top 10 and four in the top 11 is something we can be very proud of,” said Overdrive CEO Jean-Marc Fortin. 

“The retirement was an expensive one and it was disappointing for Bernhard because he was setting some quick times and could have made the top five. But our team did a great job and Martin came home 14th on his first Dakar. He made a couple of mistakes, but it was an impressive performance from him. 

 “It was not a conventional Dakar in terms of the stages and it was much harder for the mechanics than it was for the cars. During the first week we had the rain and the floods and then we had the heat and the sun in week two. The timetable was relentless and very tiring for the team, who all did a great job. There were few proper off-road stages in the dunes, but Vladimir showed that we were close to the Peugeots in the sandy stages. 

 “I think everyone was surprised by the pace of the Peugeots. They had a strong team, but we were close and had a great fight with the Minis. Maybe there are a few things that the race organisers need to review for the future, but it was a successful Dakar for us and it showed the strength and reliability of the Toyota Hilux.”

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PEUGEOT WINS THE 2016 DAKAR

Some 26 years after its previous success on the epic event, PEUGEOT has won the Dakar Rally for the fifth time in the French marque’s history. The two-wheel drive PEUGEOT 2008 DKR has triumphed with its most illustrious crew on the event: Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret.

  • PEUGEOT has won the Dakar on just its second participation in the South American event. 

• The PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs claimed nine stage wins out of a possible 12, including seven one-twos and two one-two-threes. 

 • Exactly 25 years since his first victory (on a bike), Stéphane Peterhansel has sealed his 12th Dakar success (six on a bike, and six in a car together with co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret. 

 • Cyril Despres/David Castera and Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena were the big surprises of the Dakar. They finished seventh and ninth respectively. 

 • Three of the four PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs entered have reached the finish. Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz were the leaders with just four days to go, but were not able to join their team mates on the finish ramp – having made a key contribution however to the result.

 A STELLAR HISTORY

 This victory is the latest chapter in a compelling story of motorsport success for Peugeot, which includes four Dakar wins in Africa between 1987 and 1990, as well as success in various other events that include the Le Mans 24 Hours, Pikes Peak and the World Rally Championship. This win will go down in history for PEUGEOT, which triumphed at only its second participation in South America. A total of three PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs reached the finish ramp. An overall result like this would never have been possible without all the team members helping each other, or without those real heroes in the shadows: the indefatigable mechanics. Cyril Despres, who drove an excellent rally in only his second participation on four wheels and contributed to one of Peugeot’s seven one-twos, also became a guardian angel for his team mates, helping them out of trouble on more than one occasion. These made for powerful images, which have contributed to the Dakar’s legend of sportsmanship and fraternity.

  “MR DAKAR” STRIKES AGAIN 

The duo of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret in the number 302 PEUGEOT 2008 DKR called upon all of their experience to seal another win at the finish ramp in Rosario. This is not only their sixth win together, but the 12th win in total for Peterhansel – a six-time Dakar motorbike winner – 25 years after his debut triumph. The Frenchman has further extended his winning record and ensured that his status as ‘Mr Dakar’ is beyond doubt.

A CRACK TEAM

 With a 9500-kilometre route in two weeks through Argentina and Bolivia, taking in extremes of weather and altitudes that peaked at 4800 metres, Team Peugeot Total took on a fearsome challenge with one of the most accomplished line-ups ever seen in Dakar history. With 17 Dakar victories between them, the crews of Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz and Cyril Despres/David Castera were joined by nine-time world rally champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena, making their debut on the event.

  A TECHNICAL CHALLENGE

 All the crews gave it their best shot at the wheel of the PEUGEOT 2008 DKR. Peugeot’s engineers learned several valuable lessons during their first participation in South America last year, and worked non-stop ever since to improve the car. Lower, wider, longer and more powerful, the new PEUGEOT 2008 DKR didn’t take long to show the extent of its potential. The car kept faith with its two-wheel drive configuration against the traditional 4x4s, and was instantly at ease on every type of surface, underlining the effectiveness of the technical choices that were originally made.

  TWO WEEKS OF UPS AND DOWNS 

The Team Peugeot Total crews claimed the lead of the rally right from the first proper special stage. Using all of his traditional rallying expertise, Sébastien Loeb was the first to claim a stage win, but Stéphane Peterhansel and Carlos Sainz were very close behind. During the first week the PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs consistently occupied the top three places, thanks to six one-twos and two one-two-threes on the six stages run, inspiring the whole team. By the time the rally reached the rest day at Salta, following some challenging stages at high altitude in Bolivia, the top-three line-up consisted of Loeb, Peterhansel and Sainz. The second week of the rally offered further adventures with a more varied route, taking in an increased amount of off-piste action and an itinerary through the dunes. Through this hazard-strewn terrain, both Sebastien Loeb and Carlos Sainz bid farewell to their hopes of victory, because of a roll and a mechanical breakage on stage 10 respectively. Cyril Despres had already been delayed on stage five with a turbo problem, so it was Stéphane Peterhansel who emerged as Team Peugeot Total’s main contender for victory. The Frenchman won a crucial stage through the famous Fiambala dunes, and then seized the advantage on the 10th of 13 stages, with a cushion of one hour at the head of the field. He then just had to manage that advantage all the way to the finish. Next stop: Dakar 2017!

  TEAM QUOTES

 Bruno Famin, Peugeot Sport director

“The results have surpassed our expectations because we came here just to show the performance of the car. And we’ve achieved that objective well throughout all different types of conditions. That goes to show that we have accomplished the technical mission that we set ourselves. We’ve nonetheless found a few small mechanical issues, which show us that there is still a margin of progression left in our PEUGEOT 2008 DKR. We’re absolutely delighted with this result and we hope to confirm it again next year – maybe even by aiming for a one-two-three." 

Stéphane Peterhansel (driver of the winning PEUGEOT 2008 DKR)*

“This is a huge satisfaction for us. Before the start, a result like this was far from guaranteed. My feeling was that the team was still a bit young, but in fact everything came together extremely well. We had the nice surprise of seeing that our car was extremely competitive throughout the WRC-style stages. I just tried to stay in touch during those days, knowing that Carlos and Seb were quicker than me. We drove a clean rally with one day of maximum attack, and then we found ourselves in the lead with a very comfortable margin: 50 minutes with just three days to go. After that, it was just a question of looking after that gap as intelligently as possible. When I was competing on my very first Dakars as a bike rider, I dreamed of one day driving for Peugeot. To have joined the team and won with them is a massive source of satisfaction for me. “ 

Jean-Paul Cottret (co-driver of the winning PEUGEOT 2008 DKR)*

“We’re delighted to have brought this PEUGEOT 2008 DKR to the top step of the podium. It’s a great reward for the whole team, which has worked so hard for two years. After a year of learning, we’ve now achieved victory. It’s a great result, so a massive thanks to everyone.” 

Cyril Despres (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR driver – 7th)

“It’s a very positive conclusion to our second participation in a car. And it’s always satisfying to get to the end of a Dakar. We’ve managed to complete some very good stages. And together with David, we’re really getting into the swing of it now. We’ve made a few mistakes that we don’t want to repeat and we’ve seen that we’re able to follow the pace of the top cars on certain stages. Having three PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs in the top 10 is a big satisfaction for the entire team.” 

Sébastien Loeb (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR driver – 9th).

“I’m really happy to have got to the end! There were some positive and negative things but on the whole we’ve shown a really good level of performance. We made a few mistakes on the stages where we didn’t feel so comfortable because we were lacking in experience. Apart from that, in terms of pure performance, we were right up there. We really enjoyed ourselves too apart from on certain days, which were a bit of a struggle.” 

Carlos Sainz (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR n°303)

“I would like to congratulate the whole team: especially Stéphane and Jean-Paul. We all worked extremely hard to develop the PEUGEOT 2008 DKR and I’m very pleased to have contributed to this teamwork. To have achieved a result like this in just two years is absolutely remarkable. It’s a fascinating challenge.” 

THE KEY NUMBERS 

• Stage wins: 9 out of 13 for the PEUGEOT 2008 DKR (stages 2, 3, 5 and 13 for Loeb/Elena; stages 4, 6 and 10 for Peterhansel/Cottret; stages 7 and 9 for Sainz/Cruz).
• Leaders: Loeb (stages 2 to 5 and stage 7), Peterhansel (stages 6 to 8 then stages 10 to 13) and Sainz (stage 9).
• Stéphane Peterhansel’s Dakar wins: 1991, 1992, 1993, 1995, 1997, 1998 (motorbike); 2004, 2005, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2016* (car)

 Provisional overall final classification*

 1. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, 45h22min10s
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA), Mini, +34min58s
 3. Giniel De Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (DEU), Toyota, +1h02min47s
4. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Perin (FRA), Mini, +1h05min18s
 5. Leeroy Poulter (ZAF)/Robert Howie (ZAF), Toyota, +1h30min43s
 7. Cyril Despres (FRA)/David Castera (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, + 1h49min04s
 9. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MC), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +2h22min09s

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PONS AND MAS VALDES TAKE THEIR FORD RANGERS SAFELY TO FINISH OF PUNISHING DAKAR RALLY IN ROSARIO

Ford Ranger pair finish 30th and 35th overall after two weeks of racing 

Spaniard Xavier Pons and Chilean Daniel Mas Valdes fulfilled their objective and overcame moments of adversity during two punishing weeks of racing across some of the harshest terrain on the planet to bring their Ford Rangers to the finish of the Dakar Rally in 30th and 35th overall on Saturday.

 Pons, partnered by co-driver Ricardo Torlaschi, had been third quickest on the opening Prologue stage, north of Buenos Aires, but the former WRC star played a catch up game almost from the start, after losing time in thick mud through the opening special stage in Argentina.

 DMAS South Racing and Esponsorama team personnel did a superb job to keep his Ford running, often working late into the night to ensure that the car was prepared and ready to tackle some of the most demanding off-road terrain in the world. Pons rewarded the team with 29th place on the last stage and 30th overall, the Ford crossing the finish line in a total time of 60 hours 57 minutes and 17 seconds.

  “I have a lot of mixed emotions about the race,“ admitted Pons at the finish. “It is great to have finished my first Dakar. For sure, I am hooked and, having gained so much experience in cross-country, we are looking to the future. The team and Ricardo worked tirelessly and the Ranger ran perfectly in the second week. I am looking forward to Rosario and some time to recover.”

Mas Valdes and co-driver Juan Pablo Latrach completed the final stage in 31st and crossed the podium in 35th place in the second Ford Ranger.

  “It was a long and competitive race and the quality of the field was high,” said Mas Valdes. “The nature of the Dakar has changed, but I am really happy with the team and the hard work put in by Juan Pablo. We were hoping for a better result, but the clutch issue on the Belén loop cost us. Other than that, the Ford Ranger was great throughout the race and took all the knocks.”

 Only 68 cars made the start of the final 180km stage, south of Villa Carlos Paz, before a long road section of 386km took the finishers to the ceremonial podium in Rosario.

 Crews were handed their positions in the general classification as their road starting order. Pons and Mas Valdes, therefore, began the last nervy kilometres from 30th and 35th. This was not the stage on which to take any risks and caution was the order of the day. Therefore, the duo drove superbly to fulfil the original objective of reaching the finish in Rosario.

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Mário Patrão conquista vitória portuguesa no Dakar 2016

Piloto português venceu a categoria Maratona e foi o 13.º classificado da geral na maior e mais dura prova de Todo-o-Terreno do mundo. 

Mário Patrão encerrou hoje em festa a sua quarta participação na maior proa de Todo-o-Terreno do mundo, o Rali Dakar, sagrando-se vencedor da classe Maratona e conquistando um brilhante 13.º lugar final na tabela geral.

 O piloto de Seia esteve sempre em crescendo de forma deste o arranque desta edição de 2016 do Dakar, logrando posições na tabela geral até à entrada no Top 15 final, objetivo que apontou para esta que foi a sua primeira participação aos comandos de uma KTM 450 Rally, mota que conquista também este ano a sua 15.ª vitória consecutiva a prova pelas mãos do piloto oficial Toby Price.

 Neste derradeiro dia do Dakar 2016 Patrão obteve o décimo melhor tempo na curta tirada de 180 quilómetros cronometrados que ligaram Villa Carlos Paz a Rosário, na Argentina, aumentando a vantagem que detinha para o segundo classificado da classe Maratona, o romeno Emanuel Gyenes, cifrada nas contas finais em 4min16s a favor do piloto português. Mário Patrão, que a 3 de janeiro largou para a primeira etapa da prova no 33.º lugar, chega ao final dos mais de 9.000 quilómetros e quinze dias de prova no 13.º lugar da geral, melhorando assim as duas marcas no 30.º lugar que conquistou nas edições de 2013 e 2014.

 Um resultado brilhante para o piloto beirão, de 39 anos de idade, líder de títulos no desporto de motociclismo off road em Portugal com um total 25 coroas.

 Mário Patrão: “Não podia estar mais satisfeito. Trouxe objetivos e superei-os. Este resultado é fruto de muito trabalho, de muita dedicação. Não sou um piloto profissional no Dakar mas provei que posso fazer tanto como eles. Conseguimos vencer na Maratona e ainda melhorar para 13.º a minha melhor marca na geral desta prova. O balanço é muito positivo. Chego ao fim do Dakar com vontade de iniciar já outro. Estes últimos dias foram fantásticos. O meu muito obrigado por todo o apoio que tive, patrocinadores, família, amigos, muito obrigado.”

 O que é a classe Maratona numa prova como o Dakar?

 Do oficial ao aventureiro, diferentes são os objetivos com que os participantes surgem à partida da mais cobiçada prova de desporto motorizado off road do mundo. Sendo o Dakar uma prova de regularidade, disputada ao longo de duas semanas, não é preciso ser o mais rápido para brilhar.

 A classe Maratona é o puro exemplo disso. Destinada a pilotos que disponham de uma moto stock, contrariamente às de fábrica utilizadas pelas equipas oficiais e que são adequadas a cada piloto, esta categoria destina-se a motos cuja versão esteja disponível para o comum utilizador.

 Esta categoria requer dos participantes a capacidade de completarem os mais de 9.000 quilómetros que “desenham” o Rali Dakar sem recorrer à mudança de uma série de peças da sua mota, como é o exemplo do motor, quadro, suspensões, entre outros elementos “primordiais” da máquina.

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TOBY PRICE WINS DAKAR RALLY; 15TH WIN FOR KTM

Red Bull KTM factory rider Toby Price on Saturday won the 2016 Dakar Rally to give KTM, the Austrian brand its 15th victory in the world’s toughest annual rally raid. Price’s victory was also the first time an Australian rider has taken the title and the first time in the history of the event that a rider had won it on a second attempt.

Price raced his first Dakar last year and he took a podium third. Price, who wrapped up the more than 9,000km ride in 48 hours nine minutes 15 seconds, finished an impressive 39 minutes 41 ahead of second placed KTM rider Stefan Svitko of Slovakia. Pablo Quintanilla of Chile was third overall, his best ever Dakar result.

 Speaking after the stage, Price said: “Winning in my second participation is awesome, but being the first Australian to win the Dakar is just insane. I would've never imagined this two years ago. Finishing the rally is already a triumph. Winning it is amazing! I tackled the race in true Aussie style. I attacked when I had to, when the time was right, and I kept an eye on my bike during the all-important marathon stages. I also navigated quite well. I hope this is just the start, to win again. It won't be easy, so I've got to savour this victory."

 The Australian was a dominating presence throughout the rally, which this year also had to deal with extreme weather conditions ranging from thunderstorms and flooding to intense temperatures. Aware that he had to prove his third place podium in 2015 was no coincidence, he prepared well and picked up his first stage win in the second stage after the first one was washed out by thunderstorms. He went on to survive the high altitudes of Bolivia, won stages 5-6 and before the rest day in Salta he had moved into second overall. Refreshed and recharged, Price went on to win the eighth and ninth stages to firmly establish himself as the man to beat.

 As the rally went into more difficult navigation and at times blistering temperatures, Price continued to manage the final four stages to start the final day with an impressive 37.39 advantage. By the finish he had added another minute and a half to this time advantage.

 It was a best ever result for Svitko who raced his first Dakar in 2010 and who was fifth overall last year. He was the stage 10 winner and despite a small setback in the next stage was consistently among the top three all the way to Rosario.

 Third placed Quintanilla finally took the third overall after a great rivalry between him and Red Bull KTM’s Dakar rookie Antoine Meo. Right up to stage 12, the third place could have gone to either rider but Meo crashed hard 40km from the end of the penultimate stage. He struggled through to the end of the final stage clearly suffering from the effects of the crash but still managed to finish seventh overall. Meo, a multi enduro world champion, has made a smooth and impressive transition into rally raid and leaves the competition as the stand out rookie and a double stage winner.

 KTM factory rider Laia Sanz finished an impressive top 15, thus achieving her pre-rally goal. She also did it after riding the last two stages with a high temperature and a broken collarbone and in doing so underlined her skill and her enormous fighting spirit.

Factory teammate Jordi Viladoms laboured during the first week with the effects of a fever and although his health improved in the second half of the rally, he had to settle for overall 17th.

 Factory team manager Alex Doringer said he was happy and proud of all of his team, but also underlined the two weeks of the rally had been very, very tough. He said that the retirement of five-time Dakar winner Marc Coma last summer had in fact opened the door to a new generation and the reward was to be seen on the podium.

 Doringer: “I could see Toby was a top guy with potential and good navigation skills. He did an amazing job and I am very happy for him. When I brought him into the team I was very happy to do something for my old friend Kurt Caselli. He was the one who encouraged me to try to get Toby to the Dakar and today we see the result. I am also very proud of Antoine (Meo). He did so well in his first Dakar and he will be very good in the future. He was incredibly brave to ride to the finish today after he had a very big crash yesterday, but he wanted to be with the team at the end. It has also great to see the team spirit and the friendship that has built up between Toby and Antoine. Even though Toby was heading for the win, today he rode all the way behind Antoine to make sure he was going to make it to the finish. 

“Jordi (Viladoms) had a tough two weeks because he was sick almost the whole time and he wasn’t able to get back his strength to have a good result. But he is incredibly important for the team, and especially the way he helps and advises the young guys. And Laia (Sanz) well, she is unique the way she is able to fight, and we all have a huge respect for her. Everybody likes her and we’re so happy and proud that she is riding with us. It was perhaps not the result she was hoping for, but considering that she had a big crash and was also sick, she did an amazing job. We are also super happy to have one of our customer bikes on the podium and this is what we work for.”

 Doringer paid tribute to all of his extended team for their efforts and also thanked the KTM Board members and KTM Motorsports for all the support and encouragement they offered to the factory rally team.

 The Dakar Rally 2016 was very successful for KTM. Five of the top 10, and 12 of the top 20 finishers rode the Made in Austria KTM bikes.

 Final Overall Results after 13 stages and over 9,000km

 1. Toby Price (AUS), KTM, 48 hours nine minutes 15 seconds – 15th win for KTM, first victory by an Australian
2. Stefan Svitko (SVK), KTM, + 39 minutes 41 seconds
3. Pablo Quintanilla (CHI), Husqvarna, + 48.48
4. Kevin Benavides (ARG), Honda, + 45.47
5. Helder Rodrigues (POR), Yamaha, + 55.44
6. Adrien Van Beveren (FRA), Yamaha, + 1 hour 46.29
7. Antoine Meo (FRA), KTM, + 1:56.47
8. Gerard Farres (ESP), KTM, + 2:01.00
9. Ricky Brabec (USA), Honda, +2:11.22
10. Armand Monleon (FRA), KTM + 3:27.49
Other KTM
15. Laia Sanz (ESP), KTM, + 4:33.28
17. Jordi Viladoms (ESP), KTM, + 4:51.04

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2016 Dakar // Al-Attiyah and the MINI ALL4 Racing – Winners in the four-wheel-drive ranking

- Three AXION MINI ALL4 Racing vehicles in the top 10

 - Successful Dakar debut for Mikko Hirvonen 

Torrential rain, floodings, heat, enormous heights… The 2016 edition off the Dakar rally once again proved to be an event featuring extremes for man and machine. With their MINI ALL4 Racing, Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Mathieu Baumel (FRA) finished as best placed all-wheel drive pairing. Only one driver, Stéphane Peterhansel, completed the 2016 Dakar faster than Al-Attiyah but the French two wheel buggy drivers still has to face an appeal. And so, the entire Dakar result is provisional, so far.

 Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen who switched from WRC to cross-country rallying, last year, made a sensational Dakar debut. He contested the 2016 edition of the legendary event together with the experienced French navigator Michel Périn. The pairing particularly impressed with their consistency, finished fifth in nearly every stage and made virtually no mistakes.

 For Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP), the Dakar began with a major setback. On stage two they got stuck in a mud hole for nearly an hour. But they didn’t give up and step by step, they battled their way back up in the overall standings. In stage nine, when many of their rivals struggled with problems, they had a trouble-free day and as a result, the leaped back up to the top 10. On the following days they kept on gaining ground to finish 6th. in the end.

 For Orlando Terranova and Ronnie Graue (both ARG), the 2016 Dakar didn’t run as they had hoped it would. Like Nani Roma they got stuck in a mud hole in stage two, thus losing a lot of time. And on the following days, things also didn’t run according to the Argentineans’ plans.

 Overall standings Dakar 2016

1st S. Peterhansel (FRA) / J.-P. Cottret (FRA) 2WD Buggy – 45h 22m 10s*
2nd N. Al-Attiyah (QAT) / M. Baumel (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 45h 57m 08s
3rd G. De Villiers (ZAF) / D. von Zitzewitz (GER) Toyota – 46h 24m 57s
4th M. Hirvonen (FIN) / M. Périn (FRA) MINI ALL4 Racing – 46h 27m 28s
5th L. Poulter (ZAF) / R. Howie (ZAF) Toyota – 46h 52m 53s
6th J. Roma (ESP) / A. Haro (ESP) MINI ALL4 Racing – 47h 03m 16s
... 12th O. Terranova (ARG) / B. Graue (ARG) MINI ALL4 Racing – 50h 31m 04s

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No último dia do Dakar, Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras está de olho na rampa de chegada em Rosario, ARG

A bordo do ASX Racing, João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin enfrentam 699 km para comemorar o término do primeiro Rally Dakar da dupla 

Agora falta muito pouco! Depois de passar por todos os extremos de uma prova off-road, como a neve na Bolívia e os 50oC do interior da Argentina, a dupla João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin não vê a hora de terminar só mais um dia e levantar o maior troféu da carreira: concluir o Rally Dakar. Faltam apenas 699 km para isso. Com certeza, os mais longos que a dupla enfrentou até aqui.

 O último dia de prova será neste sábado (16) e terá uma especial relativamente curta, com 180 quilômetros. Mas toda atenção é pouca, já que o percurso não será fácil, com muitas estradas sinuosas e trechos rápidos com areia e pedras. Completado o trecho especial, é hora de comemorar no pódio de chegada em Rosario.

 A etapa da última sexta, penúltimo dia de prova, foi a mais longa desta edição do Dakar, com quase 1.000 quilômetros. "Achei que seria um dia tranquilo, mas foi duríssimo. Foram 480 km de pura pedra na especial, sem parar. Estou extremamente cansado. Mas chegamos e mais uma meta está cumprida. Agora é colocar o carro amanhã na chegada", afirma o navegador Gustavo Gugelmin.

  "Na etapa de ontem foi difícil aguentar o trial e até sono eu tive. Foi muito cansativo e somou com os dois últimos dias que quase não dormimos, ai o cansaço acumulou. Mas consegui me concentrar com a cabeça que tinha que chegar. Levamos o ASX Racing até o acampamento em Villa Carlos Paz para a equipe revisar e deixar tudo pronto para este sábado", comenta Franciosi.

 A comemoração será muito grande para a dupla. João Franciosi faz sua estreia na competição e o navegador Gustavo Gugelmin, apesar de ter participado da edição de 2014, não teve o gostinho de terminar o Rally Dakar, que é a maior prova off-road do mundo, muito sonhada por todos que são apaixonados pelo off-road. Concluir os mais de 9.000 quilômetros por condições inóspitas, enfrentando todos as mais variadas situações climáticas, é o maior troféu para eles.

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2016 Dakar / SS12: Mikko Hirvonen wins penultimate stage

• Nasser Al-Attiyah comes second 

• Tomorrow, the final stage will be finished on the podium in Rosario 

Mikko Hirvonen has made it: in the 12th and penultimate stage of his first Dakar Rally, the Finn celebrated his first win – the third for the MINI ALL4 Racing. At the end of the 480 kilometres, he crossed the finish line with a nine-second lead over his team-mates Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) / Mathieu Baumel (FRA) who finished second. Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP) came home fifth in the stage from San Juan to Villa Carlos Paz.

 The AXION X-raid Team cheered and applauded when stage winner Hirvonen turned in into the service park. “I’m absolutely delighted but also surprised,” admitted the Finn. “I hadn’t the impression that we were that fast, today. Keeping your rhythm proved to be difficult. Whenever you thought that you could go a little faster the next tight corner proved you wrong. But apparently it was difficult for everybody. I don’t think that I will be able to pass Giniel by my own effort but everything can happen.” Giniel de Villiers’ lead over Hirvonen now adds up to 4.5 minutes.

 Al-Attiyah once again could gain several minutes on Peterhansel but still holds the second place overall. “We again have been driving for many hours. Being the first to start into the stage was anything but easy as the terrain was extremely loose,” said the driver from Qatar. “We didn’t take too many risks but we wanted to gain time on Stéphane to keep our chances alive. And I’d like to congratulate Mikko on his stage win. A pity that he couldn’t pass Giniel in the overall standings.”

 Roma also had set himself the goal to pass a driver – Leeroy Poulter – in the overall standings. But on the tight track he just couldn’t gain enough time. “This wasn’t what I’d call a goof day,” he admitted. “For 140 kilometres I had to eat the dust of Yazeed but I failed to close in on him to a distance making it possible that he had heard the Sentinel,” revealed the Catalan. “But when I had passed him I finally could push – only to get back in the dust. I identified the Peugeots of Loeb and Stéphane and made one effort to pass them – but got off the road. Afterwards, we opted for playing it safe and just drove home to the finish.” Tomorrow, he would have to be 10 minutes faster than the South African to gain a position in the overall rankings. 

Just like his team-mate, Terranova also lost a lot of time in the dust. “Actually, it wasn’t a really bad day but then we closed in on Robby Gordon. We started eight minutes behind him and when we had closed the gap he proved to be like a wall. This situation cost us too much time.”

Poland’s Kuba Przygonski and his co-driver Andrei Rudnitski (BLR) finished 12th. “I was rather busy in the car,” said the car-category rookie who also drove in the dust of Gordon. “On the winding track you had to turn in, press the pedal to the metal, brake and go flat out again. There was so much dust that we weren’t able to always close in sufficiently. But altogether I’m happy with what we achieved today.”

 Tomorrow, the final stage, featuring a 180-kilometre special stage, will take the field back to Rosario where the competitors will cross the finish podium in the afternoon. But these 180 kilometres once again will be quite a challenge: tight, winding, rocky, sandy… This special stage has got it all. And so, anything can happen.

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Honda riders, ready to face the 2016 Dakar final stage

A relatively quiet day for the Team HRC riders as the Dakar 2016 enters the final stretch. Three out of the four factory riders from Team HRC and Honda South America Rally Team are young Dakar rookies chasing down top ten finishes.

 Ricky Brabec and Paolo Ceci, the Team HRC riders still in the Dakar, along with the Honda South America Rally Team, Kevin Benavides and Adrien Metge, today fought out an arduous and lengthy 931 kilometre penultimate stage without taking any excessive risks in a stage that finished in Villa Carlos Paz. This should stand them in good stead to reach the final destination in Rosario tomorrow as the Rally Dakar 2016 draws to a close.

 Ricky Brabec, currently ninth in the overall standings and Paolo Ceci completed a fast 481 kilometre timed section from San Juan to Villa Carlos Paz, without attacking, in the knowledge that just 180 kilometres remain to the final finish-line. Brabec crossed the line thirty minutes behind the stage winner, with Paolo Ceci posting a 16th place, his best to date in this Dakar.

 This year’s surprise Kevin Benavides, from Honda South America Rally Team, continues to shine on his Dakar debut. Today he took a well-deserved third position and consolidated his excellent fourth overall. This could give him the highest newcomers’ spot in the Dakar 2016. Frenchman Adrien Metge wound up the special stage in 15th place and holds 11th in the general standings. 

TOMORROW’ STAGE 2016
January 16.
Stage 13: Villa Carlos Paz – Rosario
Special sections: 180km
Total: 699km

 Stress heads and the rest

Aspiring winners will certainly be those who find the 180km of the day’s special section the most difficult, designed with twisty, undulating routes, faster sandy and rocky sections… leading to significant levels of stress. For most of the others, the 699km to be covered before reaching the podium in Rosario will be a relief. To be enjoyed without moderation…

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PRICE EXTENDS OVERALL LEAD GOING INTO DAKAR RALLY’S FINAL STAGE

Red Bull KTM factory rider Toby Price on Friday wrapped up the penultimate stage of the 2016 Dakar Rally in second place and further extended his overall lead as the competition heads for the finish line in Rosario, Argentina, on Saturday.

 On a day that was not only the longest stage but that also threw many challenges at the riders, it was the Australian’s priority to manage his overall lead and get safely to the finish.

Price completed the stage in second place some 7 minutes 32 behind the day’s winner Helder Rodrigues of Portugal. In the process he bumped up his accumulated lead to 37.39 minutes ahead of KTM rider Stefan Svitko of Slovakia. Svitko was fourth in the stage some 9.48 behind the winner. If he is able to hold onto overall second through to the finish line on Saturday it will be a career best Dakar for him. Price’s job is not over yet. There is still some 700km to ride, including 180km under the clock as riders travel from Villa Carlos Paz to Rosario. Those who have survived the 12 stages so far will start in reverse order to build the final tension as they head for the finish.

 Friday was a long and exhausting day with difficult conditions that were tough on bikes and tires. Riders also had to cope with rain and mud during the timed special.

 Price said it had been tough day, where there was a 450km liaison section to ride before they reached the start of the timed special. “Before the special started you felt like you had already done a half marathon. But for sure we got through it with no big dramas. It was a hard stage, not with the navigation but just with preserving the bike and the tires. There was a lot of real sharp shale rocks and they chewed up everything really quick. It felt like I was riding on ice on the last bit. We also copped a fair bit of rain in the last section. The riverbeds were up again and it felt like the crossings were very slippery. I went for one little ‘excursion’ where it was slippery and I caught a bit of mud. So I just backed it down to make sure we got to the finish line and I didn’t trash the bike or myself."

 Price admitted that now so close to the end of the race, the emotions were on the rise with a real prospect of winning this 9,000 epic on only his second attempt. “There’s a lot of mixed thoughts, a lot of emotions but the bike’s all good and the team has done an unbelievable job in getting it sorted. Now we just have to get to the finish line.”

 It was a disappointing end to the stage for factory teammate Antoine Meo, who was in podium contention on Thursday and rode up with the leaders until the last 40 km, when he encountered some problems.

 Commenting on his ride Meo said: “At the beginning it was not so bad. I was riding well and then one moment I missed a waypoint and had to go back to it. I lost a bit of time on Toby (Price) but it was not a big gap between us and I stayed focused. Then near the finish there was a crest that was not marked in the road book. I was riding fast, braked and lost the back end and went over the handlebars. That was very bad because I was trying to keep hold of my third place (in the overall times). But that’s how it is. Next year it will be better.”

 Meo finished the stage some 43 minutes off the leading time and dropped down to sixth place in the overall standings. Regardless of the outcome, the team’s French recruit and multi enduro champion can leave the rally with two stage wins and plenty of admiration for his impressive debut ride. 

Teammate Jordi Viladoms finished back at 18th in the stage after suspecting he may have had a potential technical difficulty and nursed the bike through the difficult terrain. Viladoms struggled through the first week of competition on medication for a fever and it is only in the final stages that he has begun to find his form and recover his energy.

 Health issues also plagued factory teammate Laia Sanz. While she did manage to finish stage 12 in 14th place, just under 27 minutes off the stage winner, she did it riding with the effects of tonsillitis and a damaged collarbone following a crash in stage 11. Sanz is currently 16th overall so her pre-race goal of a top 15 finish is still within her grasp.

 Sanz: “Today was hard but I’m happy I finished the stage because yesterday I was not sure I would be able to do it. At the beginning I was riding quite well but then I started to get tires because I have a temperature and with my collarbone. But I had no crashes today and let’s see what happens tomorrow.”

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Dakar - The PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs in convoy

In order to help their team mates in case of any possible problems, Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena as well as Cyril Despres/David Castera placed themselves at the disposal of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret over the 481 kilometres of the penultimate stage. Adopting a conservative pace, the three PEUGEOT 2008 DKRs finished eighth (Loeb/Elena), ninth (Despres/Castera) and 10th (Peterhansel/Cottret). The number 302 car maintains a 40-minute overall lead heading into the final stage of the rally tomorrow, which comprises 180 kilometres.

 Bruno Famin, Peugeot Sport director

“The outcome of today is positive, as all three cars have reached the finish without any issues. It was a long and demanding stage. It lasted for 5h45m; more than an hour longer than was predicted on terrain that was complex and tricky, with slow and narrow roads. Our strategy was one of teamwork. Like Cyril and David, Sébastien and Daniel stuck close to Stéphane and Jean-Paul just in case there were any situations where they could assist by donating spare parts, or getting them out of difficulty. Luckily, that wasn’t necessary.”

 Provisional classification of stage 12 (San Juan-Villa Carlos Paz)

1. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Perin (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, 5h34min17s
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +09s
3. Leeroy Poulter (ZAF)/Robert Howie (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, +45s
4 Giniel De Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (DEU), Toyota Hilux , +57s
5. Nani Roma (ESP)/Alex Haro Bravo (ESP), Mini All 4 Racing, +3min09s
8. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MC), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +8min33s
9. Cyril Despres (FRA)/David Castera (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +9min17s
10. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +11min05s 

Overall classification after stage 12

1. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, 47h27min42s
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +40min59s
3. Giniel De Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (DEU), Toyota Hilux, +1h07min16
4. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Perin (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +1h11min42s
5. Leeroy Poulter (ZAF)/Robert Howie (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, +1h36min16s
7. Cyril Despres (FRA)/David Castera (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, + 1h55min05
9. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MC), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +2h22min46s

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Hélder Rodrigues vence e sobe ao 5º lugar

Piloto da Yamaha está apenas a 1s do 4º lugar e a 1m19s do pódio 

Com um desempenho notável Hélder Rodrigues venceu hoje a 12ª etapa do Dakar a mais longa deste rali e com o segundo maior troço cronometrado da prova. Foi a oitava vitória em etapas do Dakar do agora piloto da equipa oficial da Yamaha que, aos comandos da sua WR450F Rally, foi o quarto a partir para a etapa que ligou San Jose a Villa Carlos Paz. Seria todavia o primeiro a chegar ao final dos 481 km depois de ter ganhou 7m32s ao australiano Toby Price o líder deste Dakar 2016. Posteriormente foi-lhe averbada uma penalização de três minutos da qual se desconhece a razão. 

Mas, mais do que o tempo ganho a Price, o importante foi o tempo que ganhou tanto a Pablo Quintanilla como a Kevin Benavides. Concluída a etapa e acrescentada a penalização, o piloto português passou a ocupar o 5º lugar a 4m19s do lugar de pódio ocupado pelo piloto chileno e a apenas 1s do argentino.

  “Foi um excelente dia para mim e para toda a equipa Yamaha. Era uma especial difícil mas senti que era esta a minha oportunidade de atacar e finalmente consegui vencer! Na primeira semana estive doente e no início desta segunda semana tive problemas com o ombro, mas agora já estou OK e continuo na luta. Hoje pude atacar. Andei forte e isso deu-me imenso prazer. Tanto para mim como para a Yamaha esta vitória é muito importante. Ataquei para tentar melhorar a minha classificação, mas o importante é que o fiz em segurança Vou estar concentrado até ao fim e seguramente atacarei na derradeira especial”, referiu o piloto da equipa oficial da Yamaha à chegada a Villa Carlos Paz.

 A etapa de amanhã, a derradeira deste rali liga Villa Carlos Paz a Rosario e compreende uma especial cronometrada com 180 quilómetros de extensão.

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PONS AND MAS VALDES GUIDE THEIR FORD RANGERS SAFELY THROUGH THE PERILS OF THE DAKAR’S LONGEST DAY IN ARGENTINA

Ford Ranger duo firmly on course for superb finish in Rosario on Saturday 

Spaniard Xavier Pons and Chilean Daniel Mas Valdes are closing in on excellent finishes in the gruelling Dakar Rally. Both Ford Ranger drivers emerged unscathed from the longest day of the entire event - a 931km passage across northern Argentina between San Juan and Villa Carlos Paz - on Friday.

 Classified in 31st and 38th of the surviving 69 cars at the start of a liaison route of 450km and a demanding special stage of 481km, the duo were granted favourable starting positions of 26th and 31st on the road when they left San Juan.

 Despite continuing high temperatures, poor visibility in the dust, rain and mud on sections of the stage and the threat of errant stones, trees and potholes, Pons and co-driver Ricardo Torlaschi ran well through the stage and were classified 21st after PC4, although they had been as high as 17th.

 In a Ford Ranger run through a joint venture between DMAS South Racing and Esponsorama, they reached the finish with the 21st quickest time and head into the final day lying in an unofficial 31st overall.

  “It has become very hot and the fesh-fesh has complicated matters over the last few days,” said Pons. “But I think we have done well in the latter stages and now the goal is to arrive tomorrow to the final goal of the Dakar. I had so much fun riding in the sand and was able to learn a lot about navigation. This is something that was completely new to me.”

 Mas Valdes and co-driver Juan Pablo Latrach finished the special in an unofficial 24th in their DMAS South Racing car.

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Mário Patrão lidera a classe Maratona no Dakar 2016

Piloto português fez hoje mais uma etapa surpreendente na edição de 2016 do Rali Dakar, rodando grande parte da tirada no Top 10. 

Mário Patrão continua a fazer uma surpreendente fase final no Dakar 2016, conseguindo uma vez mais desafiar hoje os pilotos oficiais ao rodar grande parte da 12.ª etapa, entre La Rioja e Villa Carlos Paz, no Top 10.

 O piloto da KTM acabou por terminar o dia com o 12.º melhor tempo, a 22min08s do vencedor Hélder Rodrigues, gastando um total de 6h19min32s a percorrer os 431 quilómetros cronometrados desta que foi a penúltima etapa da prova.

 Patrão está na liderança da classe Maratona, categoria que impossibilita os participantes de trocar motor, chassi, suspensões, ou outros elementos originais da mota ao longo dos mais de 9.000 quilómetros da prova, com vantagem de 3min23s para o romeno Emanuel Gyenes. Já na tabela geral, o piloto de Seia ocupa o 13.º lugar a escassos três minutos de ascender ao 12.º lugar final.

 Amanhã, na última etapa da prova, entre Villa Carlos Paz e Rosário, o piloto de Seia partirá atrás dos adversários mais diretos, posição que lhe permitirá defender resultados ao longo dos derradeiros 180 quilómetros cronometrados.

 Mário Patrão: “Tudo correu bem hoje, à exceção da parte final onde perdi algum tempo. No entanto senti-me bem, rápido e a navegar bem numa etapa cronometrada que quase atingiu os 500 quilómetros. Estou muito satisfeito. Estamos na frente da classe Maratona e no 13.º lugar da geral, cumprindo por isso os objetivos que trouxe até aqui. Estou muito motivado. Amanhã é o último dia, não importa arriscar, mas de qualquer forma vou procurar terminar bem.”

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Rally Dakar chega à reta final e Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras enfrenta quase 1.000 km nesta sexta

Dupla João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin passa por dias de muita superação e desafios na maior prova off-road do mundo 

Na reta final, o Rally Dakar ficou ainda mais difícil e imprevisível. A dupla da Equipe Mitsubishi Petrobras, João Franciosi e Gustavo Gugelmin, vem se superando a cada dia com o objetivo de levar as cores do Brasil para a rampa de chegada neste sábado (16) em Rosario, na Argentina.

 As areias da região de Fiambalá trouxeram muitos desafios para a dupla. Mas é nesta sexta-feira (15), penúltimo dia de prova, que a organização preparou o dia mais longo. Serão 931 quilômetros, com 481 km de especiais por terrenos montanhosos e com muita vegetação.

  "A prova de ontem foi muito difícil", explica o piloto João Franciosi. Depois de passar em um trecho complicado, a dupla bateu em uma pedra e foi inevitável parar para fazer a troca de algumas peças da suspensão e desentortar outras. Em condições inóspitas, no meio da especial, a dupla demorou muito para conseguir finalizar os reparos e seguir na prova. "Tivemos que optar por deixar a tração em apenas três rodas, tornando nosso ritmo um pouco mais lento para conseguirmos completar", explica Franciosi.

  "Mas mal sabíamos que a pior parte ainda estava por vir. Pegamos um trecho de areia muita fofa. Estávamos no rastro dos caminhões, que abrem grandes valas, e o carro ficou com as rodas no ar, apoiado só por baixo. Cavamos muito para poder sair dali. Depois escureceu e fica ainda mais complicado seguir no trecho e achar as referências. Foi cansativo, mas chegamos. Hoje vai ser ainda mais longo", destaca o piloto.

 A etapa da última quinta-feira teve diversos tipos de areia, como a fesh-fesh, uma espécie de talco que deixa o trecho muito difícil e repleto de poeira.

  "Não foi nada fácil", afirma Gustavo. "Já vínhamos cansados dos outros dias e a especial de ontem foi muito dura, difícil e longa. Mas deu para recuperar e agora é largar novamente", conclui o navegador.

 Etapa 11 - 14 de janeiro
San Juan - Villa Carlos Paz(ARG)
Deslocamento: 450 km
Especial: 481 km
Total: 931 km

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Dakar - Peterhansel and the PEUGEOT 2008 DKR control the race

The crew of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret limited their risks today on a long and complicated stage. They set the fourth-fastest stage time and maintain an overall lead of 51m55s with just two stages of the rally left to go.

  • The leading PEUGEOT 2008 DKR crew can count on two guardian angels: Sébastien Loeb and Cyril Despres. Both remained in contact with their team mates throughout the day, ready to assist if necessary. In the end it was the crew of Sebastien Loeb and Daniel Elena who benefitted from the help of Cyril Despres and David Castera to reach the end of the stage following a transmission failure two kilometres from the finish. Nonetheless, the Franco-Monegasque crew still sealed the second-fastest time of the day.

  Stéphane Peterhansel (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR n°302), 4th on the stage 

“We felt quite a lot of stress today. It wasn’t an easy stage in terms of navigation. There were plenty of changes in direction, with patches of fesh-fesh that weren’t easy to spot. As we were first on the road, it wasn’t so easy to judge the right pace. We started to look after the car; being careful in all the places that the grip changed in order not to put too much stress on the transmission, for example. We’re in safe mode but still fully concentrated, as there are many things that can catch you out. If you go too slowly, you lose concentration. So you have to find the right balance and that’s not obvious. Since yesterday we’ve had to manage our race in a slightly different way. We’re not pushing the car at all in the tricky places.” 

Sébastien Loeb (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR n°314), 2nd on the stage

“The day went quite well. We struggled a bit at the beginning in the dust, as we soon caught up Nani Roma. So we lost a lot of time overtaking him. Then, two kilometres from the end, the transmission broke. Luckily, I had just passed Cyril only about a kilometre earlier. It was good of him to stop and tow us all the way to the end, so we were lucky. It’s definitely the first time that I’ve set a second-fastest stage time on the end of a tow rope!”

 Cyril Despres (PEUGEOT 2008 DKR n°321), 8th on the stage

“It was a very physical stage, with more than five hours of turning the steering wheel in every direction. We never really found a proper rhythm. About 20 kilometres from the end of the stage we ripped off a pipe from the automatic tyre inflation system, but luckily this didn’t force us to stop. Sébastien overtook us three kilometres from the finish but just a kilometre later we found him with a tow rope in his hand, asking us to tow him to the stage finish.”

 Provisional classification of stage 11 (La Rioja-San Juan)

1. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, 4h49min16s
2. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MC), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +5min52s
3. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Perin (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +7min01s
4. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +8min05s
5. Yazeed AlRajhi (SAU)/Timo Gottschalk (DEU), Toyota Hilux, +11min57s
8. Cyril Despres (FRA)/David Castera (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +14min51s

 Provisional overall classification after stage 11

1. Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA)/Jean-Paul Cottret (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, 37h42min20s
2. Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT)/Matthieu Baumel (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +51min55s
3. Giniel De Villiers (ZAF)/Dirk Von Zitzewitz (DEU), Toyota Hilux, +1h17min24s
4. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN)/Michel Perin (FRA), Mini All 4 Racing, +1h22min47s
5. Leeroy Poulter (ZAF)/Robert Howie (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, +1h46min36s
7. Cyril Despres (FRA)/David Castera (FRA), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, + 1h56min53s
9. Sébastien Loeb (FRA)/Daniel Elena (MC), PEUGEOT 2008 DKR, +2h25min18s

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2016 Dakar / SS11: Al-Attiyah and his MINI ALL4 Racing secure second stage win

• Roma now sixth in the overall standings 

• Dakar enters its home straight 

Three days after their first success, in stage eight, Nasser Al-Attiyah (QAT) and Mathieu Baumel (FRA) celebrated another stage win. The pairing finished stage 11 nearly six minutes ahead of Peugeot’s Sébastien Loeb. Mikko Hirvonen (FIN) and Michel Périn (FRA) crossed the finish line in third. Nani Roma and Alex Haro (both ESP) came sixth and in the overall standings, they gained another position and also are sixth, now.

 Al-Attiyah made for a lot of excitement and gained ground waypoint by waypoint. In the closing stages he took the lead and even extended his lead on the way to the finish line. “It goes without saying that I’m delighted with having won again”, Al Attiyah said later in the bivouac. “By doing so, we also could extend our lead over Giniel in third position. Today’s special stage was really gruelling but Mathieu and I did a great job right from the start.”

 After yesterday’s problems it also was a good – albeit hot – day for Finland’s Mikko Hirvonen. “Things went well for us but it was a tough day, nevertheless,” said the MINI ALL4 Racing driver. “For me as a Scandinavian the temperatures were really high and I actually would have needed some cooling. But at first, the air-condition tube for the cold air broke and then we lost the side-window flap. So I didn’t get any fresh air and I have to admit that this was a problem for me. But I’m delighted that we succeeded in gaining ground on Giniel.” In the overall standings, his gap to Giniel de Villiers in fourth position adds up to some five minutes.

 Meanwhile, Roma gained another position in the overall standings. In the closing stages he was faster than Peugeot’s Cyril Despres, thus stealing his sixth place overall. His gap to Leeroy Poulter in fifth amounts to about eight minutes. “This was a nice special stage,” he said. “At half-time we had a great battle with Sébastien Loeb. We passed one another several times without hampering the other. “In the sand and the winding sections I was faster, in the faster sections he had the upper hand. This was big fun. Later I could pass Vasilyev and when we crossed the finish line we had gained so much time that we worked our way up to sixth position overall. I don’t expect a miracle but every kilometre counts and the cooperation with Alex is getting better and better.

 Dakar rookie Hunt succeeded in defending his 10 position overall, today. “It was a difficult and long stage,” said the Briton “At first we had a slow puncture and refilled. Later, we had to change it, nevertheless. From this point in time, we tried to take it easy and continue as conservative as possible. So, nothing special happened. In the closing stages, the track once again got tight and winding – that wasn’t big fun. Tomorrow will be another long day – and then, the final stage of the 2016 Dakar will be waiting for us. Now it’s just about coming home.”

Tomorrow, the penultimate stage of the 2016 Dakar will take the field from San Juan to Villa Carlos Paz, the Argentinean city that also was the destination of stage one. After the sandy terrain of the previous stages the Dakar now returns to the mountains and narrow roads offering nearly no opportunity to overtake. The competitors will have to cover a total of 931 kilometres, with the special stage mileage adding up to 481 kilometres.

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Mário Patrão destaca-se nos últimos dias do Dakar

Piloto português, recordista de títulos de motociclismo Todo-o-Terreno em Portugal, participa pela quarta vez no mítico Rali Dakar. 

Mário Patrão fez hoje mais uma etapa "gigante" ao lutar por um lugar no Top 10 na classificativa cronometrada entre La Rioja e San Juan, na Argentina. O piloto da KTM chegou ao penúltimo "Way Point" com o 10.º melhor tempo e em vias de subir novas posições na classificação da tabela geral. 

As elevadas temperaturas voltaram a ditar a paragem da prova ao CP2, pelo que se aguardam os resultados oficiais da etapa. No entanto, Patrão está dentro do Top 15 e poderá estar com um pé na liderança da classe Maratona, cumprindo assim os objetivos que o colocaram à partida da edição 2016 do Dakar.

 Amanhã o Dakar segue para a penúltima etapa, entre San Juan e Villa Carlos Paz, num total de 931 quilómetros, dos quais 431 cronometrados.

 Mário Patrão: “Senti-me muito bem nesta etapa. Sindo maior confiança nesta mota que estreei aqui em pleno Dakar. A verdade é que é uma grande mota a KTM, muito segura. Estou a conseguir entrar num bom ritmo de prova, para mim o Dakar começava agora! Hoje consegui estar em luta pelo Top 10, esteve imenso calor o que dificultou muito a etapa para muitos pilotos, a organização decidiu voltar a parar a etapa ao CP2, prejudica-me a classificação pois podia estar já na liderança da classe Maratona e subir mais lugares à geral. Estamos em corrida e isso é o mais importante. Amanhã é um novo dia, vamos atacar.”

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