Interview with Isidre Esteve
What do you think about the Dakar 2004 route? Do you think that it is going to be as hard as they say? Is this route going to be an advantage for you or not at all? I think that the route is good for us and that the Dakar is turning back to its origins, a resistance race. Im sure that it will be hard, but sometimes people in Europe exaggerate this aspect. This years route is very similar to that of 1998, with long conflictive stages such as the one from Tidjikja to Nema. I also think that well benefit from the fact that it is a hard route, because were well prepared for it after a very intense year.  Youll finally be racing on the single-cylinder KTM. What made you take the decision and leave last years twin-cylinder aside? What are the main features of the bike youve chosen and what would you improve? I personally will be taking part in the race with the single-cylinder because its the bike they have offered me, but it is also the one I prefer. I control it better and I can correct any errors much easier. The twin-cylinder was more critical to ride, more difficult to control. Ill have the bike Im used to ride, the one that has given me the best results. In addition, the three bikes are identical, and that will be a big help with regard to teamwork. I know this bike very well, weve been practising hard with it and Im optimistic.  Are there team orders already established before the start of the race? And if not, will there be later on? Not for the moment. Its obvious that the only aim of the team is to win the race. I have no obsession to win the race because it isnt good. With the experience I have at the Dakar, I know perfectly well that if I do my job Ill be in the front. Suffering technical problems is something different. If nothing happens, and lets hope for it, Im sure that well be able to work as a team, which is our only worry.  This is going to be your third Dakar. After your previous experiences, what do you think is the secret to fight for the victory this year? This is a resistance race. Thats the whole secret. Every year the race has been hard, as it is presumed for this year, only 50 riders of the 200 who start manage to finish. The race picks up the favourites all by itself. You have to stay close to the lead during the first days, without taking too many risks; I dont see any other secret. Perseverance is the key.  Who do you consider as your main rivals this year in the fight for the victory? Leaving the riders of our team aside, the most dangerous men to be taken into account are Fabrizio Meoni and Richard Sainct. There are several fast riders, but these two are the most important. Meoni is an expert, a great navigator and he also has the advantage that he has already won the race and that gives you additional tranquillity. Richard Sainct has won the Dakar three times and he is a very cold rider when its about taking decisions. And theres us, dont forget that.  From the sporting point of view and considering the results, how do you reach the Dakar? How would you define your results of the 2003 season with regard to the preparation of the Dakar 2004? This is the year were most and best prepared out of all the years weve done the Dakar together. With regard to myself, we have to take into account that this year I was able to race the Egypt Rallye, given the fact that I dont take part in the World Cup. It has been decisive because I used the same bike as for the Dakar. Its been a very important, valuable experience, and Im convinced that Ill notice it when we reach Africa.  How do you think does the fact of having Jordi Arcarons as Sports Manager affect the team? In a very decisive way. Having such an expert as Jordi with us allowed us to practice navigation really hard before reaching Africa. At the Dakar it is very difficult to gain time and very easy to loose it, and if youre lucky to count on his help, things get much easier. In addition, Jordi will be with us every day and his co-operation will be a basic aspect at the end of the stage to be able to prepare the next day in a perfect way. He knows the route perfectly well and that will help us a lot.  Which has been your best moment at the Paris-Dakar? And the worst? My best moment was the first year I took part in the race. I was lucky to be able to do so and I had the chance to learn a lot of things, a chance you never get again. I had never seen navigation devices and it was like an unexpected adventure for me. Managing to finish the race with more expert riders was fantastic. The worst moment was last year when I had to give up due to a mechanical failure. The bad luck of the team was something incredible. I suffered a serious fracture some weeks before the race and despite good rehabilitation, mechanical problems came one after the other.  What impressed you most of Africa and the Dakar the first time you went there? The experience of crossing such a fantastic continent. I lived a lot of new experiences in incredible places and I can assure that I went home as a different person. Things that had no importance before became much more valuable to me.  Is the Dakar mentally or physically harder?I think that both aspects are important. For somebody who is physically prepared it is mentally harder. Nothing is impossible at the Dakar; anybody who can ride a bike can take part. The problems are the many kilometres and what they mean. When you start in the morning, you know that you have to make a thousand kilometres and if youre not physically in very good shape its impossible. Maybe you can stand it for one day, but not for two. We are physically prepared, but you get mentally very tired because you have to ride seven hundred kilometres absolutely concentrated, just a few seconds of relax can cause an error and a crash.  It is really exhausting.