Dakar 2003. The summary

Juvanteny, Criado and Torruella, a deserved triumph
The Spanish trio gain the victory in the category 6×6 piloting a truck MAN with the colors of Repsol
 The only Spanish victory in Dakar 2003 has arrived in the category of trucks. Jordi Juvanteny, José Luis Criado and Manuel Torruella have managed to win in the category 6×6 to the steering wheel of a truck MAN after a very complicated rally, in which it has been necessary to put to the test the experience of the three members of the team. The result has been magnificent with the triumph in that category. Nevertheless, all of them in spite of their ample experience in the Dakar, indicate that things have not been easy: ‘the truth is that this has turned out to be a very complicated Dakar – they explain – the route was very technical and the motorbikes passed through the worse places quite easily but the cars and trucks had many problems. The most eloquent data is that from 53 trucks that left, only 22 arrived and that indicates the difficulties that we found. We did not remember such a complicated rally. The passage through the dunes has been very slow and the night in the desert is very little hospitable. Luckyly the truck has worked very well and we have been at a good level ‘. Throughout the test, in which they obtained an eighth position of stage, Juvanteny, Criado and Torruella have made two races in one. In the first place by its own participation in the category of vehicles 6×6. In second because the passage of trucks by the route took place after motorbikes and cars. For that reason they found in the track many participants with problems. ‘ We stopped in numerous occasions to help people in trouble. One night we took a Spanish truck out of the dunes. They had problems and that cost to us to lose some time, but we had to do it. In another occasion we even helped Alfonso de Orleáns and even Peterhansel when he lost in the penultimate stage of Dakar Rally’. Leaving aside anecdotes and hard work, the three of them have been able to take their truck MAN with the colors of Repsol to the first position in their category. They have achieved it after many participations and with complete certainty they will be again next year in the race.