Dakar 2004

Jordi Juvanteny – José Luis Criado – Rafael Santiveri Profile
As the saying goes experience is a grade, and in the case of Jordi Juvanteny, José Luis Criado and Rafael Santiveri, the saying refers to a superlative grade, because this will be the fourteenth Dakar for Juvanteny and Criado, and the fourth for Santiveri who will be joining the team for the first time this year. The experience and the thousands of kilometres raced in Africa allow them to face such a complicated race with optimism and guarantees. Last year they managed to take the victory in their class, as well as a very good overall position. Their regularity is of great merit considering that they are not professional drivers and that they are not racing with the structure of a big team. We are talking about an amateur team with great class and highly respected by the race regulars. Furthermore, this year they will be racing the Dakar with the same vehicle for the third consecutive time, a MAN 580 HP truck, they know perfectly well and for which they have already found the perfect set-up. Several technical improvements along the year have turned it into a solid tool, solving all those little youth mistakes seen in former years. The team has several aims. First of all, to finish the race, something that, considering the toughness of the Dakar, is a natural wish, but perfectly achievable for them. Second, to achieve the victory in their class again, and third an outstanding place in the overall standings. Each of the aims is linked to the other but none of the drivers dares to make a forecast. They know the terrain very well, as well as the problems they may have to face. Problems that they will have to solve on their own. Regular Dakar drivers tell that it’s usual to see them late at night somewhere in the truck fixing anything and always with a smile on their faces, enjoying every single bit. And they do not hesitate to stop in the middle of the race to help more than one rider who has suffered an incident. They have done it many dozens of times and they will do it again this year. If you ask them, they will answer with conviction, that they like this years route. They know that the difficulties, the big dunes and the enormous distances of some stages, give all the teams a similar chance. And it is under those conditions, when you have to cross really complicated sections at night, where the many years of experience become especially important. The biggest prize for Criado, Juvanteny and Santiveri would be to reach the beaches in Dakar on January 18 and cross Africa slowly, because there is no other way to do it on a truck, and safe. Driving an eleven tons heavy vehicle in a sea of dunes isnt something anybody could do. It is a challenge for experts, and they are experts and confident to be able to finish the race once again.