This Saturday, 1 January, a new edition of the biggest adventure in the world of motor racing will get underway, the Dakar 2011. Year after year, this rally has magnified its legendary status and that of the riders and drivers who dare to take part in it. For the third time in a row, the race will go through Argentina and Chile and the Repsol riders and drivers are once again among the leading players. Marc Coma, Laia Sanz and Jordi Arcarons in moto and Nani Roma in the car class will fight to reach Buenos Aires on 16 January after covering the 9,500 kilometres that make up the race, 5000 of them timed.
Since he burst into the elite in the world of raid, Marc Coma has become, through his own merits, one of the references in the moto class. His wins in the 2006 and 2009 editions and his recent victory in the 2010 World Championship – for the fourth time in his career – make the Repsol rider the centre of attention. In an edition marked by a change to the regulations, which limits engines to 450cc, it will be vital not to make any riding or navigation mistakes in order to aspire to victory. In this respect, Coma’s experience will be one of his main weapons. In the saddle of the KTM 450cc, developed over the last few months, his biggest rival on the track will be, as in previous editions, Cyril Després, as well as riders like “Chaleco” López (Aprilia), David Casteu (Sherco), his old companion Jordi Viladoms or Helder Rodrigues (Yamaha).
Along with him, the spotlight will also be on Laia Sanz, who will make her debut in this edition. The multiple World Trial Champion will take part in the legendary raid rally for the first time and to do this, she has been preparing thoroughly over the last few months in the saddle of a Honda. The aim of this Repsol rider is to finish the race, complete all the stages and get as much experience as possible navigating the South American tracks and deserts. An adventure in which she will have the invaluable support of Jordi Arcarons, who will be back in the saddle of a bike seven years after he last participated in order to accompany the young rookie. He will do so at 48 years old and with 16 editions as a rider and another 6 as manager of the Repsol KTM team under his belt, in which he achieved three victories along with Marc Coma and Nani Roma.
Nani Roma will tackle the Dakar 2011 behind the wheel of a Nissan Navara, taking part in his 15th edition since he debuted in the moto class in 1996. With a win in 2004 in the heart of the Repsol KTM team, the Folgueroles (Barcelona) rider switched to four wheels the following year, a class in which the best result he has achieved is third overall, constantly fighting for the win and proving fast over all terrains. With little time to adapt to his new car, this year, the Repsol driver has set himself the goal of finishing among the top five, although he does not dismiss surprising and showing a touch of his talent on the dunes and tracks of the Dakar, a race that he knows perfectly.
Marc Coma
“We are approaching the race with a lot of determination and energy, so I hope we can reap the benefits of all of the effort we have put in throughout the season. The new regulations – as regards unifying the cylinder capacity and navigation – will make the rally a very interesting challenge for all riders because there will be more equality among the different makes taking part and the differences between riders will be significantly reduced. The navigation, under the new regulations, will make things even more complicated for everyone and I think that final success will lie in being extremely consistent and not making the slightest mistake. We have done around 50,000 kilometres in order to develop the new KTM, focusing on reliability, without neglecting speed. The bike has proved to be very fast and consistent, so I hope that we can celebrate many successes together”.
Nani Roma
“To tackle a rally like the Dakar it is vital to have a good car and to be in a solid team, and that is our priority. This year, we had a good machine but the structure failed and for this reason, I initially renounced taking part. The last minute agreement with Overdrive could seem hasty but if I’m here, it’s because it is a solid team, with good technicians and a reliable and competitive car. We must be honest with ourselves and understand that we cannot aim to go out and compete against rivals that have been preparing the Dakar all year from the outset. I think that we can do well, that we can surprise and I’m sure that we will be among the top five but we cannot deceive ourselves and think that we can win so easily. What I can say is that both myself and the team will give it our all. The correct approach is to take it step by step, making the most of the first few days to adapt to the vehicle and compete in the race without obsessing over the result. As the stages pass, we’ll see where we can be. It is a car with a similar performance to a WRC, with a very balanced weight distribution, which allows you to control the inertias very well and that will help me to adapt more rapidly”.
Laia Sanz
“Taking part in the Dakar has been my dream since I was very little. For years, whenever I bumped into Jordi [Arcarons], I told him that I would love to race it one day and it seems that the day has come. I’ve been competing in trial for many years and this is an incentive and a new challenge. I think that doing new things can be very good for me. However, you are never sufficiently prepared for a challenge like this and for that reason, we have been working hard and now I’m focused on this challenge. My aim is to finish because it is a very tough race and I don’t have the experience. At the moment, I’m not thinking about any result other than finishing all the stages and preparing for future editions. The navigation is a completely new aspect that I have had to learn. Jordi [Arcarons] designed a comprehensive training plan and I hope its results will be seen in the race”.
Jordi Arcarons
“Laia is a very talented and strong sports person, as well as very competitive. So far this year, she has progressed very rapidly and when I see her on the bike, I see a future champion in the ladies category but also a girl who in the very near future could compete with the boys. My job consists of training Laia and advising her so that she can compete with good race management and strategy. The best way to do this is to be with her in the competition and therefore, I decided to get back on the bike and return to active competition. After fifteen editions of the Dakar in moto, another in cars and six as manager, now is the time to take on a new role as Laia’s shield. My mission will be to go behind her and check if she has passed at each checkpoint or be on hand to help if she has any problems. This rules out me doing my own race. That is not the aim: I’m only going to help Laia to fulfil her dream; although that does not mean that I’m not dying to tackle a navigation stage, which is what I do best. I was also very motivated to take part in the rally since it moved to Argentina and Chile and this will be a very good way of doing so”.
