The Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart still has a chance of a podium finish in the Rally Dakar 2009, after Nani Roma & Lucas Cruz set the fourth fastest time on the 294km special between Valparaíso and La Serena (Chile).
Roma & Cruz, who also have the added responsibility of carrying the hopes of the whole team during the second week of the Dakar, were not affected by the need to set good times and at the same time not make any mistakes, on a leg that continued northwards along the Pacific coast towards La Serena.
Roma occupied third position at the first control, at kilometre 180 of the special. Just three seconds ahead of him were the German Dieter Depping, and Carlos Sainz, with a comfortable lead though. Close behind him the American Mark Miller, at 33 seconds.
Sainz kept up his good pace and now leads the rally with a 10 minute 57 second advantage over the second-placed driver. Roma, on the other hand finished three seconds behind Miller in fourth place, the same position that he has in the overall.
Of the original 530 participants in the Dakar 2009, only 337 started out today Sunday in Valparaíso, this is in spite of the decision taken by the ASO to allow the large number of non-official vehicles that finished out of time and which had not completed the fifth and sixth legs to return to the race with a penalty of 200 hours. Therefore, 156 motorbikes & quads, 116 cars and 65 trucks set off towards La Serena this morning.
Tomorrow Monday the leg continues northward towards Copiapó, in the Atacama desert, the highest dry zone on the planet, and an important mining region in the last few years. The teams must cross more dunes towards the end of the 449km leg which starts 88km from La Serena, in Tres Cruces, and finish at the bivouac in Copiapó, after crossing five controls, three of them in Vallenar, Algarrobal and Punta de Díaz.
Copiapó, at a height of 390 metres above sea level is in the Atacama region and is the capital of the province with the same name, and is on the banks of the Río Copiapó, in a zone with a lot of silver and copper deposits which in recent times have made it into an important mining centre because of the recent rise in prices and demand.
Dominique Serieys, team director
“It was a good result for ‘Nani’ today, particularly after the rest day. He was fast and he lost some time with a puncture. He was unlucky with a nail in the tire. Nothing special really, ‘Nani’ is happy and we will hope for the same tomorrow.”
Nani Roma
“It was a nice stage. Some corners are tight and it is certainly interesting with a big car. I was lucky in some parts, but the nail in the tire was really bad luck. Anyway, the stage was okay for us. Everyone in our team is really motivated to catch the Volkswagens. For me, I always drive for everyone in the team and I want to keep pushing at the same speed for everyone. There is still a long way to Buenos Aires and anything is possible.”
Lucas Cruz Senra
“We had two punctures today. One was a slow one and one was a nail through the side of the tire about 100km from the end of the stage and it cost us third place. It was similar to a WRC stage today, but maybe a few more stones than a world rally. Giniel (De Villiers) lost 10 minutes today, so anything can happen. It is important that we keep our position for now.”
