The Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart is now in the group of favourites to lead the Dakar after a short, but fast, second special, between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and the tourist centre of Puerto Madryn, Patagonia. The French pair Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret were the best of the three turbo-charged diesel Racing Lancer painted in the Repsol colours. They finished with a time of 1h 57m 28s, qand this meant that they were second best on the day, behind the winner Carlos Sainz, ans at the same time climbed in the overall to third position.
Nani Roma and Lucas Cruz were fourth today, and this allowed them to stay in fifth position in the overall. The fifth fastest today were Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard, they stay sixth. The second day of racing was a disaster for Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon. After their engine problems on the first leg an inspection revealed that the damage on the Racing Lancer engine was too serious to be repaired within the allottted time, and were therefore forced to withdraw.
In spite of the high afternoon temperatures hundreds of people thronged the narrow strets of the attractive resort of Puerto Madryn this Sunday to welcome all the participants in the Dakar caaravan as it went towards the bivouac overlooking the Golfo Nuevo.
Tomorrow, Monday, the teams leave Puerto Madryn in a north-easterly direction across the barren lands of Patagonia, to wher they will spend the night, in San Carlos de Bariloche – a former starting point of the Rally “Por Las Pampas”. The day gets off the ground with a liaison of 70 Km. before the drivers tackle a classic flowing terrain – a winding special of 616 Km – which begins in Sierra Chuta and then passes through the Sierra Negra and the Sierra Apas.
The leg continues with a climb across the Pampa de Talagape, towards the second control close to El Cain, then there is a liaison of 8 Km. which talkes the drivers to the place where they will spend the night, Jacobacci, at a height of 872 metres.
Luc Alphand >> Audio
“We have had a small problem on both days so far. These are long days and it is very hot and tiring. We do not want to panic about our position at this stage. We were stuck twice today, trying to pass (Mark) Miller. The first time I tried to pass along the dunes and then I came back a second time and lost more than two minutes going back to take the road book again. We are here, but it was a long way and tomorrow we will be much, much longer than today – more than double!”
Stéphane Peterhansel >> Audio
“It was a little better for me today. I started sixth this morning, but I dropped a few seconds in the first part. The second section was similar to yesterday. I was in Mark Miller’s dust for 80kms and it was not possible to pass him. At the end he made a mistake and I was able to pass, but I was always driving in dust. It was a little bit more technical today. There were some very fast corners. I think it is better to start second or third tomorrow. I saw yesterday how difficult it is to lead the way, but the organisers did leave a one-hour gap between the last motorcycle and the first car today and that was better.”
Joan ‘Nani’ Roma
“We have driven two fast stages and at least a part of tomorrow’s special will be the same. I hear the organisers have changed the last 300km, but I do not know the reason. I am quite happy today. The stage was short, but not easy. I made a small mistake in the middle and lost a little time. Even with a little wind, there is still the problem of passing the bikes. As a former rider on the Dakar myself, I know how difficult it can be and how dangerous it can be with bikes and cars sharing the same stages. One time a bike and a quad stopped in the middle of the fesh-fesh and I had to go in the forest to pass and I broke my door.”
