New horizons, but the same spirit. The challenge of the Dakar is the same as ever; the toughest race on the planet will once again put man and machine to the test at the very beginning of the year. In spite of a change of continent the organisers have made a special effort to offer a race that will have the same levels of toughness, the same demands and desire to push human endurance to its limits so that the participants will not have the slightest chance to miss Africa, not even for one moment. Ever present in this race are the Repsol teams, cars and motorbikes, this time with the new Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart for the former and the Repsol KTM for the latter, all of whom will once again set out on this adventure with the strong belief that they can fight to win in both categories.
The start is in Buenos Aires on 3rd January, but today it was the official presentation, at the Centro de Tecnología de Repsol in Móstoles (Madrid Spain), of the two teams that will defend the colours of the global oil firm. All the team members were there, along with the new Mitsubishi Racing Lancer as well as the KTM 690 Rally bike, a real Queen of the desert. Repsol hopes that the former will bring the title in the car category home and so win its first ever victory with a diesel-powered engine.
The teams are made up of the same members as last year, the ones that were ready to start the 30th edition of the Dakar in Lisbon but which was cancelled. The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart will be driven by Nani Roma, Stéphane Peterhansel, Luc Alphand and Hiroshi Masuoka, accompanied by their respective co-drivers: Lucas Cruz, Jean–Paul Cottret, Gilles Picard and Pascal Maimon. The new member of the team is the latest version of the Mitsubishi Racing Lancer, with turbo-charged diesel engine developed over the last few months and which got a victory on its debut a few weeks ago, thanks to good driving from Peterhansel in Portugal. The Repsol KTM Team will once again be made up of Marc Coma, Jordi Viladoms and Gerard Farrés, with the team`s objective being none other than to get their third victory in this race, the second for Coma who won back in 2006.
The exact route of the Dakar 2009 was published last week: over 9 500km through Argentina and Chile, of these more than 5 600km are timed special sections. The vehicles will cross Patagonia, the Atacama desert and the Andes. Everything is ready for the Repsol teams to start out on this new Dakar adventure, ready to fight to win right from the start on 3rd January in Buenos Aires.
Marc Coma
“I am very optimistic, and it is great news for all of us to race in Argentina and Chile because the terrain in the Rally Patagonia–Atacama rally is magnificent. For the romantics it will never be the same as Africa, but now that we know the route and what the specials are like it seems that it is as tough or tougher than the race in Africa. The challenges of the Dakar, with its navigation, tough riding and everything else involved with a race in the desert, is all there, and that is the most important thing.”
Jordi Viladoms
“It is not Africa but I am sure that it will be a race that we will all remember. For me I have been able to race in the Rally de las Pampas two times, and the part of the race that is in Chile seems to be what we did back then. This gives you more confidence as you know the land and you can think about what is in wait for you. The other half of the race is a complete unknown but that is what we are working on. Moreover, this year we have fulfilled the objective of racing without falls, gaining confidence with the rally bike, and finishing in good form. The important bit is what is coming up because the bottom line is that we have to get a good result in this special race, the Dakar. This is where the teamwork comes in and my objective will be to help Marc [Coma] win it.”
Gerard Farrés
“Right now I am dying to race because since 2006, when I was in the Dakar for the first time up to now, I have missed out on two editions, for one reason or another. Things went against me but luckily there is only a little time left before I can start this race again. I can`t wait for that, but I am also nervous about what it will be like and what the new race has in store for us. All the work we have done in the last two seasons has been good and I have learnt a lot from my teammates. This is the difference with being in a great team.”
Stéphane Peterhansel
“To begin with I think the race will maintain the same spirit as always, that is to say a long race, a tough race, very demanding and we have prepared for it in just the same way as we would have done for the race in Africa. We have done development tests in France, Africa and the preparation fo the Dakar is the same. Whatever the case, I also have to say that the idea of the rally going to South America excites me, for two reasons: first, we will make a debut in a totally new car, and second because we will also come across new terrain. I am not going to say I am tired of Africa but that I am pleased we are going to explore new lands.”
Nani Roma
“We are really motivated. Mitsubishi has made an incredible effort to create a new car, with a new engine – the diesel – demonstrating a capacity to make a reliable car in a very short time. We have done a lot of tests and kilometres and everything has gone really well. Me personally I think I have made a lot of progress, and my evolution has been with both speed and riding technique and on all types of terrain. We know that it will be a very difficult race, with a lot of heat and conditions that we do not know anything about, but it will be interesting and I am very motivated.”
Luc Alphand
“The objective, obviously, is to win the Dakar 2009 for the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team. I think we have a good team, and above all a very good project. We have a new car, the Racing Lancer, with a new engine, a diesel, which is the most important change. Our motivation is to be the first to win with an engine of this type. And, another important motivation is to win the new Dakar in itself, because winning in Argentina and Chile will be a great prize in a fantastic race, one that is a real legend.”
Hiroshi Masuoka
“We have done 17 000 kilometres of tests with the diesel engine on different types of terrain in both France and Africa, and these have allowed us to make a new car that is very competitive. I am very pleased with its performance, regarding both its power, which is higher than on the Montero we used before, and its reliability, since it has shown that it is very strong. We will fight to get a good result in the Dakar 2009.”
