Rally Dakar 2005

Five questions to Jordi Arcarons
The Dakar is just about to start and the previous work has already been done. How do you assess the preparation work you have done?Complete and adequate in every moment. The most important preparation work already started during the last edition of the Dakar. What we have done since then is to continue with the project during the rest of the season. We took part in countless races both in Spain and abroad, focussing our work on the World Raid Championship. From September we increased our work focussing on the Dakar with several resistance, orientation and navigation tests. This much as regards the team, in addition, every rider has carried out his own physical training plan with his personal trainer.  How do you face this 2005 edition?The big difference with regard to last year is that Nani Roma will not be with us because he will be racing in a car. There are hardly any changes in the rest. For those riders taking the baton, improving last years result would be a great success. But that is not enough on a team level. Weve been working hard this season to let Isidre and Marc be among the top and I think that they have proven that they are. Our plan is more than were going to win, our minds are made up to do it better than the rest. Thats what they have been working so hard for.  Everyone has his duty in the Dakar. What do you think will be the role and the possibilities of the Repsol KTM Team riders?Last year Nani was clearly the leader of the team, but the role of the leader isnt very clear this time. Both Isidre and Marc arrive at the Dakar with the same preparation, having raced the same events, with the same material and with the same possibilities. In addition, they both have proven to be in great shape and highly competitive. Although Marc has a little less experience in general and in the Dakar in particular, his level has increased a lot. I think that both riders will be in the fight with the top.  What will be Giovanni Salas contribution to the team?Giovanni is right now the ideal rider to cover the back of his team-mates. Hes got a lot of experience, hes fast, and therefore hell have no problem following Isidre and Marc, and he knows a lot about the race, about navigation and about mechanics. He is a valuable contribution to a race where teamwork is so important. A single rider does not win the Dakar, the victory is of all the team-members, from the mechanics to the team-mates. All of them work for the final objective: the victory.  What would you highlight of this years route?That no Dakar is easy. Maybe the stages in Libya or Egypt will be easier because they are flat and fast. But this year the route gets more complicated because most of the stages will be run in Mauritania and thats a much more technical ground, both with regard to navigation and riding. Although there are some new stages, we know the terrain quite well. Its made up by sand tracks, but sand is very delicate because it changes the state with rain and wind. If it rains the sand gets compacted and levels out so you can be faster. If its dry the sand is very soft and the track becomes quite difficult. We shouldnt forget the wind and sand storms… Of the 250 participants starting in Barcelona I dont think that more than 100 are going to reach the finish.  Is victory the final objective?As I already said, our philosophy is to be the best. Now the riders duty is to apply everything they have learned along the season and use their experience from previous editions. If they do it, theyll be in the lead. They have shown that they have the ability to do it. In the Dakar the winner is not the one who is faster, but the one who makes less mistakes, both navigating and riding, and the one who has better luck with the mechanical aspects.