2010 DAKAR RALLY - 2-17 Jan 10

Madrid enthusiastically greets 'Dakar' winner Sainz

Posted: January 22, 2010 2:47 PM

An emotional and triumphant homecoming: His native city, Madrid, received Carlos Sainz with rounds of cheers after his “Dakar” victory. Together with his Spanish compatriot Lucas Cruz the 47-year-old had been leading a Volkswagen trio to a one-two-three win from 2 to 16 January at the toughest test in worldwide motorsport.

It was a perfect surprise: Sainz discovered a Race Touareg 2 practically in the front yard of his home. The idea came from sponsor Red Bull. The Spanish national hero did not have to be asked twice and started a march of triumph through the streets of Madrid, escorted by a police squad. The response among the local population was overwhelming. Thousands of fans and hundreds of journalists greeted "El Matador” with rounds of cheers.

The drive ended at the Plaza Mayor, which had been cordoned off specifically for Sainz´s arrival. Besides the fans, Madrid´s mayor Alberto Ruiz Gallardón welcomed Carlos Sainz as well as the 220-kW Race Touareg 2 on a recreated podium. Afterwards, the "Dakar” winner invited Ruiz Gallardón to a taxi ride through Madrid in the cross-country rally prototype.

"´Dakar‘ winner - that simply sounds fantastic. This exploit means incredibly much to me and has made a long-harboured dream come true for me,” said Sainz, who is the first Spaniard in the history of the Dakar Rally to have clinched overall victory in the automobile classification. "Experiencing such an emotional homecoming is like icing on the cake and a special reward. I´d like to say thank you for the tremendous support before, during and after the ‘Dakar.´”

Sainz won the 2010 Dakar Rally in the Race Touareg 2 ahead of his Volkswagen team- mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA). Thanks to TDI Power Volkswagen successfully defended the title after its 2009 triumph at the legendary desert classic and is thus the only manufacturer so far to have decided the automobile classification of the "Dakar” in its favour with diesel technology.

Two-areg: Volkswagen defends 'Dakar' title with one-two-three

Posted: January 17, 2010 2:22 PM

Triumphant title defence in South America: Volkswagen has won the legendary Dakar Rally for the second time in succession and including 1980 for a third time. After a ‘showdown in blue’ the Volkswagen duos and their TDI powered Race Touareg prototypes celebrated a one-two-three podium lockout at the finish of the toughest challenge worldwide in motorsport. In the process, Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) triumphed by only 2 minutes 12 seconds ahead of his team mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) in a thrilling finale on the closing 202 kilometre sprint on the 14th and final rally day. Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) claimed third position. Last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished seventh.

"I´m incredibly proud of our team. It´s stunning what the drivers, co-drivers and the entire team have achieved on every single day of the Dakar Rally. With this one-two-three triumph Volkswagen Motorsport even surpassed its own lofty goals,” says Dr. rer. pol. h. c. Francisco Javier Garcia Sanz, Member of the Board of Management at VOLKSWAGEN AG for procurement, at the finish of the final stage. Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen explains: "Three weeks ago a highly motivated Volkswagen team came with the goal of successfully defending the ‘Dakar´ title won last year. Volkswagen has achieved something historical with this one-two-three. We are not only unbeaten in South America, we are also the only manufacturer to have won the world´s hardest rally up to now with diesel technology. The Volkswagen drivers fought amongst themselves for victory all the way to the chequered flag - sometimes by hard but fair means. This is exactly how we imagine motorsport to be. My congratulations therefore go to every Volkswagen duo who would all have been worthy winners.”

The Wolfsburg based brand therefore remains the only manufacturer to have won the car category of the Dakar Rally with diesel power. TDI technology was already dominant in 2009 in Argentina and Chile. In addition to the efficiency of the Volkswagen Group´s diesel direct injection technology the Race Touareg´s reliability was the key to the 2010 "Dakar” victory: Despite the extreme demands the powerful 300 hp Race Touareg proved to be not only the most robust, but also the fastest vehicle: Seven of 14 possible stage victories and eleven days in the lead were credited to the four-wheel drive racers from Wolfsburg.

The result of the rally kept observers and fans alike on tenterhooks up to the finish line: Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz, Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk and Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford led in this order since the fifth Dakar Rally stage. However, at no point did any driver duo have an unassailable lead. In a strong final burst Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk edged ever closer, repeatedly taking seconds from their Volkswagen team mates Sainz/Cruz and, in doing so, staged an open and hard but fair duel for the leading position. The Qatari/German duo made up ground specifically in the dune sections - which once again formed one of the "Dakar´s” core elements - while the Spanish duo Sainz/Cruz controlled proceedings on the fast, twisty gravel sections.

As varied as the fight in the overall standings was - two stage wins went to Sainz/Cruz, four to Al-Attiyah/Gottschalk, one to Miller/Pitchford -, so challenging proved the 32nd running of the Dakar Rally: In addition to the varied stages across soft, in part powder-like sand and through towering and endless dune fields of the Atacama Desert in northern Chile there were also gravel sections and tracks through enormous boulder fields on the agenda. The multi-faceted acid test with its terrain changing several times a day, two Andes crossings, passages through the world´s driest desert, the Atacama, as well as parts of the legendary Pampa was mastered brilliantly by the Volkswagen Race Touareg. One Race Touareg was always found in the top-three of each stage at the finish, 27 of a possible 42 top-three positions on the 14 stages went to Wolfsburg.

For the new "Dakar” champions Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz a winning streak continued in front of millions of fans lining the daily stages in Argentina and Chile. As newly formed duo in the Volkswagen Race Touareg the Spanish pair remained unbeaten in their third competition together and secured a new superlative in "Dakar” history: Never before have two Spaniards won the legendary desert rally´s automobile category. Sainz/Cruz had previously won the Rallye dos Sertões in June and July 2009 as well as the Silk Way Rally in September 2009.

The Volkswagen statistics in cross country rallying make for equally impressive reading: The Wolfsburg based brand is unbeaten since January 2009 and with its second "Dakar” triumph since 2009 continues the Volkswagen Group´s success story with TDI technology: After Audi´s Le Mans victories between 2006 and 2008 and winning the World Touring Car Championship with SEAT in 2008 and 2009, Volkswagen has been successful at the "Dakar” in 2009 and 2010 thanks to TDI Power.

#300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 7th position overall
"The operation ‘title defence´ was already over on the third day of the rally for my co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz and I when we lost several hours due to an electrical problem after an end-over-end. From then on we put ourselves at the service of the team, as others also did for us in 2009. This is natural. First, second and third - this is an exceptional result for Volkswagen. Everybody in the squad deserved victory. Without question it is the best team in the world.”

#300 - Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-driver
"The 2010 Dakar Rally was once again an exciting ‘Dakar´. The enthusiasm shown by the spectators in Chile especially, however, in Argentina never ceases to amaze me. Incredible just how much you are spurred on. From the sporting point of view the ‘Dakar´ did not run particularly well for Giniel and I, as we already had to bury our thoughts of victory early on, and worked for the team from then on. Even though it was technically very tough on the material, I didn´t find this ‘Dakar´ as demanding from the sporting side as 2009.”

#303 - Carlos Sainz (E), 1st position overall
"I have fulfilled a dream by winning the ‘Dakar´. An enormous weight has fallen from my shoulders particularly as the fight for victory was extremely hard both physically and enormously exhausting mentally. I´m incredibly happy to have achieved this goal after having been so close to victory on several occasions. Everything ran perfectly for me: My co-driver Lucas Cruz did an excellent job, from the technical side the Race Touareg ran like clockwork and the entire Volkswagen squad worked tirelessly for the win. Thank you for this.”

#303 - Lucas Cruz (E), co-driver
"After so much pressure over the last few days it goes without saying that I´m incredibly happy on the day of my first ‘Dakar´ victory. I think we have beaten tough competitors and also one of the hardest ‘Dakar´s´ ever. The tracks were varied and a new and great challenge every day, even though every stage wasn´t at the same level. Carlos approached his job throughout the entire event patiently, concentrated but also with great tenacity. He is a great champion, it´s fantastic to win with him.”

#305 - Mark Miller (USA), 3rd position overall
"A great rally for us and for the entire Volkswagen team, which did an excellent job. It deserved to celebrate on the podium with three cars. It was small things that made the difference between winning and third place. I salute Carlos Sainz who drove almost faultless and who made the least amount of mistakes. It´s just these small things that make the difference. My goal is to be better with the details in the future.”

#305 - Ralph Pitchford (ZA), co-driver
"This ‘Dakar´ was hard, harder than the last year´s event. To have taken third place behind two team mates and against the strong competition posed by X-raid BMW, Hummer and Mitsubishi is a genuine success, even though our great dream of winning the ‘Dakar´ was not fulfilled. However, this rally is relentless and immediately penalises the smallest error. There is, however, no reason to regret having not achieved a better result - since finishing in the top three with such a strong team is sufficient reward.”

#306 - Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 2nd position overall
"On the one hand it goes without saying that it´s tough to have just missed winning the ‘Dakar´. However, on the other hand, I got the chance with Volkswagen to live my ‘Dakar´ dream all the way to the finish line, for which I am thankful. I feel completely at home in this team and look forward to every day with the squad. Carlos Sainz is a worthy winner and a real champion. Second place behind him is a fantastic result. Now I´m looking forward to challenge him at the forthcoming ‘Dakar´.”

#306 - Timo Gottschalk (D), co-driver
"Those were the two hardest weeks of my life, particularly mentally. With such a strong driver alongside, like Nasser Al-Attiyah is, I wanted to do my stuff as best as I possibly could. We went through many highs and lows together during this ‘Dakar´. All in all I´m extremely happy with the result. We demonstrated what we can do and that we are ready to win the ‘Dakar´. To lose to such an exceptional driver like Carlos Sainz in such a close battle is - I think - respectable.”

#312 - Maurício Neves (BR), retired
"Unfortunately the ‘Dakar´ dream for Clécio Maestrelli and I ended much too early. On the sixth stage we didn´t see a pothole and rolled several times. I broke four ribs in the process. However, it sounds worse than it is, because in view of the severity of the accident I escaped with light injuries thanks to the robustness of the Race Touareg. Shame for the team for whose work arriving at the finish in Buenos Aires would have been a fantastic reward.”

#312 - Clécio Maestrelli (BR), co-driver
"It´s a shame that we retired so early. The Dakar Rally was a fantastic experience and we really enjoyed the days before our accident. My thanks go to the Volkswagen squad who gave us this chance.”

Peterhansel and Chicherit confirm fourth and fifth overall in Dakar Rally

Posted: January 17, 2010 1:38 PM

Team X-raid GmbH’s Stéphane Peterhansel and Guerlain Chicherit shadowed Carlos Sainz and Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah to the finish of 14th and final stage of the 2010 Dakar Rally between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and Buenos Aires in Argentina on Saturday.  

The result meant that Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret – who finished the last stage in fourth - confirmed fourth in the overall standings and Chicherit and Swedish co-driver Tina Thörner finished in fifth overall after setting the third quickest time in the second BMW X3 CC.  

“It was a hard and very enjoyable Dakar for me, Jean-Paul and the team,” said Peterhansel. “I led the way at the start today and pushed a little, but not too hard, because I knew that Nasser (Al-Attiyah) was behind. Except for the problems on the fifth day it has been a great success for us. We claimed four stage wins. That one problem cost us at least a podium and maybe something even better. Now we can go away and look ahead to the next time with optimism.”  

Chicherit, the reigning FIA World Cross-Country champion, was a little disappointed with fifth, but pleased with the progress he had made nonetheless: “I suppose we came here looking for a little more than fourth and fifth, but it was still a very good result for us. I had the big loss of time early on and it was a case of fighting back after that. There are many positives we can take away from the last two weeks and we need to make sure that we learn from the experience.”  

Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy and German co-driver Andreas Schulz confirmed 11th overall by setting the 11th fastest time on the final stage.  

Spain’s Carlos Sainz began the final stage with a 2m 48s overall advantage over Qatar’s Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah. He lost out to the flying Qatari for the stage win, but managed to stay out of trouble to record the second fastest time and a first victory on the Dakar Rally by a margin of 2m 12s.  

Al-Attiyah managed to tie Peterhansel on four stage wins apiece during the course of the 14-day rally. The outcome also meant that the BMW X-raid team finished the Dakar with six stage wins compared to seven for rivals Volkswagen and one for American Robbie Gordon.  

“Neither of our lead drivers were going to take any risks today, but we also agreed not to block the other two leading cars on the stage,” said X-raid team director Sven Quandt. “It has been an exciting and enjoyable Dakar and we have shown each day that we now have a very competitive package with the BMW X3 CC that is capable of winning the event in the future.”  

Only 57 cars took to the start line of the final 206km special stage this morning and the X-raid Team were chasing a superb seventh stage win of the Dakar campaign. Event officials likened the special to a high-speed sprint across the piste to a finish at the village of San Carlos de Bolivar.

  Peterhansel and Chicherit started the special in first and third places on the road, with Al-Attiyah sandwiched between them in second position and overall rally leader Sainz in fourth. Not only was the outcome of the event at stake over the closing kilometres, but the X-raid duo also wanted to end the campaign with a seventh stage win for the Trebur-based team.

  Chicherit and Peterhansel trailed Al-Attiyah and Sainz by a handful of seconds through the 66km and 121km points, as the Qatari and the Spaniard battled hard for overall victory. There was no change through 177km either, as Chicherit trailed the Qatari by 31 seconds. Peterhansel was 22s further adrift and Novitskiy was running in a virtual 10th position. There were no dramas over the closing kilometres and the X-raid duo recorded the third and fourth fastest times.

Tomorrow (Sunday) marks the ceremonial finish of the 2010 Dakar Rally at La Rural convention centre in Buenos Aires. An estimated 700,000 people flocked to the streets of the Argentine capital last season to welcome the finishers – such is the popularity of the event in South America. 

Results:

Posted: January 17, 2010 1:30 PM

1. Carlos Sainz (E)/Lucas Cruz (E) Volkswagen Race Touareg 47h 10m 00s
2. Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah (QA)/Timo Gottschalk (D) Volkswagen Race Touareg 47h 12m 12s
3. Mark Miller (USA)/Ralph Pitchford (ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 47h 42m 51s
4. Stéphane Peterhansel (F)/Jean-Paul Cottret (F) BMW X3 CC 49h 27m 21s
5. Guerlain Chicherit (F)/Tina Thörner (S) BMW X3 CC 51h 12m 49s
6. Carlos Sousa (P)/Matthieu Baumel (F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 51h 41m 45s
7. Giniel de Villiers (ZA)/Ralph Pitchford (ZA) Volkswagen Race Touareg 52h 20m 19s
8. Robbie Gordon (USA)/Andy Grider (USA) Hummer 53h 12m 24s
9. Orlando Terranova (RA)/Pascal Maimon (F) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 53h 14m 47s
10. Guilherme Spinelli (BR)/Filipe Palmeiro (P) Mitsubishi Racing Lancer 53h 23m 41s

Results - Cars

Results - Bikes

Dakar Rally

Video Clip: Rally Dakar 2010 - Summary of Week 1

Posted: January 10, 2010 1:37 PM

TEAM X-RAID GMBH PREPARES FOR CRUCIAL FINAL WEEK OF DAKAR RALLY

Posted: January 10, 2010 1:36 PM

Team X-raid GmbH will use Saturday’s rest day of the 2010 Dakar Rally in Antofagasta to ensure that the whole team is prepared and sufficiently relaxed in preparation for the next seven special stages, which will take the event to a finish in Buenos Aires next weekend.  

Guerlain Chicherit, Stéphane Peterhansel, Leonid Novitskiy and their respective co-drivers, Tina Thörner, Jean-Paul Cottret and Andreas Schulz hold fourth, fifth and ninth in the overall rankings after a first week of mixed fortunes for the Trebur-based team.  

“Things went great yesterday,” said Chicherit. “We drove at a good pace. I had intended to attack. I wanted to set a good time, but it did not really work out the way we expected. We had two flat tyres. Then we ended up in the dust of Giniel (de Villiers) and we had a hard time getting close to him to pass.  

“We drove almost 100km behind him. Apart from that all was fine. We are climbing back up the overall standings. There were big decisions to make in terms of navigation, but we were okay and it is looking good for next week.”  

Team director Sven Quandt is understandably a little frustrated, despite his three surviving cars holding places inside the top 10. Peterhansel was a clear overall leader until he suffered prop shaft problems on the fifth stage and Joan ‘Nani’ Roma had set a fastest time in Argentina on stage one before crashing out of the rally.  

“Overall, it has been a good team performance,” said Quandt. “We were able to show the true potential of the BMW X3 CC and just two things happened which have potentially cost us a fantastic result and prevented us from being much higher in the overall classification. They were Nani’s accident and the prop shaft problems for Peterhansel.  

“The goal for the second week is to hold at least one car in the top five and make sure that Leonid stays inside the top 10. Three cars in the top 10 at the finish would be an excellent achievement.”  

Team X-raid GmbH’s mechanics will carry out complete drive train changes in Antofagasta on Saturday and each engine will be thoroughly checked as well. The crews will stay in hotels in Antofagasta to relax a little away from the stresses and the hassles of the hectic bivouac, but they will be on hand to carry out media interviews and press obligations.  

“Hopefully the mechanics can get the cars finished as soon as possible,” added Quandt. “That will give them time to relax a little in the afternoon as well.”
Tomorrow (Sunday) the eighth stage of the 2010 Dakar Rally heads out of Antofagasta and back down the coast of Chile to finish at Copiapó. The 472km special starts after a 96km liaison and finishes at the bivouac.

Fog was prevalent in this area last year and the stage was delayed, but teams will face a mixture of the Atacama desert’s faster and rockier terrain and a section of tricky sand dunes as the route nears its finish.

Volkswagen leads Dakar Rally with three cars at mid-point

Posted: January 10, 2010 1:34 PM

Wolfsburg (08 January 2010). After seven of the 14 legs of the 2010 Dakar Rally Volkswagen maintains a commanding advantage: Three Race Touareg cars with TDI power are running in front in the overall standings before the rest day. Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) are leading the world’s toughest rally with 11m 03s ahead of their team-mates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and 22m 06s in front of Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA).

Nasser Al-Attiyah managed an outstanding feat on the seventh leg: From Iquique to Antofagasta in the Chilean Atacama desert the Volkswagen factory driver from Qatar commandingly won the 600-kilometre, and so far longest, stage. After a nail-biting duel and the lead changing many times he arrived 3m 29s earlier at the finish than Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean Paul Cottret (F/F) in the X-Raid-BMW. On the first 80 kilometres the two drivers had been snatching individual seconds from each other. For Al-Attiyah it was the second stage win after his exploit on the second day of the rally.

Carlos Sainz finished the stage that first consisted of dunes, then a surface of "salar” salt crystal blocks and, ultimately, quicker, stony sections in third place. Mark Miller took the fourth position. Last year´s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished the stage before the rest day in sixth place after two punctures but, due to previous delays, are ranking 4h 31m behind the front runners.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"I take my hat off to our drivers, co-drivers and the Race Touareg. We mastered the longest day with a stage victory and places one to three in the overall standings. The mechanics are in for a lot of work on the rest day, while the drivers and co-drivers have a chance to recover a bit. We´re very pleased at the moment but also know that we´ve still got 50 per cent of the rally ahead of us.”

#300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 6th place leg / 11th place overall
"Today was another one that was a little jerky for us. We took the wrong way twice and ended up in a vast scree field. That cost us time. Two punctures cost us time as well. We had to finish the last part of the special with just one spare wheel left and therefore drove with particular caution. Our mission will continue to be to support our team-mates up to the finish in Buenos Aires.”

#303 - Carlos Sainz (E), 3rd place leg / 1st place overall
"High dunes in the beginning and quick sections formed the first part of the rally day. A minor navigation error cost us a little time and that made it possible for my team-mate Nasser Al-Attiyah to overtake us so shortly after the neutralisation phase. He set a fast pace and deserves having decided the stage in his favour. Remaining at the top of the standings after this hard rally day is our little victory of the day.”

#305 - Mark Miller (USA), 4th place leg / 3rd place overall
"I think that while we were driving on the exact route we were fast too. This day suited the all-rounders well. Unfortunately, we lost time due to a navigation mistake because the road-book wasn´t always easy to understand. But be that as it may: We´re running in third place at mid-point. We want to use the second ‘Dakar´ week to further improve this position.”

#306 - Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q), 1st place leg / 2nd place overall
"A really tough stage, a perfect car, an excellent co-driver and I think a good driver, too, were the combination that resulted in the stage win. The split special was anything but easy and offered a wide variety of terrain. This took some mental strength. Before the stage I made the decision to attack and managed doing a good job of that. We´re in a good position for the rest of the rally.”

Video Clips - Stage 5

Posted: January 7, 2010 5:17 PM

RTE Radio Interview with Philip Noone

Posted: January 5, 2010 6:30 PM

"Irishman Philip Noone speaks to Con Murphy on Sunday Sport as he gets set to take part in the Dakar Rally in Buenos Aires."

www.rte.ie/sport/motorsport/2009/1227/noonep_av.html

Video Clips

Posted: January 5, 2010 6:26 PM

TEAM X-RAID GMBH PASSES FINAL CHECKS BEFORE START OF 2010 DAKAR RALLY IN BUENOS AIRES

Posted: January 1, 2010 1:49 AM

Team X-raid GmbH safely passed the scrutineering and documentation checks for the 32nd Dakar Rally at La Rural conference centre in Buenos Aires on Wednesday.  

Team personnel will now make their final preparations before the ceremonial start of the world’s most famous cross-country rally at the Obelisk on 9th of July Avenue in the Argentine capital’s downtown area on New Year’s Day.  

The team’s four BMW X3 CCs will then embark upon an ambitious 16 days of competitive action in a total route of 9,030km across some of the most demanding terrain in Argentina and Chile, before the event reaches its conclusion in Buenos Aires on Sunday, January 17th.  

The Trebur-based team’s equipment – along with over 540 other media, competition and official vehicles - had arrived in South America just before Christmas on the giant Grand Brazile container boat that had set sail from Le Havre in France several weeks ago.  

Under the directorship of Sven Quandt, X-raid team mechanics and officials duly collected the equipment from Delta Dock at Lima, near Buenos Aires, and then spent several days making any last-minute modifications to the cars before the official checks at La Rural, which will also host the ceremonial finish in two weeks’ time.  

North and South American competitors were summoned for scrutineering on Tuesday, December 29th, but the X-raid team also made use of the time by arranging their very own pre-event press conference. The press reception was hosted by Sven Quandt and attended by X-raid’s team drivers and co-drivers in conjunction with BMW Group Argentina.  

The teams that are likely to feature in the overall general classification, including Team X-raid GmbH, then passed the scrutineering and documentation checks on Wednesday, with additional time permitted for scrutineering on New Year’s Eve.  

“This is where all the hard work the team has carried out is put to the test,” said X-raid team director Sven Quandt. “We have left nothing to chance in our preparations for this event and the whole team is looking forward to the challenge of the next 16 days.”  

Team X-raid GmbH’s three drivers - Stéphane Peterhansel, Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and Guerlain Chicherit - and X-raid Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy will now have only 24 hours to recover from possible jet-lag and acclimatise to the warmer South American weather before the first competitive special stage of the 32nd Dakar Rally takes place on Saturday, January 2nd between Buenos Aires and Córdoba.  

The two-day opening leg starts with the ceremonial start at the Obelisk and is similar to the final stage of last year’s Dakar. Competitors will camp at Cólon after a 317km liaison on New Year’s Day.  

Saturday’s first stage will feature several WRC-style tracks through the Calamuchita Valley and cars will tackle a slightly longer special than the bikes - 251km as opposed to 219km.  

A 349km liaison takes teams to the start of the competitive action and a shorter 84km liaison then guides crews into the overnight halt in Córdoba, Argentina’s second city.  

The city is situated in the foothills of the Sierra Chicas, 390 metres above sea level, on the Suquía River and is one of the oldest former Spanish colonial capitals.

Volkswagen before the 'Dakar': Confidence and positive energy

Posted: January 1, 2010 1:47 AM

The positive energy within the Volkswagen team is evident one day before the 2010 Dakar Rally’s ceremonial start. Volkswagen fields five Race Touareg cars in the legendary desert classic starting on 1 January in Buenos Aires and which runs for 9,000 kilometres through Argentina and Chile. Last year’s winner Giniel de Villiers, Carlos Sainz and their team-mates are “Dakar” ready immediately before the start of the acid test comprising of notorious Pampa, pitiless Atacama Desert and two Andes crossings plus the atmospheric start on New Year’s Day.

Kris Nissen (Volkswagen Motorsport Director)
"We celebrated a historical victory last year and took the first diesel win in the ‘Dakar´s´ automobile classification with the Race Touareg. To return to the site of this great triumph wakes positive memories. The energy and positive anticipation before the world´s toughest rally are enormously high within the team. We´ve never been so well prepared. As Motorsport Director I´m very confident even though it will be even more difficult than ever before to win the ‘Dakar´ in 2010. We have the car, we have the team and we have the driver/co-driver pairings to win this rally again.”

#300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA)
"The anticipation immediately before the Dakar Rally starts is now very high. My co-driver Dirk and I start the rally as defending champions. This is an honour, however, on the other hand it doesn´t change much. How we approach the tasks ahead remains the same; we´ll contest the stages in a focused and patient manner in order to avoid mistakes. If we manage this we can be right at the front again this year.”

#300 - Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-driver
"You notice how the tension rises. We completed the first kilometres in the car during the roll-out, the final preparations are finished. It´s now time for the rally to start and I´m already looking forward to the first competitive stage, when the stress falls and you can finally explode in a sporting sense. Giniel and I welcome the role of defending champions very much. It provides positive pressure.”

#303 - Carlos Sainz (E)
"The ‘Dakar´ is only held once a year and it is the most important rally in our sport. Over the last few weeks and months the entire concentration was focused on the preparation. It´s fine that things finally got started. Our approach is, in contrast, always identical and also the way in which my co-driver and I tackle the rallies. We won both the ‘Sertões´ and Silk Way Rally. Now we want the same from the ‘Dakar´.”

#303 - Lucas Cruz (E), co-driver
"The ‘Dakar´ is the ‘Dakar´ and not like any other rally. The team-internal competition is big at Volkswagen, the competition outside however is by no means less tough. The plan is simple: We want to be faster than all the others and in the process take as little risk as possible. To actually implement this plan requires brains and also a little bit of luck.”

#305 - Mark Miller (USA)
"Particularly at the start of the rally you can lose more than you can gain. This is more easily said than done. During a ‘Dakar´ you need great tenacity and patience. We have to wait and see just how the plan can be implemented, to accept small losses of time at the start and to look after the car so we can attack at the right time on the crucial stage.”

#305 - Ralph Pitchford (ZA), co-driver
"It goes without saying that it is the goal of every racer to improve constantly. After the 2009 ‘Dakar´ there is only one position open for Mark and I. To be the number one - this is why we contest rallies. However, there are two extremely hard weeks ahead of us. Therefore, Mark and I only think from stage to stage. We will definitely do our best.”

#306 - Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q)
"My goal is very clear - to win the ‘Dakar´. I´ve been counting down the days and hours for months until I can climb into my car. It´ll be important to find the right pace. If you are too careful the competition exploits this, if you are too fast the risks at the start of the rally are especially high. So, you have to be clever. I hope that my co-driver Timo Gottschalk and I can manage this balancing act well.”

#306 - Timo Gottschalk (D), co-driver
"The calm before the storm is still apparent. To find and maintain this inner calm every day is my goal for this ‘Dakar´. Namely, to prepare the roadbook each evening for the following day with a clear head, and also to enter the stage rested and with a clear mind every day. We want to do our thing to achieve our goal of taking a good result. Obviously victory is the great dream.”

#312 - Maurício Neves (BR)
"Competing in the ‘Dakar´ is the realisation of a great dream for my co-driver Clécio Maestrelli and I. To compete the first time with such a professional team like Volkswagen is the icing on the cake. I´m really looking forward to the start and the first special stage. The roll-out here close to Buenos Aires just made us want more.”

#312 - Clécio Maestrelli (BR), co-driver
"My first Dakar Rally with Volkswagen is like a beautiful new world for me. It´s a great honour that I can compete at this professional level and represent the colours of my country Brazil. I think that I also speak for Maurício when I say that we want to repay this trust and make a good impression during the ‘Dakar´.”

Volkswagen - Twitter, TV and iPhone:

Posted: December 30, 2009 11:44 PM

Wolfsburg (30 December 2009). The Dakar Rally’s history dates back to the 1970s. During the 32nd running title holders Volkswagen also prove that tradition and innovation off-track are not necessarily opposites: This year fans can follow the Volkswagen team and last year’s winner Giniel de Villiers thanks to the most comprehensive offer yet. A selection.

Throughout the rally the official website www.volkswagen-motorsport.com presents itself to reflect the "Dakar”. News, results, photographs and the latest videos in new, even larger media players form the offer. The highlight is the Iritrack System with which surfers can follow the five Volkswagen Race Touaregs kilometre for kilometre. The satellite supported system provides split times, positions and intervals.

So young and already a hit: The Volkswagen iPhone app. The Dakar Rally is a constant companion with the free application for the cult mobile phone, which, in the meantime, more than 16,000 fans have downloaded. The latest news, results, videos and background information are transmitted directly to the display. The app named "Rallye mobil” is available free of charge in the iTunes store, a direct link is obviously also available on www.volkswagen-motorsport.com.

The Volkswagen drivers discovered their passion for Twitter, the hip Internet based micro-blogging service. "Dakar” winner Dirk von Zitzewitz and team mate Mark Miller post their heat-of-the-action experiences during the near 9,000 kilometre journey through Argentina and Chile on www.twitter.com/rallyedakar and www.twitter.com/MarkMillerDakar. More concise information from the two is posted in the evening from the bivouac on their respective Facebook network profiles.

Those not wishing to dispense with the proven media are well-served by the television: Eurosport offers the most comprehensive TV coverage from South America: Daily from 23:00 there is a live coverage from the bivouac and a summary of the highlights from the day´s stage. The German television station RTL broadcasts impressions and news from the 32nd running of the Dakar Rally in its programmes "Punkt sechs”, "Punkt zwölf”, and the daily newscasts "RTL aktuell" and "Nachtjournal”. The conclusion is covered by a near half-hour report titled "Die Rallye Dakar 2010 - Grenzenlos und Gnadenlos!” on 17 January (22:40). The public television stations ARD and ZDF plan to make the Dakar Rally a subject in breakfast television and also in the ‘Tagesschau´ (News) and ‘der Sportschau´ (sports show).

In 2010 many radio stations broadcast reports from the Dakar. There is daily news, reports and sound bites from South America. The Volkswagen drivers comments are also available from www.volkswagen-motorsport.com and on the iPhone app.

Volkswagen Motorsport

Cooper Tire backs Toyota Dakar Rally squad

Posted: December 28, 2009 10:19 PM

Cooper Tire Europe will compete in next year’s Dakar Rally after sealing an agreement with Dakar veteran, Spaniard Xavier Foj.

Foj and co-driver, Argentine Pablo Jaton, will compete in a Toyota Land Cruiser KXR, built by Jaton’s brother, in the Toyota Cooper Tire team, using Cooper’s rugged Discoverer STT rubber for the famously arduous 9000km event.

It will be the second year that Foj has used Cooper’s STT, renowned for its outstanding off-road traction and durability, for the Dakar. Last year, he finished second in the T2 class for production vehicles, with no punctures or tyre problems.

Foj is a former winner of the production class and believes that his Cooper Discoverer STT tyres can carry him to a return to class victory - in 18 years of Dakar racing, Foj has won once before, in 1999.

Foj said, “With a little shaving off of the height of the lugs, we will prevent the wheel track from scraping the surface of the dunes a little less and we shall optimise the engine power a little more but nevertheless, the main quality of these tyres is their tremendous versatility.

“I can lower the pressure to 0.6 bar without fear of the tyre coming off its rim and can even cover the odd section of track or link to another area of sand without the need to inflate again.

“They are outstanding due to their reliability and great capacity for adapting to any type of terrain, which is fundamental in a rally such as the Dakar where, in one single special stage, you can drive on very different surfaces. Last year, they definitely played an essential part in the second place obtained in the T2 group and I hope that this year, with the small improvements we have made, they will help us go even higher.”

The Toyota Cooper Tires team will fit 255/75R15 and 245/75R15 STTs to the KXR for the event, in which competitors tackle soft sandy dunes as well as tough, rocky terrain.

The event, held between January 1-17, 2010, will be the second running of the Dakar in South America and the route, which takes competitors across the Atacama Desert, is believed to be one of the toughest in history.

Cooper Tire Europe’s sales and marketing director, Jorge Crespo, said, “Obviously, small modifications have been made to both car and tyres to improve their behaviour in high-level competition. However, we are fully convinced that the Discoverer STTs will again demonstrate their quality for all-terrain driving as well as their enormous versatility and strength.”

VOLKSWAGEN TO DEFEND DAKAR HONOUR WITH FIVE RACE TOUAREGS

Posted: December 28, 2009 10:18 PM

Volkswagen will field five Race Touaregs as the team bids to defend one of the most challenging international motorsport events, the Dakar Rally.

Taking place across the South American continent for the second consecutive year, the 31st ‘Dakar’ Rally will see the five Volkswagen teams encountering some of the most demanding terrain on the planet.

The 2010 ‘Dakar’ Rally course starts from Buenos Aires in Argentina on 1 January. The five teams will be tested to the limits, travelling 9,000 kilometres (5,625 miles) across the Andes, through the Atacama desert’s demanding dune fields in the north of Chile and back, with altitudes exceeding 4,700 metres above sea-level. It was over this terrain that Volkswagen made history in 2009 with the Race Touareg becoming the first diesel-powered vehicle to win the legendary event.

The Race Touaregs, powered by a 2.5-litre TDI developing 280 PS, won ten out of a possible 13 stage wins on the way to clinching a famous one-two victory.

Last year’s winning pairing of Giniel de Villiers (ZA) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (D) return to the Race Touareg cockpit, alongside fellow Dakar Rally veterans Carlos Sainz (E) / Lucas Cruz (E) and Mark Miller (USA) / Ralph Pitchford (ZA). They are joined by Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) / Timo Gottschalk (D) and the most recent addition to the Volkswagen Motorsport driver line-up Brazilian partnership Mauricio Neves and Clécio Maestrelli.

Neves brings a wealth of experience to the Volkswagen Motorsport team, as the most successful Brazilian driver in cross-country rally racing. He made his competition debut in the Race Touareg prototype earlier this year at the Rallye dos Sertões, nicknamed ‘Little Dakar’, clinching a class podium and overall sixth place.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director, Kris Nissen explains ‘At the 2009 Dakar Rally, we showed that the Race Touareg is not only the most reliable but also the fastest cross-country rally vehicle in the world and that the Volkswagen Group’s TDI technology is superior to other diesel power concepts. We have put together a powerful driver’s squad and we want to successfully defend our title at the upcoming ‘Dakar’.’

VOLKSWAGEN PREPARED FOR START OF DAKAR 2010

Posted: December 28, 2009 10:11 PM

tly after the festive period, attention will turn to the South American continent once again, where Volkswagen Motorsport hopes to continue the successes seen during this year when Volkswagen claimed the first diesel-powered victory in the first Dakar Rally to be held outside Africa.

On 2 January, Volkswagen will line up on the start of one of the most demanding events on the motorsport calendar with five factory prepared Race Touaregs. Each of these rally prototypes, driven by some of the most successful names in the world of cross-country rallying, will aim to complete the gruelling 9,000 kilometre course with only one goal – to defend the coveted Dakar Rally title.

The five teams are made up of the 2009 Dakar winners Giniel de Villiers (ZA) / Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), Dakar Rally veterans Carlos Sainz (E) / Lucas Cruz (E) and Mark Miller (USA) / Ralph Pitchford (ZA), Nasser Al-Attiyah (Q) / Timo Gottschalk (D) and the most recent additions to the driver line-up, the Brazilian partnership Mauricio Neves / Clécio Maestrelli.

VOLKSWAGEN RELIES ON ‘HEAVY’ SUPPORT

Posted: December 28, 2009 10:10 PM

When the five Volkswagen Race Touaregs cross the start of the Dakar Rally on New Year’s Day 2010, they will not be the only participants competing for the Volkswagen Group. Two MAN race trucks are also registered in the competition and, if the worst comes to the worst, they will act as a mobile spare parts store and support for the team. It is extremely difficult for racers from other disciplines to imagine but it is almost impossible to solve problems encountered on the 9,000 km route of the Dakar Rally in any other way.

While the service vehicles from each team must often follow recognised and civilised roads instead of the treacherous terrain, the Volkswagen team’s service vehicles support the Race Touaregs during the competition by competing along the same route. During the Dakar Rally the basic rule applies - when the stop watch is running only participants can help each other. This is why many large teams enter special race trucks in the truck category.

This approach has proven itself at Volkswagen since the first day and the knights in shining armour, nicknamed the ‘Blue Angels’, have helped more than once by providing parts after small or larger accidents or towed defective race cars to the finish – clearly defined sport penalties included. During the two-day marathon stages, of which there are none in 2010, only these race trucks were allowed to offer help in the past at the evening half-way halt.

This year, two race trucks are competing for Volkswagen driven by François Verbist / Jürgen Damen / Milko Laukamp (B/B/D) and Tom de Leeuw / Dirk van Obbergen / Thorsten Goldberg (B/B/D). The trucks traditionally start with three team members with a specially trained mechanic taking a seat in the cab alongside the driver and navigator.

The two twin-axle trucks, a MAN TGA 18.480 (4x4) and MAN TGA 26.480 (6x6) are smaller, lighter and stronger than the other trucks in the Dakar convoy. Generating more than 500 hp and 2,400 Nm of torque from the 12.5-litre engines, both are equipped with permanent all-wheel drive and have relatively low fully laden weights of only 10 and 12 tonnes respectively ensuring they are agile and all-terrain. Carrying the most necessary spare parts, tools and recovery equipment, these teams are starting the Dakar Rally in the hope never to be needed…

Volkswagen’s iPhone Dakar Rally app:

www.volkswagen-motorsport.com/dakar_iPhone

TEAM X-RAID GmbH FIELDS FOUR BMW X3 CCs IN 2010 DAKAR RALLY

Posted: December 2, 2009 4:10 PM

Team X-raid GmbH will field three BMW X3 CCs in the 2010 Dakar Rally, with X-raid Russia entering a fourth car with support from the Trebur-based operation.  

Nine-time former winner Stéphane Peterhansel (six times on a bike and three in a car) and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret spearhead the team’s challenge for honours in the world’s most demanding off-road rally, which starts in Buenos Aires on Friday, January 1st, returns to the city on Saturday, January 16th and finishes officially in the Argentine capital on Sunday, January 17th.  

The winners of the event on four wheels in 2004, 2005 and 2007 won the recent Rally of Morocco and are joined by Catalunyan Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and his triple Dakar-winning co-driver Michel Périn. Both Roma and Peterhansel joined Sven Quandt’s X-raid team mid-way through the 2009 season.  

Roma won the race on a motorcycle in 2004, while Périn was victorious in 1994, 1995 and 1996 with Frenchman Pierre Lartigue and led this year’s event for several days with a rival team.  

Completing the official X–raid team line-up are the defending FIA World Cup champions, Guerlain Chicherit and Tina Thörner, who won the prestigious Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge and Transiberico events this season.  

Chicherit is one of the most improved drivers on the world stage. His experienced Swedish co-driver led the Dakar outright through southern Argentina in 2009, before falling foul of a technical ruling after being delayed by mechanical problems.  

Twice-winning co-driver Andreas Schulz (2001 and 2003) partnered Russia’s Leonid Novitskiy for the first time to finish second overall in the recent Rally of Morocco and the pair team up together in the X-raid Russia entry to complete the official BMW line-up for the 16-day, 9,030 km event.  

X-raid has enjoyed another successful season of cross-country racing in 2009, with Chicherit’s maiden FIA World Cup award following a superb double of the Baja and FIA World Cup titles for the team in 2008.  

Outright victories were earned in the UAE, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain and Portugal this season and Quandt is optimistic that recent testing in Morocco and attention to fine detail in terms of car set-up and reliability will boost competitiveness in January.  

Despite the global economic slowdown, the event has attracted 372 starters, comprising 184 motorcycles and quads, 50 trucks and 138 cars.  

Quandt’s X-raid team were the early pacesetters in 2009 – when the rally crossed South America for the first time after 29 seasons on the African Dark Continent – but the German team faces a fierce challenge from Volkswagen Motorsport, who will be aiming to retain their title for a second year.  

Defending drivers’ champion, Giniel de Villiers, twice WRC champion Carlos Sainz and X-raid’s former FIA World Cup and Baja Cup winner, Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah, head the Volkswagen challenge.  

Other potential rivals include America’s Robbie Gordon in a powerful Hummer and Portugal’s Carlos Sousa and Argentina’s former X-raid driver Orlando Terranova in two of four Mitsubishis entered by a new French private team.

  The BMW X3 CC – technical specification  
Team X-raid GmbH claimed one FIA World Cup title with the BMW X5 Rallye Raid in 2004 before switching to the intense development of the slightly smaller BMW X3 CC, which has continued to achieve considerable success for the Trebur-based team in global cross-country rallying.  

The X3 CC is powered by a six-cylinder, three-litre variable twin-turbo diesel engine, which produces around 290 bhp @ 4,000 rpm and an impressive 650 Nm of torque. The team claims a top speed of 182 km/h, although this is largely irrelevant on events of the nature of the Dakar in South America.  

Power is transmitted to the four driving wheels by a Sadev six-speed sequential transmission, an AP Racing metallic clutch and X-trac differentials.  

The Heggemann space frame chassis is fitted with a carbon-kevlar body for strength and durability and a Heggemann front subframe.  

AP Racing six-piston brakes are fitted to the front and rear and the X3 CC benefits from Reiger front and rear independent suspension and racing dampers with 250mm of travel.  

The car has a length of 4.650 mm, an empty weight of 1,850 kg and a wheelbase of 2,850 mm. It is also fitted with a Heggemann safety roll cage, Lifeline fire extinguisher system, a 420-litre FT3 safety fuel tank and a Reiger hydraulic on-board jack system.  

The Dakar 2010  
Competition between the main teams is likely to be fierce, as the event crosses the barren grasslands of central Argentina and heads into the mighty Andes mountain range before crossing into Chile for stages through the punishing Atacama – the highest and driest desert in the world.  

The race stops in Argentina’s second city, Cordoba, en route to La Rioja, Fiambala and the crossing into Chile and the night stop in Copiapo.  

After a rest day in the renowned copper and gold mining town of Antofagasta on Saturday, January 9th, the route heads through the deserts along the Pacific coastal plain in Chile, taking in bivouacs in Iquique, Copiapo, La Serena and Santiago.  

The route then re-crosses the spine of the Andes and heads back to Buenos Aires via San Juan, San Rafael and the pampas region around Santa Rosa.  

In the total route of 9,030km, the Amaury Sports Organisation (ASO) has announced that 4,810km will be competitive for the car and truck categories.

Entry List

Posted: December 2, 2009 4:01 PM

Dakar Rally

Event Website

Posted: December 2, 2009 3:55 PM

Dakar Rally