MITSUBISHI DUO MAINTAIN THEIR COMPOSURE ON THIRD DAKAR STAGE ACROSS
PATAGONIA
Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart's team director Dominique Serieys insists
that he is not watching the leader board through the opening three or four
days of the 2009 Dakar Rally.
But team crews Stephane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret (both France) and
Joan 'Nani' Roma and Lucas Cruz Senra (both Spain) remain firmly in
contention for the overall lead after the third leg of the event across the
Patagonian wastelands between Puerto Madryn and Ingeniero Jacobacci on
Monday.
They set the fifth and sixth fastest times in a pair of turbo-diesel 'Racing
Lancers' and now hold fourth and fifth in the overall classification. Luc
Alphand and Gilles Picard (both France) were delayed for around 30 minutes
before the first passage control with a minor fuel leak and slipped to 10th
overall. The stage win fell to Nasser Al-Attiyah (Qatar), although Carlos
Sainz (Spain) maintained the overall lead in the general classification.
The stage was shortened from 616km to 550km and meandered its way through
the Patagonian lowlands, crossing scrub and grasslands along twisty and
sometimes technical trails, before beginning a gradual climb towards the
overnight halt at around 900 metres above sea level.
Monday evening's bivouac at Ingeniero Jacobacci was a far cry from the sunny
conditions at Puerto Madryn on the Atlantic coast 24 hours' before. The town
was formerly known as Nahuel Niyeo, but was renamed in 1926 after the
engineer who built the railway that now links the town with the outside
world and was also the location for the overnight halt on the Dakar.
Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the fourth leg of the 2009 Dakar Rally between
Ingeneiro Jacobacci and Neuquen, the 459km special starting just four
kilometers from the bivouac and featuring numerous rocky and sandy sections
and several wadis. The route passes through the Sierra Mesanlyes and
meanders to the north-east of the Negro river to finish near the renowned
Valley of the Dinosaurs in a protected geological area dating back to the
Cretaceous Period.
The final 25km liaison takes teams to the overnight halt near the confluence
of the Limay and Neuquen rivers. Neuquen has a strong agricultural
background, is the capital city of the province of the same name and is the
largest city in Patagonia.
What they said?
Dominique Serieys, Team Director
"We will really see what develops over the coming days and then we will get
a better indication of the overall situation in this rally."
Luc Alphand
"We had a fuel leak and had to stop and take everything out from the rear to
see where the problem was. Everything else was fine today, but a fuel seal
was not working and it cost me over 30 minutes trying to sort it all out.
That was very frustrating."
Stephane Peterhansel
"If the route is like the organisers said, then the first three stages were
very fast and then it becomes more difficult. I hope that is true because we
could be in a better position. Since the start I had no problems with the
car but I struggled to follow Carlos Sainz this morning. He was too fast. I
look forward to the more technical stages."
Joan 'Nani' Roma
"I don't feel too bad about our position heading into the next group of
stages. I had a puncture near the end, but we are still in the chasing pack
and I am quite happy with my position on the road for tomorrow."
MITSUBISHI'S SPINELLI FROM BRAZIL HOLDS 11TH POSITION IN HIS PAJERO/MONTERO
EVOLUTION
Privately-run Mitsubishis completed the second special stage of the 2009
Dakar Rally between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and the Patagonian coastal resort
of Puerto Madryn without major problems on Sunday.
Guilherme Spinelli and Marcelo Vivolo (both Brazil) were running just
outside the top 10 in an excellent 11th place in their ex-factory Mitsubishi
Pajero/Montero Evolution. The pair were a mere 1m 11s behind the powerful
Hummer of 10th-placed Robbie Gordon (USA), but Spinelli lost a little time
on the third special stage between Puerto Madryn and Ingeniero Jacobacci on
Monday morning, although he recovered quickly to set the 13th fastest time
and maintained 11th place.
"Everything is going very well so far and we are extremely happy with the
position we have," said Spinelli's team manager and former Bike and
Mitsubishi Pajero driver Klever Kolberg.
Mitsubishi Thailand-backed Mana Pornsiricherd (Thailand) was tackling the
Dakar once again in a Mitsubishi Pajero sport this time and held 96th place
with co-driver Thierry Lacambre (France) after the stage into Puerto Madryn.
But he lost time when he was stuck in the sand and a rival competitor
collided with the rear of his car.
This delay forced him to start further down the field on the long stage
across Patagonia into Ingeniero Jacobacci and Mana held 83rd position on the
stage at PC1 on Monday evening.
-credit: mitsubishi
