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Dakar 2009: A brave new era
by Stefan Bartholomaeus
pic: Edmunds J. KTM Images
When the 2009 Dakar Rally blasts into action this weekend, it kicks off another season of motorsport, and a brave new era for this incredible test of human endurance.
After terrorist threats in Mauritania led to the event being called off last year, the Dakar returns in 2009, offering many of the same challenges in a new environment.
Whilst the route has often varied, and not always included a visit to Dakar, this year is the first time that the rally will not visit Africa at all. Instead, South America is the host continent, with just two countries sharing the stages, Chile and Argentina. Both the start and finish will take place in Buenos Aires.
With the event taking in the plains of Patagonia, the Atacama Desert, and the Andes Mountains, event organisers are promising a ‘100% Dakar’ experience for competitors and spectators alike.
The usual challenges, including dunes, fesh fesh sand, and mountainous roads, will again be present in this most gruelling of rallies.
Whilst the romantic allure of the traditional North-West African adventure may have been lost, the pre-race build up has been as strong as ever.
An incredible 530 teams will attempt to tackle the 5650km of special stages, split into the three distinct sections of Moto, Auto, and Truck, from January 3-17.
Moto
The 2009 event once again shapes up as a thrilling contest between the two factory KTM gladiators; Spain’s Marc Coma and France’s Cyril Despres.
The Spaniard enters the rally looking to avenge the disappointment of 2007, where he dominated, only to suffer a mysterious fall late in the going. Not surprisingly, the 2006 winner is looking forward to the new challenges presented by the different location, and fancies his chances of victory.
“There are plenty of new and even unknown aspects,” he said prior to the start. “It’s an extra motivation for me, but also for all the pilots, I think. It’s going to be a great race. We know that the specials will be big stages and long stages. But that’s how I like it, I’m happy that it will be a tough race to win.”
Despres, the winner in 2005 and 2007, says that an ability to overcome issues as they arise will decide the rally, as was the case in the most recent event.
“I learned my biggest lesson in 2007,” he says. “I remember that I finished 17th on the 4th stage because of a problem with the gear box. I could have stopped then, given up and gone home. After all, I don’t train so long and so hard to reach that kind of result. But I thought to myself that others could also face the same type of situations. And we all know what happened at the end.”
In a reshuffle of the all-conquering factory KTM squad, Frenchman Alain Duclos (a past stage winner) moves into the position of water carrier for Depres.
Former water carrier David Casteu will this year step outside the factory squad to ride for Vectra Racing. Having finished 3rd in the 2007 Dakar, and 1st in last year’s Central Europe Rally and Rally of the Pharos, Casteu is best placed to upset the Coma/Depres juggernaut
“For me, Marc is the fastest rider competing on this rally,” says the Frenchman, “but I will be a serious outsider. The main difference [between 2007 and now] lies in the fact that now I have learned how to win. At the Rally of the Pharaohs, I spent nine days ahead of the race. I had to find my way and this made me learn a lot.”
Legendary Norwegian Pal Anders Ullevalseter returns for another attempt at the Dakar this year, and has the podium firmly in his sights. Spaniard Jordi Viladoms and Chilean hero Francisco Lopez will also be riders to look out for on their 690cc KTMs, with the later benefiting from local knowledge this year.
Frenchman David Frétigné, most famous for winning stages on his 2WD Yamaha, will again start favourite for the 450cc class.
321Ignition Favourite: Marc Coma
Look out for: Small errors under pressure from Coma or Despres will prove costly.
Auto
The 2009 event will see a continuation of the war between rally-raid heavy weights Mitsubishi and Volkswagen, with strong appearances also expected from BMW and Hummer.
The main talking point heading into the rally has been Mitsubishi, with their petrol-powered Pajero being replaced by an all-new Lancer diesel. The Japanese manufacturer has an incredible record on the Dakar, having won every event since 2000.
With Stephane Peterhansel, Luc Alphand, Joan ‘Nani’ Roma, and Hiroshi Masuoka steering the four factory cars, it certainly won’t be a lack of driving talent that will cost them victory.
Peterhansel however, himself a nine time Dakar winner (six on bikes, three in cars), remains cautious about their chances.
“We have been developing this model for a year and a half. We have spent plenty of time driving, a total of just over 10,000 miles of tests. The car was constantly evolving up until October, when we finished fine-tuning and turned to concentrating on the Dakar. The car is performing very well and is reliable, but we are heading a bit into the unknown. We haven’t tested it against our main rivals. So, there is some apprehension for this Dakar.”
Meanwhile at Volkswagen, there is a distinct feeling that this year it must finally be their turn. Having won a total of 21 Dakar stages since their debut in 2005, the Touareg diesels have yet to taste victory. They came painfully close in 2007, where Carlos Sainz, and then Giniel De Villiers fell foul of mechanical problems in Mauritania, having dominated the rally to that point.
Sainz and De Villiers will be backed up by Mark Miller and Dieter Depping in a very formidable four car squad.
The South African is hoping that the VW’s reliability will win out, and is looking for nothing less than victory.
“I am there to win,” he says. “In any race, I am always registered to win, if not, I would be wasting my time. I will have to fight hard if I want to be ahead of Peterhansel, Sainz or Alphand, but I am confident. We worked hard on the car and brought a lot of small improvements to the suspension and to the engine. The car is better than it was two years ago and, more importantly, it is more reliable. And that is key in such a long raid.
“This rally will be very long and will ask for a lot of endurance. Crossing the Andes will be very hard for the cars and for their drivers. We will have to stand tough.”
The BMW X-Raid team is expected to be competitive once again in 2009, pushing the ‘big two’ for stage wins. Nasser Al Attiyah and Guerlin Chicherit will spearhead the BMW campaign, the latter having recovered from his huge accident in the 2007 event.
Robby Gordon’s Hummer team has this year has two entries in the event, with the tough talking American not shying away from the limelight in the build-up.
“Our Hummer has never been so well prepared,” said Gordon upon his arrival in Buenos Aires. “We did our last tests just a few days ago: the car is excellent and extremely resistant. We performed very well on the Central Europe Rally of the Dakar Series, except for a technical problem that has been solved now. And all the mechanics are really excellent. So we all share the same objective – to win – and we have put a lot of efforts into it. Nothing pays off like a good preparation to race the Dakar.”
Other notable entries include 2008 World Touring Car Champion Yvan Muller in a single-seat buggy, and former Formula One drivers Eliseo Salazar and Ukyo Katayama driving a McRae SUV and Toyota respectively.
Former motorcycle heroes Isidre Esteve Pujol and Carlo De Gavardo have also entered the car class this year, both for the first time. Esteve Pujol has made a heart-warming return to the Dakar after an accident whilst competing in the Spanish All Terrain Rally in March 2007 left him paralysed from the waist down.
321Ignition Favourite: Carlos Sainz
Look out for: Possible unreliability of the new Mitsubishis
Truck
Whilst receiving far less media attention than the other two categories, the truck class looks set to be an intense battle between Kamaz (Vladamir Chagin and Firdaus Kabirov), Tatra (Ales Loprais and Andre De Azevedo), Hino (Yoshimasa Sugawara), Mercedes (Pep Vila Roca), Ginaf (Marcel van Vilet and Gerard De Rooy), and reigning Dakar winners Man (Hans Stacey).
Kabirov, the winner in 2005, enters his 15th Dakar hoping to reclaim his crown.
“I wish to win the rally,” says the Russian, “but I know there will be a formidable competition, notably with the MAN, DAF and TATRA teams.”
Like all teams, he’s had to comply with new regulations pertaining to emissions.
“The main change aimed at reducing exhaust gases in order to comply with the requirements of the rally regulations. This required a lot of work. As a consequence, the truck has lost engine power and this will make the rally much harder for us.”
Meanwhile, perennial truck favourite, Brazilian André de Azevedo, has had a very different Dakar build up this year, due to the rally’s move to South America...
“The Brazilian media are putting me under a lot of pressure before this first Dakar in Latin America,” he says. “They all think that it will be easier for me this year just because I come from the continent... but I don’t think so. I don’t know Argentina or Chile too well.
“I am trying to manage this media madness that is much more intense this time then when the race took place in Africa. It is not very easy to manage but I make do: I already have 20 Dakar behind me so I know the drill. But it’s only my co-driver’s third edition so it’s a bit new to him!”
321Ignition Favourite: Vladamir Chagin
Look out for: André de Azevedo’s local knowledge
A half hour highlights package from each stage of the rally will be shown on SBS from 6pm nightly. Alternatively, stay tuned to 321ignitionmag.com for the latest news.
- Stefan Bartholomaeus
© 321 IGNITION Pty Ltd 2008
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