SANTA ROSA – Japanese manufacturer Mitsubishi’s hopes of an eighth successive Dakar Rally victory were clogged up by Argentine dust on Saturday as the 2009 race got underway.
Qatar’s Nasser Al-Attiyah, driving a BMW, showed off his world rally-raid champion credentials, by taking the opening 733-km stage from Buenos Aires to Santa Rosa with three Volkswagens tucked in behind.
France’s Luc Alphand, the 2006 champion, was the best-placed Mitsubishi driver, coming home in fifth place (at 4:44 min behind the leader) while compatriot, and defending champion Stephane Peterhansel, was sixth (4:54).
Joan Roma was eighth but Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka, the 2002 and 2003 champion, endured a miserable opening day after experiencing engine problems with his Mitsubishi and needed assistance at the midway point.
The 49-year-old eventually finished down in 160th spot for the stage, almost five hours behind Al-Attiyah.
‘This is only the start of the rally. It is disappointing that something happened to Hiroshi, because he was on a good pace. But we are quite happy with the performance of the other cars,’ said team director Dominique Serieys.
Alphand believed the stage had been full of challenges.
‘It is a long, long race and today’s stage was dusty and potentially dangerous. When you cannot see where you go in the dust it is always difficult,’ said Alphand, a former world skiing champion.
‘It was a quick section of the rally. Bravo to Nasser for his win. Now we must concentrate and not put ourselves under too much pressure.’
Peterhansel is bidding for a 10th crown to add to his six on a motorcycle and three in a car.
He won the Dakar in 2007, the last time the gruelling event was staged before it was cancelled in 2008 and then shifted from terror-hit Africa to Argentina and Chile.
‘It’s never easy opening a race and particularly when it’s the Dakar,’ said Peterhansel. ‘My pace wasn’t extraordinary but the car went well. We could have gone quicker but I wanted to be careful because of the dust.’ – Nampa-AFP
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