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MOTORSPORT: MINIs set Dakar pace, Peugeots cautious
Classifications after day one of this year's ultra-marathon rally have a familiar look, with French manufacturer's sights on the tougher stages with its new 2WD challengerThe four-wheel-drive MINI that has dominated the Dakar Rally the past three years was the "hare" again on the first stage this year, while returning French manufacturer Peugeot was happy to be the "tortoise" with its new two-wheel-drive diesel 2008 DKR for starters.
While MINIs finished first and second on the opening stage in Argentina overnight, last year's winner Nani Roma saw his chances of back-to-back victories evaporate quickly when his MINI came to a halt soon after the start in Buenos Aires and he lost four hours.
Geoff Olholm, of Cairns, was the best of the three Australian drivers in the cars category on stage one. He and French navigator Edouard Boulanger finished the 833km day to Villa Carlos Paz – which included a 170km special stage – 23rd in their Overdrive Racing Toyota Hilux.
Czech-born Aussie Peter Jerie in another Overdrive Toyota Hilux – and also with a French co-driver, Laurent Lichtleuchter – was an unofficial 65th.
The third Aussie entry in the event is an Isuzu MU-X driven by West Australian Adrian Di Lallo, partnered by Bruce Garland's long-time co-driver, Harry Suzuki.
"It's going to be very challenging with the [distant] start position we have but we will do our best to make up some road position," Di Lallo said before departing Buenos Aires.
Qatar's Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah claimed the opening stage win in one of the X-Raid-prepared MINIs, covering the special stage in 1 hour 12.5 seconds to be 22 seconds ahead of the similar machine of Argentine driver Orlando Terranova.
Another MINI driven by Poland's Krzysztof Holowczyc was fifth, 76 seconds off the lead.
Spaniard Carlos Sainz and France's "Monsieur Dakar", Stephane Peterhansel, drove the new Peugeots conservatively to eighth and 10th places – 2 minutes 6 seconds and 2:35 slower respectively than the lead MINI.
The Peugeot camp felt the stage did not suit the 2WD 2008 DKR as well as others will.
Cyril Depres, the French motorcycle ace who has switched to four wheels this year as the third Peugeot driver, is already 10 minutes off the pace.
American Robby Gordon, who had horror starts the previous two years, was third in his Hummer on this year's opener, 44 seconds slower than Al-Attiyah, with South African Giniel de Villiers fourth in the first of the Overdrive Toyotas, just another 8 seconds behind.
Overdrive Racing team director Jean-Marc Fortin said there was "nothing to gain from pushing hard on these early stages and making mistakes".
"It's a case of our teams settling in, finding a safe pace and taking no risks," Fortin said.
"It was a gentle stage to get everyone into the rhythm, but we know there are far greater challenges lying ahead over the coming days."
After the overnight stop in Villa Carlos Paz the field heads further west tonight, Australian time, towards San Juan in the Cuyo region of Argentina with a more difficult 518km special stage.
The third day's special stage will be short by Dakar standards, just 284km, but with plenty of rocky sections the tyre puncture count will start to rise and there will be the greater potential for suspension damage.
The Dakar, now in its seventh year in South America after its move from Africa, also features stages in Bolivia and Chile before looping back into Argentina and finishing in Buenos Aires on January 17.
The other three categories are for trucks, quads and bikes, in which four Australians are competing.
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Written byGeoffrey Harris
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