By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com
The fifth stage of the 29th Edition of the Dakar cross-country rally turned into a show of wits between two legends: Dakar and World Rally Championship. Racing for two of the top manufacturers' factory teams, the two racers put on a display as they tackled the 325km special with the first visit by the competitors to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco.
The changes for 2007 were new for the Dakar-experienced riders and drivers. The new route that took them into the mountains started on winding tracks with several rivers crossing at the end on smoother roads and, throughout the journey, stones would play a role in the outcome.
Even from the get-go, Team Repsol's Mitsubishi's Stephane Peterhansel was taking it carefully as the eight-time Dakar legend (six on bikes and two in the car class with navigator Jean-Paul Cottret) knew to finish is what is important versus rushing to make up ground on Carlos Sainz -- a legend and champion in WRC competition -- who also was racing with patience.
"It wasn't exciting today," commented Peterhansel. "We had to drive carefully to avoid punctures. It was the only way to get a good result. I was overtaken by Ari (Vatanen) who was going flat out, so I let him pass, but he paid for it later with a flat tire."
Peterhansel held the fastest time at the first checkpoint, the top Cars were close at CP2. At the end it was Sainz and Michel Perin who ended today with the win in their Volkswagen Race Touareg 2.
"For the moment, everything is fine. It was a good day, but a hard day. Once again, there were plenty of stones. I spent the stage trying to avoid them... It's one day of the race less to complete, but we know there is still much to do," Sainz said. "Now the real Dakar starts. Perhaps my lack of experience in the dunes will come into play.."
The Pajero MPR13 of Peterhansel was only 30 seconds adrift of the Volkswagen Motorsport team. By Dakar standards, that is close. Sainz' finish time was three hours, 36 minutes and 39 seconds. Peterhanzel was clocked at three hours, 37 minutes and nine seconds.
Peterhansel reflected to today's run and past Dakar competitions: "Carlos (Sainz) didn't get a puncture by driving safely and he won. It was a bit frustrating with all these stones. I'm happy to have finished with Morocco. Each year I come a cropper here. Tomorrow shouldn't be too difficult. I don't think there will be any big gaps. All the first part of the stage is very quick. I remember the time when I used to ride a twin-cylinder Yamaha, I loved it there."
Today's top five in the Car category was all factory teams. Ginel De Villiers for the Volkswagen team was one minute and 41 seconds off his teammate's pace.
Peterhansel's two team cars were both over four minutes behind his time. The defending Car title holder Luc Alphand edged out Nani Roma for fourth.
The Bike challenge was not nearly so close and the KTM riders swept the top five. Gauloises' Isidre Esteve Pujol was the fastest on his 690 with a time of three hours, 56 minutes and 22 seconds.
"I'm happy, I set a good pace. The stage was very technical at the start, then quick afterwards. After 60 kilometres I caught up with Coma. Everything went well and the bike was perfect. We made a few adjustments yesterday with David (Casteu) and it was all okay throughout the stage," said Esteve. "Tomorrow will be a decisive stage, like all the route through Mauritania."
The 2006 Dakar winner Marc Coma had his Team Repsol 650 nearly two minutes adrift of Esteve and three minutes ahead of the 2004 winner Cyril Despres on his Gauloises 690.
"It was a hard stage with a fair bit of mountain riding. It required a lot of physical effort. After that, there were the stones under tires worn by two days of racing -- you had to be careful," explained the Bike leader Coma about today's special. "Today I kept at a normal pace. I opened proceedings for this stage without taking risks and I carried on leading even when Isidre (Esteve) caught up. Our aim was to arrive in Mauritania without having any problems. Tomorrow, it's a different Dakar rally which starts, a hard and decisive race."
Nearly six minutes off the pace of Despres was Team Repsol's Jordi Villadoms on his 690 to notch fourth. Racing his 660 for the Red Bull KTM USA team, Cris Blais rounded out the top five, over 14 minutes off of the Esteve's time.
The Truck division has now become wide open for those who search for the victory, as the top Russian Kamaz-Master team has had to withdraw after a dismal day.
Five-time Dakar winner Vladimir Tchaguine was the odds-on favorite to repeat the 2006 victory. Yesterday, they had a super run, but today was a different story which is typical of the world's most demanding, challenging and dangerous event.
The first problem appeared for Tchaguine, Semen Yakubov and Serguey Savostin in the heavy Truck special, altered from the one the Car and Bike fields ran, came near CP3. The diesel intake problem delayed the team, losing over 21 minutes to the Exact-MAN of Hans Stacey. Disaster struck when at the 292km mark, the Kamaz was on its side. The No. 500 Kamaz 4911 has withdrawn from this year's Dakar, no one was seriously injured in the tip-over.
Stacey sailed to the overall lead with today's stage victory in the MAN TGA. Gerard De Rooy was four minutes behind in his De Rooy 2007 Ginaf. The two Dutchmen hold the top two overall slots with De Rooy just over 34 minutes adrift of Stacey.
"It was a difficult stage, with a lot of stones and plenty of dust too. I spent a long time behind Chagin, driving normally without going flat out," Stacey said. "Now, it's great to have taken over as leader, but I especially don't want to get carried away. In fact, I would have preferred to stay in the position of pursuer, because know I've got to deal with all the pressure of being first. I preferred when the pressure was on Chagin. In spite of all that, I'm sure that the rest of the rally will be exciting, a really good race."
Tomorrow is the day they call "the wall", those with Dakar experience know that the route from Morocco to Mauritania as they head from Tan Tan, the coastal city, to Zouerat. It is the longest day.
The competitors will start the sixth stage with a 414km liaison before taking on the real challege: A 394km special that will see them race across gravel roads heading into vegetation before they cross the sand dunes in the heart of the Sahara. They end the trek with a short 9km liaison for a total of 817km by day's end.
