The festive podium ceremony at the Plaza La Republica created a grand six-hour show, totally unique in the history of the Dakar. Crowds of passionate Agentinians made a colossal backup for the entire starting field.
Reports from i nside the race truck with Loprais Tatra Team: (January 3, 2009) Nothing in the history of the motor event compares to what happened on January 2. Crowds of spectators joined all the way from parc ferme to the podium and back at an estimated number of over 500,000. Perhaps only the passing of Barcelona in 1987 can be compared.
"Inredible crowds," navigator Vojta Stajf remembers,"I admit there were people all over la Republica but they almost did not let us leave even the parc ferme! And all the streets were closed for traffic. People were really passionate, one of them stepped right in front of our Tatra and the other one was taking picture of him. None of these guys thought of whether Ales would manage to stop. In my previous engagement within WRC I did not have a chance to attend Rally Argentina, the more surprised I am now. These people love motor racing. In the cab we took that wish we would like to have this ceremony once again, on January 18."
Ales' Tatra passed the podium (trucks did not go on he podium for being too heavy) right after the MAN of Hans Stacey and the Kamaz of Vadimir Chagin. The same order will be kept into the first special to Santa Rosa.
