Owner: Valeo & Luc Alphand partners URL:http://blog.valeo-motor-sports.com/dakar/index.php/en/ Join Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2007 04:27:11 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Follow day after day with Valeo the projection of Luc Alphand and his fellow-members on Dakar : Interviews, Videos, News
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A little story concerning our return from Dakar ! 2007-01-25 09:23:11
A couple of adventures have kept me from connecting to Internet therefore I am sorry for the black out!!
After a nice evening at the Meriden hotel in Dakar where the team, sponsors, and friends had a nice dinner at the pool side celebrating the double victory, the Mitsubishi Motors team returned the next day to the Lac Rose for a co-drive. Luc Alphand, Stéphane Peterhansel, and Nani Roma were present for this event. The guests were able to sit in the navigator’s seat and drive with our 3 crew members! Over 65 co-drives took place that morning and both guests and drivers had smiles up to their ears!!
At the end of the evening, we all had to be at the airport to check in for our flight back to Lyon foreseen to depart at 00h45 the 23rd! Once all the formalities done, we all waited for the boarding.
Most people were very tired, either form 15 long days of rallying and/or from the partying the night before!! Everyone was impatient to settle in on the plane for the 6 hours of f Read more:little
, story
2007 Dakar : 7th successive victory for Mitsubishi... Double podium with Peterhansel & Alphand 2007-01-21 10:24:35
Team Repsol Mitsubishi
Ralliart rewrote the history books by claiming a seventh successive victory in the punishing 2007 Dakar Rally after the final 16km special stage, near Dakar, in Sénégal on Sunday.
The success was a record-breaking 12th win in the team’s 25-year history of competing in the world’s toughest and most famous off-road rally. The French crew of Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret won the event for the third time in four years in their Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero Evolution and beat their team mates and defending champions Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard by a margin of just seven minutes 26 seconds, after 15 days of bruising competition across Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Sénégal.
“I was very nervous on the last big African special stage yesterday and I just drove very slowly on the beach this morning,” said Peterhansel. “It was not necessary to do the show for the crowd and the television on the last stage. When I won my first motorcy Read more:podium
Dakar 2007 : Special 14 results…Mitsubishi maintains their first two places of the general classification ! 2007-01-20 08:23:14
The special from Tambacouda to Dakar has just finished for the 4 Repsol Mitsubishi
Ralliart crews. The provisional leaders are Peterhansel – Cottret and Alphand – Picard, who both respected last night’s team instructions: To arrive in Dakar without trying to win the stage. The victory in cross country comes from driving a stable race.
Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard obtain the 7th best time of this second last stage, at 4m22s from the winner of the day, Carlos Sainz. They were followed by Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret at 3m59s behind them in 11th position.
The crews Nani Roma – Lucas Cruz and Hiroshi Masuoka – Pascal Maimon are still keeping their places of guardian angels and arrive 13th and 18th.
The first times of the special have just come in. Satisfied and proud of his team, Dominique Serieys accepts to be interviewed by RMC Info: “Our cars are leading and they have finished the special as we foresaw…Without winning it! Taking into account t Read more:Special
, results
Major players who are on the backstage of the rallies: The technical team! 2007-01-20 08:21:37
During a short pause while waiting for the race cars to arrive, I sat down at the foot of truck to interview the team mechanics.
They laugh and joke around. A real bond has been formed. Never any shouting as the guys appreciate and respect each other. They are shy and do not dare answer my questions. They keep saying that the guy beside them will answer instead of them.
I don’t know all of their « real » first names as they all have nicknames. They find a new name for everyone and say that it’s their way of being friendly.
The public is not really aware of the mechanics. We usually know the car, the driver, a little less the navigator but we don’t hear about the mechanics, engineers, motorists, etc! It’s funny because without them, the team couldn’t race!!
Each person has a precise function. On the Mitsubishi Motors team, they attribute per car; 2 mechanics, 1 electrician, 1 stock keeper, and one body worker.
There are groups which have been formed for a Read more:Major
, backstage
2007 Dakar - Stage 14 : At PC1, Luc Alphand took back 3’45 to rally leader and teammate Stéphane Peterhansel 2007-01-20 06:14:15 As the first 5 cars passed CP1 (km 114), Portuguese Carlos Sousa was provisionally timed in the lead of the day’s special stage, 40" ahead of his teammate
American Mark miller and 1’12 ahead of his Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz. It is to be noted that Frenchman Luc Alphand, 2nd in the overall rankings, took back 3’45 to rally leader and teammate Stéphane Peterhansel during the first part of the stage. Read more:Stage
Dakar 2007 - Stage 13 : Mitsubishi maintains the lead in the general ranking… We will meet tomorrow in Dakar ! 2007-01-19 11:28:03
Dakar is approaching at full speed and the Mitsubishi
team is starting to breathe a little more every day.
Today’s special has brought the competitors from Kayes to Tambacouda in Senegal. After 260 km of racing, the drivers of the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team obtain 2nd, 6th, 8th, and 15th stage classification.
Peterhansel and Roma confirm their 1st and 2nd position of the general classification. Masuoka and Roma stabilize at 6th and 13th position.
« It was a very fast and sinuous track today » comments Stéphane. “I tried to keep up a good rhythm but it wasn’t easy. I didn’t see anyone on the track except for the crossing of one village. The navigation was easy but we’re not finished yet. Last year, I lost the race in no time. I’m just happy to have finished this stage. Tomorrow, we will drive a shorter distance but we must watch out for the trees and roots. The only instructions we have received is to maintain 1st and 2nd place.”
« Today we just Read more:Stage
, tomorrow
Fabulous MMSP invention : A shower :-) 2007-01-19 06:31:41
I have been asked how were are able to take showers in the middle of the desert... So, I took a couple of pictures of the fabulous MMSP invention.
Firstly I would like to thank Pascal for being my model. I know that usually showers are not taken fully dressed but please understand that I have a reputation to uphold when travelling with 62 guys !! :-))
A tank which holds 600 litres of water is installed at the rear of the logistics truck. A hose with a tap is linked to the tank to create this miraculous shower and a curtain has been set up around metal piping for privacy!
Showers must be taken very quickly as the quantity of water per person is small considering the number of people on the team. The biggest difficulty remains finding water to fill up the tank.
Generally, it is used by the crew and other team members who have no other way to wash.
A chat with Luc Alphand from the Kayes bivouac 2007-01-19 06:22:03
«Yesterday, during the Néma - Kayes special, we had a good scare! At km 20, a camel came out from behind a tree onto the track. We were driving at around 130 km / hour and I put all my weight on the brakes! It’s impossible to stop quickly and I was sure we would hit him. Thankfully, the camel ran at the last moment. For a couple of seconds we were both in a bad situation!!
For the rest, all is going well. I know everyone wants to know what race instructions have been given… But… the only instructions are to remain professional and responsible. Our victory would be that Mitsubishi wins and then we can dedicate this race to Henri Magne!
Meeting point at the Lac Rose to find out the final general ranking, hoping that the « Reds » win ! Friendly regards,»
Lucho
Patrice Morel interview's : Massaging the needs of the drivers... 2007-01-18 09:52:18
"The days are always very long on the Dakar for me. I have two jobs. I drive one of the assistance vehicles, along with David Serieys (Logistics Manager), Pascal Millet and Phillipe Tomas between each of the race bivouacs. This, in itself, is very tiring. "But then my proper job really starts. My massage table is always with me in the car. One-by-one each of the drivers and co-drivers visit my tent and I carry out a full body massage. I use stretching techniques and work on their lower back muscles and their arms. Driving long distances on a special stage can be very hard on the body and I like to think that our drivers start each new day, refreshed and in good physical condition. Sometimes I would really like a massage myself! "We have not had any real problems on the Dakar Rally so far. Sometimes we have some lower back and neck problems to work on, but everything is fine. "Before the race started I spoke to the medical team from the ASO and they also recommended the malaria table Read more:interview
Stage 12 - Results : Alphand 3rd, Roma 5th, Peterhansel 6th and Masuoka 19th... 2007-01-18 09:39:50
The stage 12 special of the 29th Dakar has just ended. The competitors will drive 117 km of liaison to now arrive at the bivouac at Kayes in Mali.
The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team has brought the 4 Pajero/Montero to the finish and have been classified in 5rd, 5th, 6th, and 19th position for Alphand, Roma, Peterhansel and Masuoka. The leader of the day is Carlos Sainz.
Luc Alphand reduces the time difference with his team mate Stéphane Peterhansel who is the provisional leader of the general ranking. For the moment, the Alphand and Picard are second in the general ranking at only 6m29 s behind Peterhansel and Cottret.
All the journalists are waiting to know the strategy that Dominique Serieys, the Sports Director, will be giving to the team tonight. Peterhansel or Alphand ? That is the question ? Do you know that they both have the same birthdate (August 6th, 1965)??!!
The suspense is on...!! What do you thing about that ? Read more:Stage
WHAT IS A PARC FERME ? 2008-01-03 13:33:49 After the technical scrutineering of the vehicles by the organizer of the rally, the racing vehicles (cars, motorcycles, ATV, and trucks) must go directly to a parking zone which has been defined. This parking zone is not only closed to the public but also closed to the teams. This zone is...
26 YEARS OF SHARED PASSION BETWEEN MITSUBISHI & THE DAKAR 2008-01-03 13:29:59 Incredible! The Japanese car manufacturer, Mitsubishi, will be participating for the 26th time on the Dakar Rally! I must find out if there are other manufacturers with the same history in another discipline. Do you have any information?
The fact that Mitsubishi has won the race twelve times...
3 DAYS OF TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SCRUTINEERING 2008-01-03 13:20:35 Watch out! We do not require three days to go through the technical and administrative scrutineering. This is the time it takes for the organization to do the verifications for all of the competitors, assistance, journalists, etc…
Everything is perfectly synchronized! A huge press room for...
A WARM WELCOME FROM THE 30TH EDITION OF THE LISBON - DAKAR 2008-01-03 13:17:15 One year has gone by and I’m now back with the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team in order to give you live news from the Dakar Rally. Welcome back to last year’s web surfers and a hearty welcome to the people connecting for the first time.
The crew members of the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart...
APRIL 20TH-26th, 2008: WELCOME TO THE CENTRAL EUROPE RALLY! 2008-04-18 03:16:35 After the cancellation of the 2008 Dakar, the organizers of this event decided to create a new rally for the competitors this year.
They officially launched the 2008 Dakar Series with the first event being held in Hungary and Romania from April 20th until the 26th. This new event being called...
ASO Press Conference at the Budapest Hilton hotel 2008-04-18 10:14:12 The opening of the Central Europe Rally was announced during the ASO press conference organized at the BudapestHilton
hotel on Friday April 18th.
Journalists, partners, competitors, and their team mates came to received the first details of the race.... Read more:Press
Paparazzi Luc! 2008-04-18 09:19:59 While Vincent and Nicolas pose beside a pretty blond invited by Euromaster, Luc organizes the scene as if he was a professional paparazzi!...
Welcome to Marc Roma ! 2008-04-18 06:04:47 The Central Europe Rally is staring on a good pace for Nani Roma as his son was born prematurely on April 18th!
The mother and son are doing well therefore congratulations to the whole family!
Little Marc wished to follow his Dad for the first race of the season!... Read more:Welcome
Mitsubishi Hungary Visit 2008-04-18 04:09:09 Mitsubishi Motors Hungary
proudly welcomes the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team to their headquarters in Budapest.
The team appreciates the help of the local importers who heartily let the team use their facilities as base camp before the race begins.... Read more:Mitsubishi
The diesel stirs up interest 2008-04-19 10:28:14 The technical and administrative scrutineering was passed with success by the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team.
The Mitsubishi Pajero Evolution Diesel driven by Horoshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon was a hit, and we must say that everyone was waiting for this car.
The diesel
engine is new and...
Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Family Photo 2008-04-19 06:22:46 As the four cars are racing in the Central Europe Rally, the marketing department of Mitsubishi
Motors took the opportunity to have a team picture taken at the Mitsubishi Motors Hungary workshop.
You won't believe it but it took over a hour yo line up the cars and the personnel!
Everything... Read more:Repsol
, Family
, Photo
Coffee break snail racing 2008-04-19 03:25:11 Since April 17th, the technical assistance of the Repsol Mitsubishi Motors team are based at the Mitsubishi Motors Hungary workshop.
The workdays are long as often they start at 08HOO and finish earliest at 22h00. During the acual race, the working time can be a lot longer.
Today it was... Read more:Coffee
, snail
A little afternoon snooze ! 2008-04-21 08:17:03 As explained in a previous subject, the technicians worked much of the night up until early morning.
After the finish of the timed special number 2 today from Baia Mare back to Baia Mare, Romania, the crews brought in their racing cars to the assistance park for technical verifications by the... Read more:little
Action: Hiroshi Masuoka and Pascal Maimon changing their tire. 2008-04-21 03:40:24 Masuoka et Maimon - changement de roue Vidéo envoyée par Sandy_Dakar
Driving and navigation are not the unique talents in order to succeed in cross country driving...the crews must also be reactive and efficient when problems come up.
Therefore regularly the crews are on training... Read more:Action
, Pascal
Perfect Logistics... 2008-04-20 10:20:32 Once the race started, we travelled 70km to reach the assistance park organized by ASO, which was also the arrival line of the 1st special stage.
I'm still amazed at the quality of the team logistics. Nothing is left to chance and everyone seems to know what to do! The mechanics, engineers,... Read more:Perfect
First Special Stage of the Central Europe Rally is Finished 2008-04-20 07:30:28 After two days of promotion and technical verifications, the CentralEuropeRally
left the center of Budapest today, where many spectators were out for the event.
We were surprised yet more that satisfied to see that the Hungarians welcomed our rallying.
The automobile competitors were at... Read more:First
, Special
, Stage
Toto's Fishing Lessons 2008-04-20 04:28:33 Toto, who manages the food and stocks of the Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team gave us fishing lessons in the assistance park while waiting for the cars to arrive.
Event the team president, Mr. Nakayama, tried his hand.
It's unfortunate however we will not be eating grilled fish tonight !... Read more:Fishing
, Lessons
A wonderful crowd of spectators... 2008-04-23 10:35:16 The competitors of the Central Europe Rally arrived in Decebren, Hungary around 19h00 after a 211 km liaison yesterday evening.
I'm very impressed by the number of spectators alongside the road.
We did not even have to use our road book to arrive as we just followed the crowd
...
We arrived...
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