31ST DAKAR RALLY (January 3rd-January 18th, 2009)
Leg 2: Santa Rosa de la Pampa - Puerto Madryn
Liaison, 0 km; special, 237 km; liaison, 600 km; total, 837 km.
Weather conditions: hot, sunny and windy - 38/39 degrees C
For immediate release
Sunday, January 4th, 2009
MITSUBISHI'S PETERHANSEL MOVES UP TO THIRD PLACE WITH SECOND FASTEST TIME INTO PUERTO
MADRYN
· Roma and Alphand hold fifth and sixth overall after day two
· Hiroshi Masuoka is withdrawn after first stage problems
PUERTO MADRYN (Argentina): Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart swept back into contention
for the overall lead in the 2009 Dakar Rally, after a short, but nonetheless, fast
second special stage between Santa Rosa de la Pampa and the Patagonian coastal resort
of Puerto Madryn in Argentina on Sunday.
Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret (both France) led the way in the first of
three turbo-diesel 'Racing Lancers', the defending Dakar champions posting a stage
time of 1h 57m 28s for the 237km special, which was sufficient for them to clinch the
second fastest time behind stage winner Carlos Sainz and also to catapult them up the
leader board to third overall.
Joan 'Nani' Roma and Lucas Cruz Senra (both Spain) set the fourth fastest time in
their BFGoodrich-shod Racing Lancer to hold fifth in the overall rankings, while the
fifth quickest time was sufficient for Luc Alphand and co-driver Gilles Picard (both
France) to hold sixth position.
Day two was disappointing for Hiroshi Masuoka (Japan) and Pascal Maimon (France) in
the fourth Racing Lancer. They sustained engine pulley problems on the opening stage
and further examination of the engine revealed that the damage sustained to the
Racing Lancer was too much to repair in the time allowed and the car was withdrawn
from the race.
Despite the intense afternoon heat, hundreds of people lined the narrow streets and
promenades of scenic Puerto Madryn on Sunday afternoon to welcome the Dakar caravan
to a bivouac overlooking the Golfo Nuevo.
Tomorrow (Monday) teams leave Puerto Madryn in a westerly direction and cross the
barren Patagonian wastelands to the overnight halt at Jacobacci, situated to the east
of the popular tourist centre and former start of the Por Las Pampas Rally at San
Carlos de Bariloche.
The day's timetable begins with a 70km liaison section before teams tackle a winding
616km special - the longest of the event so far - on classic flowing terrain,
starting at Sierra Chuta and passing the Sierra Negra and Sierra Apas.
The special then winds its way through the Pampa de Talagape towards a second passage
control near El Cain, before an 8km liaison guides teams into the overnight halt at
Jacobacci, 872 metres above sea level.
Live footage of the 2009 Dakar Rally can be seen on Eurosport at the following
times:
Eurosport
19.05 hrs Italiana - 19.30 hrs Italiana
23.00 hrs Italiana - 23.45 hrs Italiana
SS2 CLASSIFICATION
1. Carlos SAINZ (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 1:56:14 (**:**)
2. Stephane PETERHANSEL (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 1:57:28 (+1:14)
3. Giniel DE VILLIERS (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 1:58:10 (+1:56)
4. Joan ROMA (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 1:59:02 (+2:48)
5. Luc ALPHAND (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 2:00:08 (+3:54)
6. Krzysztof HOLOWCZYC (NISSAN NAVARA - T1.1)
- 2:02:00 (+5:46)
7. Mark MILLER (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 2:02:30 (+6:16)
8. Orlando TERRANOVA (BMW X3 CC - T1.2)
- 2:02:34 (+6:20)
9. Nasser AL ATTIYAH (BMW X3 CC - T1.2)
- 2:02:46 (+6:32)
10. Robby GORDON (HUMMER H3 - OP)
- 2:05:38 (+9:24)
OVERALL CLASSIFICATION AFTER LEG 2
1. Carlos SAINZ (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 4:34:46 (**:**)
2. Giniel DE VILLIERS (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 4:37:05 (+2:19)
3. Stephane PETERHANSEL (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 4:38:37 (+3:51)
4. Nasser AL ATTIYAH (BMW X3 CC - T1.2)
- 4:39:01 (+4:15)
5. Joan ROMA (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 4:40:28 (+5:42)
6. Luc ALPHAND (MITSUBISHI RACING LANCER - T1.2)
- 4:41:07 (+6:21)
7. Mark MILLER (VOLKSWAGEN RACE TOUAREG - T1.2)
- 4:43:06 (+8:20)
8. Orlando TERRANOVA (BMW X3 CC - T1.2)
- 4:43:58 (+9:12)
9. Krzysztof HOLOWCZYC (NISSAN NAVARA - T1.1)
- 4:45:59 (+11:13)
10. Robby GORDON (HUMMER H3 - OP)
- 4:56:18 (+21:32)
