OWN CORRESPONDENT, Dakar | Thursday 8.00pm.
LAST year’s Paris-Dakar motorcycle winner Richard Sainct laid down the gauntlet right from the start of this year’s even on Thursday as he won the 588km first special from Dakar to Tambacounda on his BMW.
The Frenchman, who finished 40 seconds ahead of Spaniard Juan Roma and 2min 09sec of another KTM riding Spaniard Jordi Arcarons, rode a great stage considering he was suffering from a heavy cold and confessed afterwards that he was happy to have secured pole starting position for Friday’s stage.
“I think the main reason I won the special was because I didn’t get lost once. I’m delighted to be starting first tomorrow because it risks to be very dusty,” he said.
Less happy with his day was last year’s third-placed finisher Alfie Cox.
Going well, the South African fell in long grass, broke his starter button and lost ten minutes kick starting his bike. He eventually finished 11th, 11:24 behind the leader.
Portuguese driver Carlos Sousa, in the T3 Mitsubishi pick up, took the honours in the car section despite his co-driver, Luz Joao Manuel, never having set foot in Africa before.
Sousa won on his first ever African works drive, ahead of the more established stars of his Mitsubishi team.
“I’m really delighted with the result. Sousa won everything last year in the Portuguese championships, including the Portuguese Baja, but it is still a remarkable result,” commented Mitsubishi boss, Ulrich Brehmer.
The first non-Mitsubishi car home was last year’s winner, Jean Louis Schlesser, in the company of his new co-driver Henri Magne in sixth place.
Friday’s second stage is the 359km ride, which includes 212km of special stage, to Kayes in Mali. — AFP
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