Motorsport News!
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ba ba ba dum! toooo bad.Originally posted by Kuali Baba:The Flying Scot crashed out on Stage 6. -
a volkswagen(saby) is now the overall leaderOriginally posted by HENG@:sorry mate. last i checked, its a mitsu 1-2.
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I think it will be between Peterhansel and Alphand. One of those two will win the rally
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For the longest special of the rally, the competitor’s menu offers many novelties. With a mix between navigation difficulties, camel grass and numerous dunes, the bikers and drivers will have to be patient to avoid all kind of mistakes. Added to that, all vehicles will be entered in a ‘parc fermé’ where no assistance is authorised. The real ‘marathon’ stages are back on the Dakar…
A specialist of this type of exercise, yesterday’s winners, Fabrizio Meoni in the bike race and Stéphane Peterhansel on four wheels, should be serious contenders for victory on a course where experience will pay. -
Think Peter has a good chance. oh yeah according to the checkpoint timings, he's leading. Now im waiting for the overall standings to be uploaded. I think they are following GMT time, which is my time here.
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after the longest day of the Paris Dakar, the "survivors" have made it into parc farme. there were many crashes, esp ppl flipping over.
newsflashes here:
18:35 Bikes – Frétigné wins special
With 9 bikers on the finish line of stage 7 between Zouerat and Tichit, David Frétigné (YAM) has clocked the fastest time of the day in 9h16'26". The Frenchman beats Marc Coma (KTM) by 3'31. Third is Despres at 5'22 while Gauloises team mate Alfie Cox is at 7'25" and Andy Caldecott at 7'35. Marc Coma takes the overall leadership with a 16" advance on Despres.
17:54 Trucks – Kabirov leads at CP2
At the second check point of the truck special (km 397), Firdaus Kabirov (KAM) had the best time so far. Second is Gerard De Rooy (DAF) at 16'13", ahead of De Azevedo (TAT) at 24'42".
16:55 Trucks – De Rooy back in the special
After suffering mechanical problems on the front of the DAF truck, due to a dune jump, Jan De Rooy was finally able to carry on the special after repairing.
16:54 Cars – Saby way behind at CP2
Volkswagen driver Bruno Saby eventually made it to check point 2 of the special (km 397) with 39'29" time deficit on the special leader Peterhansel. In The new virtual overall, Peter takes command with a 32' advantage on Saby.
16:40 Trucks – Tchaguine in trouble
At km 300 of the truck special, overall leader Vladimir Tchaguine (KAM – n°515) was stopped with serious mechanical worries.
16:07 Cars – Peter flying to special victory
At the second check point of the car special (km 397), Stephane Peterhansel (MIT –n°306) has the fastest time so far and is heading to a probable stage win. Second is Jutta Kleinschmidt (VW) is 8'17" adrift while Nasser Al Attiyah (BMW) is at 11'36". Fourth is Alphand (MIT) over 20' behind and Masuoka at over 27'.
15:47 Cars- Schlesser still stopped
Suffering mechanical problems on the rear left wheel of his buggy, Jean-Louis Schlesser has decided to await his assistance car for possible repairs rather than heading to a tricky dune portion.
15:28 Bikes – leading 5 at km 500
The first five bikers to have started the special are still riding together (Despres, Cox, Meoni, Coma, Ullevalseter) with Despres and Meoni leading the group most of the time. Behind is a group including virtual special leader Walch.
14:40 Cars – Schlesser on the phone
At km 243, Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser (SCH) was seen stopped, et the Gallaouyia Fort. The two-time Dakar winer was outside of his buggyÂ…. On the phone!
14:23 Cars – Peter fastest at CP1
At the first check point of the car special, Stephane Peterhansel (MIT – n°306) has the best time. Second is Jutta Kleinschmidt (VW – n°310) at only 37".The others are far behind with Al Attiyah (BMW), third, at 4'19" followed by Saby (VW)at 10'24", Alphand (MIT) at 14'52" and Masuoka (MIT) at 19'24".
14:14 Bikes – Walch still ahead
USA's Kellon Walch (KTM – n°21) is still the fastest biker of the special so far. At CP2 (km 397), the KTM rider had 3'12" lead on Sala (KTM – n°14) and 5'30" on Coma (KTM – n°6). Fourth was Frétigné (YAM – n°12) at 6'52", followed by Despres (KTM – n°2) at 7'19".
13:58 Cars – Schlesser stopped
Frenchman Jean-Louis Schlesser (SCH – n°300) stopped his two-wheel drive buggy at km 185. Both the driver and co-driver went to check the rear left wheel without however repairing anything. They lost around 4 minutes.
13:57 Cars – race incidents
Before the first CP of the day (km 256) quite a few incidents occurred in the car special :
-Alphand (MIT – n°312) was stuck in the sand for a few minutes.
-Masuoka (MIT – n°309) damaged the front of his Pajero Evo, under his front left light.
-Saby (VW – n°307) also damaged the front of his Race Touareg.
13:36 Cars – Shinozuka crashes
At km 120 of the day's special, Japan's Kenjiro Shinozuka (NIS – n°319) crashed his Nissan Dessoude car. The vehicle flipped. Both the driver and co-driver are OK.
13:36 Bikes – Walch fastest at CP1
At check point 1 (km256), USA's Kellon Walch (KTM – n°21) had the best time of the bike race. The US rider has a 51" lead on Coma (KTM – n°6) and 2'46" on Despres (KTM – n°2).
12:51 NIGHT WATCH
Mechanical worries, late arrivals, injuries, bad luck and withdrawalsÂ… All you need to know about what happened on the bivouac during the night.
22h50 – Vatanen at last
The press had almost forgot about good old Ari when the Finn finally made it to the bivouac late in the evening. After breaking his transmission box at kilometre 150 of the special, Vatanen spent a good part of his day waiting first of all for his assistance vehicle and then for the reparations on his Nissan Pickup. When finally arriving in Zouerat, the multiple Dakar winner remained calm and composed. “We lost seven hours but everything is OK. The moral is still all right, there are far worst things in life. Maybe we didn’t do enough testing on the car. Anyhow now I’ll do my best to make arrive in Dakar and that’s the most important...
23h00 – Happy birthday Tchaguine
Thankfully, Vladimir Tchaguine doesnÂ’t celebrate in the same fashion every time he wins a stage on the Dakar. But the day was special. Not only had the Russian claimed his 32nd ever Dakar special but it was also his Â… birthday. A perfect opportunity to drink champagne and eat caviar in the Kamaz family. A party without the two members of the team that suffered a serious crash last night and were taken to the Layoune hospital for further examination and care. Anyhow, the celebration remained quiet with the difficult upcoming stage to prepare and the long days to come. One can expect a big fiesta if Tchaguine claims a fifth win in Dakar.
23h30 – Gordon’s long day
Robby Gordon knew what he was coming for on the Dakar. Was he really expecting such a bad day? After his crash (and flip) just before CP2 (km 300), the American eventually made it to the finish of the stage pushed by an assistance truck. Not really the most triumphant of ways to enter the bivouac. The Volkswagen crew remained stranded in the desert awaiting for assistance and eventually saw help come at 17h00 to try and repair the seriously damaged rear part (breaks…) before being pulled through CP2 and most of the special. Once on the bivouac the whole VW team started deconstructing the Race Touareg and change the necessary parts so that Gordon could carry on his Dakar adventure. “It’s a real shame because I think I could have done something good here on this rally. But I’m here to learn.
0h30 – Work for DAF
After a very very long night indeed, spent working on Gerard De Rooy’s truck (damaged after a crash during stage 5), it was this time father Jan De Rooy’s vehicle that needed a special ‘treatment’. Indeed the elder of the De Rooy family suffered turbo problems on the special.
0h50 – Sad atmosphere at Nissan…
With the retirement of Colin McRae and the difficult day of Ari Vatanen, the Nissan clan was feeling rather devastated after the dayÂ’s stage 6. Giniel De Villiers only needed a change of wind screen while the mechanics were still working on VatanenÂ’s car.
1h10 - Â…busy at Mitsubishi
No serious worry hit the Mitsubishi team. The title holders went through an excellent day with the performances of Stephane Peterhansel and Hiroshi Masuoka. But to keep up their Dakar rhythm, the mechanics checked and re-checked all the vehicles, especially for the upcoming marathon stage. “Tomorrow, we won’t be allowed to give a helping hand so we need the cars to be very reliable and work perfectly well for two days”, explained one of the Mitsu mechanics...
3h00 – Time for a count
190 bikes made it to the bivouac of Zouerat, as well as 143 cars and 60 trucks. -
Peterhansel is overall leader. Saby damaged his VW, Jean-Louis Schlesser has stopped n is awaiting repairs and Shinozuka flipped his nissan.
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feature:
Chinese Driver Guangyuan MEN - RALLIART - 373
Nationality: CHI
Born in: 23/09/1980
VEHICLE
Type Make Group Class
PAJERO V60 MITSUBISHI SUPER PRODUCTION SUPER PRODUCTION 2 ROUES MOTRICES
CHECKPOINTS
Stage 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Standings 36 - 30 54 45 90 - - - - - - - - - -
Co-driver:
Serge Henninot
Serge Henninot : "the same pleasure as learning something to my own child"
"I'm sort of a driving teacher, but specialized in off-road rally". With 12 participations in the organisation or communication staff, and 4 as driver or co-driver in the race, Serge Henninot, 37 years of age, is already an old timer on the Dakar Rally. This rich experience incited Mitsubishi to sign him last year to coach a chinese driver on the Dakar tracks. All of that for one goal: to detect, then train the next Mitsubishi top driver, who will succeed to Masuoka in the next five years.
"China has an extraordinary commercial potential, It's the future biggest market in the world and it's very important for constructors to be there in time. So to win the fight between brands on this exciting market, Mitsubishi, as well as Nissan, decided to bring a Chinese driver to the leading positions of the Dakar Rally. And Mitsubishi hired me to take care of that, which is a great opportunity for me who loves this event more than anything in the world. " The first attempt last year was with Luo Ding. But he wasn't good enough, eventhoigh they finished the Rally in 47th position of the overall standings. So this year, Serge Henninot has a new driver, the young Guan Yuang Men, 24 years old, but already very good behind the steering wheel. Now, the job of the Frenchman is to teach him all the specificities of the rally. "At the beginning, the most important thing is to make him understand he has to drive keeping the car, the terrain and his brain in harmony. He has to take the time to understand the world around him on a rally. Then we will take care of the real technic, how to drive safely but quickly in the dunes. This experience is a real pleasure for me, because it's a marvellous feeling to share your own experience. It's like looking at your own child growing up. That's fantastic, really! In fact, I like this youngster like a father and my dream will be to bring him to the highest level of rally raid racing and then becoming his racing assistance".
But before this date, the lessons continued with a flip during the 6th stage. "There was a biker on the first big dune of the day, and Guan didn't want to disturb him so he went a little too fast and the car jumped off the top of the dune. We hit the front of the car, then bumped before landing on the roof. I'm sure it would have been possible to take a picture of the car vertically in the air! " An accident without big consequences, despite the fact they had to carry on without their front screen. -
SCHUMACHER DONATES $10 MILLION
Last Updated: Wednesday, 05, January, 2005, 16:14
Michael Schumacher has donated $10 million to the victims of the South Asian tsunami.
The world championÂ’s massive pledge was announced by manager Willi Weber on a German charity telethon on Tuesday.
Schumacher’s generous donation, which equates to around £5.3m, is by far the biggest to be made by a sports star or team.
The German's Ferrari team boss Jean Todt and designer Rory Byrne were both in South Asia when the tsunami struck but both were fortunate to emerge unscathed.
Sauber announced on Tuesday that they had decided to call off their Kuala Lumpur car launch as a mark of respect to victims of the disaster.
Apparently the Tsunami disaster has personally touched the great man himself.
One of Michael Schumacher's bodyguards was killed in the South Asian tsunami disaster, his publicist has confirmed.
Sabine Kehm said that Burkhard Cramer had died while holdaying in Phuket, Thailand. His two young sons are also thought to have been killed.
Schumacher donated more than £5 million to the relief effort on Monday night.
The world champion has yet to make any public comment on the matter but the gesture has met with widespread approval in his native Germany.
It was front page news in Germany's big-selling tabloid Bild: "Schumi donates 7.5 million euros! Germany's greatest sportsman has a giant heart."
The Berliner Kurier added: "Schumi the great donates 10 million [dollars] for victims. Unparalleled. Biggest private donation ever." -
Wow didn't know Schumi's bodyguard got killed by the Tsunami.
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stage 8 has been cancelled.
btw, does anybody know what happened to Kankkunen???
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lemmie check
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competitors dropping out like flies!
Kankkunen's front wheel is destroyed, Gordon almost ran out of fuel etc...
11:50 Special Tichit – Tidjikja cancelled
Due to the weather condition on the Mauritanian desert since Thursday on the course of the rally, the organisation has decided to modify the race. The bad visibility has forced most of the helicopters to remain grounded.
At 10.00 am today, only 96 bikes, 59 cars and 27 trucks had completed stage 7, and 31 competitors had officially retired from the race.
The race organisation has therefore decided on the following measures :
- Cancel stage 8 between Tichit and Tidjikja.
- The authorized time for stage 7 will be longer.
- The competitors will all head to Tidjikja in liaison.
11:25 Night watch
Mechanical worries, late arrivals, injuries, bad luck and withdrawalsÂ… All you need to know about what happened on the bivouac during the night.
22h35 – Kabirov first
The first truck to make to the finish line in Tichit was Firdaus Kabirov. Like many competitors, the Russian suffered fuel worries but managed to adapt his driving to clinch the special victory. “I knew I didn’t have a lot of fuel left, so I decided to reduce my speed and it worked out. On the last part of the course, I never went over 80km/h and 2000 rpm”.
23h00 – Fuel distribution
Quite a few competitors were stranded close to Tichit with no more fuel left, the organisation therefore decided to send a vehicle with two barrels to help out. David Castera, a former biker, now working for the organisation took off with a local guide to find the way through the Tichit pass, extremely difficult to find and he helped out numerous vehicles including the truck of Gerard De Rooy, stopped 11kms from the bivouac.
0h30 – Magnaldi’s buggy in pieces
Thierry Magnaldi eventually made it to Tichit but his problems were not over yet. All the front part of his buggy was severely damaged in the last part of the stage. With no possibility to repair (this is a marathon stage)!
1h00 – Mayer pulled
The German Mitsubishi driver was also stopped 8 kilometres from the finish line, out of fuel. Andrea Mayer finally carried on pulled by a truck. Indeed, she was thankfully caught by the truck of Giacomo Vismara, who used to take care of her assistance when she was on two wheels.
1h10 – Gordon home
“I only have 1 litre of fuel left… », explained Robby Gordon when hoping out of his Volkswagen Race Touareg. The American was forced to drive very slowly for the whole last art of the stage. Winner of the two specials on the rally, Gordon also gave rather bad news on his team mate Juha Kankkunen: “He is stopped and his front right wheel is completely destroyed after a shock in the camel grass.
6h15 – Just a few
76 bikes have made it to Tichit, as well as 43 cars and 16 trucks! Among the absentees are Schlesser, Vatanen and Tchaguine.
6h20 – Etienne Lavigne troubled
The rally boss spent the whole night centralising the different problems and thinking about the way to sort them out. “The night has been very very long but I also witnessed scenes of bikers so happy to finish that they burst into tears. I have to admit that some also insulted me because of the difficulties they went through. What troubles me now are the competitors injured in the desert like Patrick Martin, for example who has a shoulder fracture and has a medical car looking for him. Three other distress signals have been launched and we are awaiting the first hours of the day to take off and look for them. We hope the weather will be better and that the other helicopters will be able to fly... -
Red Bull Racing have axed bosses Tony Purnell and David Pitchforth and replaced them with Christian Horner.
Red Bull released a short statement on Friday morning confirming the surprise news that Horner had been appointed as sporting director.
The statement added: "Horner will jointly manage Red Bull Racing together with a new technical director, whose appointment will be announced within the next week."
Horner, who was previously the head of the crack Arden F3000 team, takes over his new role immediately.
Earlier, a source close to Purnell and Pitchforth had confirmed their dismissal just two months after Red Bull's takeover of the team.
The anonymous source told Reuters: "It's been done, there's a complete state of shock in the organisation.”
The move comes as a massive shock as both Purnell and Pitchforth were highly regarded in F1 circles.
Team principal Purnell played a key role in FordÂ’s sale of Jaguar to Red Bull, while managing director Pitchforth was credited with keeping the team organised and motivated while negotiations dragged on.
On top of that Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz had emphasised the need for continuity when he bought the team just two months ago.
Horner's takeover of the team boosts LiuzziÂ’s chances of landing a race drive with the team as the pair worked together at Arden.
The 31-year-old Briton had previously been linked with a takeover of the Jordan team. -
WHAT?!Originally posted by Kuali Baba:Red Bull Racing have axed bosses Tony Purnell and David Pitchforth and replaced them with Christian Horner.
Red Bull released a short statement on Friday morning confirming the surprise news that Horner had been appointed as sporting director.
The statement added: "Horner will jointly manage Red Bull Racing together with a new technical director, whose appointment will be announced within the next week."
Horner, who was previously the head of the crack Arden F3000 team, takes over his new role immediately.
Earlier, a source close to Purnell and Pitchforth had confirmed their dismissal just two months after Red Bull's takeover of the team.
The anonymous source told Reuters: "It's been done, there's a complete state of shock in the organisation.”
The move comes as a massive shock as both Purnell and Pitchforth were highly regarded in F1 circles.
Team principal Purnell played a key role in FordÂ’s sale of Jaguar to Red Bull, while managing director Pitchforth was credited with keeping the team organised and motivated while negotiations dragged on.
On top of that Red Bull boss Dietrich Mateschitz had emphasised the need for continuity when he bought the team just two months ago.
Horner's takeover of the team boosts LiuzziÂ’s chances of landing a race drive with the team as the pair worked together at Arden.
The 31-year-old Briton had previously been linked with a takeover of the Jordan team.
Red Bull is MAD! -
Mitsu leading 1-2 on the Paris Dakar again.
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thanks!!Originally posted by HENG@:competitors dropping out like flies!
Kankkunen's front wheel is destroyed, Gordon almost ran out of fuel etc...
11:50 Special Tichit – Tidjikja cancelled
Due to the weather condition on the Mauritanian desert since Thursday on the course of the rally, the organisation has decided to modify the race. The bad visibility has forced most of the helicopters to remain grounded.
At 10.00 am today, only 96 bikes, 59 cars and 27 trucks had completed stage 7, and 31 competitors had officially retired from the race.
The race organisation has therefore decided on the following measures :
- Cancel stage 8 between Tichit and Tidjikja.
- The authorized time for stage 7 will be longer.
- The competitors will all head to Tidjikja in liaison.
11:25 Night watch
Mechanical worries, late arrivals, injuries, bad luck and withdrawalsÂ… All you need to know about what happened on the bivouac during the night.
22h35 – Kabirov first
The first truck to make to the finish line in Tichit was Firdaus Kabirov. Like many competitors, the Russian suffered fuel worries but managed to adapt his driving to clinch the special victory. “I knew I didn’t have a lot of fuel left, so I decided to reduce my speed and it worked out. On the last part of the course, I never went over 80km/h and 2000 rpm”.
23h00 – Fuel distribution
Quite a few competitors were stranded close to Tichit with no more fuel left, the organisation therefore decided to send a vehicle with two barrels to help out. David Castera, a former biker, now working for the organisation took off with a local guide to find the way through the Tichit pass, extremely difficult to find and he helped out numerous vehicles including the truck of Gerard De Rooy, stopped 11kms from the bivouac.
0h30 – Magnaldi’s buggy in pieces
Thierry Magnaldi eventually made it to Tichit but his problems were not over yet. All the front part of his buggy was severely damaged in the last part of the stage. With no possibility to repair (this is a marathon stage)!
1h00 – Mayer pulled
The German Mitsubishi driver was also stopped 8 kilometres from the finish line, out of fuel. Andrea Mayer finally carried on pulled by a truck. Indeed, she was thankfully caught by the truck of Giacomo Vismara, who used to take care of her assistance when she was on two wheels.
1h10 – Gordon home
“I only have 1 litre of fuel left… », explained Robby Gordon when hoping out of his Volkswagen Race Touareg. The American was forced to drive very slowly for the whole last art of the stage. Winner of the two specials on the rally, Gordon also gave rather bad news on his team mate Juha Kankkunen: “He is stopped and his front right wheel is completely destroyed after a shock in the camel grass.
6h15 – Just a few
76 bikes have made it to Tichit, as well as 43 cars and 16 trucks! Among the absentees are Schlesser, Vatanen and Tchaguine.
6h20 – Etienne Lavigne troubled
The rally boss spent the whole night centralising the different problems and thinking about the way to sort them out. “The night has been very very long but I also witnessed scenes of bikers so happy to finish that they burst into tears. I have to admit that some also insulted me because of the difficulties they went through. What troubles me now are the competitors injured in the desert like Patrick Martin, for example who has a shoulder fracture and has a medical car looking for him. Three other distress signals have been launched and we are awaiting the first hours of the day to take off and look for them. We hope the weather will be better and that the other helicopters will be able to fly...
awww damn there goes Juha's chances of victory
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The Toyota TF105 unveiled today; it's the first car Mike Gascoyne designed.
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stale
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nowhere as fancy as last 2 years' Renaults. U can see that from the rear bodywork.Originally posted by Kuali Baba:The Toyota TF105 unveiled today; it's the first car Mike Gascoyne designed. -
DEATH ON THE RALLY: OFFICIAL RELEASE
It is with great sadness that we have been informed of the death of José Manuel PEREZ (biker n°69) after an accident during stage 7 between ZOUERAT and TICHIT on the 6th of January.
Immediately treated by the medical teams of the rally, he was transferred to the Zouerat bivouac and operated in emergency for a serious abdominal trauma by the surgeons on site.
He was then sent to the 'clinique du Cap' in Dakar on the 6th of January and then transferred to Alicante.
José-Manuel died of his serious injuries on this 10th of January 2005 in an Alicante hospital.
He was 41 years of age and was competing in his fourth Dakar.
To his family, his relatives and friends, the entire Dakar organisation wishes to express its sincere and sad condolences. -
So does the entire motorsport fraternity. Requiescat In Pace.Originally posted by EvilDead:DEATH ON THE RALLY: OFFICIAL RELEASE
To his family, his relatives and friends, the entire Dakar organisation wishes to express its sincere and sad condolences. -
condolences. no Dakar rally has ever not claimed a life. The spirits of these brave men and women are truely astounding.Originally posted by EvilDead:DEATH ON THE RALLY: OFFICIAL RELEASE
It is with great sadness that we have been informed of the death of José Manuel PEREZ (biker n°69) after an accident during stage 7 between ZOUERAT and TICHIT on the 6th of January.
Immediately treated by the medical teams of the rally, he was transferred to the Zouerat bivouac and operated in emergency for a serious abdominal trauma by the surgeons on site.
He was then sent to the 'clinique du Cap' in Dakar on the 6th of January and then transferred to Alicante.
José-Manuel died of his serious injuries on this 10th of January 2005 in an Alicante hospital.
He was 41 years of age and was competing in his fourth Dakar.
To his family, his relatives and friends, the entire Dakar organisation wishes to express its sincere and sad condolences. -
16:39 Cars – De Mevius crashes
Forty kilometres after the second check point, Gregoire De Mevius suffered a serious crash in his Nissan Pickup and launched his distress signal. Both the driver and co-driver were shocked but are slowly recovering. -
you forgot about Biasion and Alen who are both competing in the Truck category driving Iveco'sOriginally posted by Kuali Baba:Robby Gordon leads the Paris-Dakar Rally in a VW Touareg after Stage 4. Colin McRae took the lead in the Nissan pick-up yesterday but has slipped back to 10th spot.
Other notable participants include Simon Jean-Joseph (Mercedes), Ari Vatanen (Nissan), former F1 driver Ukyo Katayama (Toyota) and Juha Kankkunen (VW).
The highlights will be on Star Sports (Ch 24) at 1.30pm and 7.30pm on Tuesday.