VW Race Touareg 2

Dakar Rally 2009 - Leg 13

Friday, 16th January: La Rioja > Cordoba

• Link section: 161 km
• Special stage: 545 km
• Link section: 47 km
• Total: 753 km

With thousandths of kilometres completed, the penultimate special stage represents a true tour de force. The top drivers will focus on battling it out for the position at the front end of the field while the amateurs should avoid getting carried away. Mistakes can result in bitter souvenirs as this is the cactus day. In the bivouac, the doctors certainly will have to make use of their tweezers. And furthermore, some of the streets of the leg also traditionally represent a part of the World Rally Championship round that is held every year at Cordoba.

The news of the 13th leg, however, quickly stole the limelight from cacti and tweezers: Thanks to Volkswagen, the 2009 Dakar got some slightly weird facets, now. At the end of another shortened leg, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Volkswagen let their rivals win. According to ASO comments, the leading Volkswagen aces Giniel de Villiers and Mark Miller apparently acted on team order with just three kilometres completed and waited for the third Race Touareg, driven by Dieter Depping. And while they waited, the two Race Touaregs were passed by numerous opponents.

”During the final two legs it’s our top priority to make sure that all the three Race Touareg successfully complete the Dakar,” explained Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. “Now, we don’t bother leg wins but want to make sure that we make history by securing the first win of a diesel powered car in the legendary Dakar rally. And now, this success is within our grasp. That means for the final leg: We will virtually carry the cars to the finish line. Today, I have to really praise the drivers and the co-drivers for their great team-work. They perfectly realised our strategy, thus making another contribution on our way to achieving our number-one goal.”

At the end of the leg of one of the weirdest Dakar Rallies of all times, Volkswagen ‘gave’ the win to their opponents, with Mitsubishi benefiting from the Volkswagen strategy. Yesterday evening, the Japanese squad surprisingly succeeded in getting the diesel Lancer of Nani Roma back running and today, Roma gave Mitsubishi their only leg win of the 2009 Dakar. He finished 7:18 minutes ahead of Kristof Holowczyc in the fastest Nissan and Guerlain Chicherit at the wheel of the X-Raid BMW X3CC.

On the overall standings, however, this result made no major impact. South African Giniel de Villiers (VW) still holds the lead, 2.20 minutes ahead of his team-mate Mark Miller (USA) and 1:27.13 hours ahead of Hummer ace Robby Gordon. Following a collision with a big rock, the American struggles with mechanical problems but succeeds in defending his lead in the open category, nevertheless. Nonetheless, he loses his chance of celebrating his first leg win – that is secured by his French team-mate Eric Vigouroux. While Japanese Jun Mitsuhashi (Toyota) prevails in the production category where French Toyota driver Nicolas Gibon (Toyota) holds the overall lead.

Leg 14 »