The World Of Rallies (Car)

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Trucks (T4 "Camions" or "Lorries") include Tatra,LIAZ, Kamaz, Hino, MAN, DAF , PERLINI, Mercedes-Benz Unimog, Renault Kerax, SCANIA, IVECO, GINAF. In the 1980s, a strong rivalry between DAF and Mercedes-Benz led to vehicles which had twin engines and more than 1000 hp (750 kW). Later Tatra, Perlini and Kamaz took the race up.

KTM is the most popular and currently leading motorcycle. At the present, the main competitors in the car class are Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Nissan, and in the motorcycle class are Yamaha and KTM. After 2000, renewed competition started in the truck class between DAF, Tatra, Mercedes-Benz and Kamaz

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Criticism


The race has been subject to criticism from several sources, generally focusing on the race's impact on the inhabitants of the countries through which it passes. The rally was criticised for crossing through the disputed, non-decolonized territory of Western Sahara, without consulting the Polisario Front, which is considered representative of the Sahrawi people. After the race officials began asking for formal permission from the Polisario from 2000 onwards, this has not been an issue.

After the 1988 race, when three Africans were killed in collisions with vehicles involved in the race, PANA, a Dakar-based news agency, wrote that the deaths were "insignificant for the [race's] organizers". The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano called the race a "vulgar display of power and wealth in places where men continue to die from hunger and thirst."

During a 2002 protest at the race's start in Arras, France, a Green Party of France statement described the race as "colonialism that needs to be eradicated".

Some local residents along the race's course have said they see limited benefits from the race; that race participants spend little money on the goods and services local residents can offer. The racers produce substantial amounts of dust along the course, and are blamed for hitting and killing livestock, in addition to occasionally injuring or killing people.

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2007

IT WAS THIRD IN CARS, WITH ISIDRE ESTEVE QUARTER IN MOTOS

Carlos Sainz teaches his letters in the first stage of the Dakar

Carlos Sainz (Volkswagen) began with force the Dakar. The Spanish pilot finished in third position of the category of cars, after his companion Sousa, the first stage of rally, disputed between Lisbon and Portimao. Also the Spanish Nani Rome was seventh. In motos the Portuguese Rubén Faria prevailed and the best Spanish was Isidre Esteve, quarter, with Marc Comma, that defends title, thirteenth.

The stage, with much sand and great amount of public in the opened sections, had a special one of 117 kilometers cronometrados. The only reviewable incident was the fall of Esteve, that in spite of everything carried out sensational a cronometrada one.


Exhibition of Volkswagen

The Portuguese were prophets in their earth. In cars, Sousa imposed its law in a day of net dominion of Volkswagen, that won the five first position. In a land that knows perfectly, it marked a time of 1.20:38, 2:31 less than Of Villiers and 2:38 less than Sainz and Vatanen.

The first Mitsubishi in goal was the piloted one by the Spanish Nani Rome, third of the last edition, that arrived seventh, to 4:53 of the winner. The French Stéphane Peterhansel, teammate of the Spanish, went eighth, to 5:17, whereas the French Light Alphand, defender of the title, went eleventh a 10:51 of the winner.

The cross of the day was for the German Jutta Kleinschmidt, who lost half an hour because of the electrical problems of her BMW.


Comma, thirteenth

In motos, Faria, that the last year already adjudged the second special one, surpassed in 16 seconds to its compatriot and teammate Helder Rodrigues and in four minutes and 47 seconds to the French David Casteu. The French Cyril Despres, second the last year, entered tenth, with an advantage of 16 seconds on which he assumes will be his great rival in the fight by the final triumph, the Marc Spanish Comma. The race, in any case, will begin ' of verdad' in Africa.

The second stage will take the competition of Portimao (Portugal) until Malaga, with a special one cronometrada of 67 kilometers.

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Spain's Sainz wins second stage of Dakar Rally

Spain's Carlos Sainz won the second stage of the Dakar Rally yesterday, ahead of Mitsubishi's Nani Roma and Luc Alphand.

Sainz, driving for Volkswagen, clocked 59 minutes 26 seconds, while Roma and Alphand both timed 59.55 to finish second and third, respectively.

"The important thing was to get through these two stages and now we move on to Africa where the picture changes,'' Sainz said.

Volkswagen driver Carlos Sousa, who won Saturday, retained the overall lead. He finished ninth in the second stage which ran from Portimao, Portugal, to Malaga, Spain, through a mountainous 545 km, with 67 km timed.

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WAS CONTENTMENT TO HAVE INTACT ITS OPTIONS OF VICTORY

Comma: "the three next stages will decide the Dakar"

Marc Comma (KTM) was "to contentment" when maintaining intact its options of victory in the Dakar and aimed at the three next stages in Mauritania like the key to take control of the final triumph. "Now three days in Mauritania come that are going to be very hard, before beginning the race, already I said that these stages will be those that decide the race, and surely it is fulfilled. Soon already they will be left other three stages that also count, and in that navigation will continue being complicated ", it aimed.

Comma did not doubt in emphasizing the "hardness" of a Rally that Sunday will live one more a new stage, eighth, of more than 600 kilometers between Atar and Tichit, nevertheless, also was contentment because the victory options follow intact and at the moment "the objective has been fulfilled ".


"We are where we wanted"

"Perhaps in Morocco more duro of which was a little we thought, and the day to day is passing invoice. I consider that we are well, where we wanted, because important us it was to get To tie with options to win, and have fulfilled this objective which we had noticeable ", indicated.

Comma, winner of the Rally the last year, assures that all march perfectly, but also it recognizes that the Dakar is a one race in which until the last day can pass any thing, for that reason it pleads for the calm and the caution. "It is certain that the things are coming out to us well, but still is left half of the Rally, it lacks to finish off the work, and it is not going to be easy. Until now the only hard blow for us it has been the accident of Viladoms who I hope that one recovers as rapidly as possible ", stressed.


It does not discard any rival

Mark, member of equipment KTM, also made to its satisfaction with the operation as much of his moto as of its equipment clear, to which it got to describe like the best one. "moto is always perfect, and working very well at any moment, we have not had any problem. All the mechanics are working very well, and Jordi Arcarons also. I have always said that like equipment, we are the best one without doubt, more than an equipment we are a group of friends, in whom each one knows very well as it is his work, and the function to carry out at every moment ", added.

The Catalan pilot, who occupies the first seat of the Rally once disputed the seven first stages with more than ten minutes of advantage on also the Spanish Isidre Esteve, did not want, nevertheless, to mention names to the being asked for his maximum rivals. "I never want to discard to anybody, which I am not going to do is to obsess to me watching the classification. The important thing for me is not to commit errors, to continue making the race like until now, and when it is the moment already us we study it well ", it concluded.

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