Aircooled VW South Africa

An extreme adventure between two oceans

The Dakar 2009 is off to discover a new continent, South America that offers unlimited possibilities to amateurs of wide open spaces. The round trip to Buenos Aires, via Valparaiso is a challenge in which the most enduring competitors will find their way and have the opportunity to distinguish themselves. With close to 6,000 kilometres of specials and difficulties scattered on the whole course, the battle for the title will remain wide open until the finish.

AN ENDURING CHALLENGE

The adventure began back in 1977, when Thierry Sabine got lost on his motorbike in the Libyan desert during the Abidjan-Nice Rally. Saved from the sands in extremis, he returned to France still in thrall to this landscape and promising himself he would share his fascination with as many people as possible. He proceeded to come up with a route starting in Europe, continuing to Algiers and crossing Agadez before eventually finishing at Dakar. The founder coined a motto for his inspiration: "A challenge for those who go. A dream for those who stay behind." Courtesy of his great conviction and that modicum of madness peculiar to all great ideas, the plan quickly became a reality. Since then, the Paris-Dakar, a unique event sparked by the spirit of adventure, open to all riders and carrying a message of friendship between all men, has never failed to challenge, surprise and excite. Over the course of almost thirty years, it has generated innumerable sporting and human stories.

1979 : All together at the Trocadero
Thierry Sabine's gamble took shape on 26 December 1978, as 182 vehicles turned up in the Place du Trocadéro for a 10,000-kilometre journey into the unknown, destination Dakar. The encounter between two worlds sought by the event's founder unfolded on the African continent. Among the 74 trail-blazers who made it to the Senegalese capital, Cyril Neveu, at the handlebars of a Yamaha 500 XT, wrote the opening entry on the honours list of the greatest rally in the world.

1981 : Ordinary adventurers
The Paris-Dakar rapidly won over the public, fascinated by these ordinary adventurers defying the desert with limited resources. Yamahas and Hondas "cobbled together at the back of the garage" rubbed shoulders with Thierry de Montcorgé's Rolls-Royce and the Citroen CX of the F1 driver Jacky Ickx, accompanied by Claude Brasseur. Hubert Auriol, already nicknamed "the African", won his first Dakar.

1983 : Welcome to the Tenere
The first visit to the Tenere desert was as astounding as it was terrifying. The competitors found themselves plunged into an interminable sandstorm which caused no less than 40 drivers to lose their bearings. Those who strayed furthest had to spend as much as four days getting back on course. The legend of the Dakar was underway.

1986 : The black year
Thierry Sabine, French singer Daniel Balavoine, journalist Nathaly Odent, pilot François Xavier-Bagnoud and radio technician Jean-Paul Le Fur all met their deaths in a helicopter accident. Thierry Sabine's ashes were scattered in the desert and his father Gilbert, aided by Patrick Verdoy, took over the helm. The race went on but no one's heart was really in it.

1988 : Peugeot prevails again
Over 600 vehicles started out from Versailles. Peugeot, which had made a successful debut the previous year, set out to defend its title. But Ari Vatanen, having led the rally at Bamako, was at the centre of a shock when his 405 Turbo 16 was stolen and then found too late to continue. The lion brand triumphed nevertheless, courtesy of his compatriot Juha Kankunnen.

1991 : Act One of the "Peter Show"
A young motorcyclist sporting a blue bandana, first seen on the rally three years earlier, rode his Yamaha to victory: the Stéphane Peterhansel era had begun. On four wheels, meanwhile, the Finn Ari Vatanen clocked up his fourth title in the category, a record that still stands today.

1992 : From North to South
For this special edition, a crossing of the African continent, from the north to the southernmost tip, was the task facing the competitors. The Paris - Cape rally comprised 22 stages and passed through 10 countries on a route stretching 12,427 km! Hubert Auriol won with navigator Philippe Monnet to become the first driver to claim victory in both the bike and car categories.

1995 : Viva Espana
For the first time, the start did not take place in France, but at Grenada in Spain. Hubert Auriol became the boss of the Dakar on the ground, where he witnessed another fine performance from Stéphane Peterhansel in recording a third successive victory.

2000 : A blue buggy in Cairo
To mark the new millennium, the Dakar opted for a route with an eternal flavour: the finish was at the foot of the Gizeh Pyramids, where the pharaohs of Ancient Egypt lie. Jean-Louis Schlesser, who remains the only person to win the Dakar on a buggy, retained his title, as did Richard Sainct in the bike category.

2001 : Kleinschmidt, "Miss Dakar"
Jutta Kleinschmidt, first seen in the Dakar thirteen years earlier on a bike, had already become the first female stage winner in 1998 in a Schlesser buggy. This year, she became the first woman to win the overall event, this time at the wheel of a Mitsubishi.

2005 : A blue bike at the summit
The motorcyclist Cyril Despres dedicated his victory to Richard Sainct, who had died a few weeks earlier during the Pharaohs Rally, and to Fabrizio Meoni. His two team-mates at KTM paid for their passion for the desert with their lives, as did Juan-Manuel Perez, the victim of a fatal fall.

2007 : Peterhansel makes it 9
231 bikers, 14 quads,181 teams in cars and 85 trucks lined up at the start in Lisbon. At the finish, the all-terrain action hero Stéphane Peterhansel took his total number of Dakar victories to nine. After six wins on a bike, he proceeded to show similar dominance on four wheels, outdoing not only his team-mate Luc Alphand but also his Volkswagen rivals, Carlos Sainz and Giniel De Villiers.

2008 - Security as a priority
After the murder of four French citizens and three Mauritanian soldiers in the previous days before the start and answering the strong recommendation of the French Ministry for Foreign affairs not to go to Mauritania, the 2008 edition of the rally was cancelled. Terrorist acts identified by the French authorities threatened the rally directly. On the eve of the start, Etienne Lavigne was forced to announce the cancellation of the 2008 edition. The competitors gathered in Lisbon for scrutineering had to deal with the shock and saluted the responsible decision of the organisers. Three weeks later (Friday the 1st of February) a terror attack in the heart of Nouakchott confirmed the judiciousness of applying the precaution principle.

Giniel de Villiers: "We´ve assembled the best package for the 'Dakar'"



With second place in the 2006 Dakar Rally Volkswagen factory driver Giniel de Villiers recorded the best result to date for a diesel powered vehicle. If it is a question of the first diesel victory ever in this cross country classic when the "Dakar” makes its debut in South America (3 to 18 January), then the South African together with his co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz in the Race Touareg equipped with a 280 hp TDI engine once again numbers among the leading candidates. In a short interview the 36-year old from Stellenbosch talks about the forthcoming stresses and strains during the 9,578 kilometre long desert rally through Argentina and Chile, the intensive preparations and also the chances of victory – and about a very special reward waiting at the finish.

The "Dakar” is regarded as the greatest challenge in motorsport, as acid test for man and machine. What do you need to master it victoriously?
Giniel de Villiers: "Three things are important. Firstly: You have to prepare as well as possible and you must not, in anyway whatsoever leave anything to chance. The same goes for the team as well as the material, drivers and co-drivers. The Dakar Rally really is a team game. Another thing is that you must always make the right decision throughout the 15 days of competition. A small mistake and the rally can be over before it really began. Last but by no means least you need Lady Luck on your side so that things develop to your benefit.”

What chances does Volkswagen have of winning the "Dakar”?
"I firmly believe that Volkswagen has a great chance of winning the ‘Dakar’. With the Race Touareg we have a fast, well-developed and very reliable car. I think the driver/co-driver pairs are also perfectly prepared. We have done our homework throughout the year and have assembled the best package.”

What is so special about the Dakar Rally’s premiere in South America?
"It is very difficult to assess beforehand just how the ‘new Dakar’ will really look and what challenges it provides. There are a great many unknowns this year such as, for example, how the terrain is. After all, what you hear is that it will be harder than in the previous years. The stages are long; the temperatures are higher than in Africa and many passages with high sand dunes await us. So, I’m convinced that the organisers have put together a unique rally.”

One of the unknown factors is the extreme heights which must be overcome when crossing the Andes. What is so special about this?
"The factor altitude is really something completely new for every team. We’ll also drive up to 4,700 metres above sea level – it won’t just be the engines that struggle for air. The drivers and co-drivers must also be prepared for these conditions. In view of the tests made with the Race Touareg in the climate chamber I believe that nothing from the technical side has been left to chance. The same can be said for the drivers and co-drivers. We attached a great deal of value to physical fitness, because you only have the concentration required to prevent mistakes if you are in perfect physical condition.”

Preparation for the "Dakar” is concluded. How are you spending the time till you drive over the start ramp in Buenos Aires on 3 January?
"To be quite honest the next few days will be the only time I have to relax after the tough fitness programme. On 28 December I fly from Cape Town to Buenos Aires. We’ll have plenty of opportunity to acclimatise to the time difference there, accompany our rally cars through technical scrutineering and attend our PR obligations.”

You come from one of South Africa’s best wine regions. The rally route also runs through Mendoza from where the best South American wines come from. Will you have the opportunity to enjoy it?
"During the competition certainly not, after the next day is always the toughest. This is especially the case for the stage from Mendoza to Valparaíso on the route which leads across the Andes. However, perhaps I’ll have the opportunity to by a bottle of wine there and take it with me, and when we achieve what we set out to do – which means winning the ‘Dakar’ – we’ll open it at the finish and savour it to the full.”

Nightshift for the co-drivers: Road book is key to success



As the Volkswagen drivers relax and recharge their batteries in the bivouac after one of the Dakar Rally’s 14 stages, their co-drivers already start preparing for the following day. In the so-called road book, which is distributed every evening, a rough route of the next day’s stage is depicted. Before the start in the morning this route plan must be perfected individually. Experience counts very little in this case: During the Dakar Rally’s premiere in South America between 3 and 18 January the conditions are same for every driver and co-driver.

The organiser used an abbreviation and arrow system to mark junctions, distinctive places, bridges and also kilometre information in the road book. "I then mark especially important information such as direction changes and dangerous places with different colours. On top of these come sudden changes to the track which we must add,” says Dirk von Zitzewitz (D) who guides Giniel de Villiers (ZA) through Argentina and Chile in one of the four Volkswagen Race Touareg 2.

The road book is of particular importance in such a high-tech vehicle as the Race Touareg: While a small screen in almost every production car today shows the way, modern map systems are banned in cross country rallying. For this reason, the Volkswagen co-drivers only make their way to the tent or hotel bed when they know that their meticulously prepared written "navigation system” is under their pillow. Michel Périn, co-driver for two-time Rally World Champion Carlos Sainz, knows this only too well: "I can only sleep well if I know that I’ve prepared myself perfectly to one hundred per cent.”

Four Volkswagen, one goal: The first Dakar Rally victory



Volkswagen starts the Dakar Rally premiere in South America with four Race Touareg. Their declared target: The first victory in the desert rally for the Wolfsburg based automobile manufacturer. Volkswagen has the opportunity of gaining a double entry in the cross country rallying history books during the legendary "Dakar” through Argentina and Chile between 03 and 18 January: As first brand to win this world famous off-road competition with a diesel powered vehicle and, at the same time, to be the first manufacturer to win the "Dakar” in South America. Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) take the start in four 280 hp cross country rally prototypes.

"The Dakar Rally is one of the greatest challenges in motorsport. It will be even tougher in 2009. Our goal is to win this acid test for man and machine for the first time,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "To achieve this we have assembled the best possible package. In the Race Touareg we have a well-developed and fast car driven by four strong driver/co-driver pairs. The entire team has left absolutely nothing to chance during the intensive period of preparation. We perfectly equipped for this new challenge in South America.”

Evolution of a winner: Race Touareg 2 optimised in detail for the "Dakar”

Evolution replaces revolution: Volkswagen brings an advanced vehicle in the form of the Race Touareg 2 to the start. The cross country rally prototype is designed to master every aspect of the "Dakar” perfectly: "Expect the unexpected”. For this purpose the diesel four-wheel drive vehicle, which is credited with nine victories and 29 podium finishes as well as 79 from a possible 170 stage victories including 20 in the "Dakar”, underwent detail development. "It is exactly these small modifications that can have such a great effect in motorsport,” says Andreas Lautner, Technical Director at Volkswagen Motorsport. "We therefore concentrated on optimising the successful package in small steps and, in addition, attached great value to reliability. The Race Touareg proved its outstanding reliability during the extensive test programme where the ‘Dakar’ distance was repeatedly simulated.”

At the same time the driver/co-driver squads enjoy an improved damper system developed in conjunction with technology partner ZF Sachs Race Engineering and which further improves the Race Touareg’s behaviour over jumps. Furthermore, the driver’s visibility was improved by slightly modifying the seating position and a flatter bonnet – as a result the drivers can better assess the characteristics of the new terrain in South America. Especially for the "Dakar” premiere in Argentina and Chile a real benefit for the occupants.

Experience counts: Volkswagen backs proven driver and co-driver teams

Four pairings with experience in cross country rally sport: Volkswagen also backs proven driver/co-driver pairings and in the same way with technology and careful preparation. The spectrum of the four Volkswagen squads ranges from rally World Champions via former "Dakar” winners to sprint rally aces. The two-time rally World Champion Carlos Sainz (Spain), who won the Central Europe Rally in April 2008 and in the process defeated, among others, long-term "Dakar” rivals Mitsubishi and X-raid-BMW, is navigated by Michel Périn (France). With 24 wins from 51 events Périn is regarded as the most successful co-driver in cross country rallying. "The goal is clear: We want to win the Dakar Rally for Volkswagen,” says Carlos Sainz. "Following the perfect preparation and with a highly motivated team we have, like our team mates, the chance of writing history.”

The Spanish-French duo has fierce competition from within their own camp: The South African Giniel de Villiers and his German co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz won the Rally dos Sertões in Brazil in June 2008. As a result, Giniel de Villiers gave the Race Touareg its ninth overall victory and collected his fourth. Furthermore, Giniel de Villiers is credited with the best "Dakar” result for a Race Touareg to date – namely second place in 2006 which he scored together with Tina Thörner (S) then. The US American Mark Miller and his South African co-driver Ralph Pitchford, with fourth place in the 2007 Dakar Rally the best placed Volkswagen team, took second in Brazil and celebrated three stage victories along the way. The German squad Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk can also look back over a successful year in the Race Touareg: On his debut in the Volkswagen prototype the four-time German Rally Champion Depping claimed a strong third place in the Central Europe Rally through Hungary and Romania and beat "Dakar” winner Luc Alphand (Mitsubishi) in a thrilling duel.

Superlative upon superlative: The toughest Dakar Rally route ever

New landscapes, the same challenge: The Dakar Rally runs from the start in Buenos Aires from ocean to ocean, over extreme altitudes in the shade of six-thousand metre high peaks and through the world’s driest desert. The tour through varied and, at the same time, fascinating regions of Argentina and Chile also provides the 530 participants with their cars, motorbikes, quads and trucks with new obstacles. "It’s summer in South America now – and it’ll be even hotter than the last ‘Dakar’ event through Africa,” says Volkswagen factory driver Giniel de Villiers. "On top of this comes the double crossing of the Andes with its extreme heights of up to 4,700 metres over sea level. It is something completely new for every team. I’m convinced that the ‘Dakar’ organisers A.S.O have prepared a unique rally with many challenges. They really want to prove that the ‘Dakar’ has lost none of its fascination and hardness through the change from Africa to South America.”

Fit for the Andes: Volkswagen factory drivers undergo fitness programme

"You can only concentrate for long periods of time and avoid errors on the very tough and long stages if you are really fit,” says Volkswagen factory driver Mark Miller who, like his fellow team mates has prepared meticulously for the 14 daily stages. "Fitness is a key factor in the fight for overall victory in the Dakar Rally.” The 2009 running of the desert classic will make additional physical demands. "Alongside our normal training programmes we also prepared physically for the ‘Dakar’ with altitude training in Arosa,” says Miller. "With the changing air pressure in extreme altitudes the oxygen content in the air drops – you must be correspondingly prepared for this challenge.”

The rapid assistance: The Volkswagen team’s complex logistics

In addition to the sporting challenge the Volkswagen team must also manage an organisational one: To send the four Race Touaregs perfectly prepared every time into the next stage the Service Crew transports a total of 50 tonnes of tools, equipment and spare parts through Argentina and Chile. For this purpose, the near 80 strong team must also complete a marathon each day: From the Service Touareg to the MAN Race Trucks, which as registered competitors, also complete the same route as the Race Touareg and in the event of repairs must be available to offer assistance, every vehicle in the fleet plays a specific role.

"It’s reassuring to have such a strong team behind you,” says Volkswagen factory driver Dieter Depping. "When our work finishes after we arrive in the bivouac the second shift starts for the Volkswagen mechanics that have themselves already covered an enormous distance. Nevertheless we drivers know that we can completely rely on the quality of their work. Cross country rallies are a real team game.”

While the equipment and every service vehicle were shipped to Buenos Aires from
Le Havre at the end of November, the four Race Touaregs were dispatched to Argentine by airfreight shortly before Christmas. The team is still to follow before New Year. On New Year’s Day the document inspection and technical scrutineering are on the agenda, the mandatory start from the ramp in the Argentinean capital follows on 2 January, and on 3 January on the first stage over 700 kilometres are on the programme.

"We expect a tough and exciting Dakar Rally and look forward to the great enthusiasm of the Argentinean population, a land in which Volkswagen is extremely well represented and also builds cars,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "It is new territory for everybody, experiences from earlier ‘Dakar’ events offer limited help, least of all the co-drivers. Everybody has the same chance. After X-raid-BMW and Volkswagen, Mitsubishi now also backs diesel power. We want to demonstrate our expertise and also have our nose in front at the finish thanks to innovative TDI Technology.”


2009 Dakar Rally route
Date, Stage, start – finish, Stage, Liaison, Total
02.01.2009 Buenos Aires (RA), Show-Start
03.01.2009 1 Buenos Aires (RA) – Santa Rosa (RA), 371 km, 362 km, 733 km
04.01.2009 2 Santa Rosa (RA) – Puerto Madryn (RA), 237 km, 600 km, 837 km
05.01.2009 3 Puerto Madryn (RA) – Jacobacci (RA), 616 km, 78 km, 694 km
06.01.2009 4 Jacobacci (RA) – Neuquén (RA), 459 km, 29 km, 488 km
07.01.2009 5 Neuquén (RA) – San Rafael (RA), 506 km, 257 km, 763 km
08.01.2009 6 San Rafael (RA) – Mendoza (RA), 395 km, 230 km, 625 km
09.01.2009 7 Mendoza (RA) – Valparaíso (RCH), 419 km, 397 km, 816 km
10.01.2009 Valparaíso (RCH), rest day
11.01.2009 8 Valparaíso (RCH) – La Serena (RCH), 294 km, 358 km, 652 km
12.01.2009 9 La Serena (RCH) – Copiapó (RCH), 449 km, 88 km, 537 km
13.01.2009 10 Copiapó (RCH) – Copiapó (RCH), 670 km, 20 km, 690 km
14.01.2009 11 Copiapó (RCH) – Fiambalá (RA) *, 215 km, 465 km, 680 km
15.01.2009 12 Fiambalá (RA) – La Rioja (RA), 253 km, 265 km, 518 km
16.01.2009 13 La Rioja (RA) – Córdoba (RA), 545 km, 208 km, 753 km
17.01.2009 14 Córdoba (RA) – Buenos Aires (RA), 227 km, 565 km, 792 km
18.01.2009 Buenos Aires (RA), winners’ ceremony

Total 5,656 km, 3,922 km, 9,578 km
* Marathon stage without service by mechanics

Dieter Depping craves first "Dakar" in Race Touareg



When the four Volkswagens roll across the Dakar Rally start ramp the level of anticipation for one driver in particular is enormous – Dieter Depping. It is a double premiere for him: The first running of the legendary "Dakar” in South America is simultaneously the first that the all-rounder from Hanover tackles in the Race Touareg 2. However, Depping is anything but a "rookie”. The 42-year old has been an integral element of the Volkswagen family since 1998 and made a name for himself in cross country rallying just as quickly as he had in sprint rallying and on the race track. "Dieter Depping is a multitalented driver and bonus for our team,” says Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen. "He can drive anything with four wheels on the limit and in the process always delivers reliable information to the engineers.”

Dieter Depping took cross country rallying by storm in April 2008: In the Central Europe Rally through Hungary and Romania he finished in a strong third place with co-driver Timo Gottschalk and in doing so claimed a podium spot first time out against the assembled "Dakar” competition of his three Volkswagen team mates Carlos Sainz (E), Giniel de Villiers (ZA) and Mark Miller (USA) as well as Mitsubishi, X-raid-BMW and Robby Gordon. He showed strong nerves and also won a stage in the duel for third place which he won against former "Dakar” winner Luc Alphand (Mitsubishi).

"It was a fantastic result which I would like to carry over to the ‘Dakar’” says Depping, who drove the test Tarek in the Dakar Rally for Volkswagen in 2003 and also the MAN Race-Truck in 2007. "I’m craving to start the rally I can hardly wait. Every aspect in the premiere in South America is new, experience counts for nothing, which suits both Timo and I. We prepared ourselves perfectly, now it’s just a question of proving what we are capable of. We want to achieve the best possible result for Volkswagen.”

Also successful with Volkswagen on the race track

Dieter Depping has already made a name for himself in classic rallying: He was German Rally Champion four times in succession, other national titles in German rally series’ come on top of this. The family father living in Wedemark close to Hanover is not only seen in action in rallies for Volkswagen but also on the race track. As test driver Depping has set-up numerous racing cars and posted an endless amount of laps around the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in the process. A brace of one-two finishes in class at the 24-hour race around the Nürburgring-Nordschleife confirm just how good he is: In 2007 Depping won in a Golf GTI, in 2008 – together with Sainz, Stuck and Co. – he was second on the debut of the new Scirocco.

Iritrack makes it possible: on the trail of the Race Touareg



Wolfsburg (30 December 2008). Fighting uncertainty with satellites and Internet: When the four Volkswagen Race Touareg start the Dakar Rally through Argentina and Chile on Saturday (3 January) and cover more than 9,500 kilometres through desert, Pampa and mountainous terrain till 18 January the fans can nevertheless follow the action from the comfort of their own homes. Thanks to the Iritrack system they can monitor the progress of each vehicle live by mouse click. As a result, it is not only fans but also the team management in the next bivouac which is informed about positions, time loss and gaps during the ultra-long stages. The days of complete uncertainty as to when the participants arrive at the bivouac are over with Iritrack.

Iritrack is a satellite supported system for positioning with which the Dakar Rally stewards can determine the position and speed at any time of every single one of the 530 participants. The core component is a small transponder distributed by the rally organisers A.S.O. and fitted to every vehicle before transmitting the first signals are transmitted after the start on 3 January.

Volkswagen once again provides all fans with the Iritrack service: The signal can be followed live via the Internet portal http://www.volkswagen-motorsport.com . It provides the latest intermediate times as well as respective positions. In this way, the users see exactly where the four Race Touareg of Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) are at any given time. In addition, motorsport fans can also find the latest daily reports, photographs, audio files and videos from South America at the Volkswagen website.

Cox confirms Dakar entry
2008-12-08



Johannesburg - South Africa's Dakar Rally veteran, Alfie Cox, will be participating in next year's South American Dakar Rally which starts in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 3 January. From January 3 - 17 January the best cross-country rally drivers in the world will race racing across South America from the east coast to the west coast and back in 14 days.

Apart from Giniel de Villiers and Ralph Pitchford, who both compete for the factory Volkswagen team (in different cars), Cox will again compete in the race, this time in a SMG Buggy powered by a six-cylinder, 3,6 litre Porsche engine.

'Racing alongside me'

Dakar 2009 is off to discover a new continent - South America - which offers unlimited possibilities to competitors. With close to 6 000km over 14 special stages and the degree of difficulty spread over the whole course, the battle for the title will remain wide open until the finish.

Cox said: "I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to an entertaining event with my German co-driver Jörgen Schröder.

"A number of my former KTM teammates are again racing alongside me in the SMG Team, making me feel at home and knowing that we’re out there as a race team."

Benefit tremendously

Cox, whose best finish on a motorcycle was second overall, and who finished seven races on a bike, also finished in 15th place in 2006 in his maiden race as a car driver in the Dakar Rally with co-driver and fellow countryman Ralph Pitchford, racing a BMW X3.

Cox has raced off-road buggies in Southern Africa over the past two years, which should benefit him tremendously and could lead to a good position in yet another extremely gruelling Dakar race.

Three top South African off-roaders have entered the 2009 "Dakar" rally from Buenos Aires in Argentina to Valparaiso in Chile and back, starting on January 3 – two weeks of the toughest cross-country race on the motorsport calendar.

Alfie Cox, better known for competing in the motorcycle category of the Dakar, will drive a PS Laser SMG Buggy with his German friend and co-driver, Jurgen Schröder.

Cox has retired from the Dakar only once in nine starts – when he broke a shoulder in a huge crash in 2003.

His "Dakar CV" shows why he's often referred to as Mr. Consistency:

1998 Fourth overall, one stage win.
1999 Third overall, two stage wins.
2000 45th overall (engine failure), two stage wins.
2001 Fifth overall, two stage wins.
2002 Second overall, two stage wins.
2003 DNF (broken shoulder), one stage win.
2004 Fourth overall.
2005 Third overall.
2006 15th in car category.

Cox became an icon of perseverance in 2000 when his motorcycle suffered an engine failure and he waited for the support crew late into the night. The engine was repaired and he raced on using a hiker's torch on his helmet and the lights of the service truck behind him.

In 2005 he finished third in the motorcycle category despite not winning a stage. By then Cox was a consistent front-runner, having become an expert navigator with road-book and GPS.

Cox moved to the car category after the deaths of two top competitors (Richard Sainct in October 2004 and Fabrizio Meoni in the 2005 Dakar) with navigator and former motorcycle mechanic Ralph Pitchford and won the 2006 SA Class D Off-Road championship.

Giniel de Villiers will race a 2.5-litre, 210kW, five-cylinder diesel Touareg for the VW factory team, partnered by German navigator - and former Dakar motorcyclist - Dirk von Zitzewitz.

His Dakar rally record reads:

2004 Seventh in a Nissan.
2005 Fourth in a Nissan.
2006 Second in a VW Touareg.
2007 11th in a VW Touareg.

De Villiers was leading in 2007, 31min ahead of the legendary Stephane Peterhansel, when his Touareg's engine caught fire.

Ralph Pitchford, former SA Off-Road Motorcycle champion and KTM technician, will navigate a similar VW Touareg for American Mark Miller. This will be Pitchford's fourth Dakar.

The 2009 "Dakar" will follow a 9574km loop across South America, crossing the Andes mountains twice. Unlike previous events in North Africa, where the top competitors knew the terrain very well, the route will be new to everybody, making it possible for outsiders to snatch stage wins from the established stars.

Both Argentina and Chile have extreme weather patterns with icy polar regions in the south, temperate grassland in the midlands and tropical rain forests in the north of Argentina.

The Andes mountains, however, prevent any rain from falling in the north of Chile, resulting in the driest desert on Earth, the Atacama Desert.

Great opportunity for South Africans
26 December 2008

Alfie Cox, multiple South African Off-Road champion, and his co-driver and long-time friend, Germany's Jorgen Schröder leave for Argentina on 30 December, to join the rest of the fraternity for the 30th running of the Dakar Rally.

"This will be one of the toughest Dakar Rallies in years, because nobody knows the route or the places we will race in making it extremely difficult," said Stéphan Henrard. "At the same time the changes in terrain add to the difficulty of the event. The Atacama Desert terrain will test man and machine to the ultimate, with about half the field expected to arrive at the race finish in Buenos Aeries on 17 January 2009."

If the words of Henrard are anything to go by, and with all his experience they most probably are, then Cox and Schröder may surprise many of the professional teams. The Belgian driver and well-known buggy builder says: "This is a good course for buggies."

The Belgian has modified his buggy and reduced its weight, but he is still not finished with the final preparation of the car due to other commitments that prevented him from focusing on his own car.

He commented: "I was afraid that the course would be very mountainous, twisting and technical. However, as far as I can gather it will be fast and more of a sandy route. I know that a buggy can shine on this type of terrain."

At 04:00 on 18 December 2008, the Grand Benelux, transporter of the vehicles from Europe, docked at Delta Dock, about 100km from Buenos Aires, after leaving the port of Le Havre in France on 2 December. It took the staff 15 hours to offload more than 820 vehicles. These vehicles will be released to the teams on 30 and 31 December 2008.

Cox and Schröder will be racing a 3,6 litre air-cooled Porsche-powered SMG Buggy with a 5-speed sequential gearbox, similar in shape to the American Baja racers and the space-frame cars used in the South African National Off-Road Car Racing Championships. Another South African contingency on the Dakar Rally will be the four Nissan Navara trucks built in Midrand by Glyn Hall and his Nissan Motorsport team. The four cars will contest the 2009 Dakar Race in the hands of four amateur teams.

Also very exciting is the fact that South Africa's Giniel de Villiers, in a turbo-diesel powered VW Touareg, must be amongst the favourites for an overall win, especially now that the new diesel-powered Racing Lancers will compete in the 2009 event. De Villiers is considered the most successful VW driver with four cross-country race winner's trophies in his trophy cabinet. Even though Mitsubishi has been extremely successful over the past few years, it could just be that VW has the upper hand due to their consistent development of the Touaregs.

For 2009 the race will take place in Argentina (with a population of close to 40 million people) and Chile (with about 16 million residents). These two countries have some of the most beautiful and testing countryside, making it an excellent and very worthy venue as new host for the Dakar race. The Paris-Dakar Rally first took place in 1979 and was organised by Frenchman Thierry Sabine. It is an extreme race which has traditionally run from Paris (France) to Dakar (Senegal), though one year at went as far as Cape Town, South Africa.

Navigation skills are always the key to winning the race and this year competitors will not only battle the desert sands but also deal with high altitudes and precarious mountain passes. The 2009 course is different to any previous race in Africa and veteran Dakar racers will have to adapt very quickly.

This year the race starts in Buenos Aires, on the Plaza de la Republica, and runs through Patagonia, the Andes Mountains, along the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Chile and back to Argentina through the Atacama Desert. 15 stages will be driven over a two-week period. The Dakar Rally requires extreme endurance and navigational skills. There is only one rest day this year, Saturday, 10 January 2009, and it will be used to repair the vehicles to run to maximum capacity despite the problems of sand, dust, rocks, mountains and (most of all) mental and physical fatigue of the crews.

Can KTM continue their dominance of the Dakar in the motorcycle category? What will happen between Mitsubishi and VW in the car category? Is the Kamaz able to launch yet another top assault and beat the other trucks?

Kris Nissen: "Enormous inner calm and confidence in the team"



Decision maker, strategist and motivator: As Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen is responsible for the entry of four Race Touaregs in the legendary Dakar Rally. The 48-year old talks about the debut of the desert classic in Argentina and Chile between the 3 and 18 January, the targets and the fascination of the "Dakar" in which Carlos Sainz/Michel Périn (E/F), Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA) and Dieter Depping/Timo Gottschalk (D/D) start for the Wolfsburg based automobile manufacturer.

Volkswagen has given overall victory as its target for the Dakar Rally in South America. The self imposed pressure is high as a result – as Sport Boss what keeps you calm?

Kris Nissen: "We have an excellent preparation phase behind us; in the Race Touareg we have an exceptionally reliable vehicle which underwent detail development and leading up to the ‘Dakar’ the drivers and co-drivers have left nothing to chance. Over the course of the last year we know that we have improved our pace and increased our reliability in spite of this. As a consequence there wasn’t a single adjustment to be made during our roll-out in Buenos Aires on 29 December. We have also achieved an enviable level of perfection with the logistics. All this makes the team extremely calm and confident. However, no matter how well prepared you are this rally always has a surprise in store, in the event of one cropping up they are easier to deal with."

It’s traditional to start the New Year with a good resolution. Which strengths must Volkswagen possess to be successful in the Dakar Rally?
"As an example: to use the pressure positively. Many people expect Volkswagen to win the 2009 ’Dakar’ after having been so close in the past. I think that the entire team is more than capable of dealing with the expectations. In addition, it’s important that the team produces a one-hundred percent performance every day – then I’m convinced that we have a good chance of claiming overall victory."

Exactly why should the public follow the Dakar Rally as spectators – for example on television or in the Internet?
"The variety. The ’Dakar’ doesn’t only appeal to genuine motorsport fans but also to nature lovers, adventurers or also people who love extraordinary, crazy things. It is the hardest and longest race for man and machine. The Dakar Rally cannot be compared with anything else in motorsport. Let’s not forget that it is a competition at the very highest level with unusual vehicles like the Race Touareg, the Mitsubishi, the X-raid-BMW or Robby Gordon’s Hummer."

As Sport Boss you are responsible for the entire squad like a football trainer. How do you actually ensure that the sense of unity and team spirit remain high?
"That’s correct. In cross country rallying and especially during the Dakar Rally you can only be successful if the entire team performs perfectly. This starts with the fact that every team member has a position that they completely absorbed by and enjoy doing. Our team has formed itself and grown together over the years. This isn’t possible in the space of a few days or weeks. It’s also important that everybody treats each other fairly and that everybody has more than one job. Everybody must be prepared to help their colleagues otherwise we cannot achieve our goals. If we stay with the football analogy: Everybody must play the forward on occasion, be the playmaker in midfield, or clear off the line for the goalkeeper. This is not always taken for granted in other areas of motorsport – in our case it is imperative for success. The most important thing is: Our team lives and breathes these thoughts permanently."

Volkswagen driver Sainz: “I always tell myself: Carlos keep cool”



Wolfsburg (1 January 2009). He was Rally World Champion twice, he won 26 World Championship rallies – and now he once again has a great victory in his sights: Volkswagen factory driver Carlos Sainz with co-driver Michel Périn number among the favourites in the Dakar Rally premiere in South America. Together with the entire Volkswagen team the Spaniard eagerly awaits the ceremonial start of the desert classic on the evening of 2 January in the heart of the bustling metropolis Buenos Aires and the first stage a day later. The hot-blooded Sainz, happy to be called "El Matador”, knows only too well that patience is an important virtue in cross country rallying and that the "Dakar” is not won in the first of the opening 9,578 kilometres: "I always tell myself: Carlos keep cool.”

The final preparations have been successfully completed and the start of the Dakar Rally is approaching. Just how much are you looking forward to this special premiere in Argentina and Chile?
Carlos Sainz: "The Dakar Rally is the biggest event in cross country rallying. Everything else is just waiting. This rally is held only once a year, and after the 2008 event was cancelled two years of development and preparation lie behind us. To be honest I’ll be happy when it finally gets going.”

The start is on the "Avenida 9 de Julio”, the widest major road in the world. What kind of an atmosphere are you expecting there?
"Motorsport plays an important role here in Argentina, and also Chile. The spectators are particularly crazy about rallying. I’m convinced that we will receive a resounding and atmospheric send off from Buenos Aires.”

The Volkswagen team made a calm, concentrated and well-sorted impression over the last few days of preparation. How are you feeling just before the start?
"To contest a ‘Dakar’ with winning as the goal really requires a perfect team performance. I want to make my contribution. For this purpose it will be necessary to stay concentrated throughout this long rally. Nevertheless I’m still relaxed before the start as I know that I have a strong team behind me that will do everything to be successful.”

How do you assess the opponents in the fight for the "Dakar” victory?
"Mitsubishi are the defending champions and won the last Dakar Rally. They are the champions. We, but also X-raid-BMW and Robby Gordon in the Hummer are the challengers. We will certainly see one of the toughest ‘Dakars’ in history – also and because of the level of competition.”

Many see Volkswagen as favourite for overall victory. How do you deal with this intended role?
"I don’t think that we are any more a favourite than the previously mentioned teams. Mitsubishi are the defending champions, even if they do compete with a newly developed car, and therefore the ones to beat. However, this is exactly what we’ll try to do. We are well prepared for this.”

Cross country rallies are a multidimensional sport in which navigation and technical aspects are as important as driving abilities. What is of particular fascination for you?
"For me, cross country rallying is more of a team sport than in every other form of motorsport. In my eyes it is exactly this that makes this discipline so special. For 15 days every single team member must deliver perfect work. You only have a chance of winning the ‘Dakar’ with a zero error job.”

What will be the key factor to achieving the target of overall victory?
"Just to function perfectly as a team. For me personally: You always have to be extremely patient during the Dakar Rally. Every day I have to consciously prevent myself from wanting too much, from taking too many risks. I always tell myself, ‘Carlos this rally has 14 tough stages, keep cool’. In my opinion it will be a question of patience, patience, patience for me and my co-driver Michel Périn.”