2010 DAKAR RALLY STAGE 7 - HALFWAY THROUGH THE EVENT!
author: Leon Botha
There is an Afrikaans saying, "Goed begin is half gewin" which in My Fair Lady English means "a good start is halfway there" or something to that effect.
At the halfway mark of the 2010 Dakar Rally Volkswagen can with right walk around in the Bivouac area singing "Goed begin is half gewin" although I am not sure if any of the teams will get the Afrikaans pronunciation right as Giniel will not be walking around singing anything else that BeeGees song, How Can You Mend A Broken Heart?
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Volkswagen - an awesome sight! Scary to the opposition!
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About a week ago I hung around the computer filled with hope and expectations for Giniel to win the event, Ralph Pitchford to come second with Mark Miller, Alfie to finish third in the Nissan while Glynn Hall jumped over the moon because all three his South African prepared Nissans were in the Top10.
Now I feel like jumping up and down, Giniel must feel like crying and knowing Alfie he must feel like dying!
Ralph is the only little ray of South African sunshine - so while standing on my knees typing this article at 01:45 on a Saturday morning - lets hope the second half will be better for everyone of our people.
Stéphane Peterhansel caused more joy and excitement while not really in contention for the top spot anymore, when he creamed the Volkswagens until a drive shaft on his BMW broke. His fight back so far has been phenomenal although the end of that progress up the field has now almost arrived with him lying in fifth behind fellow Frenchman Chicherit also in a BMW. Stéphane will probably move up into fourth without too much of a struggle but then there is a 1 hour 40m gap to the first Volkswagen crewed by Miller and Pitchford. So we don't want that to happen as Ralph is our man.
His Excellency "El Forking Matador" is leading the event halfway, although Al-Attiyah yesterday closed the gap from 15- to just over 11minutes.
I still would like to see what happens when old Al gets near your's trueness?
So you now think I don’t like the man? Wrong - I don't even know him! All I can go on is rumours I heard - what I read between the line and on what he normally says during interviews. Even while leading he has a problem!
Drive? Of course he is one of the best and if you don’t believe me - ask Carlos himself. Then you can of course also take a glimpse at the WRC records where you will find that he was World Champions in 1990 and 1992 - which should actually be proof enough that I can go jump over a dune as far as he is concerned.
Today, Saturday the 9th January 2010 is a rest day and the crews will probably do nothing else but rest!
Almost everyone except for the three leading Volkswagens had a hell of a hard event and that says it all for the preparation of this incredible team. They are simply in a class of their own as far as professionalism goes.
With seven of the 14 stages of the 2010 Dakar Rally now behind them Volkswagen maintains a commanding advantage with a very solid 1-2-3
Carlos Sainz/Lucas Cruz (E/E) are leading the world’s toughest rally with 11m 03s in front of their teammates Nasser Al-Attiyah/Timo Gottschalk (Q/D) and 22m 06s in front of Mark Miller/Ralph Pitchford (USA/ZA).
Nasser Al-Attiyah won the seventh leg over 600km from Iquique to Antofagasta in the Chilean Atacama desert that was the longest stage.
Stéphane Peterhansel was second fastest over this stage but had to forfeit 3m39s to Al-Attiyah in the stage after staying with the latter for a healthy part of the stage.
Carlos Sainz finished the stage that first consisted of dunes, then a surface of "salar” salt crystal blocks and, ultimately, quicker, stony sections in third place. Mark Miller took the fourth position. Last year’s winners Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D) finished the stage before the rest day in sixth place after two punctures but, due to previous delays, are ranking 4h 31m behind the front runners.
The technicians will not have much rest on the 'rest day' as they will all probably have to rebuild the cars for the second part of the rally.
STANDINGS AT THE HALFWAY MARK
Stage 7 OVERALL RESULTS
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1
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303
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SAINZ (ESP)
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CRUZ (ESP)
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VOLKSWAGEN
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26:21:23
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00:00:00
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2
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306
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AL-ATTIYAH (QAT)
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GOTTSCHALK (DEU)
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VOLKSWAGEN
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26:32:26
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00:11:03
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3
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305
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MILLER (USA)
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PITCHFORD (ZAF)
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VOLKSWAGEN
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26:43:29
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00:22:06
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4
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307
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CHICHERIT (FRA)
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THOERNER (CHE)
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BMW
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28:24:17
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02:02:54
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5
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301
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PETERHANSEL (FRA)
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COTTRET (FRA)
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BMW
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28:24:33
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02:03:10
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6
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308
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HOLOWCZYC (POL)
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FORTIN (BEL)
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Nissan Overdrive
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28:42:21
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02:20:58
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7
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314
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SOUSA (PRT)
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BAUMEL (FRA)
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MITSUBISHI
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29:30:21
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03:08:58
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8
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322
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SPINELLI (BRA)
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PALMEIRO (PRT)
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MITSUBISHI
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29:44:58
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03:23:35
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9
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310
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NOVITSKIY (RUS)
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SCHULZ (DEU)
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BMW
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30:38:44
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04:17:21
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10
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302
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GORDON (USA)
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GRIDER (USA)
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HUMMER
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30:46:33
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04:25:10
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11
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313
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LAVIEILLE (FRA)
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FORTHOMME (BEL)
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NISSAN
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30:50:06
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04:28:43
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12
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300
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DE VILLIERS (ZAF)
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VON ZITZEWITZ (DEU)
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VOLKSWAGEN
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30:52:56
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04:31:33
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13
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332
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BARBOSA (PRT)
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RAMALHO (PRT)
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MITSUBISHI
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31:01:48
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04:40:25
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14
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311
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TERRANOVA (ARG)
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MAIMON (FRA)
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MITSUBISHI
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31:27:33
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05:06:10
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15
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318
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MISSLIN (FRA)
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POLATO (FRA)
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MITSUBISHI
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31:30:28
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05:09:05
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16
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336
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LEAL DOS SANTOS (PRT)
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FIUZA (PRT)
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BMW
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31:32:45
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05:11:22
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17
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323
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ERRANDONEA (AND)
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GARCIN (FRA)
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SMG
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31:33:49
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05:12:26
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18
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325
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HENRARD (BEL)
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BEGUIN (BEL)
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VOLKSWAGEN
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31:56:29
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05:35:06
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19
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317
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VAN DEIJNE (NLD)
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ROSEGAAR (NLD)
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MITSUBISHI
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34:32:43
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08:11:20
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20
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338
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GIBON (FRA)
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MIURA (JPN)
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TOYOTA
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35:51:56
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09:30:33
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