Team Repsol complete Dakar preparations

The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Team have completed a final shakedown and a varied preparation program for the 2009 Dakar Rally, which starts in Buenos Aires on Saturday, January 3rd and finishes in the Argentine capital on Sunday, January 18th.

The Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart team has been set up by the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation in association with partners Repsol, Valeo and BF Goodrich.

Key team members took part in a final shakedown in frosty and bright conditions at Le Creusot in France today (Monday). This was the culmination of several weeks of training for the world’s toughest off-road rally and took place in the presence of around 180 journalists from all over Europe.

Mitsubishi will field an unchanged team line-up in four new turbo-diesel ‘Racing Lancers’, with drivers Luc Alphand, Stéphane, Hiroshi Masuoka, Peterhansel, and, Joan ‘Nani’ Roma and being joined by their respective co-drivers Gilles Picard, Pascal Maimon, Jean-Paul Cottret and Lucas Cruz Senra in South America.

Physical training was split into 2 sessions
In the last four weeks, team members have taken part in physical training sessions and crucial tests to ensure that nothing is left to chance in the build up to what the Japanese manufacturer hopes will be a record-breaking eighth successive victory in the Dakar, which heads to South America for the first time.

Key team personnel took part in a five-day physical training session at Douarnenez, in the Finistère department of Brittany on France’s Atlantic north-western coast, between November 10th -14th.

This was followed by a second session at Prémanon in the Jura mountains on December 8th-12th to ensure that Mitsubishi’s all-important and renowned team spirit is working to its optimum and drivers and co-drivers are fully-prepared, both mentally and physically, and focused in readiness for January’s punishing schedule of motor sport competition.

The second physical training session was followed by a one-day shakedown at the Bourg-en-Bresse circuit, north-east of Lyon, on Saturday, December 13th and the second session at Le Creusot, in the Saône-et-Loire department of the Bourgogne region, today (Monday).

Team departure dates have been confirmed
The team’s new Racing Lancers will leave by ‘plane to Buenos Aires on Friday, December 19th, but the race trucks and team support vehicles are currently aboard the Grand Benelux, which set sail from Le Havre in northern France on Monday, December 1st and is reported to be passed the Bay of Biscay in the Atlantic Ocean and well en route for the Argentinean port of Zarata, near Buenos Aires.

Team personnel will spend Christmas with their families before the drivers and codrivers fly out to South America on Saturday, December 27th to begin final preparations before the start of the 31st Dakar Rally on Saturday, January 3rd. The remainder of the 64-strong team will depart on Monday, December 29th.