Dirk von Zitzewitz: "The Rally Dakar 2010 was again a very exciting 'Dakar'. The enthusiasm of the spectators in Chile, especially in Argentina is always impressive. Madness, as it gets as many cheers. Sporty is the 'Dakar' for Giniel and I do not run particularly well, because we had our hopes of winning early on and are buried from then worked for the team. "

Congratulations to the winners of the Dakar 2010, Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz.

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Dirk von Zitzewitz: "The day began with the dune field near San Rafael and at approximately km 50 exciting. After that it was really just boring straight ahead, you could say. The race was actually run since. So it was not a very exciting day. We are ahead in the dunes, two of the Mitsubishi, which started before us, without ever seeing it before, because they are probably gone wrong. So we had a little fun in the dunes. But they were extremely soft. Since our car had to work right.

The stage Santa Rosa - Buenos Aires, with about 200 km Speziale is very very fast. It is an average speed around 140 km / h / expected. This is again an amusing ride home. "

Above all, it will be a tough race between the teams, Carlos Sainz / Lucas Cruz and Nasser Al Attiyah / Timo Gottschalk, lying apart at first and second place overall with just 168 seconds.

Dirk von Zitzewitz: "The stage today was in two parts. The first part went over slopes, on a hard surface and through dry river beds. The relatively rough, but not too bad and also navigationally here and there quite interesting.

The second half was 140 km a mogul, uneven dirt road. Go straight, then 90 ° left, then 90 ° right. It was anything but sophisticated and almost dangerous to the many hills and go straight along the bumpy dirt tracks. We were all glad when we had the Etpape behind us.

The stage of San Rafael - Santa Rosa, we once again a real eye-catcher. Here we go with sandy slopes. Then it goes 30 to 40 km through the dunes. These dunes are already known and notorious last year. There were some roles, run aground, and many stories. That will not be so easy. It then looks again into the mountains and on fast tracks in a very fast final. This is again a violent stage. Which is very long with 368 km See also the penultimate stage.

It remains so until the very end exciting, who the three leading Volkswagen is the winner. These are just a half hour apart. In the dunes will quickly once lost time.

Last year was probably the 5th Neque stage from San Rafael. She was considered the hardest stage of the first week.

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Audio commentary from Dirk von Zitzewitz to today's 11th Stage: "It was a hefitge stage, which has somehow been fun. But I think the car has almost never been straight. The last 60 km through the river bed was working only on the Tourareg. Right, left, right, left in the dirt and debris. Sensational, which has since put away the Race Touareg. It was not the most beautiful stage of the race but one of the better ones. For us, it went well. We passed three Mitsus have overtaken Robby Gordon. We have swallowed dust and were still doing well. Then, of course, makes the whole fun anyway.

The stage from San Juan to San Rafael is split in two. The first half is open desert. Probably with a lot of hard ground. Offpist navigation is not entirely without. Then the second piece 130 km riparian slopes in there with a lot of waves. There is little direction but extremely soft sand and hills and lots of holes. The number of ne violent. And it is apparent who has a good suspension and who has courage. "

Giniel and Dirk will be tomorrow is not among the very fast. First, you need to risk anything and secondly they are waiting for the start of a good team worker at the colleague. After 12 minutes the last over. Then it continues at full throttle.

The Rally Dakar 2010 runs until the weekend. Here are three stages.

Updates and links to other articles away from the mainstream exists on Dirk's fan site on Facebook.

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Dirk von Zitzewitz: "We have found a WRC circuit. With many curves and many peaks. Thus I have fought hard with my breakfast and the struggle for a tire change, ultimately lost. Otherwise, the stage was exactly as expected. It was very slippery. For us it was from the time such as not expecting so doll. The reason is that we have been waiting for our team mates Mark Miller and then were in the dust. Then, as I said we had the puncture. But otherwise everything was ok in everything.

The 11th Stage will be very mad at the beginning. At 2500 m, on rocky slopes of these summits. Before then it goes down to the valley Mendosa, Argentina. Then it will open the stage and be very fast. The test is not quite so long. That will be at the beginning of the WRC and will later desert. "

# 300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 11 Place leg-/ 7. Place overall
"Actually, a good test with several gravel sections, which has made a lot of fun. Our delay is easily explained. At the start of testing, we have waited until our team-mate Mark Miller had overtaken us to be able to help in the event of a case. These were the first four minutes. A puncture that cost further two minutes. Afterwards, we hung in the dust by Stéphane Peterhansel in the X-raid BMW firmly. "

# 300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 3 Place leg-/ 7. Place overall
"A dune stage from beginning to end. I enjoyed this very special stage. At the very beginning we have been waiting for our teammates, Nasser Al-Attiyah, to help him in case of emergency, and then followed him. The menu today was not so easily - so thank you to my co-driver Dirk von Zitzewitz, who has done an excellent job. "

So it goes tomorrow Next: Narrow, passport-mountain paths affect the image of the tenth 'Dakar' stage 2010th In particular, the fitness of pilots can in deciding on this section: Many braking maneuvers and tight turns require a lot of movement in the cockpit. This requires the pilot to adapt to constantly changing terrain. Especially drivers with experience in the classic rallying to feel comfortable on that stage.

Giniel de Villiers: "This was by far the finest and most difficult stage of the Dakar Rally 2010th Scree fields, canyons and at the end a lot of sand, plus many rhythm changes between fast and slow sections - this must be done 'Dakar' stages. Unfortunately, our happiness is not true at this rally altogether. Today we could have won the stage, but two tire failures have prevented it. With a little more Fortune had our slow puncture, which has held several hundred kilometers, 30 kilometers should not be changed for the goal ... "

Also for the spectators at the live tracking today was exciting. Next exchanged X-raid BMW drivers Guerlain Chicherit and Stéphane Peterhansel and their navigators, Jean-Paul Cottret and Tina Thorner at the head of the seats, until about the middle of the stage, Mark Miller and Ralph Pitchford for Volkswagen took the lead. Then dominated the last year's winner Giniel de Villiers / Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA / D) in the fourth Race Touareg is happening until they were caught just before the end - after its second tire damage - from Peterhansel. Peterhansel, who also complain of a puncture, moved to before as the best runner of the Volkswagen trios around two hours behind overall four. After two punctures achieved Sainz, Miller, de Villiers and Al-Attiyah at a distance of 3.32 minutes, the rank two to five days.

Current interim status will be published on the second half to Dirk's fan site on Facebook. Here each fan can be registered to post a comment and discuss.

Today's stage sees then made as if the service responsibility for Giniel and Dirk have been lifted. With a car full of spare parts, you can probably not go that fast. So the next day in view of possible stage victories are still exciting. The Dakar 2010 still lasts until the end of the week.

For the closing day of the Dakar 2010 in Antafogasta, a desert city on the Pacific coast in northern Chile, there are a few private pictures below the first half of the desert rally. The rest day is used by the teams to take a little breather before returning to the second half of the rally on further good 4500 km to Buenos Aires. The athletes can recover a little of the strains. The vehicles can be thoroughly overhauled.

# 300 - Giniel de Villiers (ZA), 12 Place overall
"Our first week of the rally was far from optimal. We have a lot of little things, but above all by a lost time accident. We play in the battle for the 'Dakar' victory no longer matters. But such is the 'Dakar': hard and unrelenting. For us it's mainly about getting to the finish each day and the place to be if one of our teammates need help. "

# 300 - Dirk von Zitzewitz (D), co-pilot
"This is definitely not our rally. We have many problems to no chance to successfully defend our title. But this is not at all for the entire Volkswagen team. That three, Blue 'are on the top three positions, is an excellent starting position for the second week of the rally. My driver Giniel de Villiers and I will do everything we can to help our team mates in the project title defense. "

At the Dakar Rally is especially true for the many amateurs arriving as a personal victory. The 16 incredibly grueling daily stages on fast tracks, gravel and deep sand is not long since set up all participants. Many prematurely quit the race due to technical failures or exhaustion. On 2 January, launched in Buenos Aires, 150 motorcycles, 25 quads, 128 cars and 50 trucks. Ettapenziel On the day of rest Antafogasta are still 95 motorbikes, 14 quads, 55 cars and 25 trucks in the race. The time difference between the professionals at the top and the participants at the end, for the counts to get through and not the good time is 40 hours. The cars with the current leading team of Carlos Sainz and Lucas Cruz in the Volkswagen Race Touareg has used for 2492 km, went to the first half of the Dakar in 2010 against the clock a little over 26 hours. The longest stage of evaluation of the first half of the Dakar was the 7th Rated stage with almost 600 kilometers.

The motorcyclist crashed hard Luca Manca is on Twitter rumors that fortunately no longer be in danger. A spectator who is said to have been present, according to the organizer in a cordoned area is, unfortunately, passed through a collision with a car died.

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Dirk von Zitzewitz: "The dunes at the beginning were good. Then we ran a piece the old route. Which was accordingly extended, and again with very soft sand. The final piece was then made more beautiful and more fun. That was a long, hard day. We deserve the day off, just as our cars. "

Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz by an accident on the 3rd Lost leg so much time that their goal has been to stand as an assistant of the three other remaining in the race cars from Volkswagen Motorsport disposal. The fifth Race Touareg of the two Brazilian Maurício Neves and Clécio Maestrelli, after a rollover on the 6th Stage failed.

At the top are halfway through the three Volkswagen Rally Dakar 2010 with a spacing of 11:03 minutes. Behind two BMW, which will be at a distance of just over 2 hours on the leading Volkswagen have come hard to achieve on their own for a podium place.

But the Dakar 2010 is only half over. There are many stages on which a lot can happen.

On 7 Day is expected before the closing day of the Dakar Rally 2010, the hardest stage of the first week. 600 km special stage in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile ahead of the team. After the rest day from Sunday to follow 7 stages, further back than almost 4,500 km from the Pacific Antafagasta to Buenos Aires on the other side of the continent.

Iquique (RCH) - Antofagasta (RCH). Before the closing day, the organizers of the Dakar Rally), the ASO (Amaury Sport Organization have made a real marathon. The way back through the desert of Atacama to Antofagasta's special stage of 600 kilometers, the longest section of the "Dakar" 2010 term. One days before the rally participants have earned break, they are brought once more to their physical limits.

Dirk von Zitzewitz: "Tomorrow I expect a very, very difficult day. He will be the navigation very difficult, it is the terrain very hard to be for the car. I think this is the hardest day of the Dakar, if not the organizer should still take out anything. "

Dakar 2010 Route