Three-O-One back in „Dakar“ rhythm – second place overall
Pisco, 06 January 2013
The underdogs have been unleashed: Giniel de Villiers and Dirk von Zitzewitz moved up to second place overall on the second day of the legendary Dakar Rally Dakar. In the Three-O- One Toyota Hilux they were classified second-fastest on the second stage of the world’s toughest desert rally. On a day during which more could be lost than gained, the 2009 winners kept a cool head to finish the stage behind odds-on favourite and serial winners Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret in the X-raid Mini.
On the second competitive day, the Dakar Rally proved considerably more challenging than many teams had imagined despite the fact that the upcoming days are likely to be even more demanding. The second stage certainly lived up to the old adage that the unexpected should be expected: Favourites for victory lost time in the dunes, others suffered tyre damage or failed to find the correct route. Not Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz: In matters driving and navigation they delivered clean performances and avoided tyre issues to ultimately benefit from their judiciousness. However, their role as underdogs remains unchanged: After the second day just 256 of the event’s 3,736 timed kilometres have been dispensed with – thus big challenges still lie ahead in the dune ranges.
The second leg of the Dakar Rally wound a ribbon around the town of Pisco. However, the Dakar soon showed its familiar side: Sandy patches and two dune ranges totalling seven kilometres alternated with loam to provide a stage with a unique character while providing a portend of what is yet to come.
The quotes
„I was really surprised at how challenging this stage was. We expected that the second stage would allow us to ease our way in. No way. So we are even more impressed with our Hilux: Although we had one or two moments when we hit big drops, the Hilux absorbed it all superbly. From a sporting perspective it could hardly have gone better, and I believe Dirk’s navigation skills helped us move forward.“
Giniel de Villiers after leg 02
„The was a true Dakar stage and it was tougher than many expected. At the 77-kilometre point all the top teams searched for the route, probably because we were in the wrong valley, but I quickly noticed the error and managed to save us some time. The Dakar’s early days also provide first impressions of the car, and the Hilux is simply super, particularly its suspension. That gives us confidence for the event, particularly when the Dakar shows its true colours.“
Dirk von Zitzewitz after leg 02
Result: Dakar Rally overall classification after leg 02
- 01. Stéphane Peterhansel/Jean-Paul Cottret (F/F), Mini, 3:00.20 Std.
- 02. Giniel de Villiers/Dirk von Zitzewitz (ZA/D), Toyota, 3:02.58 Std.
- 03. Ronan Chabot/Gilles Pillot (F/F), SMG, 3:03.06 Std.
- 04. Orlando Terranova/Paulo Fiuza (RA/P), BMW, 3:06.46 Std.
- 05. Leonid Novitzkiy/Konstantin Zhiltsov (RUS/RUS), Mini, 3:09.53 Std.
- 06. Nasser Al-Attiyah/Lucas Cruz (Q/E), Buggy, 3:10.45 Std.
- 07. Lucio Alvarez/Bernardo Graue (RA/RA), Toyota, 3:12.47 Std.
- 08. Krzysztof Hołowczyz/Filipe Palmeiro (PL/P), Mini, 3:14.20 Std.
- 09. Carlos Sousa/Miguel Ramalho (P/P), Great Wall, 3:16.08 Std.
- 10. Bernard Errandonea/Arnaud Debron (AND/F), SMG, 3:16.35 Std.
Coming up: preview of leg 03
Coming up: preview of leg 03
Die „Dakar“ im TV
Samstag, 05. Januar 2013
23:00 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 01. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage
Sonntag, 06. Januar 2013
01:30 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 01. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage (Wiederholung)
23:00 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 02. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage
Montag, 07. Januar 2013
01:00 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 02. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage (Wiederholung)
08:30 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 02. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage (Wiederholung)
20:00 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 03. Etappe, Interviews aus dem Ziel-Biwak (live)
23:00 Uhr Eurosport Rallye Dakar 2013, 03. Etappe, Aufzeichnung vom Tage
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