Dakar: Stage 13 Siwa - Dakhla notes

Wednesday 15th January 2003
Stage 13 Siwa to Dakhla notes of the day. Special stage was 569 km with two liaisons, the first one at 47 km and the final one into Dakhla at 41 km making the total for the day of 657 km. This stage is the complete crossing of the "Great Sand Sea" and is a first time special in the long-running Dakar Rally.

O9:30 - A full crossing of the 'sea of sand', a real ocean of dunes that will be crossed for the first time from end to end. A place where no-one really wants to go : the 'cathedral' dunes are over 100m high with each time, steep descents. 100kms later, a sudden hot water lake appears from nowhere. The second part of the stage goes across the 'white desert' starting from the Farafra oasis. The turning track goes through giant calcar mushrooms, typical of the area. The wind will also be an important factor in this special. It finishes with the path between canyons before the end of the stage at the Dakhla oasis. The track was built by the English troops during the war.

St?phane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret.

Photo by Mitsubishi Motors Corporation.

Motobikes:
O9:33 - At CP 1 after 107kms, Meoni (KTM - n.1) has the best time. Second is Despres (KTM - n.7) at 2min. Sainct (KTM - n.3) is at 2min11.

O9:33 - Before CP 1. Spaniard Marc Coma (KTM - n.10) has seriously damaged his tyre. He has made it to the CP over an our adrift.

Cars:
O9:44 - At CP 1 after 107kms, Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) has the best time 2min07 ahead of Alphand (BMW - n.221). Third is Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) at 2min14 followed by Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 2min23. Fifth is Sousa (Mitsubishi - n.211) at 3min06. Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) is eighth at 6min02.

Motobikes:
O9:53 - At CP 2 after 242kms, Meoni (KTM - n.1) still has the best time. Second is Despres (KTM - n.7) at 5min29. Sainct (KTM - n.3) is at 5min41.

General Notes:
10:26 - 107 bikes, 64 cars and 28 trucks have made it to the start line of the special between Siwa and Dakhla in Egypt. Have pulled out of the rally: De Mevius (n.205), Katayama (n.243), Salinero (n.234), Morize (n.251), Servia (n.209), De Rooy (n.414).

Truck:
10:27 - At CP 1 after 107kms, De Rooy (DAF - n.409) has the best time. Second is Tchaguine (Kamaz - n.407) at 4min56.

Cars:
10:27 - At km 14, Marc Joineau (Buggy - n.222) was forced to pull out of the race after breaking his engine.

Motobikes:
10:37 - At CP 2 after 242kms, Meoni (KTM - n.1) still has the best time. Second is Despres (KTM - n.7) at 5min29. Sainct (KTM - n.3) is at 5min41.

Cars:
11:00 - At CP 2 after 242kms, Ari Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) still has the best time. Second is Alphand (BMW - n.221) at 2min32, followed by Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 4min42, De Villiers (Nissan - n.217)at 6min18, Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) at 6min35, Sousa (Mitsubishi - n.211) at 7min36, Biasion (Mitsubishi - n.207) at 9min02, Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 10min23.

Motobikes:
12:22 - At CP 3 after 517kms, Fabrizio Meoni (KTM - n.1) has the best time. Despres (KTM - n7) is at 10min38. Sainct (KTM - n.3) is at 11min13.

Cars:
12:23 - After 365kms, in an unoffical timing, Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) remains the fastest. Alphand (BMW - n.221) is second at 3min50, De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) at 7min10, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 12min, Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 14min.

Motobikes:
12:24 - On the finish line of the special between Siwa and Dakhla (569kms), Meoni (KTM - n.1) has clocked the fastest time. Sainct (KTM - n.3) is second at 13min 16. Despres (KTM - n.7) is third at 13min30.

In the new overall, Sainct has a 11min02 lead on Despres and 16min44 on Meoni. Meoni is now only 5min42 behind Despres.

Cars:
13:12 - At CP 3 after 517kms, Ari vatanen (Nissan - n.204) has the best time. Second is Alphand (BMW - n.221) is second at 1min35, De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) at 7min58, Sousa (Mitsubishi - n.211) at 14min23, Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 15min16, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 18min23, Biasion (mitsubshi - n.207) at 18min36, Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 19min32.

14:18 - On the finish line of the special between Siwa and Dakhla (569kms), Ari vatanen (Nissan - n.204) has clocked the best time of the day. Frenchman Luc Alphand (BMW - n.221) is second at 1min18. Third is De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) at 8min22 followed by Sousa (Mitsubishi - n.211) at 15min07, Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 16min11, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 17min43, Biasion (mitsubshi - n.207) at 18min19, Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 19min59.

14:19 - On the finish line of the special Peterhansel leads the new overall standings by 25min50 on Masuoka and 2h29min33 on Fontenay.

Truck:
14:30 - At CP 3 after 517kms, Kabirov (Kamaz - n.412) has the best time so far. Second is De Rooy (DAF - n.409) at 35sec followed by Tchaguine (Kamaz - n.407) at 4min04.

15:40 - On the finish line of the special between Siwa and Dakhla (569kms), Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz -n.412) has clocked the best time of the day. The Russian finishes 2min29 ahead of De Rooy (DAF n.409) and 7min15 ahead of team mate Tchaguine (Kamaz - n.407).

15:41 - On the finish line of the special, Vladimir Tchaguine has a 1h08min53s lead on De Azevedo and 2h26min20 on De Rooy.

-aso-