Dakar: Stage 16 Abu Rish - Sharm El Sheikh notes

Stage 16: Abu Rish - Sharm El Sheikh
Saturday 18th January 2003

Liaison: 413 km - Special stage: 365 km - Liaison: 50 km - Total: 828 km

Penultimate stage of the rally : the longest of the event. Set up in the Sinai mountains which will be one of the highlights of the rally. And new settings for everyone with huge mountain landscapes. The major part f the special takes place in oueds with small sand sections as well as 100m high cliffs. The special will be the scene of magnificent green landscapes, difficult rocky crossings. The previous stage not being very difficult, the competitors will have to cope with very little rest. They start the stage with a 400km liaison. The first competitors take off at 0h30. Will follow, 365kms of a tricky special between canyons and rocky portions.

Spectacular view of the Sharm El Sheikh area.

Photo by Nissan Europe.

Motobikes:
09:30 - At CP1, (km137), Marc Coma (KTM - n.10) has the best time. Second is PG Lundmark (KTM - n.16) at 3min15sec followed by Meoni (KTM - n.1) at 3min57.

Cars:
09:40 - At km 66, overall leader Stephane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) is stopped with mechanical worries. It appears his radiator is leaking. He has stopped at least 20minutes.

Motobikes:
09:42 - At a secret CP between CP1 (km137) and CP2 (km253), Marc Coma (KTM - n.10) still has the best time. Second is Sainct (KTM - n.3) at 1min15 followed by PG Lundmark (KTM - n.16) at 1min36sec, Despres at 3min12, Meoni (KTM - n.1) at 3min47.

Cars:
10:45 - At km 137, Giniel De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) has the best time. Second is Ari Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) 1min41 followed by Biasion (Mitsubishi - n.207) at 3min45, Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 7min10, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 7min32, Peterhansel (KTM - n.206) at 26min55. Between Masuoka has gained 19min23 on Peterhansel wich means that Peter has a 6min17 lead overall on the Japanese.

Motobikes:
10:45 - At a secret CP between CP1 (km137) and CP2 (km253), Marc Coma (KTM - n.10) still has the best time. Second is PG Lundmark (KTM - n.16) at 2min21 followed by Sainct (KTM - n.3) at 2min42sec Despres at 3min18, Meoni (KTM - n.1) at 3min50.

10:57 - At CP2 (km253), Marc Coma (KTM - n.10) still has the best time. Second is PG Lundmark (KTM - n.16) at 2min21 followed by Sainct (KTM - n.3) at 2min42sec, Despres at 3min18, Meoni (KTM - n.1) at 3min50.

Cars:
11:54 - At a secret CP between CP1 (km137) and CP2 (km253), Giniel De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) has the best time. Second is Ari Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) 3min19 followed by Biasion (Mitsubishi - n.207) at 5min14, Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 9min51, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 13min02, Peterhansel (KTM - n.206) at 21min16. At the CP, Masuoka has lost time on Peter but still gains 8min14 on the Frenchman which means that Peter has a 17min36 lead overall on the Japanese.

General Notes:
11:55 - 100 bikes, 61 bikes and 28 trucks were this morning on the start line of the special between Abu Rish and Sharm EL Sheikh.

Cars:
11:55 - Just after CP2, Stephane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) stopped for three minutes to check out his vehicle before taking off.

Truck:
12:08 - At CP1, (km137), Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz - n.412) has the best time so far. Second is De Rooy (Daf - n.409) at 10min24, followed by De Azevedo (Tatra - n.410) at 11min37 and Tchaguine (Kamaz - n.407) at 14min48

Motobikes:
12:19 - On the finish line of the special between Abu Rish and Sharm El Sheikh, Cyril Despres (KTM - n.7) clocks the best time of the day. Second is Sainct (KTM - n.3) at 2min35, followed by Coma (KTM - n.10) at 6min20, Meoni (KTM - n.1) at 6min51, Lundmark (KTM - n.16) at 11min49.

Cars:
12:44 - At km314, Luc Alphand (BMW - n.221) has stopped for mechanical reasons. The Frenchman is repairing.

13:05 - At CP3 (km325), Biasion (Mitsubishi - n.207) has the best time. Second is Fontenay (Mitsubishi - n.202) at 4min28 followed by Giniel De Villiers (Nissan - n.217) at 6min45, Masuoka (Mitsubishi - n.200) at 9min40, Ari Vatanen (Nissan - n.204) at 11min15.

13:21 - Before CP3 (km306), Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) has again stopped. It appears he destroyed the front left wheel of his car on a rock.

13:58 - Before CP3 (km320), Peterhansel (Mitsubishi - n.206) is still stopped. The Frenchman destroyed his front left wheel on a rock he failed to see while driving in the dust of Kleinschmidt. 'Peter" can not carry on and is awaiting his assistance.

Truck:
15:06 - On the finish line of the special between Abu Rish and Sharm El Sheikh, Firdaus Kabirov (Kamaz - n.412) claims his fourth straight success. Second is De Azevedo (Tatra - n.410) at 32min34 followed by De Rooy (Daf - n.409) at 39min54, and Tchaguine (Kamaz - n.407) at 43min11. In the overall, Tchaguine has a 1h01min50 lead on De Azevedo and 1h25min33 on Kabirov.

-aso-