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| For immediate publication |
| 2004.12.13 |
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Waiting for the Dakar...
- TEAM NISSAN FRANCE DESSOUDE - DAKAR 2005
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 The 27th edition of the Dakar promises to be fascinating, thanks to the planned route and the quality of the teams entered. No fewer than fifteen cars are hoping to fight for the lead. Team Nissan France Dessoude is placing itself as a serious outsider. The aim of its ten cars, including eight in T2 and two T1 vehicles, will be to reach Dakar on January 16th next year.
Team Manager André Dessoude has no reason to be ashamed of his choice concerning the three Pickup vehicles entered in the SuperProduction category, as Kenjiro Shinozuka, Carlos Sousa and Grégoire de Mevius will be leading an extremely motivated team.
As far as the Production category is concerned, Isabelle Patissier, reigning champion in the World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies, should confirm her fine 2004 season. Her aim for this Dakar is to win the T1 class (after finishing second in 2004). She will have a new team-mate to support her, Benoît Rousselot. The 2002 French Rally Champion, Benoît will be driving the same model of vehicle as Isabelle, a Nissan Pathfinder.
Another Team Dessoude regular will also be taking part : Paul Belmondo, with a Nissan X-Trail, as well as two Japanese drivers, both of whom are taking part in the training programme set up by Nismo (Nissan Motorsport in Japan). Neither of them is unknown to the team; Yoshio Ikemachi was victorious in T1 in 2004 with a Nissan Patrol, while Jun Mitsuhashi (who took part in the 2004 Dakar with Team Dessoude) recently won the Shamrock Rally in Morocco.
Two new drivers will be joining the team. Both are from China, and their project has the support of Nissan China, which is searching for new talent. Lang Xu and Young Zhou will have to overcome all the difficulties that this rally can throw at them in order to reach their goal. It will certainly be an experience on the sporting front, but also on the human side, as both of them will have French navigators …
 André Dessoude, affectionately nicknamed ‘the Wizard of St Lô’ by the press, appears confident as far as the 2005 Dakar is concerned.
“For this Dakar, we will have a fine team, as well as cars that we have worked on, and which we have made more reliable. Things are looking good. I am really pleased with the three crews in the Pickup cars. They get on well together, and there is a real ‘family spirit’, which is totally in line with our philosophy. I am happy that Carlos has joined us ; like Grégoire, he is first and foremost a gentleman, and a true sportsman. Grégoire and Kenjiro know the Pickup very well, and I have no doubt that those three will work as a team. Kenjiro is as motivated as ever, and impatient to get started. Paul Belmondo will be driving a T2 X-Trail T2 with a 6-speed gearbox. It will be his 6th or 7th Dakar with us … he’s aregular.
 As for the two T1 Pathfinders, Isabelle will be going for the win, while it will be a learning experience for Benoît Rousselot. Both of them will continue in the 2005 season, with a T2 Pathfinder for Isabelle and a T1 Pathfinder for Benoît, whose aim will be to retain the title won by Isabelle this year. Then we have our two young Japanese drivers, both of whom we know well. Ikemachi and Mitsuhashi are raring to go… Last but not least, we will enter two Nissan Paladin vehicles, with two Chinese drivers, whose aim will be to get to the end.
Everyone is positive within the team, the morale is excellent, but we should not forget that our rivals have progressed as well. It will be one of the finest fields in the history of the Dakar. I am impatient to be at the half-way point in order to see where we will be, but I am confident.”
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