Carlos Sousa marked fifth overall

Over this very technical special stage, Carlos Sousa opted for prudence. It would have been pointless to endanger his hopes before even arriving in Africa. The Portuguese driver set the 8th fastest time, and is now in fifth position overall, in among the official teams. Team GALP ENERGIA is playing the role of spoilsport among the factory teams…

On this first day of the new year, it was in the heart of the Algarve that the organisers drew up the second timed sector of this 28th edition of the Dakar. A magnificent special stage, 115 km long (exceptional in Europe), which placed the emphasis on driving skills. Like the day before, the Portuguese spectators flocked to watch alongside the route, to the great pleasure of the Team GALP ENERGIA crew. Moreover, the sun was shining, which did not spoil the party !

Carlos Sousa, 8th today, was in a good mood, and was smiling as he crossed the line : " For a private team, we're not too bad. My aim is to place myself up among the factory teams. I would like to be a spoilsport for the official teams. Today, I opted for prudence. The stage was magnificent, but we would have had to take too many risks in order to be ahead. I prefer to arrive in Africa serene and without too much pressure. Once again, my thanks to the Portuguese public, who have been fantastic. I think this start from Portugal has been very successful, and I am both happy and proud. Tomorrow, the 'serious' work begins, with the first stage in Morocco. We'll really get down to business…"

Once again, Krzysztof Holowczyc, in the Pickup 03, shone today, setting the 11th fastest time of the day. The Polish rally specialist found today's terrain suited him perfectly : "The stage was superb, and I really enjoyed myself. We caught up with Robby Gordon but it was impossible to pass him. Our front suspension is still not set up as we would like, but it will be OK. We're 13th overall, and that is quite nice ! "

Miguel Barbosa, in the Nissan X-Trail, is proceeding with clockwork precision. Twenty-third on today's stage, he is also 23rd overall : "The stage was very different from yesterday's, but really very pleasant. We overtook quite a few cars, and at 30 km from the finish, the brakes started to overheat. We preferred to lift off, and make sure we arrived safely. "

In the second Team Dessoude Nissan Pickup 03, the duo of Mitsuhashi and Dubois opted for prudence, like their team-mates. Jacky Dubois is rather satisfied with his pupil :" Jun drove well. He took care of things without excess and without taking any risks. He is very attentive of everything I tell hi. June appears to have had fun, despite everything, on this superb route. We had no problems with the car. Our only problem : the horn didn't work! Tomorrow, the serious business gets underway…"

Our two Team Zhengzhou Paladin cars opted for prudence, as they did yesterday. Xu Lang and Fabian Lurquin were careful. Xu drove well, at the right pace, while keeping a good margin for safety. Since last year's experience on the Dakar, he is much more mature. The Chinese driver has understood what the 'Dakar pace' is all about. Zhou Yong, not quite as fast as his team-mate, also put in a faultless route. Despite complaining of a lack of brakes in his Paladin, he nevertheless finished the special stage without problems.

Marc Blazquez, in the Nissan Pickup, in on form and appears relaxed : " Everything's fine ! The track was a real rally stage, with corners and ravines. Luckily, the road-book was quite precise, considering how many tricky sections there were. Now we're heading for Spain, which will be good for us. This year, we did not start from my home land, but I must admit that the Portuguese did a very good job. "

Kenjiro Shinozuka was smiling when he crossed the finish line. One of those days when the Japanese driver appears to have enjoyed himself… "There was a lot less mud than yesterday, which pleased me. The route was narrow and winding, but very pleasant to drive. I don't have a factory car, but I have a good feeling for the Pathfinder. " It should be noted that Kenjiro's co-driver, Roberto Di Persio, was not feeling too good on this winding stage, suffering from stomach problems… As for Andrej Ivanov, he finished the 115km in a good position, setting the 28th time.

The last leg on European soil, this second Portuguese special stage was tailor-made for the rally drivers. Very technical from a driving point of view, it suited the 2002 French Rally Champion Benoit Rousselot down to the ground. With less mud than the day before, there were still plenty of spectators lining the route, in the bright sunshine.
Benoit did not even know that he had set the best time, and was very relaxed :
"I feel a lot better than yesterday, as I was quite worried. The car went perfectly, and had recovered all its competitiveness. Congratulations to all the team, which quickly pinpointed yesterday's electrical problem, and solved it. Well done ! We started off at a good pace, taking great care of the car. Sylvain was very concentrated on the notes, as it was sometimes a bit dangerous. We overtook around a dozen cars, and I must thank those competitors, who showed real fair-play. This proves that there is a good feeling in the Dakar caravan. We didn't go out to set the fastest time, but we wanted to be in the right place before landing in Morocco, where other people's dust will be our worst enemy. No matter what, I really enjoyed today's 'rally-style' stage. It was nice to go back to my roots. Tomorrow, the Dakar will really get underway, with the first Morocco special stage. Concentration, concentration… "