Benoît Rousselot retakes the lead of the T2 category.

Carlos Sousa set the 10th fastest time today, between Zouérat and Atar. A terribly difficult stage which will undoubtedly bring a number of retirements. At this time, only one third of the cars have reached the bivouac.

Sand was definitely on the menu for this 7th special stage, which was 499km long. A particularly difficult stage, especially for the navigators, who had plenty of work to do in order to avoid the various traps. Carlos Sousa, in his Nissan Navara, was able to limit the damage, despite a small misadventure which he could have well done without…

"Globally, the day was satisfactory, despite a bit of time lost in the dunes. We didn't deflate the tyres in the first chains of dunes, but 5 km from the end, the car was overheating a bit, and we stopped to deflate them, and to carry on with a bit less force. We were on a slope, and I went into reverse without seeing that there were large clumps of camel grass behind us. The car stopped between the two clumps, in a difficult position, and we couldn't put down the jacks or the plaques. We had to dig ourselves out, and we lost around 55 minutes. It was really a stupid mistake on my behalf, and I am sorry for the whole Team, who put in an excellent job.
Apart from that, the car was working very well. It is very efficient over this sort of ground. I hope that the next two stages will allow us to further improve our position. It's only default is a lack of topspeed. Yesterday, there was a long, very fast, section in the middle of the stage, and both the BMWs and the Schlesser buggys literally left us standing. It was really impossible to follow them"

It was an excellent day for Benoît Rousselot, who reclaimed the lead of the Production category. He put in a fine stage, with only a slight clutch problem at the end. Miguel Barbosa, on his first Dakar, is learning quickly and well. He is currently one of the rare drivers not to have got stuck today. André Dessoude is constantly holding him back, explaining that he should not take any account of the overall classification, and he appears to have understood the importance of setting the right pace. If he continues as he did today, this Portuguese team should reach the end.

A superb result today for Jun Mitsuhashi, who set the 13th fastest time in the special stage. Quite a performance, considering the damage suffered by many today, and the large number who have not yet reached the bivouac.
Jun Mitsuhashi / Jacky Dubois in a Nissan Pickup : "At the start, we had a few navigational problems. Then we drove well, getting stuck in the sand four or five times, but nothing too serious, losing a minimum of time on each occasion. I am very pleased with our tyre choice, which proved essential. I hope we will have as much success in the next stages. I am really pleased with my collaboration with Jacky Dubois, he is really an excellent navigator."

Nissan Paladin Xu Lang/Fabian Lurquin : the Paladin arrived at the bivouac with its front end totally destroyed !
"After CP2, there was a dune where plenty of cars had already got stuck. We decided to go 200 or 300 metres to the left, and I told Xu to accelerate fully. Unfortunately, there was a big step in the rise, and we hit the front very hard. The radiator grille, the bumper, the radiator - everything had been destroyed. I stemmed the leak, picked up the pieces and got going again. Thanks to the two bikers who opened the route for us, over the last 70 kilometres, as it was dark and our headlights were gone"

Marc Blazquez and Nacho Salvador, in the Nissan Spain Pickup, had still not reached Atar at the time of writing. They have apparently stopped just before CP1, but there is no further information available. Mechanical problems, or stuck in the sand ?

Four cars at the start, and four still in the race. The Team Tecnosport Nissan vehicles are still on their way. Even if Kenjiro Shinozuka has had some teething problems with his Pathfinder (yesterday, he had a broken suspension triangle, and was forced to wait for 90 minutes for his T4 assistance truck). The two Russians Ivanov and Novitskyi are respectively 56th and 47th. Without forgetting Lu Ninjung, now in his third Dakar. We hope this situation will continue all the way to Dakar.


Tomorrow they head for Nouakchott, the day before the rest day. A day to be spent getting back in shape, men and machines alike.