And is the leading private team

Six countries crossed. 4 813 km of special stages out of a total of 9 043 km, that was the 28th edition of the Dakar. A difficult event, where only 35% of the cars entered managed to reach the Rose Lake. A very high pace, which tested both the cars and the crews alike.

Carlos Sousa is savouring his delight. A 7th place finish might not be a podium, but the competition was fierce, and it was not easy to get to the end of this 28th Dakar, particularly difficult and exacting. Mission accomplished for Team GALP ENERGIA.

" We are the first among the private teams, which is already a good thing. The team worked very well during this Dakar. A professional and attentive group of people. I would particularly like to thank Christophe Chapelain for his work, but also Jean Marie Lurquin who was kept busy, as the navigation was really not easy this year. The car worked very well, but we saw that our rivals have worked hard to increase their performances. I am very happy to be in Dakar, especially as tomorrow will be my 40th birthday… It is a fine birthday present to be here… "

This was Jean Marie Lurquin's first time as Carlos Sousa's navigator. The Belgian co-driver was delighted to have spent these two weeks of racing with the Portuguese driver, for whom he has nothing but praise : " I would say that this result is un-hoped-for. Carlos' performance has to be emphasised, as he is a private driver. He has to manage his budget and keep calm in all circumstances. He has to take care, as if he attacks, he can endanger his hopes of a result, and without results, there will be no sponsors. He is really an extraordinary driver. "

A sense of deliverance and satisfaction to have finished, even if the expected sporting result did not happen. Benoît Rousselot reached the end of his second Dakar in 2nd position of the T2 petrol category.

Problems and joy are all part of the Dakar legend, and Benoît Rousselot will remember this year as much as for the sporting experience as for its more personal dimension.

" This Dakar was particularly difficult, a lot more difficult than last year. A number of race incidents halted our progress, and made us lose time. On a sporting front, we did not achieve our aims, and our second place in the Production petrol category is only a minor consolation. Two problem-filled days only made life more difficult, and afterwards it is very difficult to catch , when your rivals do not make any mistakes. In normal conditions, it was impossible. On a more personal front, the Dakar is a still a huge adventure, and a special moment in life. You have to go very deep into yourself to find the necessary resources to remain motivated and positive. But I have to admit that Sylvain and myself were able to keep going, no matter the circumstances, even when it was very difficult and doubts could have set in.
I keep on reminding myself that I am very lucky to be able to take part in an event like this one. The Dakar is magical, even when things go wrong. Only the Dakar can give you so many different sensations and emotions, it is really legendary… "

Both Chinese teams were competitive and very disciplined. 19th place for Xu Lang is very good. In two years in the Dakar, he has finished both times in 19th position. Zhou Yong showed great motivation and determination to finish the rally, as his engine problems towards the end meant that his car was using around 40 litres of oil per day… a real show of bravery. But both are at the finish, and that is the main thing. Well done Team Zhengzhou !

For Daniele Canonico, Tecnosport Team Manager, the 2006 Dakar had mixed results : " On the Dakar, you need a certain amount of luck, that is part of the game. But I must say that we were cruelly lacking luck. From the start of the race, we had a lot of small problems, also on the assistance vehicles. I am very happy that Kenjiro Shinozuka drove the new Pathfinder. He is a very fast driver. Unfortunately, he had continuous problems with the rear suspension. Globally, this new car worked well and Novitskyi reached the finish. Now we will work to sort out these problems and make the car more reliable. "