GRANADA-DAKAR 1999
Communique 18
LEG 16: SAINT-LOUIS - DAKAR
Distance: 260 KM
Stage distance: 20 KM


DAKAR, SENEGAL
Sunday, January 17, 1999

Hotly Contested 21st Dakar Reaps Second Place for Prieto And Third for Kleinschmidt in Mitsubishis While French Sports Star Alphand Grabs Dakar Production Class Victory

In one of the most hotly contested Dakars in recent history, Spain's Miguel Prieto scored a personal best on the 21st Granada - Dakar by taking second position in his Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero after a tense battle with eventual winner Jean-Louis Schlesser in a Schlesser buggy. In third place was Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany who became the first woman in the history of the Dakar to achieve a podium position in her Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero.

A delighted Prieto commented: "When we started I didn't imagine that we could get second place. Both my Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero and the Ralliart support team were perfect. Next year I'll come back and win! For now I'm just looking forward to seeing my wife again!"

Happy with third and her place in history, Kleinschmidt added: "It was great when we led in the first half of the rally, but I am very proud of getting third place. I'm very happy to be here and now I'm going to focus on winning next year!"

There was more success for Mitsubishi when former world ski champion Luc Alphand of France emerged victorious in the competitive T1 category for standard production vehicles in a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. The French sports star headed a Mitsubishi 1-2 in the category after dominating the event, with Brazilian Klever Kolberg finishing second in a Pajero/Montero, after beating off challenges from the Toyotas of Sarrazin and Asaga who finished third and fourth respectively.


Said a delighted Alphand: "Last year we broke down two days before the finish, so I think this is great! I'm just happy I reached the finish, and to win the T1 class as well is fantastic!"

In the searing heat of the Sahara Desert and the oppressive humidity of the African bush, many of the original 88 cars entered in the event fell foul of the conditions and retired, with just 40 making it to the finish in Dakar.

From the beginning in Granada, it was clear that this was to be no ordinary Dakar Rally, with more closely matched drivers and cars than ever. In addition to the strong field of Mitsubishis, there were potentially winning entries from Nissan and Toyota, and the ever-present threat from the Schlesser buggies.

Initially, the Mitsubishis had the upper hand, with all-girl crew Jutta Kleinschmidt of Germany and Sweden's Tina Thorner making history by becoming the first female crew ever to lead the Dakar in their Mitsubishi Pajero/MOntero when they slipped in front between Agadir and Tan Tan in Morocco. For three days they held onto the lead until bad luck intervened and they dropped to third place by the half way mark in Burkina Faso.

Even then, just 5m 40s split the top three drivers after 4,380 km of hard driving. By this point, Jean-Louis Schlesser's buggy had grabbed the lead from Spaniard Miguel Prieto. Driving a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero and co-driven by French navigator Dominque Serieys, Prieto's previous best on the Dakar was ninth last year, but he soon became embroiled in a very closely fought battle with the experienced Schlesser, often with only seconds separating them at the end of each leg.

The battle came to a head on the 12th competitive section when Prieto and Schlesser were running neck-and-neck through the desert and accidentally collided with each other in a scene more reminiscent of a Formula One motor race rather than a two week endurance event in Africa.

Eventually, Prieto was forced to settle for second, but Schlesser won by just half an hour in the end. Meanwhile, Kleinschmidt suffered from too many unfortunate delays due to punctures in the second half of the event to challenge for the lead, but was delighted to finish third, a record for all-girl crews on the Dakar.

Former Dakar winner Kenjiro Shinozuka of Japan, co-driven by Frenchman Henri Magne in the Team Mitsubishi Oil Ralliart Pajero/Montero, took fourth place after losing time in Morocco with punctures and being delayed just 60 km before Tidjikja when he ran out of fuel and was rescued by fellow Mitsubishi driver Jean-Pierre Fontenay. Fontenay, who won last year, ended up ninth in his Team PIAA Ralliart Pajero/Montero, co-driven by Gilles Picard, after serious delays in the first half of the event with punctures and driving the entire length of the 625 km stage between Bir Mogrein and Atar with a smashed windscreen.

Shinozuka commented: "There are good times in rallying and there are bad times. When bad luck comes several times at once, this is the result. But, I am a positive thinker, so I will learn from my bad luck and the experience, and make use of it for the next challenge."

Irrepressible Frenchman Fontenay added: "I was unlucky this year. Although my Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero was great, I suffered so many unlucky incidents. But, I'll try to cheer myself up and focus on coming back to do better next year!"

Hiroshi Masuoka, from Japan, and his German navigator Andreas Schulz, suffered delays with punctures and minor fuel problems in the first leg and dropped to fifth in the Team Ralliart Pajero Sport/Montero Sport by the half way point. They then became entangled in a major battle with the Nissans driven by Stephane Peterhansel and Thierry De Lavergne, but the Mitsubishi pair beat their rivals to Dakar, eventually finishing in sixth place with Peterhansel and De Lavergne behind them in seventh and eighth respectively.

Said Masuoka: "I am not happy with sixth place. The Pajero Sport/ontero Sport is very good, but you must also have good luck on your side. Maybe I must prepare much earlier for next year's Dakar."

Portuguese driver Carlos Souza, co-driven by Willy Alcaraz, did particularly well in the Mitsubishi L200, making an appearance in the top 10 before bad luck saw them drop to 18th at Dakar.