GRANADA-DAKAR 1999
Communique 3
LEG 2: RABAT - AGADIR
Distance: 654 KM
Stage distance: 100 KM


AGADIR, MOROCCO,
SATURDAY, January 2, 1999

MITSUBISHI'S DOMINANCE BEGINS AS
FONTENAY TAKES DAKAR LEAD

After the first long stage, held on day two of the gruelling Dakar Rally, Mitsubishis fill the top four positions with Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay leading the pack in his Team PIAA Mitsubishi Ralliart Pajero/Montero. Fontenay won the 100 km section between Rabat and Agadir in Morocco by just 1m 49s to take the lead from leg one winner Miguel Prieto of Spain, who drives a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero.

Two hundred and ninety four bleary-eyed crews took the start of the second leg after a short night's sleep thanks to the late arrival of their ferry in Morocco, delayed by heavy seas on the Mediterranean. Of these, 85 cars and 50 trucks remained in the rally along with 159 motorbike competitors. Thankfully, the bad weather didn't follow them and they enjoyed fine weather with temperatures reaching 24 degrees Celsius.

Obviously enjoying the fine weather, rally leader Fontenay declared: "A beautiful stage to drive. Africa is fantastic and my car is fantastic!" None of the leading Mitsubishis had problems on the rough, twisting tracks as they wound their way through the forests west of Marrakech. The biggest threat to Mitsubishi's dominance should have come from the experienced Jean-Louis Schlesser who lost a further 4m 44s while charging from the back of the field in 28th position. He lost time yesterday in the mud in Spain when a windscreen wiper on his Megane Buggy jammed. His team mate, Jose Maria Servia, fared much better finishing fifth in his buggy.

One of the biggest favourites in this year's Dakar, the only Japanese driver ever to have won the event before, Kenjiro Shinozuka finished the leg in second place in his Team Mitsubishi Oil Pajero/Montero, with Prieto dropping to third in his Montero with another Japanese star, Hiroshi Masuoka taking fourth in the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport/Montero Sport.

Said Shinozuka: "A mountain stage, really, very slippery in places. But Michelin tyres are good in all conditions. This stage was only 100 km long and there is much, much more to come. Dakar is a very long way away!"

The Nissans still appeared to struggle to match the Mitsubishis and buggies for pace, with Thierry De Lavergne taking seventh behind German girl Jutta Kleinschmidt's Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. The similar Nissan of Pescarolo suffered from a slow puncture while team mate Housieaux was delayed yet again today with continuing alternator problems.

Kleinschmidt was very pleased with her performance and said: "The car is very good. I hope I can get to Dakar with a podium position."

The star of the day, however, was without doubt the former world ski champion Luc Alphand who grabbed the lead in the T1 category for standard production cars, driving a Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero. Despite the French sports star's inexperience in car rallying, he grabbed the category lead from Dakar veteran Jean-Pierre Strugo, who made it a Mitsubishi 1-2 in his similar Pajero/Montero."

Tomorrow, Sunday, January 3, 1999
LEG 3: AGADIR - TAN TAN
Distance: 510 KM
Special Stage: 230 KM

The first of the "big" stages, at 230 km long, the final Moroccan leg of the 1999 Dakar will take the surviving competitors along the Draa Valley across wide, stony tracks with a number of tricky dry riverbed crossings.

If they can survive that, they will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of the bivouac at the Atlantic coastal fishing village at Tan Tan where they can rest before the first endurance leg the following day.

21stGRANADA-DAKAR - Saturday, January 2, 1999

　　*The time, under 2nd position is the difference from the top.