Rautenbach clears first stage
ACE Zimbabwean motor racing driver Conrad Rautenbach managed to clear the first stage of the tough 2017 Dakar Rally where he finished a credible 15th place out of 89-car entries on the first day of the tough two-week motor rallying event on Monday.
Rautenbach (32), the two-time African motor rally champion, is competing in the Dakar Rally for the first time in his illustrious motor racing career, and Monday saw him completing the more than 38.5km special stage, which was the first on a high-octane, high altitude 8 800km continent-crossing trek from Asuncion in Paraguay to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The opening day’s route headed out of the Paraguayan capital of Asunción towards the city of Resistencia, the largest city in the province of Chaco in north-eastern Argentina, renowned for its hot summers and agriculture. In a route of 454km, only 39km were competitive to the east of the host city, but there was no margin for error on the technical tracks chosen by race officials.
According to reports from the Argentinian city of Resistencia, Rautenbach and his top South African rally navigator Rob Howie, in a Toyota Gazoo Racing Toyota Hilux, came home in 15th place, +00:01:59 behind the first stage’s winner Nasser Al Attiyah of Qatar.
Qatari two-time winner Al Attiyah overcame a fire in his Toyota to win a dramatic opening stage of the 2017 Dakar Rally on Monday in which he completed the 38.5km special stage in 25min 41sec.
And 14 places behind Al Attiyah was our own Rautenbach, who was just over the moon after he managed to last the distance in the opening stage of the toughest race on earth which will run until January 14.
Speaking to The Herald from Resistencia on Monday night, Rautenbach said they had a “good clean run” although he was a little bit nervous on the opening day of his debut appearance at the Dakar Rally.
“Everything went okay and we finished the stage in 15th place and we had a good clean run but I was a bit nervous. I didn’t want to take took many riskies, so we took it easy but the car is good and Nasser had a problem with his engine so we had to tow him back to the service park, we towed him (for) 150km but otherwise everything is looking good for tomorrow (yesterday’s Day Two of the Dakar Rally) and thanks to everybody back home in Zimbabwe for the support,” Rautenbach said.
And the opening day of the 2017 Dakar Rally belonged to Al Attiyah who came out tops despite facing some problems with his car along the way.
“About a dozen kilometres out from the finish we smelt smoke by (co-driver) Matthieu’s (Baumel) seat and there was a bit of a fire. We slowed down to finish the stage and were able to put it out at the finish,” the Toyota driver told reporters after arriving in the Argentinian city of Resistencia.
According to reports from Resistencia, former World Rally Championship driver Xevi Pons of Spain was 24 seconds adrift in his Ford Ranger while fellow Spaniard Nani Roma came in a further 5 seconds back in his Toyota.
Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb of France was 55sec off the pace as he came in sixth while defending champion Stephane Peterhansel, also from France, was 1min 34sec behind Al Attiyah in 12th place, three places ahead of Rautenbach.
Peugeot’s Peterhansel is seek- ing to add to an extraordinary record in the race which comprises six wins apiece in both moto and auto categories.
Frenchman Philippe Croizon, a quadruple amputee who is competing in a specially adapted buggy, finished 10 minutes behind Al Attiyah.
Croizon (48) lost his limbs after he suffered a massive electric shock while working on a television antenna at his home 22 years ago.
Competitors were watching the skies before the start following days of violent tropical storms in the Paraguayan capital.
Australian KTM motorbike rider and defending champion Toby Price set out first at the start of the two-week rally, which will take participants via Bolivia through unforgiving mountainous terrain.
But the Australian finished the day in 17th position. Yahama’s Xavier de Soultrait clocked the fastest time in the motorbike section before picking up a one-minute penalty for excessive speed which saw the Frenchman demoted to tenth position.
The stage victory went to Spaniard Juan Pedrero Garcia riding a Sherco Tvs.
Riders and drivers must negotiate some 4 000km of special stages before reaching Buenos Aires on January 14.
Five stages will be held at above 3 500 metres altitude – and participants will get a day off on Sunday to see a little of the Bolivian capital La Paz, the world’s highest capital at 3 600m.
The thin conditions of the region will pose a severe endurance challenge.
The real racing got underway yesterday with an 800km stage – including a 275km special – to San Miguel de Tucuman in Argentina with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees celsius.
2017 DAKAR RALLY STAGE 1 RESULTS
CARS 1. Al-Attiyah (QAT), Baumel (FRA) TOYOTA 00:25:41 2. Pons (ESP), Garcia (ARG) FORD +24 3. Roma (ESP), Haro Bravo (ESP) TOYOTA +29 4. Sainz (ESP), Cruz (ESP) PEUGEOT +33 5. De Villiers (ZAF), Von Zitzewitz (DEU) TOYOTA +41 6. Loeb (FRA), Elena (MCO) PEUGEOT +55 7. Al Rajhi (SAU), Gottschalk (DEU) MINI +1:06 8. Despres (FRA), Castera (FRA) PEUGEOT +1:14 9. Hirvonen (FIN), Perin (FRA) MINI +1:20 10. Van Loon (NLD), Rosegaar (NLD) TOYOTA +1:22 SELECTED 12. Peterhansel (FRA), Cottret (FRA) PEUGEOT +1:34 15. Rautenbach (ZWE), Howie (ZAF) TOYOTA +1:59f
BIKES 1. De Soultrait (FRA) YAMAHA 00:28:20 2. Pedrero Garcia (ESP) SHERCO TVS +2s 3. Brabec (USA) HONDA +14s 4. Metge (FRA) HONDA +18s 5. Goncalves (PRT) HONDA +28s 6. Sunderland (GBR) KTM +29s 7. Barreda Bort (ESP) HONDA +32s 8. Walkner (AUT) KTM +42s 9. Farres Guell (ESP) KTM +48s 10. Cervantes Montero (ESP) KTM +56s
SELECTED 44. Thomas (ZAF) - HUSQVARNA +4:13 107. Evans (ZAF)- KTM +9:46 110. Terblanche (ZAF)- KTM +10:01