The morning before the starting podium was devoted o the opening competitors' briefing. A set of measures was to be communicated again.
Race director Etienne Lavigne gave a warm welcome to all present competitors and members of their assistance teams and emphasized the purely off-road character of the 32th edition. The route was traditionally introduced by its creator, David Castera, who summarized the key elements. The official map booklet of the rally contains also altitudes of different stages. Especially some of the profiles of the desert stages in Atacama are breathtaking as huge parts of stages may be run in altitudes above 3000 metres. Even after the return to Argentina, there will be a very technical stony special in the Andes, as the stage to San Juan will be run in altitudes above 3000 metres and the two following specials will be mostly run in sand.
Loprais Tatra Team was be represented by the race crew and the assistance by the chief mechanic, Radim Pustejovsky. In the evening, things will get in the full move. The crews will take over their vehicles in parc fermé and the press car and assistance vehicles. First trucks are expected in the bivouac at 10:30 p.m.
Etienne Lavigne emphasized the matter of safety of all vehicles on the route. He claimed the organisers would be very persistent when checking the speed limits and passing of all waypoints. Press cars crews were given a promise their operation on the race track would be permitted by local police authorities as this element was often broken at the previous Dakar. From stage 3 to stage 9, trucks are expected to start the stage in a mixed order with cars according to times achieved in the stage before.
Jiri Vintr, Loprais Tatra Team, Buenos Aires |
