Motorsport

Giniel ready for Dakar defence

2009-12-23 12:12
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Ready to defend (File)
Cape Town - Volkswagen's Dakar Rally drivers concluded their comprehensive preparations for the event with a weekend in snow.

The next appointment for defending champion Giniel de Villiers is now the ceremonial start on January 1 where the five Volkswagen Race Touaregs set off on their 9 000km journey through Argentina and Chile.

In Flachau (Austria) the drivers, co-drivers and team members as well as numerous celebrities and media representatives met for the final time in Europe. The squad appeared not only self-confident and in peak physical form but also in a great mood.

"The last few weeks were extremely busy for the entire team - we’ve spent a lot of time together and worked hard,” said Dr Ulrich Hackenberg, Member of the Board of Management with responsibility for Technical Development. In addition to mechanical training for drivers and co-drivers and a week of preparation covering everything to do with navigation, the final medical check-up for the drivers at the Sport Clinic Bad Nauheim was on the agenda.

Volkswagen Motorsport Director Kris Nissen said: "We’ve now done everything to prepare both man and machine perfectly for the challenge of the ‘Dakar’. The fantastic event this weekend wasn’t just a lot of fun, it also showed just what a closely-knit team our guys have become.”
 

 

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