2017 Dakar

May as well get the discussion started.

Peugeot returning to defend their title with four 3008DKRs. The updated Peugeots look
radically different than the more true to road going competitors from Toyota and Mini.

I'm still on Peugeot Sport's Email list from the LMP-1 days.

BHW

The four PEUGEOT 3008DKRs ready for 2017 DAKAR action!
December the 31h, 2016
With just hours to go before the start of the 2017 Dakar on Monday, January 2, in Asuncion, Paraguay, Team Peugeot Total has its sights set on a repeat of the triumph it secured on the 2016 event. Stéphane PETERHANSEL, Carlos SAINZ, Cyril DESPRES, Sébastien LOEB and their respective co-drivers are eager for action to kick off in their brand-new PEUGEOT 3008DKRs which face a total distance of some 9, 000km and potentially one of the toughest Dakars on record.
• This is Peugeot’sthird Dakar start in South America. The Dream Team’s four crews are identicalto those who contested last January’s event, namely 2016 victors StéphanePETERHANSEL/Jean-Paul COTTRET (N°300), Carlos SAINZ/Lucas CRUZ (N°304), CyrilDESPRES/David CASTERA (N°307) and Sébastien LOEB/Daniel ELENA (N°309).

• Like itspredecessor, the 2008DKR, and unlike its 4x4 opponents, the PEUGEOT 3008DKR featurestwo-wheel drive transmission. Compared with last year’s winning car, the 3008DKRstands out through numerous evolutions to the engine, suspension andaerodynamics. Also new is its air-conditioning system which has been designedto keep the team’s crews cool and competitive in hot weather.

• The fourTeam Peugeot Total-entered PEUGEOT 3008DKRs arrived in Asunción, Paraguay, onThursday, December 29. Three of them were freighted via Argentina from PeugeotSport’s base in Vélizy, near Paris, France, while Cyril DESPRES’ car arrivedfrom Chile after high-altitude engine-mapping bench testing earlier this month.

• Ahead ofscrutineering, Team Peugeot Total organised a shakedown test for its cars atthe Ruben Dumot Autodrome, in the suburbs of Asuncion. The small group ofspectators included France’s ambassador to Paraguay and former tennis star VictorPecci who is today the country’s Minister of Sport.

• After pre-start scrutineering and a ceremonialsend-off in front of what is expected to be a huge turnout on January 1, thefour PEUGEOT 3008DKRs will remain in parc ferme until the start at 9am onMonday, January 2.
“QUOTE, UNQUOTE…”

Bruno FAMIN
“Our shakedowntest enabled us to finetune the last few details and finish the preparation ofour cars and spares. It was also a good opportunity for our drivers to findtheir marks before the start. We succeeded in ticking off all the jobs thatwere on our list but you can never claim to be completely ready for the Dakar, simply because you never know what the event is going to throw at you. Theweather is always a key factor, of course, and it looks like it will beunsettled for the first few days, with a cocktail of storms and heat. Thatcould play a big role and we are naturally also wary of the two other factoryteams we face this year, namely Mini and Toyota. We are perhaps a little warierof the latter due to the changes to the balance of performance regulations whichaffect the diesel turbo and petrol engines. It is also represented by somestrong crews so the competition promises to be fiercer than ever. The event islikely to be highly complex, too, as a result of modifications to the navigationregulations.”

Stéphane PETERHANSEL (PEUGEOT3008 DKR #300)
“I think wehave worked well all year and stacked up as many cards in our favour aspossible, both on the human and technical fronts. This event is neverstraightforward, of course, but I don’t feel under any particular pressure. Ijust want to get started! My aim is to have fun driving the new PEUGEOT 3008DKRwhich has changed in several areas compared with the 2008DKR. That’s a goodthing because the Dakar has become more of an out-and-out sprint than a desert marathon.I am curious to see what the effect of spending so much time at high altitudesin Bolivia will be. That’s something that will be new for everyone. Having airconditioning will be a plus. It was very hot and humid during our shakedowntest but the system fulfilled its role perfectly. It’s great to have it, interms of both comfort and performance.”

Carlos SAINZ (PEUGEOT 3008DKR #304)
“We havethe speed. After all the work we have done this year, I can’t wait to getstarted here in Paraguay. I think we have worked in the right direction withthe 3008DKR. It appears to be more reliable than last year’s car and perhapseven a little faster despite the engine air restrictor we have had to fit tocomply with the regulations. It’s difficult to have an opinion about the routesince we only have a global overview for the moment. We will just have to bepatient because you never really know what the Dakar is going to throw up. Everyoneseems to think the stages will be hard and my experience tells me to becautious.”

Cyril DESPRES (PEUGEOT3008 DKR #307)
“I’mdelighted to be taking part in the Dakar on four wheels for the third time, andfor the 17th time in total. I feel a little more reassured because Iam beginning to get a really good feel for the car. Winning last summer’s SilkWay Rally and running at the front of the field on the Rallye du Maroc gave mea chance to explore its limits even more. I feel in great shape, both mentallyand physically. I have less experience than the others on four wheels so Iparticularly appreciate the fact that the 3008DKR has been made even morestable thanks to the work that has been done on the chassis and suspension. It’sa factor that is perhaps less critical for my team-mates but it’s important formy confidence. The stages will naturally be a huge challenge, with high altitudesin Bolivia, followed by sand dunes and bush in Argentina during the second week.It’s got the makings of being a hard Dakar for the co-drivers, too. Thewaypoint controls are a fresh parameter they will quickly need to get a graspof.”

Sébastien LOEB (PEUGEOT3008 DKR #309)
“Last year, practically everything about the Dakar was new for Daniel and me. We tended tobe stronger on the tracks and trails but there was room for improvementwhenever we strayed off road. We consequently worked very hard during 2016, especially on the Silk Way Rally which brought us some valuable experience lastsummer. I hope that will be enough for us to be competitive both on the WRC-stylestages and off road. Compared with the 2008DKR, the PEUGEOT 3008DKR is globallya little better in every area. A great deal of work has gone into the engineand suspension, as well as into the car’s electronic systems to cure the minor issueswe had from time to time last year. The engine has improved but we will bepenalised by the air restrictor dictated by the latest technical regulations. Thatsaid, we still have plenty of suspension travel to be able to soak up the roughterrain and travel at speed over rough ground. I feel quite relaxed but I amacutely aware of the fact that the Dakar lasts two weeks and there will nodoubt be plenty of surprises. We therefore need to stay focused and take eachday as it comes. We will try to do our best all the way and we’ll see what sortof result that lands us at the finish…”


HOWTO RECOGNISE THE FOUR 3008DKRs…
The four3008DKRs can be recognised by their competition number and the colour of thestrip on the air intake over the cockpit:
· Stéphane PETERHANSEL/Jean-PaulCOTTRET: N°300, yellow strip.
· Carlos SAINZ/Lucas CRUZ: N°304, bluestrip.
· Cyril DESPRES/David CASTERA: N°307, red strip.
· Sébastien LOEB/Daniel ELENA: N°309, whitestrip.


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third stage over
big boys at the top in the cars
good news in the bikes
Rick brabec in the top ten
nav problems for everyone
looked like a circus with vehicles going every direction
Toyota cars even banged into each other
russkies on top in the trucks

 

Is there any tv coverage?

 

NBCSN. 5:30CST or thereabouts

 

There is live streaming coverage presented by Red Bull.

Sorry, don't have the URL at hand.

BHW

 

Thanks --- found it - Couple of broken legs, struck by lightning, no Robby Gordon, should be interesting.

 

Bolivia hasn't been kind
The stage was shortened due to weather
Three top runners out
old man sainz not only rolled over five times then rolled down a fifty foot cliff
said he was a little stiff today
Aussie rider price out with broken leg
Peugeot strong

 

Saw video of Sainz's rollover, crazy stuff!

BHW

 

Some computer problems have knocked me offline for a few days but we're back and
as good as ever.

Peugeot scored a 1-2-3 finish in today's stage.

Over and above anything else, the images that come out of Dakar are simply spectacular
if what I'm getting from Peugeot Media each day is any indication, their photographers are
tasked with a nearly impossible job and produce these stunning images on a near daily
basis, all due props.

Pity about the weather knocking out some of the special stages where Toyota could
have used their 4WD advantage.

A 1-2-3 finish for the PEUGEOT 3008DKRs after a turbulent day
Friday January 13th, 2017 - ES 10/12
Thursday’s stage, made hazardous for competitors by some particularly tricky navigation, saw the three PEUGEOT 3008DKRs lock out the podium for the fourth time since the start of the 2017 Dakar Rally. The result has taken the three crews even further clear at the top of the leaderboard. Peterhansel/Cottret notched up their third stage victory of the event and are back in the lead, although the day’s sporting news was marred by the accidental injury sustained by biker Simon Marcic.
• Stage 10 of the 2017 Dakar Rally provided crews with more complex navigation which caused many of them to squander chunks of time as they endeavoured to trigger the Passage Control waypoints. Meanwhile, Peterhansel/Cottret collided with a motorcycle competitor travelling in the opposite direction along a narrow trail. The 2016 winners stopped to provide the biker with assistance. Deeply affected by the incident, they stayed with him until the arrival at the scene of the medical helicopter approximately a quarter-of-an-hour after the accident. Once the minutes spent attending to the motorcyclist were subtracted from the French pair’s time, they were accredited with their third fastest time of this year’s event and they currently top the provisional standings by a margin of 5m50s. The rider, Simon Marcic, suffered an open tibia-fibula fracture.

• Like the majority of their fellow competitors, Loeb/Elena fell foul to the day’s challenging navigation. They got lost on several occasions and dropped time triggering certain Passage Control waypoints. They recovered brilliantly during the latter part of the stage, however, to post the day’s second-fastest effort.

• Despres/Castera did a solid job on the navigational front to round out Team Peugeot Total’s one-two-three finish. No team orders have yet been issued.

TYPE OF TERRAIN: trial-like portions, tracks, water crossings.
CONDITIONS: frequent difficult navigation.
TEMPERATURE : between 23°C and 43°C
AVERAGE SPEED: 108 kph
TOP SPEED: 186kph


CLASSIFICATION – LEG 10:
1. PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) / COTTRET J-P. (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, 4 h 47 min 00s
2. LOEB Sébastien (FRA) / ELENA Daniel (MON), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, + 7 min 28s
3. DESPRES Cyril (FRA) / David CASTERA (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, + 10 min 01s
4. AL RAHJI Yazeed (SAU) / GOTTSCHALK Timo (GER), Mini, + 19 min 03s
5. TERRANOVA Orlando (ARG) / SCHULZ Andreas, Mini, + 20 min 12s


PROVISIONAL STANDINGS AFTER LEG 10:
1. PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) / COTTRET J-P. (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR , 24h 58 min 43s
2. LOEB Sébastien (FRA) / ELENA Daniel (MON), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, + 5 min 50s
3. DESPRES Cyril (FRA) / David CASTERA (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, + 25 min 40s
4. ROMA Nani (ESP) / HARO Bravo (ESP), Toyota Hilux, + 1 h 00 min 55s
5. DE VILLIERS Giniel (ZAF) / VON ZITZEWITZ Dirk (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, + 1 h 42 min 54s
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Landmark 1-2-3 glory for the PEUGEOT 3008DKR on 2017 Dakar Rally
Saturday January 14th, 2017 - ES 12/12
The brand new PEUGEOT 3008DKRs of Peterhansel/Cottret, Loeb/Elena and Despres/Castera completed the 2017 Dakar Rally’s 9, 000-kilometre run through Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina on the top three steps of the final podium in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Today’s landmark one-two-three result takes PEUGEOT’s score on the famous cross-country rally to six outright victories and is ideally timed to coincide with the launch of the new Peugeot 3008 SUV’s career across the world.
RED, WHITE AND BLUE
Thirty years after its initial Dakar Rally success in 1987, Peugeot provided another demonstration of its know-how with an assertive one-two-three finish on this year’s event in South America. Peterhansel/Cottret, the most successful crew in the event’s history, flew the French tricolour high and proud as they steered their PEUGEOT 3008DKR over this year’s challenging route which included high-altitude running, tougher navigation and appalling weather. The 2017 rally turned out to be a close, drama-packed affair with numerous leader changes and exceptionally small gaps at the order’s sharp end from start to finish.

A NEW RECORD FOR STÉPHANE ‘MONSIEUR DAKAR’ PETERHANSEL
They say 13 is unlucky for some, but Stéphane Peterhansel is unlikely to subscribe to that theory now that he has beaten his own record and taken his personal tally of Dakar Rally wins to 13 in total (six on two wheels, seven on four wheels). Stéphane Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret produced a near-perfect run this time round to clock up their seventh success together, allowing the latter to register a new record for co-driver victories.

FAST-LEARNING WORLD CHAMPIONS
Sébastien Loeb/Daniel Elena demonstrated impressive progress on only their second Dakar Rally outing. In addition to emerging as the fastest crew of the fortnight, they combined shrewd pace management with strong navigational skills. Their chances of victory took a blow on Day 4, however, when an engine issue cost them 26 minutes, proving cruelly decisive in the final reckoning. The Franco-Monegasque pair ended up second overall for the second year running and posted the highest number of fastest stage times (five from 10).

FIRST PODIUM HONOURS ON FOUR WHEELS
After coming seventh overall in 2016, Cyril Despres and David Castera shared the Dakar Rally’s podium celebrations for the first time on four wheels after previously securing five and three bike victories respectively. The crew of the N°307 PEUGEOT 3008DKR also recorded their first fastest time in the car category and even appeared at the top of the provisional leader board on the evening of Day 4 after one of the 2017 event’s most selective stages, hinting that there’s still plenty more to come from the French pair.

UNFORTUNATE EARLY EXIT
After providing further evidence of their speed, Sainz/Cruz were in the process of easing into the provisional lead when they were unfortunately eliminated. Damage sustained by the N°304 car in a series of rolls on Stage 4 proved too much for the mechanics to repair within the authorised time and the Spaniards were forced to hand in their timecard at the bivouac in Tupiza.

A WORTHY SUCCESSOR
The PEUGEOT 3008DKR successfully took over the baton from last year’s winning car – the PEUGEOT 2008DKR – to make an immediate mark on the world’s toughest cross-country rally. The two-wheel drive car warded of its all-wheel drive opposition to reveal the value of the technical configuration chosen by Team Peugeot Total. In spite of unfavourable changes to the regulations (bigger air restrictor), work on the car’s engine and suspension in recent months paid big dividends. At the same time, the switch to a body shape derived from that of the Peugeot 3008 SUV permitted an aerodynamic package which favoured high top speeds.

A SOLID GOLD DAKAR RECORD
Team Peugeot Total’s one-two-three finish on the 2017 event isthe latest in a long list of Dakar Rally successes for the brand. It is PEUGEOT’s sixth overall victory and its second podium lockout from seven participations.

PEUGEOT’s Dakar record:

1987 : 1 st, Vatanen/Giroux (205 T16 Grand Raid)
1988 : 1 st, Kankkunen/Piironen (205 T16 Grand Raid)
1989 : 1 st and 2nd, Vatanen/Berglund (405 T16 Grand Raid) and Ickx/Tarin (405 T16 Grand Raid)
1990 : 1 st, 2nd and 3rd, Vatanen/Berglund (405 T16 Grand Raid), Waldegard/Fenouil (405 T16 Grand Raid) and Ambrosino/Baumgartner (205 T16 Grand Raid)
2016 : 1 st, Peterhansel/Cottret (2008DKR)
2017 : 1 st, 2nd and 3rd, Peterhansel/Cottret, Loeb/Elena and Despres/Castera (3008DKR)

2017 DAKAR RALLY STATISTICS

COUNTRIES VISITED: Paraguay, Bolivia and Argentina.
TOTAL DISTANCE COVERED: 8, 823km (12 legs), including 4093km divided into 10 stages.
STAGE VICTORIES: nine for the PEUGEOT 3008DKR out of 10 stages contested. Loeb/Elena: 5 (Stages 2, 5, 8, 11 and 12) / Peterhansel/Cottret: 3 (Stages 3, 7 and 11) / Despres/Castera: 1 (Stage 4).
STAGE ONE-TWOS and ONE-TWO-THREES: six one-twos (Stages 3, 7, 8, 10, 11 and 12), including three onetwo-threes (Stages 3, 8 and 10).
LEADERS: Loeb/Elena (after Legs 2, 3 et 8), Despres/Castera (after Leg 4), Peterhansel/Cottret (after Legs 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12).
TOP SPEED: 203kph (Stage 2).
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURE: 45°C (Leg 2).

CLASSIFICATION – LEG 12:
1.LOEB Sébastien (FRA) / ELENA Daniel (MON), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, 28m55s
2.PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) / COTTRET J-P. (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR , +00m19s
3.DE VILLIERS Giniel (ZAF) / VON ZITZEWITZ Dirk (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, +00m30s
4.DESPRES Cyril (FRA) / David CASTERA (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, + 00m53s
5.RAUTENBACH Conrad (ZWE) / HOWIE Robert (ZWE), Toyota, + 1m00s

DAKAR 2017 FINAL OVERALL POSITIONS - AFTER LEG 12:
1.PETERHANSEL Stéphane (FRA) / COTTRET J-P. (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR , 28h 49m30s
2.LOEB Sébastien (FRA) / ELENA Daniel (MON), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, +05 m13s
3.DESPRES Cyril (FRA) / David CASTERA (FRA), PEUGEOT 3008DKR, +33m28s
4.ROMA Nani (ESP) / HARO Bravo (ESP), Toyota Hilux, +1h16m43s
5.DE VILLIERS Giniel (ZAF) / VON ZITZEWITZ Dirk (ZAF), Toyota Hilux, +1h49m48s


“QUOTE, UNQUOTE…”

Bruno Famin, Peugeot Sport Director, Team Manager Peugeot Total
“After such an emphatic win today, it’s obviously been a positive event for us. We got three cars onto the podium and that’s an accomplishment PEUGEOT and everyone at Peugeot Sport can be proud of. The 3008DKR won the Dakar at first attempt, so there’s every reason to be pleased with the jobs performed by everyone in the team, from the mechanics to the crews. We functioned as a single unit and team spirit prevailed, not only on the rally but also during the design, preparation and servicing of the cars. The drivers and co-drivers never hesitated to help each other out, to an even greater extent than last year. Everybody feared this year’s Dakar – justifiably in my opinion. This tension led the members of the team to work even more closely together and the reward is a fantastic overall team result. As far as the car is concerned, the biggest step forward was its reliability. We didn’t have any mechanical issues, with the exception of a small problem which, it can be said, deprived Loeb an Elena of the win. All our work upstream of the event paid off in the form of enhanced performance. I know it can bring added stress but, for me, the thought of issuing team orders was inconceivable. As a result, everyone was able to savour the intensity of the fight to the end, including with the crews themselves!”

Stéphane Peterhansel (PEUGEOT 3008DKR #300)
Overall: 1st / Leg 12: 2nd
“This is a superb win for PEUGEOT and I was delighted to have such an exceptional car. I was also glad that Bruno Famin didn’t issue any team orders. It was an open fight all the way to the finish. We faced stiff competition, not only from our own team-mates, with three other strong drivers in the squad, but also from the other teams. It didn’t take long for an initial hierarchy to emerge, though, and soon there were just four, then two drivers challenging for the victory. My duel with Sébastien was intense and also quite stressful. At the same time, we had tremendous fun driving. It was never easy because Sébastien is a proven champion and extremely fast, and he has plenty of experience of managing from in front, so it was never straightforward for us, as can be seen by the small gap that separated us at the finish.”

Sébastien Loeb (PEUGEOT 3008DKR #309)
Overall: 2nd / Leg 12: 1st
“It was a good event for us and, even though we ended up second, we were involved in the thick of the fight for first place from start to finish. After the small engine problem we suffered early on, we never stopped pushing. It was very exciting because we were flat out all the time, especially on the anti-penultimate and penultimate stages. It was a tremendous rally. It’s a shame our scrap ended when I punctured yesterday. Overall, we had great fun and we ended up second on what turned out to be a highly complex event, while PEUGEOT ended up first, second and third. That’s an extraordinary team result!”

Cyril Despres (PEUGEOT 3008DKR #307)
Overall: 3rd / Leg 12: 4th
“For us, finishing on the Dakar podium for the first time on four wheels feels like the start of a new chapter in our careers. Everyone in the team worked so hard all year-long and I am on the podium after only my third attempt at the Dakar in a car. That’s due in part to the great car I had. It ran perfectly and the drivers who finished ahead of us were none other than Stéphane Peterhansel and Sébastien Loeb, so there’s nothing to be ashamed of there! I need to keep working to be even faster on all the different types of terrain if I want to climb one or two places on the podium. David and I intend to put in whatever work is necessary to achieve that!”

Carlos Sainz (PEUGEOT 3008DKR #304)
Retired after Leg 4
“I am delighted for PEUGEOT, and congratulations to Stéphane and Jean-Paul on claiming another victory. On a personal level, I am obviously very disappointed to have retired. We had been running at a good pace from the start and the PEUGEOT 3008DKR marked a step forward compared with last year’s car. I regret not having been able to make more of its potential.”