Costly Day for the ALDO Racing Team at the 2015 Dakar
Montreal, Quebec – What was to be another fine day at the 2015 Dakar Rally for the ALDO Racing team of David Bensadoun and his navigator Patrick Beaulé, turned out to be a costly one. The Canadian crew, who finished Stage 9 from Iquique to Calama, Chile in 31st place, unfortunately missed a checkpoint in the early part of the Special Stage Section, and were assessed a 40-minute penalty at the end of the day.
"We did very well on the dunes at the start of the rally as we moved up to 26th from 41st," David Bensadoun said over the phone. "We ran a lower air pressure in the engine intake and passed a lot of cars stopped near the end of the run cooling down their engines. In the next stage, we realized that we missed a checkpoint, but decided not to turn back for safety reasons. We would have been facing traffic unaware that someone had turned back."
After leaving the sandy flats, the ALDO Toyota and its passengers were in for quite a ride. "We ran 300 kilometres of hell," continued Bensadoun. "No trees, no bushes. It was like being on the moon with dust and plenty of rocks.
"Today was a very tough day, the second toughest day since the start of the rally, the worst being Day 2. It was very dusty, caused by a lot of fesh-fesh - a kind of dusty flour where it is difficult to drive - and very rocky on other parts of the course. The ride was hard on the car and on our bodies. I feel quite weak, but we made it through."
The 40-minute penalty cost them 19 positions on the day, and they were classified 50th overall. In the provisional general standing, they are still 35th.
ALDO Racing finish position following Stage 9: 50th
ALDO Racing provisional overall standings following Stage 9: 35th
The next press release will be issue Thursday, January 15 following Stages 10 and 11 of the Dakar. For daily updates, plus images and comments on Wednesday night, media and fans should visit the ALDO Racing Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/pages/ALDO-Racing/1420010304880026).
On Tap for Stages 10 and 11
CHILE - ARGENTINA
STAGE 10, Day 11 - Wednesday, January 14: Calama - Salta
BREATHTAKING
After the Chile-Argentina border, the day's special stage will start on the Salinas Grandes, more than 3,600 metres above sea level. The altitude should curb the competitors' enthusiasm and cool down their engines. The more technical final phase will separate the toughest of them from the rest. For the liaison section, the route will then follow the Paso de l'Acay, at an altitude of 4,970 metres.
Liaison sections: 501 km - Special stage: 359 km - Total: 860 km
ARGENTINA
STAGE 11, Day 12 - Thursday, January 15: Salta - Termas de Rio Hondo
DID YOU SAY TIREDNESS?
The rally will continue on two separate routes, following the famous Ruta 40 and winding through its magnificent landscapes. Drivers won't have time to relax on these fast routes though: the fatigue which will have accumulated by the 11th day of the race will demand maximum concentration on both the route and the road-book. In the cockpits of the cars and trucks, the watchword will also be vigilance; these tracks are often lined with trees.
Liaison sections: 326 km - Special stage: 194 km - Total: 520 km