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 | SA-Dakar: An exceptional Rally for Nissan and Buggy-Team Dessoude.
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The 2011 vintage of the Dakar will go down in the history books for the French Team Dessoude. Throughout the 15 days the crews fought hard to obtain the team’s best results on this legendary event, which was held the third time in South America. After a high-pressure final stage, Team Dessoude stopped by the side of the road, to meet up one final time before the official ceremonies.
It was the perfect opportunity for the team’s "patriarch", André Dessoude, to congratulate his whole family and to look back over the past fortnight: "When you win, it is always difficult to find the right words to say how you feel. Curiously, it is easier when you lose. This evening, we are all relieved, despite the team’s exhaustion" he said.
"The crews have been magnificent. Christian Lavieille and Jean-Michel Polato have given us the 8th place in the overall classification, 1st petrol car and 1st of the private teams. Isabelle Patissier has been perfect, finishing in the top 20 and claiming the third spot on the two-wheeldrive podium. Fred Chavigny is incredible. He has finished 25th, with as a bonus, the second place in T2 - and the first T2 petrol car."
Dessoude continued: "An exceptional Dakar 2011 for our Team. We have had a long, difficult Dakar, testing for the teams during the day, and exhausting for the technical crews at night. We have overcome our difficulties, survived the problems, and I have a thought today for our crews which had to retire, like 176 others. This event will remain indelibly written in my memory, a true human adventure, and it is with emotion that we can claim our team’s best result."
Christian Lavieille was happy: "Mission accomplished! It was long, it was difficult, there was plenty of pressure the car, the driving, the navigation, this is really a team effort. We have all proved that we are fast and efficient, and have rubbed out the retirements from the previous editions. This is a well-deserved reward for all those who have worked towards this result."
Jean-Michel Polato: "I am very happy, very touched. I did not hope for so much. It is amazing to have been up with the factory cars and to finish in the top ten. Christian is incredible, he has once again astonished me with his reflexes and his ability to analyse difficulties."
Frédéric Chavigny: "We’ve done it ! We’re in the top 25, on the production category podium, and we brought the baby back in one piece. Despite a few problems, we managed this Dakar. We upped the pace gradually, to finish at a higher pace than all our rivals. It is really very satisfying."
Isabelle Patissier: "There, it’s over, we did it! We got the buggy to the finish line, despite it had done no crosscountry events before this rally. It is really excellent. We had no problems, and our mechanic did a wonderful job. This Dakar was long, and on this sort of rally, you often have bad periods, days with nothing but problems. We got past our black day and we managed to overtake plenty of competitors in the overall classification. We have finished third in the two-wheel-drive class, with plenty of memories, and our fill of landscapes."
2011/01/18 | 13:11 CET | ARTICLE: MR/SY/DESSOUDE
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