MONDAY 10TH JANUARY 2005 - PAGE 1 OF 2
José-Luis Monterde and Rafael Tornabell restart the Dakar Rally in 15th place on
the Atar loop stage today, after recovering from a multiple roll on Saturday.
The Spaniards BMW X5 was given a thorough service by mechanics in the dusty Atar
bivouac, with suspension and transmission components were checked and replaced
where necessary to allow the duo to continue in the event.
"The BMW is very fast and the rhythm of this year's race has been very fast,”
Monterde said during the rest day in Atar. “I was not used to the car at the
start and I knew it would take time to get used to driving it on a fast pace.
"I was not prepared to push hard too early and risk everything. But we had a lot
of niggling problems. The first day was okay, but we damaged the steering on the
second one and needed to drive a long distance on bumpy and very rocky surfaces.
It was not easy.
"On the third day we got lost for a time and then we got stuck in the sand. It
is a frustrating feeling to be bogged down in the sand, knowing that the clock
is ticking all the time. The following day we got stuck again in the sand. I was
not completely sure how to drive the car in the dunes and we were stuck again.
"We left Tichit and were stuck again after 60kms and lost one and a half hours.
But, then I felt that I found a better rhythm and I became more confident of
driving the car in the dunes and soft sand. After the accident on the stage into
Atar, I was fortunate. The car was running perfectly.
"There was a really difficult place in the dunes, where a lot of competitors got
stuck, and I realised that I was beginning to understand the car and was
confident. We had no problems there at all.
"Now I feel a lot more confident for the second week of the race. The worst of
the dunes may be behind us now, but there is a long way to go and I am happy
that we are in a good position to challenge for the top ten on the first couple
of stages after Atar."