Dakar : Marathon day for escorting armadaThe Dakar Rally`s sixth stage from Tan Tan to Zouerat was the hardest to date for the support team: Almost half of the 750-kilometre long service route was driven "off-road”. Helmets are also compulsory for the team members riding in the support vehicles off the paved roads. After the team arrived at the stage finish in Zouerat after 14 to 16 hours drive it started immediately with the evening routine-service on the five Race Touareg 2 prototypes.
Acid test for Service-Touareg
For the first time ever at the Dakar Rally, Volkswagen relies on ten Touareg V6 TDI vehicles in the escort armada. The ten vehicles modified for service requirements passed their first acid test on the off-road stage. "We`d already fared extremely well with the Touareg V10 TDI in the desert. The new Service-Touaregs have also proved themselves”, explained service vehicle Project Manager Chris Beck. "The new V6 TDI is lighter and has a longer range thanks to its lower fuel consumption. We have also improved the suspension.”
Volkswagen team top-fit
The Volkswagen Motorsport team is still in excellent health after seven days of rallying. "The entire team is top-fit, although the physical demands made by the long daily stages, working in the heat and dust and camping in the desert at night in low temperatures are very high”, adds Beate Zerbe, who follows the rally as Volkswagen Team Doctor. The medic has only had to deal with a few cases of flu until now. "Certainly one of the reasons for the excellent state of health is the fact that the team members take precautions, eat healthily and make sure that they only drink bottled water. Additionally, there is an excellent bond of trust within the team, and the driver teams and service personnel report to me at the first sign of any weakness or if they don`t feel one-hundred per cent.”
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volkswagen,
dakar,
tan-tan,
zouerat,
bivouac,
touareg,
