Dakar : Team Nissan Aventure - Leg 11 Even if it is sometimes difficult after his problems in recent days, Benoît Rousselot is keeping his morale and determination intact for the end of the rally. Setting the second- fastest time in the Production category, the Nancy-based driver`s objective is still Dakar, even if all hopes of victory seem to have slipped away.
Navigation, dexterity and care were the watchwords for the eleventh stage. During the last day in Mali, the competitors set off down the trails of deepest Africa. The dunes have been replaced by sumptuous forests and savannas, through which the organisation laid out a trail of narrow winding routes. Navigation was vital, the slightest error meaning dangerous about-turns. After 50 km of liaison from Kayes, great care was necessary throughout the 231 km of timed sector, before slowing down for the 424 km of liaison remaining before the Dakar caravan reached the capital of Mali : Bamako.
Each kilometre completed takes Benoît Rousselot closer to Dakar, and that is the main thing : « We did not have a particularly enthralling day today. The navigation was very complicated, and very stressful for the co- driver. We made a small mistake, and lost around five minutes. »
« We mainly took care not to put the wheels in any of the deep ditches. Basically, we ‘let out the cable`. »
« I am feeling quite good; I am pleased to still be in the race, and to feel that the finish is approaching. But no longer being in contention for the category win makes things less interesting. Our morale has certainly been affected, and it is difficult to get our motivation back. »
Tomorrow, they will head for Guinea, which the Dakar has not visited for around ten years. Labé will welcome the survivors, but as it is a marathon stage, there will be no assistance at the finish point… The crews will have to manage along, or for the luckier ones, who have a truck entered in the race, to count on their mechanics. But they are likely to arrive very late…
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nissan-aventure,
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leg-eleven,
benoit-rousselot,
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