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Total G;anada-Dakar Rally 1999 Rally By Geoff Meyer DAKAR, SENEGAL, JAN. 17 ith the slimmest of margins, Frenchman Richard Sainct scored a omewhat urpri ing win at the 1999 Total Granada-Dakar Rally. And he did it on a motorcycle that hasn't won the race in 15 years: a BMW. There was a long list of KTM riders finishing behind Sainct; they were left to wonder what they have to do to win the toughest rally in the world. Prior to Sainct's win, Yamaha, with Stephane Peterhansel at the controls, had dominated the ra e. Sainct - who, only weeks prior to the event, left the KTM team to race the special 650cc BMW bike - said, "I wanted to be alone on the team - not like at KlM, where you must share everything." Despite still being teamed up with two other BMW riders - Oscar Gallardo and Jean Bruey - it was a huge change from the scene at the KTM pit enclosure on day one, where more than 20 competitors held the title of "factory rider" - a sight that Sainct felt confirmed that he had made a good move. "I don't care what they are doing over there - I will ride a consistent rally and just take it easy," said the soon-to-be hero of Dakar. Day one of the event wa again played out in the wet weather of Europe - more (Above) Frenchman Richard Sainct rode his factorybacked BMW to victory - beating out all four-wheeled entrants as well. (Left) Sainct's teammate Oscar Gallardo held the lead position temporarily until mechanical problems ended his race prematurely. ! I :f:sif~~~~: i~~~n:s~~ ~)~~;t~o~~r::~ III lems. EVent organizers called off the major w part of stage one and, while not too ~ many riders complained, it was a shame Q for the large crowd that had arrived in • the city to spectate. Luckily, a small §! course had been laid out around the town of Granada, giving the riders a M chance to show their wet-weather skills. ~ German KlM charger Dirk Van ZitzerftI ~ witz finished with the top spot, just 1; ahead of enduro legend Giovanni Sala, of while Sainct was back in sixth place. 16 Unlike many of the riders, the French- :i man was not happy with having to run in the rain at all. "It was a joke," Sainct said. "Th rally starts in Africa. All we could have done here was wreck our chances in this muddy mess." The competitors' fir t day was extended after the ferry, which crosses from Spain to Africa, was delayed due to terrible conditions on the rough seas. orne of the riders arrived at the bivouac late in the evening. Once in Africa, it was Dakar vet ran and KTM team manager Heinz Kinigadner who showed the way. Kinigadner was in brilliant form, although British rider John Deacon, also on a KlM, aw it another way. "He was riding really quick," Deacon said. "J followed him for some time, but he was also riding on the limit. He nearly crashed a couple of times." Behind Kinigadner was Juan Roma of Spain, and with hi second place Roma would maintain the overall lead. Sainet, a nervou starter, was fourth overall, with fellow BMW rider Gallardo in sixth place. However, it would not take ainct and Gallardo long to get to the front. Gallardo took over from Roma, who cra hed and broke his hand on day five. Sainet, in econd place, played the waitinggame. South African Alfie Cox, on a KTM, held third overall with five days gone and was showing why he had won the South African Roof Over Africa rally on several occasions. For Cox, though, it would only be the start of what was to follow, as the red-headed rider started showing superspeed on the thick, sand y course. Nevertheless, he still could not match the power of the BMW riders. "It's just the start," Cox aid. "I can win this event, but 1 need to get a good rhythm. I don't w.ant to crash and 10 e it all in one day." By day seven, the two BMW riders looked likely to go away from the field, but things changed. First, Gallardo was spotted working on his bike, as electrica I problems forced him to wait until his support crew arrived. Then Sainct also arrived very late at the night's stop. "Thirty kilometers from the start, my roadbook broke," he said. "I couldn't even get it working with my hand. [ just had to follow some riders and hope. The rider I followed got lost, and I lost time. I'm lucky to be leading, but had it not been for the problems, I would have a big lead." Gallardo was not so lucky, a he dropped from fir t overall to co~pletely out of contention. Thierry Magnaldi, who was some 25 minutes down on the leader at the start of the stage, was now ju t five minutes down on Saine!. In third place was KlM's Fabrizio Meoni, who was some 17 minutes behind Sainct. More good luck was in store for a weary Sainct, a th next day's competition was canceled because riders arrived at the day's finish line very late. Australian rider Simon Pavey's story was similar to everyone else's. "I got lost in the dust and darkness," Pavey said. "I crashed and feU down a well. Had it not been for some fellow riders, I would not have made it. I eventually arrived back to the finish well after midnight." Sainct agreed with the organizers that it was a good idea to cancel the day. "This is a very tough rally and many