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After 15 days
and nearly 8,000 km, 4,309 of them a grueling race over six
countries and some of the world’s most challenging terrain,
Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart crossed the finish line in
Dakar, Senegal on January 21, 2007 and made history—twice.
Not only did the team become the first ever to claim a seventh
successive victory in a race where finishing at all is a feat
in itself, it was also a record-breaking 12th win in the team’s
25-year history.
French drivers Stéphane
Peterhansel and Jean-Paul Cottret, who won the event for the
third time in four years, beat their teammates and defending
champions Luc Alphand and Gilles Picard by just seven minutes
and 26 seconds after racing across Portugal, Spain, Morocco,
Mauritania, Mali and Senegal.
The Mitsubishi Pajero/Montero
Evolution MPR13 provided the horsepower and rugged reliability
to traverse mountain passes, sand dunes and craggy rock lands.
Unveiled at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, the MPR13 proved it
was up to the task in the UAE Desert Challenge race the same
year.
Team Repsol Mitsubishi
Ralliart had put up a strong performance throughout the race,
but the turning point came when long-time leader and rival
Giniel de Villiers suffered problems in the arid sahel region
of Mauritania. Over the remaining six days of the race, careful
team management, thorough preparation and driver professionalism
ensured Mitsubishi’s place in the lead, earning it yet
another record victory. |
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