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The winner of the 2009 World Quad Championship for Women, Camelia Liparoti, also finished in second position in the overall quad classification.
Now, the Italian is looking towards the Dakar. A challenge which she sees as an opportunity to get her revenge. Having failed to finish on the podium in the 2009 edition, she is quite determined to remedy that situation in January 2010… The field is of an extremely high quality, and Camelia is well aware of the challenges which await her...
«To finish in the right group … »
« The Dakar is never easy… There are so many parametres that can change the course of the event. I hope to finish the event in the right place. I wouldn’t dare to make a guess on the result; there will be plenty of time for that later. This year, the field is of a particularly high quality. With around thirty quads taking part, this is real recognition for us. And looking down the entry list, it’s clear that there’s a good crowd ! Around a dozen competitors could claim the win. It is going to be a really good fight, with some top-level battles. I must admit that I am proud today to drive in this category… My only regret is that I will be the only woman taking part in the quad class, and that there are very few women in the bikes as well.»
Practice .. the key to success ! The Dakar is a demanding race, both physically and mentally. To drive at the top level for two whole weeks needs unfailing energy. Camelia has never neglected this aspect of the sport, and works on her physical training with determination. As far as the mental side is concerned, there are no worries, as she has plenty of good advice from her ‘godfather’ in the sport, Luc Alphand, who won the Dakar in 2006.
« I train with a coach in Chamonix. It helps me a lot in order to face the Dakar, where the altitudes in the Andes can give you vertigo. Between now and the start of the race on January 1st, I will continue my preparations in order to be as sharp as a knife !»
«Always think that the hardest is yet to come… » Having read the route carefully, Camelia is beginning to get a good idea of what lies ahead. One stage in particular has caught her attention… the day before the rest day. !
« In Chile, between Iquique and Antofagasta (where the rest day will take place), this 7th stage seems to include a number of potential traps, including a « salar », which is around 3 km long…. A salar is a stretch of desert interspersed with large blocks of dry salt, where speeds can drop to less than 10 km/h… It reminds me of the El Djérid saline lake in Tunisia, where I saw a few good drivers get caught out and lose time. As a matter of fact, the organisation will accept late arrivals until 18:00 the next day, before they are declared to be out of the race. That is a true sign of how difficult this stage is likely to be... No matter what happens, I will face each day philosophically. On the Dakar, there are not fifty different ways to succeed… you have to be careful and cautious, and always think that the hardest is yet to come… » You will be able to follow
Camelia « on line »: www.dakar.com
