The great adventure has begun for Maria Luís Gameiro and José Marques, the Portuguese duo who started the toughest rally in the world today. It was the first 29 km against the clock in a race that will cover more than 5000 km, divided into 12 challenging stages that will put drivers, navigators and machines to the test. Maria Luís Gameiro, the first Portuguese woman to compete in the Dakar in 15 years, returned to the controls of the X-Raid 1000R Turbo in the T3.1 category, which she had enjoyed so much in the Baja Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, where she managed to finish in the top 10.
After an exciting first taste, it's now time to tackle the big race, the Dakar, a dream come true. Over the next two weeks, the Portuguese driver and her navigator will try to reach the end of all the stages, always trying to be as competitive as possible.
The start wasn't exactly easy for Maria Luís, who is still recovering from a cold that affected her a lot and brought extra physical difficulties in the first few days. So the opening kilometers of the Dakar were about management and discovery. But the first indications were once again positive, as she took 31st place in her category, even though she used a cautious approach, without exaggerating.
At the end of the Prologue, Maria Luís Gameiro was satisfied with her result and excited about what lay ahead: “I'm very happy to have competed in my first stage of the Dakar. The dream is finally coming true and the first sensations are good. Although I'm still recovering from a cold that has affected me greatly, making the last few days very difficult, I managed to get a positive result in the Prologue, finishing just outside the top 30. I had fun, I managed to set a good pace and I felt I wasn't taking any risks. I should point out that the Prologue was quite fast, proof of which is the fact that it took me just over 20 minutes to cover less than 30 kilometers, with a car limited to 135 km/h top speed. The machine continues to show good signs and give pleasant surprises. Tomorrow, we'll have a 400 km special that will require skill and, of course, a lot of intelligence.”
Stage 1 of the Dakar 2025 starts and finishes in Bisha, with 413 km against the clock plus 83 km of links. Competitors will face various types of surfaces, except sand, requiring constant speed adjustments, especially in areas with stones and rocks. In the middle of the route, navigators will have to use all their skill and experience to get out of a maze of tracks. Attention and cold blood will be essential.
Automatic translation of the Portuguese version available on www.todoterreno.pt
Source: Team Motivo JCB
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