Car press

AFRICAN RALLY. Three bikers from the Canton of Vaud will be on the starting line of the 28th Dakar rally which will take place from December 31st, 2005 to January 15th, 2006.

Years go by, nevertheless the fascination remains. Three bikers from the Canton of Vaud will leave Lisbon on December 31st for a 9,000 km expedition thru Western Africa.

Portugal, Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, Senegal. Five countries will put their stamp on the passports of Jean-Luc Fonjallaz, Guy Moinon and Yves Theuninck. Driving their bikes, the three men from the Canton of Vaud will attempt to make their dream come true: to reach Dakar and its mythical beach along Lake Rose.

As he has already participated twice in the rally, in 2003 and 2004, Jean-Luc Fonjallaz seems to be most capable to win his bet. "Despite the fact that I had to abandon twice due to mechanical problems, I learnt a lot from these two experiences. For the first time, this year, I am not stressed. My bike is ready and the conditions prior to departure are optimal," says the citizen of Prangins who will be driving a KTM 660 Replica (...).

With an average of 60% of participants abandoning the race, the Dakar does not do any favors! Each one of the three pilots is aware of the difficulties awaiting him. But, aged 38, 40 and 45 respectively, the three enthusiasts hope to have acquired the wisdom which will help them thru the ordeals when crossing Africa.

Excerpt: 24 heures - Sylvain Muller, published December 1st, 2005