6th PARIS - ALGIERS - DAKAR 1984 - History

• Start: 1 January 1984 from Paris (Place de la Concorde)
• Finish: 20 January 1984 à Dakar (Rose Lake)
• Rest: No rest day
• Length of rally: 12,000 km
• Number of kilometers from special : 5,882 km
• Countries crossed: France, Algeria, Niger, Upper Volta, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal

- At the start: 313 cars/trucks- 114 motorcycles-
- At the finish: 148 véhicles- including 98 cars/trucks- 50 motorcycles

Metge/Lemoyne (Fra) PORSCHE 911
OVERALL MOTORCYCLE STANDINGS:
Gaston Rahier (Bel) BMW
OVERALL TRUCK STANDINGS:
Lalleu/Durce (Fra) MERCEDES

Motorcycle
• Yamaha : Bacou, Olivier, Vimond
• Honda : Vassard, Drobecq, Neveu, Joineau Marc, Merel
• BMW : Rahier, Auriol, Loizeaux
• KTM : De Pétri

Car

• Lada Poch 2121 : Darniche-Giroux, Trossat-Briavoine,Lartigue-Djaoui
• Citroën proto : Wambergue-Bacholle
• Buggy Cotel : Cotel-Delefortri
• Lada 4x4 : Jabouille-Sardou
• Porsche 911 : Metge-Lemoine, Ickx-Brasseur
• Rover Range : Zaniroli-Da Silva, Gabreau-Gabbay
• Mercedes 280 GE : Jaussaud-Fontenay
• Renault 18 proto : les Frères Marreau
• Mitsubishi Pajero : Cowan-Syer, Rigal-Fourticq

Truck

• Mercedes : Lalleu-Durce

• Jabouille teams up with Sardou: driver Jean-Pierre Jabouille and singer Michel Sardou will be on a Lada Niva.

• The Dakar shoots for the moon: astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien and veteran Georges Houel will leave in a Renault Fuego 4x4.

• Ride the merry-go-round: TF1 TV personality Evelyne Dheliat is to assist Marianne Hoepner in a Fiat Panda 4x4.

• Place your bets: André Théron and Philippe Bourgeat will line up in a makeshift Toyota 4x4.

• "Jules II, the return": Thierry de Montcorgé is a stand-out once again. After a Rolls Royce in 1981, now he is taking off at the wheel of a strange, never-before-seen six-wheel drive vehicle, a sort of F1 for the desert.

• Vimond on the Dakar: arrival of the young Jacky Vimond, a motocross genius, at Yamaha.

• Sabine Top Secret: Thierry Sabine harbors some doubts. Some sectors are kept secrit to prevent the major manufacturers from performing recon missions.

• 90 kg for both of them: the lightest team in the rally is composed of Monique Delannoy (1st woman in a four-wheeled vehicle in 1981) and Nicole Maitrot (on two wheels in 1982). They will compete at the controls of a Mitsubishi Pajero in the Marathon category. Together, they weigh just 90 kg.

• 21 rallies between the three of them: bikers Gilles Desheulles, Philippe Vassard and Fenouil count 21 African rallies amongst themselves.

• France deprived of a special: the prologue, which was to take place at Vincennes, is replaced by a parade of competitors.

• 1ère étape : Paris – Alger – El Golea (liaison 925 km)

• 2ème étape : El Golea – In Salah (500 km dont 297 km de spéciale)

• 3ème étape : In Salah – Tamanrasset (666 km dont 202 km de spéciale)

• 4ème étape : Tamanrasset – Iferouane (600 km dont 250 km de spéciale)

• 5ème étape : Iferouane – Chirfa (559 km de spéciale)

• 6ème étape : Chirfa – Dirkou (238 km de spéciale)

• 7ème étape : Dirkou – Agadez (617 km de spéciale)

• 8ème étape : Agadez – Niamey (848 km dont 200 km de spéciale)

• 9 ème étape : Niamey – Ouagadougou (ss 674 km)

• 10ème étape : Ouagadougou – Bouna (553 km dont 430 km de spéciale)

• 11ème étape : Bouna – Yamoussoukro (673 km dont 312 km de spéciale)

• 12ème étape : Yamoussoukro – Touba (343 km dont 215 km de spéciale)

• 13ème étape : Touba – Kissidougou (523 km de spéciale)

• 14ème étape : Kissidougou – Freetown (581 km de spéciale)

• 15ème étape : Freetown – Labe (liaison 647 km)

• 16ème étape : Labe – Tambacounda (457 km)

- Labe-Kedougou (221 km de spéciale)

- Kedougou-Dialakoto (166 km de spéciale)

- Dialakoto-Tambacounda (liaison 70 km)

• 17ème étape : Tambacounda – Sali Portudal (408 km dont 101 km de spéciale)

• 15ème étape : Sali Portudal – Dakar (168 km)

- Sali Portudal-Thies (43 km de spéciale)

- Thies-M’Boro (25 km de spéciale)

- M’Boro-Dakar (100 km de spéciale)

• 1st stage: Paris – Algiers – El Golea

436 vehicles depart from the Place de la Concorde, before a crowd of 30,000 spectators. They head for Vincennes, where the prologue takes the form of a parade rather than a time trial. A scare for Jabouille and Sardou: their support Leyland 6x6 takes a spill near Vierzon.

• 2nd stage: In Salah (500km dont 297 km of special)

The first special between Chebaba and In Salah unfolds on pebble-strewn terrain. Between the withdrawals and the disqualifications, 19 competitors have already abandoned the rally before this special. Among them is astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien, who is deprived of his support truck. Flat tire for Ickx, oil leak for Auriol, disqualification for Darniche...the favorites have a dark day. Gabreau manages the win ahead of Lartigue and Metge while on his motorcycle, Drobecq wins the scratch ahead of Vimond and Joineau.

• 3rd stage: In Salah – Tamanrasset (666 km, including 202 km of special)

In this special routed through the gorges of the Arak and won by Lartigue, Ickx burns an electric beam on his Porsche and sees any chance of an ultimate victory go up in smoke. In the motorcycle class, Bacou is the fastest ahead of Rahier and Vimond. Drobecq, the winner of the previous day's special, has broken his engine.

• 4th stage: Tamanrasset – Iferouane (600 km, including 250 km of special)

For this third special, Porsche hits a double. Ickx and Metge are the swiftest. Trossat makes a strong showing to place his Lada ahead of the third Porsche driven by Kussmaul. The German maker also has a strong finish: Metge takes the overall lead. Germany garners acclaim because on the motorcycle brand, the over-the-Rhine maker scores win, place and show with the consecutive arrival of Rahier, Auriol and Loizeaux. A mechanical problem on Vimond's Yamaha costs him the top spot in the

overall standings, which goes to Belgium's Gaston Rahier.

• 5th and 6th stages: Iferouane – Chirfa – Dirkou

Like in 1983, the ocean of sand of the Ténéré will once again solidify Germany's hegemony. Lost the day before, Gaston Rahier is the first to arrive in Dirkou. Véronique Anquetil, riding her Yamaha bike, achieves an excellent mark at fourth place. Poli rounds out the concentrated shots fired by Yamaha. Rankings for motorcycle riders are far more incertain than in the car standings, where Porsche, with Ickx and Metge, looks unbeatable. They post two victories between Iferouane and Chirfa then between Chirfa and Dirkou. As for the German stable, it hits a double and a triple.

• 7th stage: Dirkou – Agadez (617 km of special)

In a Ténéré that proves to be less hostile and more cooperative than during the 1983 edition, a slight wind gives winges to BMW and Porsche, which achieve stupendous hat tricks between Dirkou and Agadez. Auriol bests Rahier and Loizeaux while Ickx finishes ahead of Metge and Kussmaul for the cars. Fourth win in a row for Ickx, who continues to climb back up throught he overall standings. He is now sitting in 10th place.

• 8th stage: Agadez – Niamey (848 km, including 200 km special)

After the long crossing of the Ténéré, Tahoua-Talchot, the competitors must confront a special where soft sand is king. Ickx strays from the road, which costs the Belgian three hours and robs him of any hopes for an overall win. However, all is well for Metge, who carries the scratch and strengthens his position in the top spot. With a lag of less than 20 minutes, Auriol is now hot on the heels of Rahier in the overall rankings.

• 9th stage: Niamey – Ouagadougou (ss 674 km)

The Dakar caravan leaves Niger for Upper Volta. During the liaison stage, all the leaders flirt with disaster. Rahier, Auriol then Metge run into cows. Because of the ins and outs of penalties, it is Philippe Vassard who inherits the best motorcycle time. But the day is also marred by problems with formalities in the middle of the special at the customs check on the Niger – Upper Volta border. It is a true rat race and some drivers, such as Cowan, run the stop sign at the border with no scruples. Thierry Sabine

decides to quite simply cancel the special.

• 10th stage: Ouagadougou – Bouna (553 km, including 430 km of special)

As a result of this cancellation, the day's stage is transformed into a 430-km special between Ouagadougou and Kampi. And another triple feat for BMW is on order for bikes (Auriol wins). In the overall standings, Rahier is still above Auriol and Vassard. In the car class, Trossat-Briavoine are the fastest, but it is still Metge who has the overall lead in front of Zaniroli and Cowan.

• 11th stage: Bouna – Yamoussoukro (673 km, including 312 km of special)

Trossat, who wins the stage, is ultimately disqualified. He is found guilty of having taken advantage of recon missions executed in the area by his teammate Briavoine and having taken shortcuts. Colsoul, second at the wheel of his Opel Manta, is thus declared stage winner ahead of Ickx and Cowan. BMW places two motorcycles in the top three. Auriol beats Rahier.

• 12th and 13th stages: Yamoussoukro – Touba – Kissidougou

Two specials are on tap. Auriol and Bacou win the scratch. In the overall standings, three BMW's now occupy the top three positions with the ascent of Loizeaux. As for the cars, the first three finishers are the same for both specials with, in order, Metge ahead of Zaniroli and Colsoul.

• 14th stage: Kissidougou – Freetown (581 km of special)

Bacou and Zaniroli secure the best times of the special. There is tension in the BMW ranks. Rahier, concerned by the return of Auriol (back at 6’38), suspects the mechanics of favoring the plans of the Frenchman. The end of the rally is going to be heartstopping.

• 15th and 16th stages: Freetown – Labe – Tambacounda

Two specials on the menu: On bikes, Bacou and Rahier dominate. For the cars, Ickx and Colsoul win the day's scratches. In the maneuvering, Rahier gains 10 undoubtedly decisive minutes on Hubert Auriol. Monique Delannoy and Nicole Maitrot continue to lead the competition for the Marathon, Diesel and Ladies' Cup.

• 17th stage: Tambacounda – Sali Portudal (408 km, including 101 km of special)

In Koupetoum, Auriol wins his 8th special of the rally. The feat of the day belongs to Lacaze (Citroën Visa), who finishes ahead of the two Porsches driven by Kussmaul and Ickx.

• 18th stage: Sali Portudal – Dakar (168 km)

The kings of the beach are Nirek Kubicek (KTM) and Kussmaul (Porsche 911). The day is a resounding success for German builders Porsche and BMW. They dominate both classes with the René Metge/Dominique Lemoyne team and Gaston Rahier. For the trucks, Lalleu and Durce are triumphant in their Mercedes.

1 Alger-El Golea Liaison 925

2 El Golea-In Salah Chebaba-In Salah 297 Gabreau/Gabbay Fra R Rover Drobecq Fra Honda

3 In Salah-Tamanrasset Gorges de l’Arak - Tamanrasset 202 Lartigue/Djaoui Fra Lada Bacou Fra Yamaha

4 Tamanrasset-Iferouane Tamanrasset-In Azoua 250 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Rahier Bel BMW

5 Iferouane-Chirfa Iferouane-Chirfa 559 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Bacou Fra Yamaha

6 Chirfa-Dirkou Chirfa-Dirkou 238 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Rahier Bel BMW

7 Dirkou-Agadez Dirkou-Agadez 617 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Auriol Fra BMW

8 Agadez-Niamey Tahoua-Talchot 200 Metge/Lemoyne Fra Porsche Auriol Fra BMW

9 Niamey-Ouagadougou Niamey-Ouagadougou 674 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Vassard Fra Honda

10 Ouagadougou-Bouna Ouagadougou-Kampi 430 Trossat/Briavoine Fra Lada Auriol Fra BMW

11 Bouna-Yamoussoukro Agnibilekrou-Yamoussoukro 312 Colsoul/Lopes Bel Opel M Auriol Fra BMW

12 Yamoussoukro-Touba Yamoussoukro-Seguela 215 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Auriol Fra BMW

12 Yamoussoukro-Touba Seguela-Touba 128 Colsoul/Lopes Bel Opel M Auriol Fra BMW

13 Touba-Kissidougou Touba-Kissidougou 244 Metge/Lemoyne Fra Porsche Auriol Fra BMW

13 Touba-Kissidougou Touba-Kissidougou 279 Metge/Lemoyne Fra Porsche Bacou Fra Yamaha

14 Kissidougou-Freetown Kissidougou-Freetown 581 Zaniroli/Da Silva Fra R Rover Bacou Fra Yamaha

15 Freetown-Labé Liaison 647

16 Labé-Tambacounda Labé-Kedougou 221 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Bacou Fra Yamaha

16 Labé-Tambacounda Kedougou-Dialakoto 166 Colsoul/Lopes Bel Opel M Rahier Bel BMW

17 Tambacounda-Sali Portudal Tambacounda-Koupetoum 101 Lacaze/Bouille Fra Citroën Auriol Fra BMW

18 Sali Portudal-Dakar Sali-Portudal-Thies 43 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Auriol Fra BMW

18 Sali Portudal-Dakar Thies-M’Boro 25 Ickx/Brasseur Bel Porsche Drobecq Fra Honda

18 Sali Portudal-Dakar M’Boro-Dakar 100 Kussmaul/Lerner All Porsche Kubicek Sui KTM

1 METGE/LEMOYNE PORSCHE Fra
2 ZANIROLI/DA SILVA RANGE ROVER Fra
3 COWAN/SYER MITSUBISHI GB
4 COLSOUL/LOPES OPEL Bel
5 MARREAU/MARREAU PROTO FACOM Fra
6 ICKX/BRASSEUR PORSCHE Bel
7 RIGAL/FOURTICO MITSUBISHI Fra
8 LACAZE/BOUILLE CITROEN Fra
9 PLANSON/PLANSON MERCEDES Fra
10 FOUGEROUSE/BRAQUET TOYOTA Fra

1 RAHIER Gaston BMW Bel
2 AURIOL Hubert BMW Fra
3 VASSARD Philippe HONDA Fra
4 NEVEU Cyril HONDA Fra
5 LOIZEAUX Raymond BMW Fra
6 OLIVIER J. Claude YAMAHA Fra
7 BALESTRIERI Andrea YAMAHA Ita
8 SPIRA Alain HONDA Bel
9 BACOU Serge YAMAHA Fra
10 GUILLET Michel HONDA Fra

1 LALLEU/DURCE MERCEDES Fra
2 BOMERA/GRASSI MERCEDES Ita
3 GABRIELLE/VOILLEREAU MAN Fra
4 ARCANGIOLI/PIERSANTI ASTRA Ita
5 BERNAU/BARTMANN MERCEDES All
6 REVERCHON/HUSER MAN Fra
7 LACOURT/ZIMMERMANN MAN Fra
8 DEL VAL/GUERRERO PEGASO Esp
9 MARTINEZ/LANGLOIS MERCEDES Fra
10 BOERNER/HEIN MERCEDES Fra

- ASO -

photos from DAKAR 2008 will be on automobilsport.com under PHOTOS - OFF ROAD - DAKAR 2008