Experienced WRC driver in the 80s with the official Audi and Lancia factory teams, Michele Cinotto is an institution and after winning in rallies, he continued to do so in rally raids. He has seven Dakars to his credit with the 2022 edition running in Africa, South America and Saudi Arabia. Together with Maurizio Dominella they won in the newborn SSV category in South America in 2016, while they were vice-champions in the 2019 Cross Country Rally Championship.
On the fourth day of the Dakar the two Italians of the CST Polaris Xtremeplus Team are firm in 11th position of the general. Yesterday they were even 9th. “We are defending ourselves”, smiles Michele Cinotto, “the race is still long. We are only in the third stage, but so far everything has gone well. The vehicle, a Polaris RZR Pro XP and the tires are performing well. So far the specials have been very beautiful in terms of landscape and then many many dunes. Today we had fun on the wet dunes. With the Polaris the dunes are really fun ”.
“Compared to the last edition, many stones that broke bones and vehicles last year have been eliminated. This year David Castera has prepared a good path. Too bad for the long transfers and then too many rings ”, underlines Maurizio Dominella.
Today the caravan will go to Riyadh, two more loops around the capital and then the rest day. In the race of the race that takes place within the CST Xtremeplus Polaris team, dad Cinotto is ahead of his son Pietro, thanks to 11th position in the standings against his son’s 29th.
“In reality we are even, because I have arrived in front of Peter twice, the same he. But we are further ahead in the standings ”, underlines Michele. Thanks to stage 2, which saw Pietro and Alberto run into some too many problems including a jump from the dunes a little too strong. “We damaged the front end and went back to the bivouac with two-wheel drive instead of four,” says Bertoldi, a former Dakarian on a motorcycle making his debut as a navigator on a four-wheeled vehicle.
“Family competition is one more motivation”, jokes Pietro Cinotto, “in reality we are both competitive. Together we raced the Monte Carlo rally. It was my first and last time as a navigator. I prefer to drive “. And he knows how to do it well. Without yesterday’s problem they were doing very well. “Even today we had a problem with the belt and we lost 15 minutes, but that’s the way racing is. The race is still long ”.
The atmosphere is familiar and relaxed in Marco Piana’s Xtremeplus team, renamed “une histoire de famille”, because in the team there is also another family, that of Jean-Claude and Jerome Pla. This time, however, father and son share the cockpit of the Polaris with father Jean Claude at the wheel and son Jerome, a navigator.
“This is our first Dakar. It is as tough as we expected, but our goal is to finish. We try to push while staying below the limit, to minimize the risks “, says Jean-Claude,” We are very happy to be able to count on a highly experienced team like Xtremeplus. On a tough race like the Dakar, the service team makes the difference ”. And the climate at the Xtremeplus bivouac is really familiar, you laugh and joke when the special arrives, after a hot shower. The human aspect is fundamental, as the legendary and modern Dakar demands.
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