“Finish.” It is the verb most pronounced in the weeks prior to the start of the Dakar rally. It was the objective, for the most part, for the 79 Spanish competitors (plus the 22 in Classics) who started in Bisha on January 3. Fourteen days and 7,828 kilometers later, 42 of them can be considered winners in the Dakar. More than half, 53%, crossed the finish line in Shubaytah. It was heroic to arrive.
As for Joan Font (51), pilot of Les Masies de Voltregà, who had the honor from being the Spanish Dakarian who finished the furthest behind, 127th in cars, 151 hours (yes, 52 as a penalty) behind the winner Al Rajhi, that is, double the time of the Saudi. And what does it matter? Font was more than satisfied for having completed his seventh Dakar – the first in the Challenger category – and for having fulfilled his role of rapid assistance in the BBR team: his three drivers finished in the first three places in the subcategory (Pau Navarro was 3 .º).
Chef Nandu Jubany cooked a mess, Isidre Esteve suffered everything and Santolino starred in the feat
“They are very grateful for the work we have done. We feel that this success is also a little bit of ours. That we sacrificed our race in the marathon stage, and gave the rest of the drivers our wheels and spare parts could have been decisive,” explained Font, who has been racing cars since he bought a Marbella at the age of 18.
In the car and SSV category, 11 Spanish drivers and 14 co-drivers finished out of the 41 registered. The best classified were three sailors, all three former motorcycle drivers, Dani Oliveras (7th with the Argentine Yacopini), Oriol Mena (12th with the Lithuanian Baciuskas), and Armand Monleón (15th with the Brazilian Moraes). Three other anonymous heroes, an indispensable part of the good results of their pilots.
Anonymous Champions
As a driver, in addition to the young Pau Navarro, who at 20 years old and in his third Dakar behind the wheel, achieved a great 19th overall position – the best Spanish on four wheels –, the proper name has been that of the chef Nandu Jubany : In his first Dakar by car, he set his sights on finishing in the top 20-25, and he almost did it. He finished 28th overall with his co-driver Marc Solà. The Michelin-starred chef cooked an exquisite race, minimizing damage and with a great pace that allowed him to rub shoulders with the officials. “It cost us a little, because there were nerves. I asked Marc: ‘When does it end, how many kilometers are left?’” explained Jubany, who returns today from Arabia and his 13 restaurants, his catering, his cannelloni, his Instagram are already waiting for him…
Heroes like the classic Gerard Farrés, 54th overall and 6th in SSV, who managed with his co-driver Toni Vingut to finish his seventh Dakar on four wheels, all of which he has done behind the wheel. Or like the enormous Isidre Esteve, with his faithful co-driver Txema Villalobos, who concluded his 20th Dakar in 32nd position. The one from Oliana suffered from everything: an intestinal flu the first few days, the breakage of a transmission bearing, then the suspensions… “It’s a shame to have had three mechanical problems that cost us 5 hours. In the Dakar, time cannot be recovered. If not, we would be 15th or 16th overall,” he lamented.
Unsung heroes like co-pilots Diego Ortega and Fausto Mota, pilots Fidel Castillo (65th), Domingo Román (92nd, with Óscar Bravo), Joan Piferrer (102nd, with Joan Rubí), Óscar Ral (127th. º, with Xavi Blanco). Or the nine truck crew, Moi Torrallardona (2nd overall), Pep Sabaté and Pol Tibau (12th), Alberto Herrero, Pedro Peñate and Mario Rodríguez (17th), or the winning trio of the Dakar Future (alternative energies) Jordi Juvanteny, José Luis Criado and Xavi Ribas. Or the nine heroes who finished on a motorcycle: Tosha Schareina (2nd), Edgar Canet (8th), Lorenzo Santolino (18th, after finishing the 10th stage dragging the 175 kg of his motorcycle without gasoline), Javi Vega (34th), Sandra Gómez (43rd) –the only woman in the category–, debutant Óscar Hernández (69th), Ignacio Sanchís (81st) and Marc Calmet (85th).
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