TEAM

My responsibilities this year are identical. They cover the entire logistics operation for Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart and include precise planning of team movements, team accommodation, fuel supply and logistics, freight movement and the logistical organization of our team before, during and after each stage of the event.

For the 2008 Dakar, our team will consist of 56 people, plus 14 additional staff who will provide additional help for the European stages and during the rest day in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The team is essentially made up of 10 mechanics, five stores staff, four body panel specialists and three electricians, plus the five technicians, three logistics staff, one physiotherapist, the 14 drivers and mechanics who crew the different service vehicles, three team management personnel and the eight drivers and co-drivers.

We have been working hard on preparations for the 2008 Dakar ever since ASO released the names of the four countries – Portugal, Morocco, Mauritania and Senegal – that this year's event would visit, as well as the dates and locations for the start and finish. This announcement was made in May. "Over subsequent months, ASO provided us with additional information such as the date of the official rest day in Nouakchott and that permitted us to work on other details of the overall plan. "The first three months meant working on the Dakar logistics at the same time as the rest of our motor sport program. During the final three months of the countdown, however, the workload increases significantly, especially after the official presentation of the 2008 Dakar on November 21. This is when ASO divulges the complete route and specific details concerning the event.

Yes it is. The 30th anniversary Dakar will be Mitsubishi Motors 26th entry on this celebrated event. Over the years, all the various departments that make up our team have accumulated great experience.

The entire team travels between stages in the service vehicles, with the exception of our Team Director Dominique Serieys who will follow the route in the ASO Team Managers' plane. "We will have five 6x6 trucks and six service vehicles, as well as two 6x6 T4 rapid service trucks that will follow the same route as the competitors. This year, we have been able to reduce the total number of vehicles we take because we will be able to profit from three ASO stock points along the route instead of one. One stop will be in Morocco on January 9, then there is rest day in Nouakchott on January 12/13 and there is another stock point in Mauritania on January 16. This means we do not need to carry as many wheels – which are of course very space-consuming – as we did on the 2007 event. "Each day, the service team travels from one bivouac to the next via a precise itinerary which is given to them by the organizers in the form of a roadbook. Our crews must comply with specific route instructions and adhere to the navigation rules and any security measures imposed by ASO.

There is no single aspect that is difficult to plan, but it is vital that the logistics work is efficient and prepared well in advance.

For the fuel requirement at each bivouac I have to work closely with ASO who supply us with the fuel for the Senegal stages and who deliver our Repsol fuel to the bivouacs in Morocco and Mauritania. A huge African logistical operation has been running for some years now to ensure we will have the necessary fuel for each stage.

Thankfully, I benefit from the help of Philippe Tomas and Pascal Millet, who are in charge of the transportation of clothing, equipment and light catering. Their role is very important and consists of preparing everything we will need at each bivouac and making sure all the equipment for our team members need is available. "Preparing all the camping equipment and the larger MMSP tents and equipment for the bivouac – including extra clothing and parts, etc. – is a big job. Before the start, I am helped by Margaret Ledderhof, the Team Director’s assistant who works in Pont de Vaux, not to mention the invaluable assistance I get from the team's stores staff and secretaries.

Depending on the outcome of the event, we will return one or more Pajeros/Monteros by plane for marketing purposes, media operations and motor shows. The bulk of our equipment and the remainder of the vehicles are shipped to Le Havre in France by ASO's official freight company. This is a welloiled method that has been used for several years.

We have been preparing the logistics for the 2008 Dakar for around six months and it can be a very frustrating job at times. There are aspects of the organization, particularly in the more remote areas visited by the rally, which you cannot envisage without previously making a recce of the region by plane. We obviously prepare as much as possible but situations over which you have no control can arise, so we do our utmost to make sure everything works smoothly and efficiently.