Dakar Rally 2024: Francisco Moreno of Mendoza went from crisis and tears to his first victory

The quadricycle category is in check. The organization of Dakar Rally It has placed limits on it, adapting to the rules of the international market, as the industry leaves aside this type of light vehicles for more commercial ones, such as UTVs, for example, which are gaining more and more ground.

However, the Argentines seem to maintain the dominance or importance initiated by the brothers Patronelli, when the Dakar left Africa and landed on national territory. Then the streak extended, after Mark and Alexander, with Nicola Cavigliasso AND Manuel Andújar.

Francesco Moreno comes from having reached the podium twice in this Dakar category. Born in Tupungato, the Mendoza man received a painting at age 5, when a customer offered his father a “funny device” for his son.

“My mother almost kicked us both out of the house. But soon she taught me how to use it and a unique passion for this medium was born in me. Already at the age of 12 she was competing at provincial, then national level. Along with the titles came the international races and I finally arrived at the Dakar,” says Moreno Clarion in the Al-Ula camp, under the pleasant sun of a quiet afternoon in the middle of the Arabian desert.

“Anxiety is complicated. I had an anxiety and nervous crisis. But I knew how to overcome it together with my team. I locked myself in my box to cry. I think it’s a normal thing when faced with a great challenge. I cried a lot, a lot. But it’s very nice because you get everything off your stomach,” confesses Moreno with great sincerity.

-There are pilots who feel threatened by pressure or stage fright…

-Luckily I managed to let all that feeling out. Because if you don’t do it like this the procession goes inside and at a certain point you pay for it.

-Confidence comes from having a good quadricycle…

-That’s how. We worked on the engine and the chassis. The quadricycle is at 0 kilometers. We tested it in Argentina, so we have a lot of confidence in this vehicle.

-You usually run with posters stuck up on the yard. Are you wearing any this year?

-I attached a small sign that said “Team to the end and throughout the journey”, which my girlfriend wrote to me. I’m here and now we’ll do everything.

-Is there time to read them in the middle of a Dakar stage?

-I am a very emotional person. I held onto this a lot. I work with my team day by day. They write to me things that help me continue in the race. Let’s hope they bear fruit.

-This year the classics are eliminated roadbookpaper path sheets, to be replaced with a tablet located on the handlebar. How do you feel about this big change?

-It doesn’t complicate me. In Argentina I trained with roadbook of paper, road maps of the previous Dakar or the Ruta 40 Challenge. We simulate those races, but for me it doesn’t mean anything special.

Moreno arrived at the Al-Ula camp and there he learned of his partial victory when the few national press told him about his position. After the surprise he argued: “I felt fast. I had no issues with navigation, so I got consistent performance throughout the test.”

He beat Manuel Andújar by 28 seconds and the third, Frenchman Alex Giraud, for 1m14. A notable difference considering the limited length of the prologue.

The rest of the Argentines

On the motorbike, all eyes were on the Benavídes brothers. Kevin, the last winner of the Dakar and returning after various injuries, ranked ninth. Luciano, new world champion of the specialty, came in fifth place.

Behind came the other national drivers, such as Diego Llanos from La Rioja, Sebastián Urquía and the debutant Santiago Rosten, who confessed that tears fell at the start.

In cars, Mattias Ekstromwith hybrid Audi, won a surprising victory due to the large number of drawbacks of the main protagonists, such as Stephane Peterhanselwho finished 7th; Nasser Al Attiyahwho was 12th; Joan Nani Rome, 16; AND Carlos Sainz, 34°. The Mendoza also suffered navigation problems Juan Cruz Yacopiniwho finished in 38th place.

In the light cars, Challenger category, the Cordoban Nicola Cavigliasso it was fourth and the pampa David Zille He finished seventh, in a discipline won by the Pole Eryk Goczal, last winner of the Dakar.

This Saturday the first stage of the Dakar 2024 will take place, with the caravan advancing from Al-Ula to Al-Hanakiyah, on a route of 532 kilometres, of which 405 are special. The world’s most extreme race is launched to cross the Arabian deserts.

Special for Clarin.