The ALDO Racing Team Scores an Excellent 27th Place Finish in Stage 6 of the 2015 Dakar

Montreal, Quebec - A great day for the Canadian ALDO Racing Team which finished 27th overall in Stage 6 of the 2015 Dakar rally, their best stage finish in this rally so far. Stage 6 performance resulted in a jump from 42nd to 37th place in the provisional overall rally standing for ALDO Racing. Starting 37th on the day, the ALDO team had an early start from Antofagasta for a 274 km liaison that took Canadians David Bensadoun and Patrick Beaulé to the starting point of the first special section of the 277-kilometre Stage 6. They completed the 69 km section 37th overall in the car class.

Following a short 26 km neutralisation stage after which they split the cars from the motorcycles, Bensadoun and Beaulé proceeded for 182 kilometres of special stages. At the second checkpoint, they were 34th, then up to 28th at checkpoint 5. At checkpoint seven of eight, they had slipped two spots to 30th overall on the day. At the last checkpoint of Day 6, they crossed the finish line in 28th place. Their day ended with a short 48 km liaison towards the city of Iquique, where fans were awaiting all competitors for a mid-point rally finish podium.

"We feel pretty good after this short day of competition," said Patrick Beaulé over the phone. "Everything went well today, except for a small incident where we ripped a rear fender off the Toyota. It was at that point that we lost a couple of positions. Fortunately for us, we were able to get back those two spots on the next section. As soon as we arrive in Iquique, the ALDO team of mechanics will strip down the Toyota to check every nut and bolt, so that we get a near perfect vehicle for the marathon stage."

ALDO Racing finish position in Stage 6: 27th

ALDO Racing provisional overall standings after Stage 6: 37th

Marathon Stages

Saturday, ALDO Racing will embark on the marathon stage, a return trip from Iquique, Chile to Uyuni in Bolivia where on the first night, they, as well as all competitors, will be on their own with no mechanical assistance from their crew. Two crucial days in order to survive the 2015 Dakar.

"There was a lot of talk in the bivouac back in Buenos Aires regarding the high elevations during the marathon stage. A Bolivian friend, Ernersto Eterovic from team #411, told us that we could have a difficult time to sleep in Uyuni. So just in case, we bought oxygen bottles before we left Buenos Aires to help us sleep in the mountains," Beaulé concluded.

The next press release will be issue Monday, January 12 during ALDO Racing Team day of rest following the Marathon Stages 7A & 8A of the Dakar. In the meantime, media and fans should visit the ALDO Racing Facebook page at (https://www.facebook.com/pages/ALDO-Racing/1420010304880026) for daily updates, plus images and comments.

On Tap for the Marathon Stages 7A & 8A (A for the car class stages)

CHILE - BOLIVIA

STAGE 7-A, Day 7 - Saturday, January 10: Iquique - Uyuni

MARATHON STAGES AT A HIGH ALTITUDE - MID-POINT OF THE RALLY

Numerous difficulties will mark the first part of the Bolivian marathon stage. The cars will tackle it first. Right from the outset, the long liaison section will mean an early start, followed by a gradual climb to a height of more than 3,500 metres. Once on the high plateaux, the special stage will begin, with instructions to follow the Roadbook with great care, in light of the large number of junctions on the route. One of the challenges of the day could be wear and tear on tires. Once they have arrived in Uyuni, the competitors will only have completed half of the marathon stage.

Liaison sections: 396 km - Special stage: 321 km - Total: 717 km

BOLIVIA - CHILE

STAGE 8-A, Day 8 - Sunday, January 11: Uyuni - Iquique

THE SALAR: UNCONDITIONALLY

Return Route of the Marathon Stage. Critical stage. The longest Special Stage of the 2015 Dakar: 781 kilometres. Starting point at 3,500 metres on the Salar de Uyuni for a 100 km route across a smooth road of white salt: full throttle and foot to the floor! The route then slows down abruptly, with the longest part of the special stage taking place on more technical mountain terrain that will rise up to 4,200 m. The day will end with more than 40 km of dunes, concluding with the vertiginous descent to Iquique.

Liaison sections: 24 km - Special stage: 781 km - Total: 805 km

CHILE

Day 9 - Monday, January 12: Iquique - REST DAY (cars)

REST DAY

For this exceptional part of the race, marked by the bivouac stop in Iquique and the Bolivian podium in Uyuni, separate rest days will be observed: January 10 for the motorcycles and quads and January 12 for cars and trucks. By then, everyone will have taken part in a marathon stage.