I still need more experience to win the DakarBorn February 17, 1972, in Spain. Like Peterhansel, Roma won the Dakar on two wheels before switching to the car category. After winning the European Enduro Championship in 1994, he contested the Dakar for the first time in 1996.
Prior to being spotted by Mitsubishi in the summer of 2006, he won the bike category on the 2004 Dakar. His first drive for the team saw him finish 3rd overall, while his first attempt at the Dakar with Mitsubishi came in 2005 when he finished 6th overall before finishing on the podium (3rd) in 2006.
His highly-experienced co-driver Henri Magne (France), who played an important role in navigating him across the desert reaches of northwest Africa, was tragically killed in an accident during the 2006 Rallye du Maroc, fourth round of the FIA Cross-country World Cup. For the 2007 Dakar, Nani had a new co-driver in the person of Lucas Cruz Senra (Spain) but the pair could finish no higher than 13th due to accidents. They now know each other much better and have set their sights considerably higher this time round.
"I still need more experience to win the Dakar, but I'm very pleased to have Lucas with me. We speak the same language and I can rely on him 100%. We form a strong team and we will do our best.
Last year, the other co-drivers helped him a lot and that is one of the many reasons why the MMC team is so strong."
Mitsubishi Motors
