2014 History

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The year 2014 began with the Oleoban team entering the Africa Eco Race Rally.

At the last streak Elisabete drops from second to third place in the Truck category due to a problem in the front transmission of her MAN, driving the last 60km with just two-wheel drive.

With Valérie Dot she takes part in the Aicha des Gazelles Rally, driving a VW Amarock, and finishes second in the 4×4/Truck category.

In the Moroccan Rally she competes with several prototype trucks and finishes fourth in the Truck category. This year, Hydraplan, Lisbon MAN concessionary, moved to another venue, and that reflected in the need for a new workshop.

A new cargo box, more functional and resistant, was built for the assistance truck.

The competition truck also had its cargo box replaced with a lighter one and having better aerodynamic performance.

2011 History

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The 2011 sports season begins with Africa Eco Race.

Happy to go back to the big African marathon, the team gets to the end of this rally for the first time, being second among trucks and seventh in the car/truck joint classification.

The beginning of 2011 was a time of distress, with revolution in many North African countries.

The Tunisian rally was in danger of not taking place but, to give a sort of affidavit to the newly formed democracy, both the organization and the teams made an effort to be present.

The rally was held as normally as possible.

The result obtained by the MAN TGS was first place among trucks and eighth in the car/truck classification.

At the Moroccan rally the team had to deal with a vast number of prototype trucks and strong competition. It held its own with teamDeRooy and finished in third place, first among regular trucks.

At the end of the year Elisabete decides to change the configuration of the suspension buffer springs, in order to become more competitive. She asks ELO to produce buffer springs capable of improving the suspension in her truck, and she starts preparing for the next season.

 

2010 History

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The team starts the 2010 season with Africa Race.

Although her performance is excellent and she is very happy to return to the great African marathon, Elisabete has to quit due to mechanical problems.

The first part of the year is then dedicated to make the truck reliable and to adapt it for competition.

Elisabete enters the Tunisian rally with one of the best truck navigators in the World, Charly Gotlib, and her sports results become noticeable.

She wins in the truck category and gets eighth place among cars.

At the Moroccan rally Elisabete confirms her good level and the excellent work of her team, winning again among trucks and being within the first eleven cars.

 

2009 History

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This year the Dakar Rally takes place in South America for the first time and its name becomes “Dakar Argentina-Chile”.

Elisabete sets out to the new Continent with her team and in the first day of the rally gets an excellent 11th place in the general classification.

However, during the fifth streak her truck caught fire.

The dense clouds of dust and the degradation of the soil, causing cars to stop on the trail, were at the origin of her colliding with the back of Ivan Muller’s buggy, and that led to the complete burning of both vehicles.

Elisabete acquires a new truck, the MAN TGS, and dedicates the year 2009 to prepare it.

In June she goes to Morocco for some tests, but it was at the Moroccan rally that she first tried her TGS in competition.

She won to specials and was second among trucks.

It was also in 2009 that Elisabete decided to return to Africa for the Africa Race Rally, instead of taking part in the Dakar Rally, as she had done for 10 years.

 

2008 History

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The year 2008 saw the cancellation of the Lisbon-Dakar rally, a fact which caught the whole team by surprise.

Elisabete then decided to enter the Aicha des Gazelles rally, in Morocco, a navigation competition exclusively for women.

She teams with Sofia Carvalhosa and they easily finish second in the general classification.

In April, with Marco Cochinho and Álvaro Velhinho, Elisabete wins in the less than ten liters trucks category and is second in the general classification in the Tunisian rally, which for the first time included some streaks in Libya.

Several mechanic problems force her to leave the AMV Shamrock rally, which takes place in Morocco in October.

The team comes back and gives full attention to preparing the Princess (the name by which the team referred to the MAN M2000 truck).

Their aim was to achieve the best possible preparation for the Dakar-Argentina-Chile rally, which would be held in South America for the first time.

The team sets forth for this rally at its best level ever.

 

2006 History

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The year 2006 has the special feature of the biggest rally in the world start in Lisbon.

In this rally Elisabete sets a good pace but has to give up after the day of rest because the front axle of her Kerax cracked.

Having stayed two days and two nights by the vehicle, this one is finally left in the middle of the Mauritanian desert and only in June is it recovered.

Elisabete closes her contract with Renault Trucks, and the truck she had driven became part of the exhibit of special vehicles in the museum Renault Trucks has in Leon.

She enters into a partnership with MAN Portugal and spends the year dealing with all the subjects necessary to obtain a new truck, which is delivered to her at the beginning of October.

While waiting, she takes part for the first time in an African competition (ORPI Marroc rally) driving a car but unfortunately suffers a mechanical failure when there were only 37km to get to the finishing line.

The remaining season is spent in tests and mechanical work, in view of preparing the Lisbon-Dakar 2007.

 

2005 History

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In 2005 she takes part in the Dakar with Olivier Jacmart and Rui Porêlo, obtaining the 24th place in the general classification.

Elisabete is first among the Renault Kerax.

During the year the team works on the development of the truck to adapt it better for competition.

Particular attention is given to developing the suspensions, counting with the support of ELO and APV.

She enters the ORPI Marroc rally, in which she wins the first streak and finishes the rally in the second position.

This year Elisabete takes part for the first time in the ASMV Shamrock Rally in order to prepare for the 2006 Dakar and wins in the truck category.

 

2007 History

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It is at the January 2007 Lisbon-Dakar that Elisabete really makes her début with her new MAN M2000 truck, with which she establishes a strong relationship.

To drive through the difficult sand trails at the Comporta area in the presence of a cheering Portuguese crowd was an unforgettable privilege in her career.

At a rally characterized by a permanent increase in the pace, she finishes in 21st place in general classification and 7th among trucks with less than 10 liters.

After this rally Elisabete makes some mechanical changes in her truck and she bets on improving the suspensions, with shock absorbers of exclusively Portuguese production.

The Tunisian and the Morocco rallies are two occasions to evolve and prepare for the Dakar, and in them her driving becomes ever more solid and efficient.

She reaches 2nd place in the general classification at the Tunision rally and is 1st in Morocco.

However, the change in color is a main feature in 2007.

After nine years of joint work, Trifene 200 is replaced by the Oleoban brand, and shades of blue are Elisabete Jacinto’s new brand image.