The fact that four days of competition had been cancelled in the 2000 Dakar-Cairo rally made some people doubt whether Elisabete would have been able to finish it if it had consisted in what had been first planned.
Therefore, Elisabete insisted on taking part in the 2001 Rallye Paris-Dakar, forming a team with Pedro Machado, and this was the toughest competition she entered, with all her physical and psychological resistance put to the test.
At the border between Morocco and Mauritania her assistance car passes over a mine which explodes and she is left alone to do all the assistance tasks by herself.
In spite of the bad conditions with which she had to cope in this competition, she reaches the end with a sense of contentment because she had finally attained her aim: to finish the toughest rally in the world – the Paris-Dakar.
Elisabete goes on competing for the World Cup. She is 13th, and first among women.
Cross-Country World Cup
Rallye Optic Tunisie (Tunisia)
Montes de Cuenca Rally (Spain)
Baja de Aragón (Spain)
Master Rallye (Russia and Turkey)
UAE Desert Challenge (Dubai)
Cimpomotor invited Elisabete to take part in Copa Jimny during the year, and this was a way to begin driving a 4×4. Her co-pilot was Teresa Correia.
She also entered Baja Esporão Vindimas (Competition from the Auto Cross-country National Championship) driving a Jimny too, where she had TV presenter Laura Santos as navigator.
Copa Jimny
3 Hours CC Compact
Baja Telecel 1000
Vodafone 24 Hours CC
Baja Portalegre