When the start flag drops on 1 January in Clermont-Ferrand for the Dakar Rally, 18 exhilarating days in the world's toughest rally begin not only for the rally drivers but also for the support teams.

The Volkswagen Cross-Country works drivers, Jutta Kleinschmidt and her co-driver Fabrizia Pons, and Bruno Saby and co-driver Matthew Stevenson, have been making intensive preparations for the rally - not only physically during the fitness programme.

In December, the cockpit-quartet got to know the Race Touareg for the first time from a completely new perspective. Following successful set-up work and 4,300 test kilometres test in November in Morocco, the drivers and co-drivers built their own competition cars under the expert instruction of the engineers, technicians and mechanics of the Volkswagen works team in Wolfsburg. The background for this exercise: in order to be prepared for every eventuality of the 11,000 plus kilometre Dakar Rally, the drivers and navigators must be familiar with every detail of the Race-Touareg and, in the case of emergency, be able to repair any problems themselves. With some daily sections totalling more than 1000 kilometres, so-called Marathon-Stages over two days without accompanying service vehicles, all this under the toughest of conditions in the desert or in the bush - the fight for seconds can quickly become the fight to finish.

Design chief Eduard Weidl therefore attached a great deal of importance to service friendliness during the initial concept phase of the Race-Touareg. Many identical components or assemblies reduce the number of spare parts, modern coupling and flange systems simplify repair work and shorten stand-times. Obviously, not only do the four drivers benefit from this when they have to get their hands dirty. In the evenings a skilled service team takes care of the maintenance of both Race-Touareg vehicles, which complete 5,424 special-stage kilometres during the rally. As a result, the two rally vehicles cover a distance easily exceeding the sum of all Formula 1 races during a season in a mere 18 days.

The Volkswagen team consists of 43 employees - from the mechanics to Motorsport Director Kris Nissen and including both drivers and co-drivers. Paco Crous is responsible for the precise competition coordination. The logistic expert of Spanish origin, who has already witnessed 16 editions of the Dakar Rally as coordinator for various teams, sources with his colleagues, in addition to the personnel, all the material including a fleet of 14 vehicles.

The two Race-Touareg vehicles of Jutta Kleinschmidt and Bruno Saby will be accompanied by a pair of race trucks entered in the competition. These commercial vehicles, starting in an individual truck category, offer the only help that the drivers can fall back on during a special stage. Their importance cannot be under estimated, as works driver Jutta Kleinschmidt found out in January 2003. At that time, the truck driven by Franz Echter, Johannes Lehrer and Detlef Ruf prevented imminent retirement and therefore enabled Jutta Kleinschmidt and Fabrizia Pons to finish eighth overall and second place in the class for two-wheel driven vehicles directly behind her Volkswagen team colleague.

The importance of the race trucks is specifically high-lighted on the so-called 'Marathon Stages' that are scheduled this year for the 8/9 January and the 15/16 January. Because, to be precise, the accompanying travellers head for a different finishing point - the rally vehicles, together with the race trucks, and the remaining crew members stay separated for two days and a night. Self help is the only form of service available to the rally drivers.

In addition to these four vehicles entered in the competition - two Race-Touareg cars and the two twin-rear axle race trucks - also included in the Volkswagen vehicle pool are three service trucks equipped with engineering materials. Two additional commercial vehicles - the support trucks with double cabins - transport the necessary logistic equipment and the personal belongings of the team members. Five Touareg Competition cars used by the remaining team personnel for transport purposes complete Volkswagen's technical array.

That the support team does not have, in anyway whatsoever, an easier task than the Race-Touareg drivers is clearly illustrated by the distances covered through stages seven to ten: 3,093 kilometres await Jutta Kleinschmidt and Bruno Saby over the four days, while the service team must complete 3,850 kilometres during this time.