Saint-Bruno, Quebec, January 22, 2004 - Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. would like to congratulate Cornel De Villiers for his spectacular victory at the helm of a Bombardier* DS650™ BAJA X ATV at the 2004 edition of the Dakar rally which ended this Sunday, January 18 on the beaches of Dakar. South African Cornel De Villiers not only captured the winner's spot in the quad competition but was the only ATV out of the 11 that initially started the race to cross the finish line. He ranked 54th overall. The Dakar rally is by far the most legendary and toughest motor rally in the world and the 2004 edition was one of the most demanding ever for both pilot and machine. This year's edition gathered 400 vehicles on the starting line, and during 17 days covered a total of 11,163.5 km (6,937 miles) from Clermont-Ferrand, France to Dakar, Senegal.
"My Bombardier DS650 Baja X ATV, virtually a stock machine, with its powerful Rotax™ engine and great chassis was unbelievable, especially in the dunes. I only made some minor modifications to the shocks and tires and added fuel tanks to meet the extreme conditions of the desert," said De Villiers.
"Congratulations to Cornel for his outstanding achievement. The Dakar rally is one of the most grueling tests for both man and machine and Mr. De Villier's victory confirms Bombardier Recreational Products' strengths in the ATV sector. The Bombardier DS650 BAJA X ATV is the most factory complete, total performance ATV on the market and was designed for the ultimate rider and the greatest challenges such as the Dakar rally," said Michel Hade, Vice President and General Manager, International Sales and Marketing for Bombardier Recreational Products Inc.
The 32-year old Cornell De Villiers, a native of a small farming village on the outskirts of Pretoria has been racing quads since 1998. De Villiers is a two time winner of both the Roof of Africa rally and South African Championships. He also finished first in the four-stroke category and fifth overall at the 2002 Pont-De-Vaux race. He won all five races on a Bombardier DS650 ATV.
The DS650 Baja ATV was developed in honor of the DS650's spectacular victory in the 2000 Baja Challenge, one of the longest and most demanding desert rallies in the world and was named ATV of the Year in 2002 by The Canadian ATV Guide. In 2004, for serious sport-riders who want the best possible combination of standard equipment, Bombardier Recreational Products is offering the new DS650 Baja X package. The DS650 BAJA X is ready to race right off the line and is the perfect vehicle for sandy, dry and rocky terrain.
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. is a world leader in design, development, manufacturing, distributing and marketing of Sea Doo® watercraft and sport boats, Ski Doo® and Lynx® snowmobiles, Johnson® and Evinrude® outboard engines, direct injection technologies such as Evinrude E TEC™, Bombardier* all-terrain vehicles (ATV), Rotax™ engines and karts, as well as Bombardier* utility vehicles.
®, ™ Trademark of Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. or its subsidiaries. * Trademark of Bombardier Inc. used under license.