2006 Dakar Winners

Luc Alphand and his co-driver/navigator Gilles Picard scored two stage wins, three second-fastest special finishes and two third places on their way to notching their first Dakar victory. Racing for the Mitsubishi Ralliart team, the Frenchmen gave Mitsubishi their sixth consecutive Dakar title. Mitsubishi now has increased their record to 11 as the all-time leading manufacturer in the Dakar rally.

Alphand was always in the hunt in the car category as they sailed their Pajero across seas of sand dunes, winding through the forest tracks, trekking around and through local African villages, across rocky trails and floating across river crossings. They had their moments of scare -- the third stage being the one that caused them to drop to ninth overall.