Jutta Kleinschmidt said after achieving her goal at the glorious Lac Rose, "I cannot believe it. It's like a dream. I couldn' sleep well last night. My stomach was aching and I wanted to go away from everything. I really feel sorry for Masuoka, of course, but I could not let go the chance for a win. For me it is not important if this is the first win by a woman. Women or man, I am just a driver. I also would like to thank Mitsubishi Motors for not giving team orders."

If Kleinshmidt was the official winner, the "true" winner must have been Hiroshi Masuoka. With his speed and driving technique, he maintained the attention of a fan base and the media all the way through the event with his passion to win the Paris Dakar.

In the sandier stages he made the best of the Pajero/Montero , taking top stage times and bouncing to the head of the overall standings. On into Mauritania and the competition on the sand dunes, Masuoka was again at home with his driving. Tidikja, the looped stage through the remote wastelands of deepest Mauritania, was the most difficult of the event this year and was the great opportunity for him to increase the gap over his rivals.

In the last desert stages, Masuoka managed to deadheat with Schlesser, who was driving a prototype buggy 600kg lighter, and also record best times in five stages on the way. This was followed in the 17th stage, where he overtook 27 cars.

How would Masuoka fair on the final major section? This was the question on everyone's lips. However, unfair conduct by a rival team and problems with the official time keeping dropped the Japanese driver down to second overall in the final results.

Despite this cruel misfortune, Masuoka's never gave up driving and was praised by the press and the mass media from the various nations reporting on "Samurai Masuoka".

It is important to have the speed to win the Paris Dakar, but a steady drive is as equally important. Such drivers as Kenjiro Shinozuka and Fontenay, winners in 1997 and 1998 respectively ,had faced a huge delay after unexpected trouble but Kleinschmidt did not experience any major problems. In the closing stages she pressed hard for the win and edged into contention. The German lady seizing her triumphant moment when Masuoka was delayed and Schlesser's eventual appeal against a time penalty was duly thrown out by the event officials.

In the closing stages she was aiming for third overall and, thus, avoiding risks for a steady run. This policy led her all the way to victory. Not of course that she lacked speed. Schlesser's unrentless protest led to a penalty and her temporary loss of the winning position, but Kleinschmidt took the top time in the ninth stage on her way to victory. She was a driver worthy of the win.

In a year where competition was heated to the extreme, the lead changed seven times daily. Under this pressure Masuoka held his own and ran at the top during leg three and the ninth day in the second half of the event. His battles with Schlesser and other major rivals were reported in various nations and the name Masuoka had become known around the world. The Paris-Dakar of the new century had shown that 'Masuoka in a Pajero/Montero ' hails from Japan....

FINAL CLASSIFICATION