Chinese Men Guangyuan (L2) and his navigator Frenchman Serge Henninot (L1) at a news conference held by Team Mitsubishi Ralliart China on Men's challenge in 2005 Dakar Rally, Beijing, September 28.

Chinese Men Guangyuan will drive the Mitsubishi Pajero Diesel in the T2 Diesel 4WD category during the 2005 Dakar Rally which starts on January 1 in arcelona.

Twenty-four-year-old Men, from the Beijing Haidian Driving School, is currently one of China's best home-grown rally racers. He won the 2003 China Rookie Championships and finished third in the 2002 Asian Pacific Rally Championships in India as a navigator.

But in the Dakar Rally, Men's navigator will be Frenchman Serge Henninot, a 12-time Paris-Dakar Rally participant.

Men's technical adviser will be another Frenchman Jean-Pierre Fontenay, the 1998 Paris-Dakar winner.

Starting this month, Team Mitsubishi Ralliart China has started a strict training programme for Men in an effort to help the Chinese complete the world's arduous auto rally.

Men will also take part in the desert auto rally from October 11 to 15 in the United Arab Emirates as a warm-up for the Dakar Rally.

Men said he won't let the sponsors and Chinese fans down and will try his utmost in the Dakar Rally.

Source: China Daily