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General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
Dakar has started...Yam 450 2 wheel in first!!
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[QUOTE="Tony Eeds, post: 714671, member: 32023"] Before I get to today's stage, check this out, it's very cool: David Casteu, 29 year old privateer, 30th overall, stopped to help Fabrizio Meoni yesterday, on stage 7. Meoni had been waiting 1h15 for someone to give him a tyre tube at km 580. Casteau: "As a biker, I can't imagine not stopping. I hate the idea that many didn't. I saw him far ahead and at first I thought he had fell, then I saw pieces of bib mousse and immediately understood. Meoni told me to carry on and not lose time. But I couldn't do that. He was devastated. In 5 minutes and with the help of Cyril Raynal who also stopped, the problem was solved. Too bad I didn't get there earlier". For many on the Dakar, Meoni is more than just a top rider. "I would have done it for any other biker but Fabrizio is really a master, my hero. He started as a privateer, like me. He has a bike shop, like me. But most of all, he is very human. He's the only one that comes to see the privateers after a stage and talks to us. We never see the others". This state of mind is one of the reasons that push Casteu to ride the Dakar. "When I go to the Morocco or Tunisia rallies, it's to win it (winner in Tunisia in 2003). Here it's for the adventure". This year he even bought a special bike for the Dakar. "First of all it's a Cagiva because I didn't want to have a KTM like the others. But most of all, it's the bike that belonged to Edi Orioli when he won the 95 rally. I payed 30 000 francs for it and then added 20 000 to restore things. It's a 900cc that is perfect for the race because it's solid. When you have no assistance it helps". [b][i]Stage Eight[/i][/b] Stage 8 - 8 January 2004 - ATAR > TIDJIKJA Liaison 34 km Special 355 km Liaison 4 km Total 393 km "This kind of stage must exist. The Dakar has to be difficult to remain a legendary race." Dakar race organizers like surprises. This was the first time the Rally was run from Atar and Tidjikja. The sections of soft sand at the Ergs and the rough sections of camel grass were quite difficult. But today, the most difficult part of the stage was navigation. New-age treachery mixes up the field of competitors GPS means navigating with the help of dozens of satellites in space. GPS points help the drivers to orientate and find their way through the desert. Some experts claim that GPS is a good means for the race. However, it does not substitute for looking into the road book or even at the landscape. The first GPS point was about 120 kilometers into the stage. The riders crossed a Wadi after 40 km. Those who kept heading directly towards the GPS point missed the way out of the dryed-up river bed, ended up lost in a dead end canyon. Those who followed the road books, and watched where they were going, were able to find the exit from the Wadi. Interestingly devious of the race organizers. Cyril Despres got lost, and dropped from 1st to 24th overall: "It was the worst day of my life. I had problems with my glasses so I decided to stop but fell at a very slow pace. Nothing serious except that with my knee I pulled the GPS connexion. I couldn't reconnect it, so I got lost. Each time I saw a KTM rider I would follow him, but each time we got lost again. That lasted 50kms. Because of that, I ran out of fuel, 1.2km from refuelling. Luckily, someone helped me reconnect the GPS and gave me fuel. There are days were everything goes wrong. It's also my fault. I never should have followed the others." Alfie Cox: "****ing day. I followed Fabrizio and that turned out to be a huge mistake." Meoni was lost, too. Fabrizio Meoni: "My trip broke two or three times. I don't understand why. I would repair it and a few kilometres later, it would break again. Because of that, I got lost in the wadi." Nani Roma finishes 1st and now leads overall: "From the start it was impossible to follow the tracks so you had to be very good in navigation. I believe that a lot must have got lost before CP1. It was good that I checked into my road book. I looked around and calmly tried to navigate." Jean Brucy: "It was really difficult to find the way out of the wadi this morning. I was lucky to be behind Sainct long enough because with the wind the tracks tend to disappear. It's in that kind of situation where I see how important my experience of the Dakar is. I know the area well now. It's good to be 3rd overall, but I can very well be 10th tomorrow." Richard Sainct: "Navigation was extremely difficult. I turned around twice on a track because I wasn't sure that I had found the right route." A sandstorm made orientation even more difficult. "I constantly had dust in my eyes." Dakar-beginner Scott Harden rode a remarkable race today. Trusting his good old compass helped him to rank among the top riders. "I arrived in 6th position and was simply surprised about such a good placement. When I wasn't sure about the way I took out my compass and road book. I trusted them more than my GPS. That's what helped me to get through fine." Overall Standings: Team Gauloises KTM France 001 Richard Sainct 2nd +8 min 002 Cyril Despres 7th +1hr 15 min 009 Jean Brucy 3rd +14 min Gauloises KTM International 003 Fabrizio Meoni 13th +2hr 9min 007 Giovani Sala withdrew after stage 6 010 Alfie Cox 4th +51 min Repson KTM Spain 004 Juan Roma 1st 011 Marc Coma 14th +2 hr 13 min 019 Esteve Pujol 63rd +10hr 31 min, including 1 hour penalty Red Bull KTM USA 016 Larry Roeseler 24th +3hr 40 min 017 Paul Krause 20th +3hr 13 min 025 Scott Harden 9th +1hr 51 min Others: 012 David Fretigne on the 2wd Yamaha, 15th +2hr 15 min 041 David Casteu, riding Cagiva 900 Elefant 34th +6hr 34 min Team Farmerlips 006 Per Gunner Lundmark 6th +1hr, 15 min 015 Pal andedrs Ullevalseter 5th +1hr, 1 min Sleepy Jings Madman Racing, San Francisco 115 Charlie Rauseo: Hasn't finished stage 8, as yet Team Desert Rose, Great Britain 100 Patsy Quick: Hasn't finished stage 8, as yet 101 Clive Town: Hasn't finished stage 8, as yet Dome BMW, Great Britain 074 Nick Plumb - Didn't start stage 8 075 Simon Pavey 85th 26hr 1 min, including 1 hour penalty 072 Andy Caldecott, Australian Privateer Didn't start stage 8 - broken ankle in stage 7. Too bad, he was 6th at the time. In the Cars: Apparently, leader Hiroshi Masuoka (Mitsubishi n°201) also had difficult navigation problems, and lost well over 1h30 on the special finishing in 12th spot. That allowed Stephane Peterhansel (Mitsubishi n°203) to win. "We had a relaxed rhythm, we knew that the others were behind so we controlled the race". Jutta Kleinschmidt (VW n°204) finished second, 29 minutes back. She who started the stage with a brand new engine block (which may result in her disqualification). Third position went to Gregoire De Mevius (BMW n°212) ahead of Jean-Louis Schlesser (Schlesser Ford n°200) Schlesser: "Anyhow, on this rally, only three drivers know how to navigate: Jutta, Masuoka and Peter. All the others got lost, including myself and it costs us 30min". In the overall, Peterhansel is comfortably in the lead with over an hour on De Mevius an 1h22 on Masuoka who eventually finished the stage in 7th spot at 1h34min14. Masuoka: "It's over. I can't fight for victory. It's now impossible to catch Peterhansel. I'll fight for second place." Gregoire De Mevius (FRA - BMW, 3rd) - 212 "It wasn't a special for me. I don't like driving in soft sand and wadis. I like going fast. We did less kilometres today but almost have the same time as yesterday. It was a nightmare to find the good track. . . This kind of stage must exist. The Dakar has to be difficult to remain a legendary race." After each of the last two stages there have been new leaders. Tomorrow this could happen for a third time. Stage 9, the second part of a marathon-stage, is the second longest special in this years Dakar rally, 739 km. The A.S.O. also claims it to be the toughest stage. They also claim it is "full of traps", and "there will be less GPS points than in the past." The legendary route drives past Tichit, the famous elephant rock. It also crosses the Enji-pass which had stopped almost all competitors due to a sandstorm in 1985. We will wait in suspense what this special offers the riders and their fans at home tomorrow. After hours of driving and riding, fast tracks to head up to the Dhar, the competitors will finally get to Nema, a traditional town, capital of Hodh ech-Chergui, in the middle of the desert, surrounded by red soil and tiger bushes. Tom Warr [/QUOTE]
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General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
Dakar has started...Yam 450 2 wheel in first!!
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