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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: 715934, member: 32023"] [b][i]Stage Ten and Eleven[/i][/b] These stages have been cancelled becasue Dakar is beating everyone up. BTW - Tell me if my posts change after I get my "official" Dakar hat. It should arrive next week. Not exactly like being there, but a heck of a lot cheaper. ;) TIDJIKJA - NEMA A legendary stage! This part of the course has witnessed some of the race's most historic moments. It is also the longest and the hardest stage in the 2004 race. After a fast start through soft sand until Tichit, things get tougher as we reach the Well of Aratoue, the Rocher des Eléphants and the Enji pass where nearly all of the competitors were brought to a halt by a sandstorm 1985. But the magnificent landscapes make it easier to forget the difficulties of certain sections. Well, that was the idea, anyway. This is from the updated Dakar web page: NEUTRALIZED STAGE 08:00 Modification of the rally route For security reasons concerning the rally and the competitors, the organisation feels it is necessary to modify the 10th and 11th stages between NEMA and MOPTI and between MOPTI and BOBO DIOULASSO. Both stages have been cancelled and replaced by a liaison all the way to BAMAKO and then to BOBO DIOULASSO. <snip> Nine days into this year's event, 6,000 of the 11,000 kilometres completed, only 132 of the 400-strong field remain in the event following three incredibly difficult stages. Stage 7 totalled over a thousand kilometres and was backed up by a marathon stage consisting a technical 389km stage 8 and another 740km test yesterday, the longest of the Dakar. The feeling is that the privateers need a break: A Dakar without amateurs, who scrimp and save all year long in order to fulfill their dreams, means the end of the Rally. If the Organisation has to depend only on the professionals, there would be an exodus, which can also happen now. If the chances for the amateurs to reach the Dakar beaches are being confined to a minimum, their pleasure for saving their money for next year will disappear like snow in summer. But thankfully the next two stages, which would have been equally difficult, have been cancelled, allowing the privateers the possibility of recovering from the previous three days. Meanwhile for organiser Zaniroli, who apparently knew of the security threat in Mali prior to the start on Januray 1st, the additional two recovery days has certainly come as a blessing in disguise. "It was been a typical Dakar Rally so far," reflected Mitsubishi Director Sven Quandt. "But maybe the organisers pushed it a little too far this time in terms of stretching the resources of teams and privateers." However, on a competitive level, the cancellation of stages 10 and 11 and diminished the possibility of riders such as Cyril Despres and Richard Sainct to fight for victory, with Sunday's test between Mopti and Bobo Dioulasso expected to have been the 'toughest stage yet!'. Richard Sainct ( FRA - KTM - 2nd) - 001 "It's great to do the stage on a plane. It's relaxing. On the other hand, I would have preferred to do it on my bike in the race. Now, for the other competitors, it's a good thing that they can rest. If I had been leading the overall, this break wouldn't have disturbed me. Now, I lose chances to gain time in the overall. . . Last year, the Dakar was too easy, this time it's very difficult. The Dakar however shouldn't become impossible! Let's not forget that the weather conditions are very bad, the sand is very soft. Those who will finish he rally can be very proud." Cyril Despres (FRA - KTM - 4th) - 002 "It's a strange feeling being here today. On one hand it's good to rest but on the other hand, I don't really need it. I was counting on my physical strength to make a difference, so I have an advantage less. . . We'll ride tomorrow on the liaison but it'll really be cool." Fabrizio Meoni (ITA - KTM - 11th) - 003 "Concerning the victory, it's over for me. That's for sure. The first problem I had made me lose 2 hours and the two following days, I also had little technical worries on stages where I could have caught up time on the leaders. Now, I'm too far behind and it's impossible to finish with the first. It's sad because it's a magnificent rally, very tough, like I like them. It was my rally and that's why it's a shame. But that doesn't change the main goal now : to make it to Dakar." Alfie Cox (AFS - KTM - 3rd) - 010 "On a sporting point of view, this neutralisation of the race is a pity. But when security is at stake, one can only understand. I totally support the organisation's decision. I believe this stop will be welcomed on a physical point of view. Even for me who has done hard Dakars, like in 98 and 99, I find it at the limit. And it's only the start ! It isn't a bad thing." Whereas the bikes were taken in an airplane, the cars had to drive: Jean Louis Schlesser ( FRA - SCHLESSER FORD - 3rd) - 200 "Over 900kms of liaison is worst than a special. At least in a special you can attack. We left at 8.30am this morning, we drove fast when we could. There were 100kms of difficult course. The other car (Servia) won't get here before 9.00pm. They did the mistake of not leaving early this morning". Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA - Mitsubishi - 1st) - 203 These two days of liaison are a surprise. 900kms is very long. Of course it's not the kind of pressure as in a special, but it wasn't restful. I handed the steering wheel to Jean-Paul Cottret so he could he have fun, especially on tricky paths. We'll try to cope with these two days in a relaxed manner. Tomorrow, there will be another 500kms. We'll have a good rest in Bobo Dioulasso." Jutta Kleinschmidt ( ALL - Volkswagen - 14th) - 204 "We left at 8.30am. It was tiring but also very boring. I took it easy. If I had the choice, I would have preferred a special." I picked this off the paris-dakar list, posted by Philip Wibaux. It's a link to Photos of Dakar bikes in high Res. Good stuff, thanks Philip! [url]http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=32251[/url] If you go up the thread and look for the "trucks of Dakar", you see more great photos of the trucks. Comments from PG Lundmark: [url]http://www.pgdakar.com/race/2004_dakar/index_en.shtml[/url] I wonder if the bluesman Roffe Wikström in an earlier life possibly did the Dakar on a bike. He describes what I'm feeling right now in his song Nere I skiten (Down in the ****). This is the text: Have you ever been in the ****? Then you know what I'm talking of. The ****tiest thing that can happen to you and it's coming back, again and again. You want to sleep, let the pain go. You count the seconds and minutes but the pain never stops. Have you ever been in the ****, quivering and quaking in your bed? I get the shivers, just listening to that song. Yesterday, it was difficult to hold the pace without going too fast or too slow. The right pace is a difficult one. Man is by nature lazy and it's easy to ride too slow. I lost it and was passed by Brucy and then we were painfully slow. I think he got rather more tired than me. My brains started finding excuses for staying behind him. Slow but safe, father of four, it hurts to crash, but then I overtook him anyway. Racing the Dakar is riding a narrow edge and the instalments you have to pay, if you fail, you pay for the rest of your life. Your brains say brake and your heart says gas it and if, like me, you have done an 180-point course in LHS (Life's Hard School) these are factors to be taken into account. Using your body instead of brake pads is nothing fun and as pads these body parts are much too soft. I managed to fall off today when the front tyre lost grip and both the bike and I carry the scars to prove it. It seems there will be three days of rest instead of one. The reason is some sort of threat from terrorists and we are to fly the bikes to Bobo-Dioulasso. More information tomorrow. Pity, considering the goals our team had, I don't think there will be time to reach them. The impossible takes longer and now we've lost that time. Lukas has complained about my body odour when we've shared a tent. He has taken a shower in cold water every day, I haven't. Today I passed a flock of camels and suddenly felt a familiar aroma. So, I smell like a flock of camels and have thought about finding a shower tonight. Rrom "Dakar Magazine" Being a privateer doesn't mean not competing for the overall. In his second Dakar, Cyril Raynal's goal is: "to finish in the top 30 !" He presses on, despite injury: "I first dislocated a shoulder because of a bad fall. Luckily I was able to put it back in place and carry on. A few kilometres later however, it got really painful. I was devastated. All my ambitions were fading away as I finished outside the top 60". Seems his girlfriend just had a baby: The birth of a child, just before the start of the rally, makes him forget his problems. "Immediately as I got back to the bivouac, I called my girlfriend. I really needed it. She talked to me about the 'little one'. It helped a great deal. I should actually be sent pictures very soon." The next day, for the longest special of the rally, between Tidjikja and Nema, Cyril managed to gain positions and earn precious minutes lost a day before. Getting to the Lac Rose among the best privateers can again become a realistic goal. "I'll have to stay focused until the end even in the final 5kms". Not only is this Toulouse native a competitor, he also knows how to stop when needed. When he caught up Qatari driver Nasser Al Attiyan who was out of fuel, he didn't think twice and gave him 12 litres so that he could finish the stage. Cyril now knows that "the four toughest stages" are behind him. After three rest days, the young father wants to give everything he has "for the people who support me in France" and especially for "the little one". Results: Among the 76 bikers (for the moment) still in the rally, after having made it to Nema, all are not only on 'Super Production' bikes. David Fretigne (Yamaha n°12), 12th overall, indeed leads the 'under 450cc' category. One can only be full of admiration for Michel Marchini (KTM n°20), the leader of the 'Production' standings and 13th overall, or Italy's Francesco Tarricone (Honda n°50), 49th and 1st in 'Production under 450cc', as well as Belgian Jeroen Ramos (Yamaha n°83), 65th and 1st of the 'under 250cc'. Let's not forget, South African Cornel De Villiers (Bombardier n°910), 60th and 1st of the quads, one of the most physical disciplines. In the overall, Peterhansel (Mitsubishi n°203) has a comfortable 1h lead on Masuoka (Mitsubishi n°201). Here are some other highlights: Jean-Pierre Strugo (Mercedes n°217), first of the 'Production/cross country cars' is in an excellent 15th place overall. "This Dakar is one of the most difficult I have ever done. If we had had to start this morning it really would have been tough". Former Formula one driver Ukyo Katayama (Toyota N°230), is 1st of the 'Production/cross country diesel' standings and 18th overall while in the trucks Spaniard Jordi Juvanteny (MAN N°451), 13th overall is top of the '6 to 8 wheel drive' category. No word on 233 Mark Miller, From US, in the Chevy ProTruck since CP1 of stage 9. Overall Standings: Team Gauloises KTM France 001 Richard Sainct 2nd +3 min 002 Cyril Despres 4th +45 min 009 Jean Brucy withdrew, broken collarbone in stage 9 Gauloises KTM International 003 Fabrizio Meoni 11th +2hr 43min 007 Giovani Sala withdrew after stage 6 010 Alfie Cox 3rd +28 min Repson KTM Spain 004 Juan Roma 1st 011 Marc Coma 7th +2 hr 18 min 019 Esteve Pujol 33rd +10hr 26 min, including 1 hour penalty Red Bull KTM USA 016 Larry Roeseler 16th +4hr 14 min 017 Paul Krause 22nd +5hr 35 min 025 Scott Harden withdrew, broken ankle in stage 9 Team Farmerlips 006 Per Gunner Lundmark 6th +1hr, 1 min 015 Pal andedrs Ullevalseter 5th +58 min Yamaha France 012 David Fretigne on the 2wd Yamaha, 12th +2hr 57 min Off Road Adventure 041 David Casteu, riding Cagiva 900 Elefant 28th +8hr 43 min Privateer, works for Dutsche Bank 171 Andy Coaker, Australian, 24th, +6hr, 51 min Sleepy Jings Madman Racing, San Francisco Charlie Rauseo, Attorney at Law "Everyday legal issues for those operating in the creative fields" [url]http://www.rallyconnex.com/rauseobio.htm[/url] 115 Charlie Rauseo: Listed as withdrawn after stage 8 - Bummer! Team Desert Rose, Great Britain 100 Patsy Quick: Withdrawn after stage 8 101 Clive Town: Withdrawn after stage 8 Dome BMW, Great Britain 074 Nick Plumb - Didn't start stage 8 075 Simon Pavey - Withdrew after stage 9 Rally Raid UK 170 Bertil Marcusson XR650, he rode to the start of the rally, in Clermont from Sweden 73rd, +30hr, 4 min RSP Racing 031 Cyril Raynal, 25th, +7hr, 44 min Tom Warr [/QUOTE]
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Dakar has started...Yam 450 2 wheel in first!!
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