Dakar 2013 - Official Event Coverage - thank you ALL TeamF5, lurkers and posters!

30 mins to go...

damn..... my arms are getting tired.... luckily i have a moustachioed south american to do my slow claps for me...

Mornin'

Been playing catchup for 6 hours, had to attend some meetings. Almost left behind, but now I'm back.

Anyone have yesterdays Eurosports highlights to share? I cant find a torrent for them..

/D

Mornin f5ers!!

The way I read it cars left the bivvy at around 7 they have a big transit before there SS bikes scheduled to roll at 8:30

2 totally different routes today, I think bikes are only 136km it appears backwards on ASO site??

If so no worries about HRC fuel again today

Showing first car start of there SS at 11:30

Good morning! Kid goes on the bus and I'll be back!

Nooo - I prefer to be inside the sports stadium watching, not locked outside listenting to the noise

dakar 2013 in one minute by speedbrain

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Quintanilla 183 has a much better starting spot today, off 47th, Have to see if the speed he showed the first few stages before his wheel problem can help him move up some today

I agree that the new media is contributing but it is only contributing from the following:
1. Much more crowds to inform, attracting local media to report to the crowds.
2. Factory Teams and Teams put the effort in posting media to get you more exposed to their sponsors/Brand.
3. Loads more access roads next to the track so much easier for freelance photographers/videographers to reach vantage points and take awesome videos, same applies to the chopper as it is shorter flight distance to the stages from the Biv compare to Africa.
4. Biv has internet and some free hands to put content on social.

In the end we get loads more Video, Photos and social media noise.
Add to that eforts to have trackers and feeds from ASO that enable you to know (sort of) what is going on with Chelco in real time'ish.
So it is not accurate for statistical purposes but it does give you a frame work to guesstimate what is going on and start looking around to see in other sources what happened to your rider/s

If the race stayed in africa we would have gotten more information from the Biv/Teams but the crowds and the local media would not be the same and the access to the Vid/Pho/Chopper would have been harder as distances were hectic.

Money trail, follow it and you shall see why.

Anyone heard from Jago and his family twitter@Chase_The_Race?
He has Chavo's (Rider 50) family on board with him but nothing from them for a few days!:huh

Hi Guys
Im coming out of lurker mode
Ive followed evry page but havent added much, (been busy at work and my daughter needed a op yeaterday)

I hope the ASO will give my time back for that excuse.

I get a group email from INGO Waldshimdts wife.
Sorry i havent shared yet, but here goes.

From stage 4

Ok.. now that i sent the letter out for the night.. the man calls home.:) just after midnight<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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All good-except his trip metre broke...cable snapped. It is a device that counts your km’s as you ride.. so you know on your road book where you are. (they indicate things on the RB by km reading)<o></o>
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And the usual... MONKEY BUTT has shown its ugly head.. he is – as usual in agony.. (said – he can’t wait to just get out of his pants hee hee)<o></o>
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His service crew arrived within minutes of Ingo arriving at the biviac..which is a “schlep” the whole set up needs to be...well “set up” . its a lot nicer to arrive and it’s all up and ready and waiting.<o></o>
Unfortunately the route that the service crews had to take to get to the biviac was a long and twisty one. ( guess they too-must feel like they in a race every day) <o></o>
Just shows.. it’s such a team effort... the backup crew race to get set up and sorted for the riders..they have to then service the bikes... etc etc..then the next day..pack it alllllllllll up again and hit the road to the next one. Heard from Jan’s wife.. Jax.. that there is a great team spirit amongst the Orange service team. Which sounds like the perfect recipe for two great finish’s<o></o>
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Ingo says the fesh fesh in the beginning of the stage was lank scary. He couldn’t see anything...could only hear bikes at a stage. <o></o>
He got to a ravine.. and had to stop and stand still.. to listen where bikes were... when he suddenly heard a bike coming from behind.. well – he put foot ( into blinding dust) and lucky for him..it was the right route he took. <o></o>
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Well thats all folks<o></o>
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See you all tomorrow<o></o>
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lisa<o></o>

According to @dakarofficial Nasser Al-Attiyah is on his way by now!

If I had easy access to a map plotting all participants positions live, I would use it all the time. It would be a great addition to the coverage.

We have had a lot of talk about how Dakar has changed, clean driver's suits, air conditioned motorhomes, it woulld be interesting to see how this component could change the race? Doyle had some comments earlier about people all over the stage pointing out obstacles knowing riders were approaching. It would be different.

I do agree the inside is better than looking in from the outside.

Someone catch the bird in the vid, who else barreda.

oops, sorry read this one first.

My BAD


Howdy everyone.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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Well the long day ,started bright and early for Ingo... getting the “ready ........steady ... GO” @ about 06h30<o></o>
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After putting new tyres on the bike last night , he was ready for the looong haul in the dunes.<o></o>
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19 motor bikes are already, out of the race as of the start of this morning.. so only 163 bikes started. Ingo starting in 71th position. <o></o>
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I promised myself NOT to become attached to the tracking this time around ( I know.. I bet you all did heh).. so I saw once he was off... then went to go hang up washing etc.-a bit later got a call from a friend..and his words were.. “have you seen the site?... I dunno if I should laugh or cry” ,,,so I dashed off –to see Ingo was registered as coming through WP1 in second place...well I couldn’t speak for a few seconds... and unfortunately that is how long the thrill lasted as well... minutes later alllll the other names showed up..and Ingo was showing at 54<SUP>th</SUP> through there. ( it was good whilst it lasted....i have to admit)<o></o>
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Some bad news again on the car side...is Duncan Vos with co driver Robert Howie –both, from South Africa (#312) are out of the rally..<o></o>
They wrote that their, chassis of their vehicle was too badly damaged to carry on. L<o></o>
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Its 22h30 and still no call from Ingo..mmmmm I know he is in.. so can only guess he can’t get through to me. I wonder what the hell ,wife’s did before the tracking system was bought into this.. couldn’t have been nice-not knowing anything.<o></o>
What i can tell you though...is that he finished today’s stage in 58<SUP>th</SUP> position... bringing his overall position up to 56<SUP>th</SUP> J J J J <o></o>
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After watching tonight’s coverage- and seeing people injured and crashing.... brings back the reality of this rally... it’s really is a fight –of blood sweat and tears to finish it and any small mistake could cost you dearly. <o></o>
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Tomorrows Stage (5) starts a bit later for the lads... opps and 2 ladies... @ 08h30 –taking them from Arequipa to the next biviac in Arica. All in all 410 km, of which 136km is the connection and 274km of that is the special (race stage)<o></o>
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On skater chick Zoe’s side...she was uber proud of her scabs and scrapes(and now a swollen gonna be blue eye) this morning... and get this.. when I took her to a friend to go play... guess what she had tucked under her arm.... her freaking skate board. I eventually convinced her that her fluffy toy was a way better (uhm safer) option. <o></o>
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I would just like to add here...a big thank you to everyone who is sending sms’s... mails... face booking and calling... wishing him luck still and expressing how happy/proud you all are on how he is doing. It really means a lot ( he reads it all when he gets back- i keep a journal kind of thing) and it makes me realise that all the time he took in 2012...to look for sponsors.. to get prepped and ready for this race..the hours in front of the computer...in the garage..training..etc - REALLY IS worth it. <o></o>
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On that note... i will end off... feeling a bit odd after not hearing from him...and head for la la land<o></o>
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#101 T U + F X (try figure that one out)<o></o>
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Proudly Namibian<o></o>
Lisa and Zoe<o></o>

*yawns*

G'Mornin' Team

I will be in the dust, heading to work.

You guys and gals have fun!!

Pretty much all sports have evolved in this manner. It's simple growing pains but, eventually creates more opportunity for the beginner and weekend warrior.

It worked beautifully from their standpoint....they definitely got in his head and affected his mindset.

Ok, who has the starters gun?? it was here last nite....damm sand everywhere can't find nothing....