Dakar 2014 - Official Event Coverage - thank you all, lurkers and posters!!!

... Ben will have to be carefull, that his emotional desire to pass the rider immediately infront at the start, don't cause him to come to grief.

Ratz! All out of Tequila and my old truck says it doesn't feel like a winter road trip, anyhow.

The stress should ease a bit by ... ohh ... Valentine's Day or so.

Or not.

<table cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" border="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border:1px inset"> Originally Posted by XSpearsX
What a perfect recap of today. Just might have to share :)

THen there is one of the wives throwing a small fit over the men of Dakar running their mouths LoL Anyone have a 6 pack or bottle of wine they want to bring me?
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Vodka. Definitely Vodka.

Though who am I to talk, it's gone up to a balmy -9 here. I might go out and get some sun... Oh wait, it's night time...

Sadly Visser/Badenhorst out of <S>@</S>dakar. Rolled <S>@</S>TeamFordRacing Ranger in dunes. Visser in hospital for x-rays, Badenhorst ok

-few minutes later-

Good news - Chris Visser is ok, staying in hospital overnight, should be out tomorrow morning <S>#</S>FordAtDakar <S>@</S>TeamFordRacing <S>@</S>dakar

Hmmm - not having been... Does it seem like this is the family/civilized version of Baja? Or do they just drink less because even the fans have to make it for two weeks?

Argentina is a much more civilized country. Also the fans there are true fans, they know the racers numbers, stats, etc. They are true motorsports enthusiasts

Mexico I get the feeling it's just an excuse to party, which is cool too

I figured... but there is still one (and the last) german unaccounted for: Joerg Majoli #179

After 9pm here... No Frankie

So, looking ahead a few hours
(sorry about the offsets - too hard to fix)
I think I'm gonna leave the well being of our Dakar racers in your capable hands and crash shortly.
Bonne nuit.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="out"><table class="item_course"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_speciale">Car</td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale">Truck</td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale">Bike</td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale">Quad</td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="beige uppercase">connection</td></tr><tr><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Distance</td><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Schedule</td></tr><tr><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>292 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>292 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>292 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>292 km</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>06:08 - 10:38</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>08:28 - 13:08</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>04:30 - 08:30</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>04:30 - 08:30</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="uppercase">special stage</td></tr><tr><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Distance</td><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Schedule</td></tr><tr><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>301 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>301 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>373 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>373 km</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>10:48 - 14:18</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>13:18 - 17:18</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>08:40 - 13:40</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_speciale in_tab"><dd>08:40 - 13:40</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table><tbody><tr><td colspan="2" class="beige uppercase">connection</td></tr><tr><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Distance</td><td class="beige_speciale_distance">Schedule</td></tr><tr><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>3 km</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>3 km</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="out"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>14:28 - 14:35</dd></td></tr><tr><td class="bg_liaison in_tab"><dd>17:28 - 17:35</dd></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>

with all the social media out there you'd figure these guys have a fb page like a lot of other riders....NOT.......

the first column is shifted up, 4:30 start

Is there a 2 hour penalty for hitting the twelve hour mark?

Nothing wrong with a civilized party

and there is no argument based on this video:

They've gone all out - better than some of the hyped up stuff I've seen broadcast for events here. Granted it's probably a hollow stage set mockup, but they've got a Mini on set. They're SERIOUS. :eek1
Wow. I really need to get up on my spanish.

I like the segment about halfway through where they ask about childhood aspirations. Nasser mentions watching the Dakar at 16 - saying his dad hopes he'll race it one day... no pressure.

Time to go silent. Early roll call.

Not that I have ever heard of....

sorry - I had too: your pic made me read it wrong...

Hopefully that would be the worst of it


I'm only asking because I was poking around micha's tracker, looking for long lost italians, and I noticed everyone on my list who cracked the twelve hour mark had at least 2 hours in penalties.. unless I've got the cart before the horse, and the penalties put them at twelve hours...

Have basically only had time to catch up to here beyond doing the dad things, so I fear I am getting snowballed, and its only day 2!

This didn't translate perfectly, but sums it up pretty well for Cyril...

"I arrived a little too quickly on a note in the road book at around kilometre 250 and went over the handlebars. Fortunately it was a soft landing so the bike wasn’t damaged but it took me a while to dust myself down and get going again and inevitably I lost time. Overall a day to forget."