So, 14 seconds between the top 4, Coma off 5th tomorrow - too much class, he'll win the stage and have enough to hold the chasers off on the last day - or that's the theory
"Coma, Przygonski and Lopez are all riding the KTM 450 Dakar-winning Rally bike, KTM reports." from ultimatemotorcycling.com and from KTM Racing Facebook
Hey guys, Back home from Qatar after an awesome few days with the Speedbrain guys, gotta love that team I had a chance to hang out with QC, really cool guy and very open to talk to. He was a bit nervous about navigation since the roadbooks for Qatar were jam packed with many details and sometimes multiple entrys within onl 1km! Not to worry, he's running the right equipment for that Unfortunately there was no new KTM to be seen as we had previously thought, all "standard" 450RR (4x flown in from Dubai/Austria).
OMG I really thought this was supposed to be a race! If you check the arrival times for the second leg you will see that at PC 2 the top five arrived within 1:30 of each other, at PC 3 within 22 seconds of each other, and lastly at the ASS within 25 seconds. Is this just a throwaway practice rally? Certainly isn't very exciting for us spectators (few as we may be).
Great! The top four came into PC 3 and you could have covered them with a 31 second blanket. PAL has been stationary for about the last half hour. Hope it's nothing serious.
Interestingly, the tracker seems to be reporting the locations/speeds of the top four riders at the exact same moment so you can compare actual on the ground position between them.
I think PAU dropping will close up the top 4 now and hand the initiative to Coma and Speedy? Tomorrow will be a case of can Coma navigate and stop Speedy catching him on the ground and then taking 30 sec off him - game set and match to Mr. C again, unless he gets lost or the bike lets him down
And now the fifth, sixth, and seventh riders (QC, Chavo, and the other guy) came into PC 3 within 20 seconds of each other.again.
Okay, now this is really getting ridiculous. On today's Stage 3, the top four riders finished within TWO seconds of each other. What's the point? They might as well call this a long, difficult dual sport ride. Or am I just off-base here?
No, not off base and tomorrow Speedy will then be 1 second behind Coma if he catches him on the track - it will then be a sprint finish to the line - who has the fastest bike - KTM or Speedbrain Unless of course Chalico or Jakub can take more time when catching up? I just hope whoever crosses the line first goes through all 3 flags - the Speedbrain rule and regulations police will be out in force.
PAU is out. According to his FB, he had an off, have a broken femur and have been medvaced by heli. :eek1 /D
Quick Google translate, from Dagbladet (main norw. paper) Spokesperson Haakon A. Bjercke talked to 43-year-old little before. 12, and then lay north man hospitalized in Doha. About two hours before, at. 10, it went wrong in the saddle. Ullevålseter crashed and suffered multiple fractures. Probably he operated for hip fracture later in the day. - I spoke with Pål Anders now, he's pretty drugged on morphine. He told the gearbox broke and that he could only run in the fourth and fifthgir, Bjercke says to Dagbladet. Hit a rock He says Ullevålseter due to trans trouble had to keep a great pace to continue, more than 90 km / h, which led to higher risk out on stage. - Then he hit a rock and flew straight into the air. He broke the tip of the thumb and leg right off. He hopes the femur fracture is uncomplicated, but so far he has not received a reply. He saw that his thigh was split in two, it was only just skin and tendons that held it together, says press spokesman. - How is your mood? - He's depressed, he's so conscientious. He is sorry for sponsors, he was included in these rallies to get in shape for the Dakar Rally. The main part of this was preparation for winter. Pål Anders was sad, but also tipsy. There is not anything cool like that happens once. - Is next year's Dakar foreclosed now? - We do not know, it's a clean break may be six to 12 weeks until it has healed. But it depends if they get plastered there properly. He has not given up the Dakar, it is still the goal. There are eight months. The problem is run, how much exercise he gets. He was started now. Summer The consolation for Ullevålseter is that he originally was going to take the summer by Qatari rally which ends tomorrow. - He is extremely good physical shape now, who destroyed when he is bedridden. Then disappear muscles, but it helps that he's in good shape. He is 43 years old and better trained than most elite sport athletes at 30 - Was it a dramatic rescue? - Pål Anders was determined in a Toyota Land Cruiser, and drove as far as they could before the helicopter arrived. From a camp at the target, he was taken to the hospital by helicopter. I would guess that the accident occurred at. 10 today. On reaching the hospital rally veteran is confident that he will get good care. - He said the hospital looks terrific out, he is not stressed. He is confident, but so far he has not been joined by team. They have to take care of bikes and equipment. Pål Anders was also concerned that they take their passports, and little things like that, says Bjercke.