Dakar 2012 - Official Event Coverage - THANK YOU all Lurkers and Posters!!

Well, here we are again, another year, another multi-week flurry of posts, disappointed employers, spouses, and woefully neglected children.

I know we have a few threads going already, but with the pre-race thread at 42 pages let's concentrate that one on all the pre-rally preparation and this one on the day to day rally results and news.

For the n00bs, this will be the firehose at full blast. Last year's thread went 501 pages, 12,453 posts, and over 750K views...full speed ahead, buckle your seatbelts. Also, for a primer on following along, specifically on where to find and how to decipher some of the information on Dakar.com, check this thread.

Daily Information:

• Official ASO Dakar Website
• ADVrider Racing Forum (AKA here)
• Marathonrally
• Rally Pan Am on Twitter
• Also, check the rider list below for links to their personal or team pages, many of which are updated with individual news.

Another great source is Facebook. May be tough if you haven't 'friended' many of the riders, but it seems like the most up to date information on a rider by rider basis hit's FB first, even over twitter.

For this viewing via mobile, I'll add shameless plugs for my feeds. I'll be doing my best to keep the twitter feed rolling with play by play and then daily wrap ups at the minimum via my blog RallyRaidReview.

Where to listen:

• http://www.rallyraidio.net/ Competitors and rally followers, check with Packmule or Flood for call in numbers.
• Radio Maray (Spanish) If you hablas Espanol, Maray is THE source!

Where to watch:

• NBCSports. There is no telling what this years US/Canadian coverage may be since Versus, formerly OLN, was recently bought by NBC Sports. NBCS will be broadcasting Dakar, check your local listings. East Coast US coverage looks to be starting at 1:30am on January 2nd.
  
• Also of course, Eurosport.com runs two updates daily, an interview update and then a stage/daily coverage show. Check either the media or torrent threads as those are the best sources for this information.
  
• Eurosport always puts on some great pre-race content to whet your appetite. Check out the Destination Dakar and Roadbook videos on the Eurosport site.
  
• SBS - Looks like coverage starts on the 2nd with daily updates at 17:30 local time. (I am not sure of the time zones. )
  
• TN.ar - Excellent Spanish language live coverage. Usually continual coverage of the start festivities.

Who to watch:

ADVrider inmates and friends:
Number links to Dakar page, name links to personal or team page if one exists.

<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/009.html" target=_blank">9</a> - <a href="http://www.quinncody.com/" target=_blank">QUINN ALEXIS CODY</a> - (USA) - HONDA CRF 450X
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/014.html" target=_blank">14</a> - <a href="http://www.casteu.fr/" target=_blank">DAVID CASTEU</a> - (FRA) - YAMAHA 450 WRF RALLY
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/019.html" target=_blank">19</a> - <a href="http://www.jonahstreetracing.com/" target=_blank">JONAH STREET</a> - (USA) - YAMAHA YZ450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/029.html" target=_blank">29</a> - <a href="http://www.berglundracing.com/" target=_blank">THOMAS BERGLUND</a> - (SWE) - HUSABERGFE 450 RR
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/036.html" target=_blank">36</a> - <a href="http://www.samsunderland.com/wordpress/" target=_blank">SAM SUNDERLAND</a> - (GBR) - HONDA CRF 450 DAKAR X
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/050.html" target=_blank">50</a> - <a href="http://www.chavosalvatierra.com/" target=_blank">JUAN CARLOS SALVATIERRA</a> - (BOL) - HONDA CRF450X
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/055.html" target=_blank">55</a> - <a href="http://www.dakarturk.com/" target=_blank">KEMAL MERKIT</a> - (TUR) - KTM 450 RALLY RR
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/060.html" target=_blank">60</a> - <a href="http://www.frontrowgb.com/new/index.php" target=_blank">STANLEY WATT</a> - (GBR) - KTM 450 RALLY
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/061.html" target=_blank">61</a> - <a href="http://www.brmt.com.br/info.asp" target=_blank">DIMAS MATTOS</a> - (BRA) - KTMKTM 450 RALLY REPLICA
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/062.html" target=_blank">62</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Husaberg-Rallye-Racing-Australia/315347661288?ref=mf" target=_blank">DAVID SCHWARZ</a> - (AUS) - HUSABERG FE450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/074.html" target=_blank">74</a> - <a href="http://erikkofman.nl/" target=_blank">ERIK KOFMAN</a> - (NLD) - KTM 450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/081.html" target=_blank">81</a> - <a href="http://neduro.com/" target=_blank">NED SUESSE</a> - (USA) - KTM 450XCW
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/104.html" target=_blank">104</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/vicentedebenedictis" target=_blank">VICENTE DE BENEDICTIS</a> - (BRA) - BETA RR 450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/106.html" target=_blank">106</a> - <a href="http://www.theraceshop.com/blog" target=_blank">JAMES EMBRO</a> - (USA) - KTM 450 RALLY
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/107.html" target=_blank">107</a> - <a href="http://vagentilldakar.blogspot.com/" target=_blank">RONNIE BODINGER</a> - (SWE) - HUSABERG FE 450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/109.html" target=_blank">109</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/people/Arndt-Budweg/100001931384951" target=_blank">ARNDT BUDWEG</a> - (BRA) - KTM 450 RALLY REPLICA
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/113.html" target=_blank">113</a> - RODNEY FAGGOTTER</a> - (AUS) - HUSABERG FE450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/118.html" target=_blank">118</a> - <a href="http://rallyraidcanada.com/index.html" target=_blank">DONALD HATTON</a> - (CAN) - YAMAHA WR 450
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/147.html" target=_blank">147</a> - <a href="http://www.freedomcyclesinc.com/miscpage_004.asp" target=_blank">MICHAEL STANFIELD</a> - (USA) - KTM 450 EXC
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/150.html" target=_blank">150</a> - <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/118563401523453/" target=_blank">LUIS BELAUSTEGUI</a> - (ARG) - KTM XC 150
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/172.html" target=_blank">172</a> - <a href="http://www.ladakar.com/" target=_blank">MANUEL LUCCHESE</a> - (ITA) - HUSABERG FE 450 RALLY
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/180.html" target=_blank">180</a> - <a href="http://www.dakarteamgb.com/" target=_blank">JAGO PICKERING</a> - (GBR) - KTM 450EXC
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/187.html" target=_blank">187</a> - <a href="http://www.dakarteamgb.com/" target=_blank">TOBIAS YOUNGER</a> - (GBR) - KTM 450EXC
<a href="http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2012/us/rider/188.html" target=_blank">188</a> - <a href="http://bc2dakar.com/" target=_blank">BILL CONGER</a> - (USA) - HUSQVARNA 449

The full list of entrants can be found here.

Again, a special mention to all who follow and support the riders. Those who go without sleep, clean clothes, or showers and endure the bumpy roads and non-roads helping to keep the riders riding for our enjoyment. Thanks to you!

I'll also give special mention to Carlton Kirby for, in my opinion, excellent Eurosport commentating and lack of fear to dive into the less known and sometimes obscure competitors and story lines.

The Route:

Woohooo!!!!!!


Here we go.




Will Chaleco be able to pull it off this year from the Europeans? The Chileans certainly think so.

Perhaps this new image will help?