Addc 2013 - Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge

Yep, so they knock him down and then kick him when he is on the floor.

On all previous days riders penalties have affected the stage positions - but not this time!?

Speedy - 2 places behind Coma on the stage and 42 sec behind overall - Speedy "wins" then.

Well he has kept and extended his lead at PC 1 which is astounding considering that Coma and Speedy are fighting for the win behind him - this can't be ignored

I know full well that this is the nature of rally racing and it's been this way forever, but this example of "tactics" of who starts where and everybody just catching up to the front runner and shadowing him is really ticking me off this time around.

This really takes away from the "racing" that is supposed to be going on. I love the navigational aspects of these races but this follow the leader crap really needs to stop. Five days of racing and the overall results is going to come down to a couple of minutes.

Rant over.

+ 1 rant and all

Sam and Coma out front - is Sam to Help Coma for the win, although if he want's it he has to stop Speedy closing the gap, so he has to push it also!

No doubt!
Edit: PC2 coming up momentarily, I think.
Edit2: Well, apparently not.

Sam and Coma are definitely riding together as they arrived 16 seconds apart at CP 2.

And Speedy closing, so very much looks like that is where it is going?

Sam just needs to hold PAU off for his podium - he should do it!

Is it just my imagination or is this an unusually long refueling stop?

Not that I was rooting for him, but really… Speedy loses a five day race by 32 seconds. WTF!

Sam holds on for the last step of the podium. Excellent job!

The rumour from the bivouac was that it was the KTM team who reported him later in the day - Bastards!, if it is true, nothing less !

On his race today he held off all except for Coma and is the race time winner by 1.47:

Apologies KTM it wasn't true - it was the other lot!

On this level of racing, all's fair unfortunately. And staffing a team to keep an eye out for other's infractions of rules is sadly a big part of the game. When KTM (or place any other manufacturer) have invested such a substantial amount of effort & money into their rally program, it's to be expected that they keep a sharp eye out for anything that can give them the advantage.

Heck, they even protested between their top riders (remember Cyril's gloves, Marc's rear tyre, etc)

I would expect no less from HRC, if they are trully serious about their rally effort. Naive just doesn't cut it at World Championship levels.

That said, and regardless of the official results, I think most of us consider Sam the winner of this round

Cheers Brodo - appreciated, but it certainly doesn't change how I feel about it, especially having seen the effort to get where he has today - not bad with 2 broken arms 4 months ago and obsolete bike?

It's all been said before...still stoked Sam made the podium

Will this open HRC's eyes and will they now bring him to the Sealine In a couple of weeks?

So the kid podiums in the first rally he enters after having two broken arms...
Claps are the order of the day and a lot of them. Penalty or not this is a fantastic performance.

As has been said rules are rules and as long as everyone is painted with the same brush that is how it should be. Cruel way to learn a lesson in this case indeed but lets not let it tarnish an otherwise stellar rally ride.

Way to go Sam!

Oh and Speedy and Marc and Pau and ...

Spoke with him at the ceremonial finish and he is taking it with dignity and pragmatism.

He is still upset of course, but he and the whole team don't think for a second that he will not benefit all round any less than if it didn't happen and he had won, in fact better now than in the Dakar - it won't happen again

In the HRC camp the whole thing is a little bitter sweet, but they are over the moon with Sam's performance

He said thanks to all the support he has received from f5 land also.

Check out his Facebook if you like.