Tales From The Bivouac, Dakar 2012

[lastplace]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Hate to say this but NO American will ever win the race. ASO don't run a fair game as has been proven year after year and time and time again. I'll address this in the book as I haven't quite figured out how to express this situation yet. I'm not knoicking the race as for 85 percent of the competitors it is an awesome race and the ASO run a top notch event. But for those fighting for a podium finish...well....

Ted, for years, I agreed with you. I was so closely involved in trying to get an American on the podium that I struggled with this issue daily. But, now I am not so sure that this is true.

Remember that the ASO is a race promoter nominally held to FIM/FIA rules, but with an added layer of rules and enforcement themselves. Follow the money and you will see the motivations of the various parties. During the event, the FIM is present, but the ASO calls the shots and uses the FIM as a "bad guy" whenever convenient. Let's talk before you finish that chapter. (Someday, I'll finish my book, which will be the "Moby Dick" of privateer rally racing. I'm sure there will be a chapter or two about this.)

[Tork]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Well that's a wrap for today, time to get some shut eye

We're mostly packed up and tomorrow promises to be a cool day, assuming no mishaps tomorrow we'll be on the podium early afternoon and then off to a hotel for a long overdue hot shower, bed, air conditioning, a meal that we can pick ( freaking seafood again tonight which means bread and cheese for me ), and if all goes well no more dust for a few months until the snow melts in Canada

Wow, what an experience

Looking forward to sharing it with everyone via the book. Many gigs of photos to sort through and many pages of notes.

I came here with some pre conceived ideas of what this would be like and in many, many ways it has far surpassed those expectations....BIG TIME

A better group of people I couldn't have dreamed of sharing this with

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed the reports from the bivouac and hope you'll enjoy what I plan to put together in the form of a book that will share my experience down here in South America with the Rally Pan Am team.

Adios amigos

Thanks for sharing the ride !

[Region Riley]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Well that's a wrap for today, time to get some shut eye

We're mostly packed up and tomorrow promises to be a cool day, assuming no mishaps tomorrow we'll be on the podium early afternoon and then off to a hotel for a long overdue hot shower, bed, air conditioning, a meal that we can pick ( freaking seafood again tonight which means bread and cheese for me ), and if all goes well no more dust for a few months until the snow melts in Canada

Wow, what an experience

Looking forward to sharing it with everyone via the book. Many gigs of photos to sort through and many pages of notes.

I came here with some pre conceived ideas of what this would be like and in many, many ways it has far surpassed those expectations....BIG TIME

A better group of people I couldn't have dreamed of sharing this with

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed the reports from the bivouac and hope you'll enjoy what I plan to put together in the form of a book that will share my experience down here in South America with the Rally Pan Am team.

Adios amigos

Thanks for taking us along on the ride Ted! And many thanks for taking good care of my friend Ned (c.vestal said you were a big help and a great worker bee )

Can't wait for the book!

[Trialsguy]

Looks like there may be a need to start massing a fund to build a rally- bus for 2013. We're all going to want to 'do a Ted' and be a large minder group traveling from bivy to bivy supporting any North American rider making the heroic effort .

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Well that's a wrap for today, time to get some shut eye

We're mostly packed up and tomorrow promises to be a cool day, assuming no mishaps tomorrow we'll be on the podium early afternoon and then off to a hotel for a long overdue hot shower, bed, air conditioning, a meal that we can pick ( freaking seafood again tonight which means bread and cheese for me ), and if all goes well no more dust for a few months until the snow melts in Canada

Wow, what an experience

Looking forward to sharing it with everyone via the book. Many gigs of photos to sort through and many pages of notes.

I came here with some pre conceived ideas of what this would be like and in many, many ways it has far surpassed those expectations....BIG TIME

A better group of people I couldn't have dreamed of sharing this with

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed the reports from the bivouac and hope you'll enjoy what I plan to put together in the form of a book that will share my experience down here in South America with the Rally Pan Am team.

Adios amigos

Hope to hear a bit more from you tomorrow Ted, but in any case thanks for the great job sharing the bivvy with us! As close to being there as we could hope for in F5land.

[Tarheel Wheeler]

Nothing but praise for your and RPAs efforts this year Ted.

Between your running commentary and Ned's Rally RAIDio calls, us F5ers have been getting a great inside look at the Dakar.

Thanks soooooo very much for the ride. Now bring our only American rider safely to Lima.

[ThomasVolomitz]

Rally Bus 2013- let's do it.

[SloDon]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

Looking forward to sharing it with everyone via the book. Many gigs of photos to sort through and many pages of notes.

I came here with some pre conceived ideas of what this would be like and in many, many ways it has far surpassed those expectations....BIG TIME

A better group of people I couldn't have dreamed of sharing this with

Thanks for following along and I hope you enjoyed the reports from the bivouac and hope you'll enjoy what I plan to put together in the form of a book that will share my experience down here in South America with the Rally Pan Am team.

Adios amigos

Looking forward to the book....and I add my thanks for your posts!

Don

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by Rasthomas

Rally Bus 2013- let's do it.

Maybe we could get one of the somewhat "used" Kamaz Dakar race trucks from the Russians and convert it, no?

[shipwrek12001]

Be safe tomorrow, get home safe,
Big thanks for your posts, Naiomi has been following along with me watching you. Were proud to say your a fellow Canuck... Great job

p.s its -21 not including wind chill..its fucking cold here!!!

[Emmbeedee]

Originally Posted by Rasthomas

Rally Bus 2013- let's do it.

[dresda]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

There's gonna be a few people out there with some beer up their noses after seeing that photo, rotfl!

[BC61]

Ted,
Do you know when the first bikes are expected to roll into Lima and over the podium? Julie and I want to be there but don't want to be there at the crack of dawn if nothing is happening until the afternoon. Does Robb have the info I his daily time schedule?
Thanks,
Bill

[dresda]

Originally Posted by WONB2K

Here you go...

My heroes of the Dakar, Jutta and Patsy!

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by Emmbeedee

Maybe we have RG do a little work on it and get this