2013 Dakar Pre-Event Discussion

[Jimmy the Heater]

Bring the F5!

[8340SU]

"The difference with the other riders will be reduced if they manage to win against us, not before.

Some drivers are very thirsty for victory as Barreda, Fish, Gonçalves, Rodrigues, etc. But now they are only present, do not make me tremble.

This year I opted for a more lightweight racing program. I've been in the Desafio Litoral, which allowed me to start my preparation, and later in the Morocco Rally, where I believe I was was at 80% of my level. "

I know only a few pilots that are enclosed like me for a week at a sports rehabilitation center. I care a lot because my body is my working tool. "

google translate from here

[Motorfiets]

Originally Posted by Jimmy the Heater

Bring the F5!

205 man 205 man.......

[Brodovitch]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

"The difference with the other riders will be reduced if they manage to win against us, not before.

Some drivers are very thirsty for victory as Barreda, Fish, Gonçalves, Rodrigues, etc. But now they are only present, do not make me tremble.

This year I opted for a more lightweight racing program. I've been in the Desafio Litoral, which allowed me to start my preparation, and later in the Morocco Rally, where I believe I was was at 80% of my level. "

I know only a few pilots that are enclosed like me for a week at a sports rehabilitation center. I care a lot because my body is my working tool. "

google translate from here

Excellent interview, thanks

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by DruncleWill

29 it is!
http://instagram.com/p/UCKjmGO7e1/

Thanks DruncleWill!

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by Jurassic

While we're banging nationalistic gongs a little I'll mention Stan Watts. I was a little surprised he didn't progress further up the rankings last year and remember he was denied a top 20 finish a couple of years ago by a dodgy penalty. He has the equipment, experience and speed to potentially make the top 20 IMHO.

Stan is a great bloke, met him last year. Here he is in the 12th bivouac chatting to the Husaberg Aussie support driver (forget his name now) and Frans Verhoeven (off picture right)., the


Doughnuts at the finish.




He is a top rider but very modest. I hope he does well this time round too and suspect he might.

Originally Posted by Dekatria

Something tells me those first few stages in the desert are going to be a massacre. I'm just hoping Peterhansel or Despres finds the short end of the stick this time

I agree, the hard sections between Arequipa and Pisco were removed from the route last year because it would have taken too many out of the picture. The fast guys will be fine but anyone who does not know how to climb a
dune 500m high is going to be in trouble. Some of them are easy enough, but others are blown up against mountains and have multiple crests so you cant get a decent running speed to get up the next slope. Look at the these near Ica that were avoided last year


and these dunes south of Nazca



Talking about Despres & Fretigne:

Originally Posted by tserts

Even for some serious holdup, if it happens early on the race, he has the ability to go flat out, and when he does that we have all seen him pulling inhuman times on the specials... I think he is the only one who can come back from a 2 hour deficit and throw it in your face in 3 days worth of ass-kicking... Even Coma is not that good under pressure, he usually makes nav errors but CD seems rock solid when he's on a mission...

Yip, and I think its going to make SS2 3 & 4 the stages to watch. Everyone at the front is likely to be going flat out as fast as they can. It worries me a little, but thats Dakar. Lets pray no one gets badly hurt or killed.

Unrelated, I like Fretigne a lot, I bet he will anxious to get back on the tracks after the last years...

Me too, but I was disappointed with his sluggishness in Morrocco. Maybe he was just being careful ahead of Dakar, or maybe the new guys really are that much faster? I like to think the former, but I think he may find it a little bit more difficult than in 2009! If you recall he was one of the only ones on a Yamaha 450 at that stage...

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by ric678

Well I have been practicing my f5 skills, I did have to go back to work today after 10 days for the holidays so my f5ing will be compromised

The question to be asked is can you sleep at work? In fact how long can you go without any sleep at all? You'll go to bed at 3 am and wake up at 5am with 10 pages to catch up on; when youve caught up on those ten, there's normally 10 questions you want to make and by that time you are done its another 4 pages ahead...and so it goes in the F5irehose

You'll be hooked.

[Jurassic]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

The question to be asked is can you sleep at work? In fact how long can you go without any sleep at all? You'll go to bed at 3 am and wake up at 5am with 10 pages to catch up on; when youve caught up on those ten, there's normally 10 questions you want to make and by that time you are done its another 4 pages ahead...and so it goes in the F5irehose

You'll be hooked.

Soooooo true!

[ric678]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

The question to be asked is can you sleep at work? In fact how long can you go without any sleep at all? You'll go to bed at 3 am and wake up at 5am with 10 pages to catch up on; when youve caught up on those ten, there's normally 10 questions you want to make and by that time you are done its another 4 pages ahead...and so it goes in the F5irehose

You'll be hooked.

Well my situation is a little unique I am a long haul truck driver. So in a way I can sleep at work as my bed is right behind me. I do have all the comforts of home with me, satellite TV Hi-speed internet wireless card, But it can be a little hard to read while driving 65 down the highway. So I may have to adjust my driving schedule to be stopped at peak f5 times and driving at night when it slows a bit

[barrier]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

Stan is a great bloke, met him last year. Here he is in the 12th bivouac chatting to the Husaberg Aussie support driver (forget his name now) and Frans Verhoeven (off picture right)., the

That Husaberg Aussie support driver you mentioned has a twin brother called Derek Edmondson, multiple Brit enduro champ, ISDE gold medalist and brother to Paul Edmondson (4 time world enduro champ).
Small world!

See the drugs are still in your system!
Get well soon!

[ric678]

Sleep is overrated

[Dekatria]

Originally Posted by ric678

Well my situation is a little unique I am a long haul truck driver. So in a way I can sleep at work as my bed is right behind me. I do have all the comforts of home with me, satellite TV Hi-speed internet wireless card, But it can be a little hard to read while driving 65 down the highway. So I may have to adjust my driving schedule to be stopped at peak f5 times and driving at night when it slows a bit

Hang on, how's that gotten through scrutineering?

[Mad Cow]

Originally Posted by Jurassic

I reckon it'll be Stan (but then he may not actually be a Brit anyway).

Stan is "British" as I believe he was born in Northern Ireland, has a British Passport and races under a British licence (and lives in England).

But of course regards himself as coming from "Ireland" (whilst not actually being of Irish nationality) the paint job on his helmet is of course a giveaway to where his loyalties lie.

I asked Michael Guy (reporter from MCN) about this last year, as you will have noted they always refer to Stan being Irish, he said they had discussed this at length and agreed it was the best way to report it, so fair enough!

But he's still one of us though

After all we are just bikers, Rallye fans and Dakar addicts and don't give a sh*t about politics, do we....


Unless it concerns the French of course

[Jurassic]

Originally Posted by Mad Cow

Stan is "British" as I believe he was born in Northern Ireland, has a British Passport and races under a British licence (and lives in England).

But of course regards himself as coming from "Ireland" (whilst not actually being of Irish nationality) the paint job on his helmet is of course a giveaway to where his loyalties lie.

I asked Michael Guy (reporter from MCN) about this last year, as you will have noted they always refer to Stan being Irish, he said they had discussed this at length and agreed it was the best way to report it, so fair enough!

But he's still one of us though

After all we are just bikers, Rallye fans and Dakar addicts and don't give a sh*t about politics, do we....


Unless it concerns the French of course

Absolutely right MC. I've been a Stan fan for a while now so I'm a bit torn between shouting for him and Lyndon but they're all heroes irrespective of nationality, bike or whatever (it's just that some riders seem to endear themselves more with their attitude than others do).

[Jimmy the Heater]

From Kurt Caselli's instagram

http://instagram.com/p/UCKjmGO7e1/

And as for my post above about the firehose...I was definitely not implying that I was the first person to think of the UHF scene.