Dakar 2013 - Official Event Coverage - thank you ALL TeamF5, lurkers and posters!

[Stagehand]

Originally Posted by XSpearsX

I heard he's not alone. A quad there too. Unsure of the quad's situation. But if nothing else, moral supoort.
They said, they are going up a dune. Time may not be on his side. But he has pulled off worse!

They should try and make one working motor out of the two

[XSpearsX]

If I'm correct, it's 1am in Chile and Luis walking 68 km. With a broken bike, up the dunes and 8am start time

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by dox

"Ze bandana is nice, but it cannot contain my awesome hair."

This has to be one of the best comments Ive read this year!

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

Mark Miller: Can Robby Ever Win Dakar?

Ouch
gotta love Mark though, I miss him

An excellent find Brody!

I dont know how many of you actually listened to this soundbyte, but it is well worth doing so if you have not. Quite shocking what Mark said about Rubby though. I think he is totally on the money too why Robby just cant seem to do it. Robby is good for Dakar but his own worst enemy and a reason why there is probably more anti american sentiment from some followers than there really needs to be.

Mark seemed like a helluva nice guy when he was doing the Dakar, and I have heard good reports about him from Geniel and others. Im really looking forward to reading his book and watching him next year.

Originally Posted by knybanjo

How about some scenery from the F4 coverage while we wait out skewkah?

Mine country....they should have added some Erzberg-like special.



I think the crowd would have like that.



Cattlegate?



Puppygate?



yellow helicopters?




Emugate?

Originally Posted by Deadly99

This one is cool, I can almost imagine what the guy on the bike must be thinking as he watches the sun set.

Originally Posted by troy safari carpente

"Is that T4 truck going to bury me in the dark before the ASS..."!?!

Thanks for the great pics and funny captions knybanko & Troy

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by XSpearsX

If I'm correct, it's 1am in Chile and Luis walking 68 km. With a broken bike, up the dunes and 8am start time

I really don't like the sound of it..... somehow hoping the "news" are wrong

[Bluebull2007]

Gleaned from wilddogs

Originally Posted by SteveD

I think I like this David Reeve guy.
First he posts this:
"Hi all. Thanks so much for the support. Was a tumble in sand and my leg banged the bars. With third speed it shattered my tibia. Am in hospital in Argentina waiting to get moved to jhb for surgery... am devastated as was lying 29 over all. David"

and a short while later this:

"Would it be practical for us to drum up enough sponsorship to be able to invite Pål to race at Dorvic? We'd need a plane ticket from Oslo to Lusaka via? and a bike.
If it is possible, it would be nice for CB1 (I have not bounced this off him) to be able to make the offer at the prizegiving so that the whole Dakar community gets to know how much we appreciate what he did for one of our own."

So his Dakar has just ended, he's in hospital and must be pretty sore, and he's trying to organise a sponsored ride for the guy that sacrificed time to help him.
Mr Reeve

You will remember PAL stopped and helped Dave with his crash in the stage while others rode past...

[XSpearsX]

Originally Posted by Cuttle

I really don't like the sound of it..... somehow hoping the "news" are wrong

Me too. He does have the most will of anyone there. And has the best mechanic possible too (hehe...my husband). So combined.....magic may happen!

[Cuttle]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

Gleaned from wilddogs



You will remember PAL stopped and helped Dave with his crash in the stage while others rode past...

hat's off to both of them!!!!!

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by XSpearsX

Me too. He does have the most will of anyone there. And has the best mechanic possible too (hehe...my husband). So combined.....magic may happen!

If anyone can do it it will be Luis. Im optimistic, somehow.



Meanwhile Darryl Curtis FB after todays stage, and yesterdays crash.


Darryl Curtis


Made it home today, never had so much pain in one day ! M dreading tmorrow it's 100 Kay's longer !! #toomuchpain

[K_N_Fodder]

Originally Posted by Bluebull2007

Gleaned from wilddogs
You will remember PAL stopped and helped Dave with his crash in the stage while others rode past...

I tell you guys, I've had a shit attitude for the last few months with all the crap going down in the US, little kids getting shot in school, etc. Just starting to weigh me down, getting pretty brittle actually. Clinging hard to my family, having a tough time controlling my emotions like a normal grown man would at times. Giving lots of long hard hugs to my kids. Probably not enough long hugs to my wife :).

But then the Dakar comes along and I get to follow a bunch of people I don't know, struggling mightily every day. One of them walking in the dunes right now, 1:33 AM in Chile, pushing a 150cc bike for crying out loud. A guy who probably hasn't slept more than 4 hours a night since early January, and keeps going. Watching one of them who we know well after many heartbreaking failures, telling his wife on a satphone that he's just too old for this after getting run down by a truck. Another, with no expectations, making a top ten finish and then a few days later repairing a potentially race ending failure with zip ties and liquid steel. All the while taking his time to call in to his friends and report every night. A young gal, one of only two on bikes and back of the pack, stopping to help other riders when nobody else would. Another guy, a star, stopping to help a mid pack rider with a broken leg, and then that rider going out of his way to show appreciation from a hospital bed in a foreign country. A snippet from the wife of a rider, relating how her husband was breaking down because he missed his little girl's first day of school. And a million other human stories in this contrived, yet very real drama.

And then... the massive community of people supporting them, shouting for them, scrounging around on the internet looking for scraps of information because this huge, human enterprise, in one of the most spectacular areas of the world, isn't big enough news to be given more than a few minutes in the middle of the night. Providing high end analysis based on years of following racing and for some many years of actual racing. Building sophisticated tracking software and sharing it for free instead of sleeping. Juggling a family and running interviews for the F5 crew, and then soliciting funds so the riders aren't burdened by internationally sized phone bills. Finding a tire mousse for a kid who has nothing but still managed to get there. Finding and communicating information for hungry fans and worried friends and spouses. Postulating endlessly on why this person is 10 minutes late and that 10 minutes early. Cheering foreign TV streamed on a small laptop screen and screaming when the deadly "snooker" appears.

It's an interesting deal and one that I simply can't fathom why isn't a BIGGER deal in this country. I'm very glad to be part of it, even if barely hanging on after another 11 hour work day. Thanks a bunch you guys and gals, it's going to be weird when it's over. Now, time to do my workout (ugh), get to bed, and do it all over again...

[Bluebull2007]

Originally Posted by K_N_Fodder

I tell you guys, I've had a shit attitude for the last few months with all the crap going down in the US, little kids getting shot in school, etc. Just starting to weigh me down, getting pretty brittle actually. Clinging hard to my family, having a tough time controlling my emotions like a normal grown man would at times. Giving lots of long hard hugs to my kids. Probably not enough long hugs to my wife :).

But then the Dakar comes along and I get to follow a bunch of people I don't know, struggling mightily every day. One of them walking in the dunes right now, 1:33 AM in Chile, pushing a 150cc bike for crying out loud. A guy who probably hasn't slept more than 4 hours a night since early January, and keeps going. Watching one of them who we know well after many heartbreaking failures, telling his wife on a satphone that he's just too old for this after getting run down by a truck. Another, with no expectations, making a top ten finish and then a few days later repairing a potentially race ending failure with zip ties and liquid steel. All the while taking his time to call in to his friends and report every night. A young gal, one of only two on bikes and back of the pack, stopping to help other riders when nobody else would. Another guy, a star, stopping to help a mid pack rider with a broken leg, and then that rider going out of his way to show appreciation from a hospital bed in a foreign country. A snippet from the wife of a rider, relating how her husband was breaking down because he missed his little girl's first day of school. And a million other human stories in this contrived, yet very real drama.

And then... the massive community of people supporting them, shouting for them, scrounging around on the internet looking for scraps of information because this huge, human enterprise, in one of the most spectacular areas of the world, isn't big enough news to be given more than a few minutes in the middle of the night. Providing high end analysis based on years of following racing and for some many years of actual racing. Building sophisticated tracking software and sharing it for free instead of sleeping. Juggling a family and running interviews for the F5 crew, and then soliciting funds so the riders aren't burdened by internationally sized phone bills. Finding a tire mousse for a kid who has nothing but still managed to get there. Finding and communicating information for hungry fans and worried friends and spouses. Postulating endlessly on why this person is 10 minutes late and that 10 minutes early. Cheering foreign TV streamed on a small laptop screen and screaming when the deadly "snooker" appears.

It's an interesting deal and one that I simply can't fathom why isn't a BIGGER deal in this country. I'm very glad to be part of it, even if barely hanging on after another 11 hour work day. Thanks a bunch you guys and gals, it's going to be weird when it's over. Now, time to do my workout (ugh), get to bed, and do it all over again...

Now I really like this merican!

Thank you for you sharing your thoughts with us so openly.

Hang in there brother, dig deep and things will get better. In life we all have our own Dakar's of sorts, and its sometimes not much easier to be honest.

[Chilipepper]

I like how you put this down Fodder.

[zenjen]

Originally Posted by K_N_Fodder

I tell you guys,.............. and do it all over again...

That's good stuff, right there.

[Vicks]

Originally Posted by K_N_Fodder

I tell you guys,...

I love how you've put your emotions into words. Wish more people adopted this way/attitude towards life

[kaia]

Dakar.com has finished up adding photos from stage 11. i've re-posted everything over in the Dakar 2013 Media thread. over a hundred awesome photos!



#32 - IVAN JAKES (SVK)



#9 - OLIVIER PAIN (FRA)



#314 - BORIS GARAFULIC (CHL) / GILLES PICARD (FRA)



#306 - LUCIO EZEQUIEL ÁLVAREZ (ARG) / BERNARDO ROLANDO GRAUE (ARG)



#36 - LAIA SANZ (ESP)



#327 - BALAZS SZALAY (HUN) / LASZLO BUNKOCZI (HUN)



#150 - LUIS BELAUSTEGUI (ARG)






#277 - SAREL VAN BILJON (ZAF)



#266 - GASTÓN GONZÁLEZ (ARG)



#35 - THOMAS BERGLUND (SWE)
#103 - MARIO PATRAO (PRT)
#28 - JEAN DE AZEVEDO (BRA)



#102 - DAVID REEVE (ZMB)



#33 - JOHNNY CAMPBELL (USA)



tldr; i've re-posted everything over in the Dakar 2013 Media thread.

[dox]

Originally Posted by K_N_Fodder

...

It's an interesting deal and one that I simply can't fathom why isn't a BIGGER deal in this country. I'm very glad to be part of it, even if barely hanging on after another 11 hour work day. Thanks a bunch you guys and gals, it's going to be weird when it's over. Now, time to do my workout (ugh), get to bed, and do it all over again...

All things on my mind as well. Excellent post.

Thanks.