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

[K2vodka]

Thanks for posting the great pix guys!

In regards to the danger of working under that truck: when someone gets use to danger they often times stop noticing it besides when the level has and unacceptable level. That level often time goes hand in hand with experience.

You guys may remember the old days when a guy would be filling up his race bike/car while smoking a cigarette, knowing full well if that flame caught a whiff of the fumes there would be hell to pay.

Some can't tempt fate enough. They feel it keeps them sharp.

There lies the line between pushing yourself to the max for perfection and being your own worst enemy.

Some say it is stupid... some also say racing on a paved the track with 14 or so turns idiotic. Can you imagine what they say about racing in the desert with a landscape that can change by day and sometimes the hour?

We all curb our passions in our own way... and pay the fee as we GO!

Or is it ego? Always be first. Do what others fear... and do it better than those who don't.

[PackMule]

Rough day at work for me, but thanks to Flood for keeping the RallyRAIDio Twitter feed going and to Mischa for the mobile tracker so I could keep up on the front end to some degree.

Popping in to post Pyn's call from today. Enjoy.


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Lyndon calls in after the Fiambala stage, which turned out to be of a much different character than those run on previous editions. True to form, however, the stages that appear shortest on the route description prove to be long on challenge. Looking ahead, the rally crosses the high passes back into Chile tomorrow, with three long days to go before the riders can allow themselves to relax. Keep it steady, Lyndon.



Direct download: http://traffic.libsyn.com/rallyraidio/13D15.mp3


Many thanks to the inmates who have chipped in on the phone bill!!! THANK YOU!

[too old]

Originally Posted by ric678

Apparently HRC doesn't read AdvRider yet. I know we discussed HRC's 30L fuel capacity as to why they didn't go with the established 34 to 36L

Ric, do we know for a fact that it's 30, I can't really see them getting it that wrong and why only Helder, he didn't actually mention in his interview

A lot for speculation on those 2 points

[Jim Rowley]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

for those of you who didn't see the bivouac show of france 2 (from yesterday)

Merci. Obrigado. Thanks for that dose. Got my fix for the day.

[Lgo175]

Originally Posted by Resist

I love it when Yanks run their whole tough-guy act. In your American enduro, there wasn't a wall of water rushing down the dry river bed you were racing in. People die like that. It's that simple.

From @planetrobby:
Screenshot from live broadcast of stage 11 - Those are CRAZY rapids pic.twitter.com/IQM22IWE

Bullcrap.....Fort Hood Texas, U.S. Qualifer for ISDT... Flash flood in the river required 4 riders to carry one bike accross and continued until all four were accross. By the way a sign was posted at the river crossing "15 people have downed in this river, are you going to be the 16th.

[knybanjo]

ooops..even Pyndon made a nav error today.

He sounds great though!

[hilslamer]

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

You can't compare Baja and Dakar.

Sure, you can. The Baja 500 is arguably a single Dakar stage, constructed as a "special" the whole length, with total guidance and at least two preruns of your "stage," if you will, beforehand - if you intend to do any semblance of competing. This makes it about 1/however-many-stages-it-is-this-year-as much as Baja, over similar(at times) terrain.

How do you scale something that is at the top of the scale? You compare it to the next best(most challenging) thing, regardless of location, geography, exponential differences or culture.

Originally Posted by Strong Bad

Oh and BTW, Chuck Sterns never won in Baja nor has Kurt for that matter. Chuck still remains the top American Dakar rider with six stage wins in 1985.

Fantastic! Would love to hear more about him, and whatever he rode!

[knybanjo]

Some good Robby action here...and the crowds down there really do love him! They surround him on liaison and cheer him on special.....Nasser and Peterhansel, not so much.

Originally Posted by Dread Pendragon

Another great video from Speed Energy

2013 Team SPEED Dakar Stage 9 from PlanetRobby on Vimeo.

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by Drif10

Pat vs Lyndon in the same section: Pat did it 28min, Lyndon 60min.

Two that I watch, and they seem to run about the same pace.

Big nav error?

Driffy for the win. Nice call.

[too old]

Originally Posted by bluesurf

I sent this post in mail to myself early this morning to watch later....was then catching up via tapatalk with a sleeping Mrs beside me.

I just watched it three times in a row. Holy......I have to wonder if they pre-rode the course, a la F1/MotoGP, but regardless of that, simply amazing.

He must have ridden it before, it' s just like watching mx

[Lgo175]

Originally Posted by homerj

Back to my "half life the race post" Cyril has everything to lose, and nothing to gain by running flat out. He's managing his exposure to risk. But I'm sure we'll hear about how he's over the hill because he didn't win any of the last few stages. Just like we heard about how he was going down this year after not winning any of the early stages.

CDP interview after stage 11 said he never ran as fast in Dakar as he did today following Kurt Caselli and he thanked him for that and said that was probably why he was more tired on today's shorter course than the one yesterday which was about twice as long.

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by Flood

If the tracker times are correct, Kurt just passed Despres and is now navigating for the wolf pack at the front. Oh my.

He looked like a man possessed on ES bike coverage today. Then cool as a cucumber at the post stage interview.

KTM should get this boy in every rallye they can.


If Despres goes to Honda, Faria becomes leader of one branch, with Coma at the other. Pedrero and Caselli as WC's? What say ye?

[too old]

Originally Posted by Scotty Breauxman

Did anyone say-

CASELLI IS GOING TO WIN THE NEXT DAKAR ('14)

He's won everything back home cept Baja 1000 and X-Games. He told me a year ago that when he did get to the DAKAR (which he had targeted 2-4 years out) that he would go all in and make that the focus. We know the focus is/was BAJA 1000 and 1x plate of SCORE.

My insight tells me he just switched over to DAKAR and waiting until he wins a B1K before bidding for KTM's top rally would be a huge mistake. The opportunity is here, he's amazed everyone so far. He wants and needs the challenge.

He can win the DAKAR 2014 and I bet he will.

This has to be great for Dakar, a real North American focus - will KTM USA now form a team with him and Quinn - not sure how they would manage the waterboy issue though

[amazing ricardo]

Originally Posted by Drif10

Discretion.


You're gonna make me come down there, aren't you?

imagine something like this....

[Drif10]

Originally Posted by PackMule

Driffy for the win. Nice call.

Good part is, he had an easy reminder to pay close attention to the roadbook.
This should pay off in these later stages, with him being tired.