Tuareg Rally 2013 - Official Event Coverage - follow our ADV riders HERE!

[Gian]

Originally Posted by BocaLupo

We are very proud of you...!!! keep smiling Timi... !!!

A big hello to Timi from my friend Giovanni Uliana who was assisting at the Energia & Sorrisi team, he told me today back in office that he helped a bit Timi on the last day as she was having some engine problem :)

[brent tex]

Well done to all my mates at Rally management services. Ned you kicked some serious butt, Charlie you remained determined even in the face of adversity and your mechanical abilities were certainly tested. Dave you were the glue that held the team together and your attention to detail didnt go unnoticed, well done. I cannot wait to do a rally with you guys, the experience that you bring to the table is priceless.
Congrats on a successful rally.

[JMo (& piglet)]

Originally Posted by brent tex

Well done to all my mates at Rally management services. Ned you kicked some serious butt, Charlie you remained determined even in the face of adversity and your mechanical abilities were certainly tested. Dave you were the glue that held the team together and your attention to detail didnt go unnoticed, well done. I cannot wait to do a rally with you guys, the experience that you bring to the table is priceless.
Congrats on a successful rally.

Yes - Dave and Colin from RMS worked tirelessly to make sure everyone got out each morning and came back with no mechanical issues - and the whole team retained a laid-back feel throughout, it was always a pleasure to be around them...

I snapped this photo from the final (parade) stage that was run in the afternoon after the official timing was over... as you can see, Sid seems to have grown about a foot taller over lunchtime:



(That is actually Sid on the left, he let Dave gear-up for the final lap through the dunes - he had a ball!)

Jx

[JMo (& piglet)]

A role-call of the IYSK Wine / RMS supported riders this year:

#97 Ned Suesse (USA) 2nd O/A Moto Profi


#75 Charlie Rauseo (USA) 30th O/A Moto Profi


#133 Dirk Kessler (CAN) 14th O/A Moto Amateur


#137 Mike Krynock (USA) 32nd O/A Moto Amateur


#319 Sid Milton (GBR) 34th O/A Moto Amateur


#317 Jean-Luc Solans (FRA) 52nd Moto Amateur/Retired SS5 - injury


#331 Bart Combs (USA) 60th/DNS due to injury before race.


Jx

[ScotchBonnet]

Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet)

I've ridden in the dunes south of Douz - don't be fooled into thinking it will be an easy start Ollie! They might not be very high... but they are VERY soft!



Jx

I think all competitors will agree with this now Jenny!!

[ScotchBonnet]

Originally Posted by ktmmitch

Now we have returned to the UK,I have had tiime to speak to Deborah,Wes's partner & her family, regarding the tragic & untimely death of our friend Wesley.

Wesley went to the event with the intention of winning,as he was leading last year when he crashed and broke his collarbone.To Wes,every event was possible to win,as his talents on a motorcycle shone through in every discipline.

Since starting out as a young boy,urged on by his parents,Don & Michelle,along with his grandparents Bert & Sylvia,who always attended many events,he progreesed through the local & national trials scene in the UK to become British A Class champion( 16 year old).

He then went on to win many Centre events,in his own determined fashion,never taking the easy option,or even other's advice.

His mother Michelle was a regular trials rider,who unfortunately died when Wes was 13 years old.Whilst his father,Don,was a talented trials & enduro rider,and rode in ISDT and supported KTM team in late 70's.He continued to ride regularly up until his death at the Alto Turia Rallye in Spain in 2002,at the age of 62 years.

I rode with Don at a few events,in Ireland,with TORC Enduro Club,and had some great times there.
After winning many trials as a teenager,Wes moved on to 4WD events,and again climbed up the ranks to succeed at a very high level.,alongside learning to shoot clay's,again to a high standard.His ability to shut out external interruptions(which often meant friends comments or suggestions) and his focus on learning a new technique,meant he seemed to quickly master anything he tried.

After Don's death,Wes inherited Don's KTM 400 and turned his hand to enduro's,which again,he mastered using his fabulous trials technique,and progressed rapidly to Expert.We had many good times at Welsh 2-Day & Natterjack Enduro's,and his determination to win was always present,and his demeanor could be frustrating at times,but also a cause for amusement to others.

After I had done a couple of Tuareg Rallies,Wes bought an LC640 Adventure and came to the Tuareg,and again,quickly mastered the whole roadbook/navigation technique.His riding in the dunes was a pleasure to watch,with his trials background,he made it look effortless.

Over the next couple of years,we developed the KTM 690 Enduro into a Rally machine,and this started the Rally-Raid Products business,which has flourished,using many of his ideas.

Wes,aka Beaney,to the ADV Rider fraternity,was a wealth of knowledge on the 690,spending many hours with EFI software,but that was him,he would grab any new subject,and commit totally to it until he had mastered it.Which at times could be frustrating to others around him,but that was Wes.......

I spoke with Deb yesterday,and although Wes's accident was that,a tragic racing accident,it will be very difficult to come to terms with,but for Wes winning was everything,and every metre counted.

After loosing another of our close friends and riding partner,Gordon MacPherson,recently on Heroes Legend,it has become very difficult to assess things,regarding the whole rally scene,we all know the risks when we enter these events,and I am sure that these same riders,from all around the world,who we meet at these events,are also the ones who we shall turn to for support,as we are all friends in sport............

I shall leave the thread back to others now,but here are a few pictures of Wes's background.....


Wesley's Mum at local trial 1960's
Wes riding his dad's KTM 400 at Welsh 2-Day Enduro( I still have that bike)

Styling it at Tuareg in Morocco 2012

Team Brown at Tuareg Rallye 2012

John Mitchinsom,Wesley Beane & George Dennison at Tuareg 2013

Wesley,his last day,focused as ever,out for the win............


Our thoughts are with Deb and her family,along with his grandparents Bert and Sylvia.
__________________
www.rally-raidproducts.co.uk

Im bumping this for Wes whom I didnt know but had a huge amount of respect around the bivouac. Clearly a great racer with many friends here. Rest in Peace Wes.

[E-Ticket2]

Originally Posted by JMo (& piglet)

A role-call of the IYSK Wine / RMS supported riders this year:

.......................

#137 Mike Krynock (USA) 32nd O/A Moto Amateur



Jx

Oh look ....!
An actual sighting of the legendary and elusive "Mikeypacabra."

Way to hang in there, Mikey.

And thanks again for the excellent coverage, Jenny!

Cheers, E-Ticket

[Hayduke]

Originally Posted by lastplace

Howdy all!

First time back in front of a computer for a few weeks. This rally was a blast! Do it if you can! I was laughing all the way. The results didn't show it, but I think I rode quite well. Things didn't go my way for a top finish, but I didn't fall down and always had fun. So, I got what I came for.

The Tuareg was challenging, with some decent terrain variety and medium-long days. You certainly get your money's worth in riding, but not the sadistic challenge of the Dakar.

I love the big XR, but maybe it was not the right bike for me in this rally. Around Douz there are some very soft sand dunes. My chassis setup was flat wrong for soft sand, so I had to muscle the bike through that shit.

The first stage started fine, for the first 3km! After the LeMans start, I was very near the front as we approached the first secret check a few km in. I saw the check and decided to cut a corner directly to it and make a few more passes. That's when I first buried the bike in the sand. Too much revving and clutching to try to free it got the bike pretty hot. Soon thereafter, I heard a big "pop" as my bike spewed steam from under the tank. I looked for the burst hose but could not find it. I added water and carried on. Through the first day, I stopped many times to add water and also got stuck plenty. That Honda got very very HOT! Essentially dry of coolant going slow in soft sand dunes all day! Rattles and pings, but it still ran strong. I managed to finish, but no longer anywhere near the front of the pack.

That night, I found that the small cross-over tube that equalizes pressure between the 2 radiators had burst. I replaced it and thought that I was good to go.

The next day Beaney crashed. I was a few minutes ahead of him and also working my way through slower riders in the dust. Easy to see how he could have crashed on such a fast track.

After the end of the Special, we had a "navigation" stage with no timing, but with checkpoints and a max time limit. Early on, the track through a silt bed was obliterated by the many riders in front of me. I think that the roadbook was also a bit ambiguous, but I suspected a secret check at that point. I searched for it for over an hour, going back to a known good point and trying over many times. But, I never found that check.

Next challenge was the "Thomas Garden", a downhill boulder pile in an canyon pass. When I arrived, there were 30 riders strewn throughout the canyon in different circumstances. Lots of smokey tire spinning and teams of riders carrying bikes over obstacles. Since I couldn't pass, I got off and tried to help others through, to clear my way. I spent about 3 hours in there mucking about. When I finally got going, I bopped through without a problem, needing no help, but plenty of paddling and pushing. Near the end, that dumb little hose popped and I was once again without coolant. I took the tank off and cobbled a fix, but the bike was still dry. All the wasted time meant that I timed out at the next check, missing the rest of the day's checkpoints and ruining my chances for a decent finish. That night I figured out that the hose was partly pinched by the tank. Re-routing the hose solved the problem for good.

The next day's stage was cancelled, which suited me fine since my rear brake caliper hanger had broken somewhere along the way. I found someone willing to weld it back together and stole Dirk's used brake pads and ground them into the right shape to fit the XR. Good to go.

The stage around Nefta was fun, especially since the bike ran without a hitch. I made all the checks and completed my 3 laps pretty quickly. Imagine my surprise when I discovered, at the next day's start, that I was seeded 70th. I was resigned to eating dust all day when Rainer, the boss, showed up at the starting line. I asked what had happened, so he booted up his laptop and looked at my timecard. Oops, they had mistakenly given me a 10 hour penalty. I should be starting in the 4th 4-rider row, not the 18th. I ran to my bike and managed to catch the 5th row off. Finally, it was fun to ride with some of the faster guys and not constantly worry about making clean passes through the dust. I'd make some passes and then make some dumb minor navigation mistakes and let other riders back past, only to pass them again pretty quickly. I think I started to develop a reputation for "going fast the wrong way." What a hoot!

The next technical challenge was the uphill "Silles Pass." Rocks and steps, but not as tricky as the Thomas Garden. I got off and walked the line before trying to ride it. As I was getting back on, about 8 guys piled into the rock garden and promptly got themselves stuck in the worst bottleneck possible. I rode up without incident, but halfway through my radiator spat some steam from a pinhole created by my new radiator guards. D'oh, dry again with lots of tough stage to go!

Despite running for more than 2 stages without coolant, that bike continued to run strong. It would rattle like a can of spray paint in the sand, but never failed to pull hard.

Second-to-last day we started out in some soft dunes. My bike handled better with some suspension tweaking, but the throttle stuck wide open a few times. Disconcerting. I couldn't close the throttle with the pull cable, so I took it apart to find the slide jammed in the carb. Most likely from sand in the carb, and disassembly in a sandstorm probably didn't make it any better. I freed the slide with some channel locks and continued. The bike was getting harder to start, probably from tight valves. 20 minutes of kicking every time the throttle stuck in the dunes wasn't much fun. The third time the throttle stuck, I decided that my day was over. Got to ride in the unstoppable 8-wheel drive sweeper truck.

The XR was done. I didn't want to ride with a stuck throttle any more. (Not a blown motor as previously suggested.) A bunch of beers into my expected "night off," Patsy Quick asked if I'd like to ride her personal 690 Enduro on the last day's stages. Absolutely!. I pulled my nav gear off the XR and clamped it to the 690 in about 10 minutes. That 690 rips! Patsy has it perfectly set up for the soft sand and it pulls quite a bit harder than the XR. The starter button, however, sometimes doesn't work. I guess I am destined to pull my tools out on every stage, so I had to take the 690 switch apart to get the bike started.

Great rally. Fun bunch of people. Thanks to IYSK Wine, Renazco Racing and the other sponsors.

fun fun
Charlie

Great write up, Charlie! Thanks for taking the time. Sounds like, despite a lot of mechanical issues, you still managed to have fun.

[JMo (& piglet)]

Originally Posted by Hayduke

Great write up, Charlie! Thanks for taking the time. Sounds like, despite a lot of mechanical issues, you still managed to have fun.

Before:


After:


Jx

[E-Ticket2]

How did the Will Smith state it in "Men in Black" ....."

"Old-n-busted" and the "new hotness" ....?

[JMo (& piglet)]

Originally Posted by ScotchBonnet

Im bumping this for Wes whom I didnt know but had a huge amount of respect around the bivouac. Clearly a great racer with many friends here. Rest in Peace Wes.

Thanks SB... Many people will have raced with Wes over the years, many more will have followed his exploits here on ADVrider... and everyone I'm sure shares in the sorrow of the loss of a fellow rider.

Wes was never one for flowers or schmaltz, so instead his family have set up a Justgiving Page to help raise funds for Riders For Health - a charity that was dear to his heart, that helps to provide bikes and training/maintenance equipment for medial professionals based in Africa, so they can visit remote villages and provide healthcare to the local communities...

I don't want anyone to feel obliged of course, but if anyone is looking to make some sense of it all and is able to help in any way, please donate just a small amount...

http://www.justgiving.com/Wesley-Bea...onsor-facebook

Jx

[JMo (& piglet)]

A few action shots I dug out of the camera yesterday...

#116 Lukas Matzinger (inmate LukasM), charging off the line!


Elbows elbows!


#86 Ed Taylor on the 'smoker:


#133 Dirk Kessler (inmate Aquavit) amongst the mayhem!


#24 Polytimi Kyriakopoulou making a break for it!


A lucky save in the sand!


Hoisting a minger across the line on the final stage!


#97 Ned Suesse (inmate Neduro) - the look says it all "Have I done enough to hold my position?"


A resounding "Yes" was the answer x

Jx

[Stagehand]

sweet

[JMo (& piglet)]

A few candid shots from the finish:



Torque Racing team-mates #21 Dominic Clifford and #107 George Dennison share a drink at the end of the stage:


#77 Carl Hagenblad (inmate Hagenblad) - 5th Overall.


#76 Mark Brincat (inmate Maltezer), with a distinctly second-hand looking 690RR!


Team Macad riders #24 Polytimi and #22 Guillaume Martens at the end of the dune race:


Ned and Calle - relieved it's all over!


Poly and Snoopy:


#75 Charlie Rauseo (inmate Lastplace) with a fetching desert-face!


Jx

[JMo (& piglet)]

Around the paddock:

#76 Mark Brincat helps #87 Tony Schattat with compression issues, late on Sunday night:


Martin Wittering (Torque Racing), #76 Mark Brincat and #304 Phil Renwick sharing a youtube joke!


Spaghetti for breakfast anyone?!


#116 LukasM and Bennie from Memo Tours get medieval on a recalcitrant mousse!


LR Bernard McKevitt (Desert Rose) Colin Pratt and Dave Peckham from RMS, doing, well, what blokes seem to do when they gather round a bike...


#87 Tony Schattat helping out another team with electrical problems in the bivouac:


Jx