The Dakar Rally - Page 4

Dani Filth · 11 Jan 2003, 16:27 (Ref:471220)

Meoni stoped to help Roma and lost a few minutes ...

cybersdorf · 11 Jan 2003, 16:52 (Ref:471243)

Arrivederci Roma

Looks like Sainct has divine guidance this year.

Dani Filth · 11 Jan 2003, 17:00 (Ref:471248)

hey Roma was spanish .. is Adiós Roma

cybersdorf · 11 Jan 2003, 17:20 (Ref:471260)

thanks

**Asp** · 11 Jan 2003, 19:16 (Ref:471344)

Quote:

Originally posted by Dani Filth
Meoni stoped to help Roma and lost a few minutes ...

Although it wasn't as bad as it could've been because all KTM riders slowed in a gentleman's agreement.

Couple of other points-

Lead non-KTM (especially for Liz) is a Honda, was in around 13th place when I last checked
The Jaguar was out with some form of engine problem, definate, I think it must be crankshaft as I've no idea where else I could've got that from!!!

Liz · 12 Jan 2003, 13:05 (Ref:472020)

Someone finished fifth yesterday on a non-KTM!

Or do you mean 13th overall? Is it just me or do the bikers have more personality than the car guys?

And has Jutta lost weight since last year?

**Asp** · 12 Jan 2003, 16:46 (Ref:472178)

Liz - I meant overall

Right, a bit of shocking news to report on, just read it on Ceefax.

A truck had it wheels blown off in some form of explosion on today's stage. Thankfully, all 3 drivers in the truck are fine - the incident apparantly happened on the Libyan/Egytian border. Obviously the Dakar organisers stopped any further vehicles from going through that area, although the cause is not fully known.

Does remind me of the PAris-Dakar-Cairo of 2000, when because of the terrorist threat in Libya all competitors were airlifted across the country. There is no proof it was a mine, but the report I read did point it in such a direction. If it proves to be the case, we should be thankful that it was a truck that hit it, if a bike did the consequences would be unimaginable.

Down F0rce · 12 Jan 2003, 18:33 (Ref:472259)

i am not a expert on rallying, its not may cup of tea, but i just read on telextext that another driver has been injured, after one previous injury and even the death of a competitor. now the stages have got mines in them? is it just me, or is this event way to dangeous to be staged?

Lee Janotta · 12 Jan 2003, 18:43 (Ref:472269)

Quote:

Originally posted by Down F0rce
is it just me, or is this event way to dangeous to be staged?

If you can't stand the heat...

Liz · 12 Jan 2003, 19:37 (Ref:472349)

It's the last manly race (and I mean no disrespect to the women involved) left in the world -- lets not sissify it because over 25 years and hundreds of drivers going hundreds of thousands of mile, fewer people have been killed or injured than have died in American Football.

AS long as no one is drafted and forced to compete at gunpoint, leave it alone, I say.

Liz · 12 Jan 2003, 19:37 (Ref:472351)

P.S. I'm glad it was only a truck that lost its wheels. I take it the people IN the truck are safe?

**Asp** · 12 Jan 2003, 20:40 (Ref:472409)

Quote:

Originally posted by Down F0rce
i am not a expert on rallying, its not may cup of tea, but i just read on telextext that another driver has been injured, after one previous injury and even the death of a competitor. now the stages have got mines in them? is it just me, or is this event way to dangeous to be staged?

As I've said in another topic, it is by far the most dangerous form of motorsport. They can't wear the same protection as in track sports - it's too hot. There isn't the same medical support - once you've set off the emergency beacon it still can take 20 minutes for the chopper to arrive.

That said, it is the ultimate test of man and machinery, and cannot be beaten. The organisers do everything they can, and won't take unneccesary risks - see the airlift 3 years ago, but, sad as it is, 1 death per Dakar is not uncommon. As it says on the back of your ticket: "Motoracing can be dangerous". The Dakar is just more dangerous than most.

Thus endeth the lesson

Heebeegeetee · 13 Jan 2003, 01:00 (Ref:472581)

And nobody, but nobody, is forced to be there...

Liz · 13 Jan 2003, 03:24 (Ref:472678)

That KTM truck with its wheels blown off was pretty scary looking, surrounded as it was by signs warning everybody off! I'm sure they're all glad to have a rest day to figure out what to do next.

racer69 · 13 Jan 2003, 12:38 (Ref:472926)

There was an accident a few years back, mid-90s maybe, where a truck? ran over a landmine during the rally, with at least one casualty.

As said above it is one of the last proper events left in motorsport that hasn't been completely stuffed due to TV, location etc...like other events and series in motorsport has. The competitors who enter accept the high risks and the danger. I have to say landmines (if that is what it was, has that been confirmed) are pushing it abit though, had the truck strayed much from the main route?

Liz · 13 Jan 2003, 12:47 (Ref:472937)

Yes, it is confirmed on the Dakar website; and it was on the track they were to follow.

But that territory has been dangerous for a long time and one does lose track of where the mines are, I suppose.

**Asp** · 13 Jan 2003, 19:05 (Ref:473330)

Quote:

Originally posted by Liz
That KTM truck with its wheels blown off was pretty scary looking, surrounded as it was by signs warning everybody off! I'm sure they're all glad to have a rest day to figure out what to do next.

If you mean those signs with a rubber stamp - that's a checkpoint. Which makes it extremely lucky that the officials weren't hit by anything either.

Liz · 14 Jan 2003, 02:04 (Ref:473548)

Well today I saw that everyone had passed through safely. I loved the little vignette of the French driver who said "I have two left hands and no ankles -- I'm the nitwit of the desert!" and yet he was out there working his heart out to get to Egypt and the end. Those are the stories I'd like to hear more of.

**Asp** · 14 Jan 2003, 09:13 (Ref:473704)

They're the true characters of the Dakar, they don't care about the speed, they just want to get to the finish in one piece.

That poem "You go by too quickly" was very good though, another meaning to the Dakar to bring money to the region. There's some rally raids - I seem to remember the Master Rallye of 2000 - where charity trucks follow the event: in this case the 'optic' charity that do eye tests and hand out spectacles that we Westerners have finished with and donated. Anyone know if anything similar happens on the Dakar?

SJ Spode · 14 Jan 2003, 13:08 (Ref:473855)

http://raid.racing-live.com/en/

This is a good site to follow the Dakar on (from the people that bring you rally-live.com during the rest of the year)

R · 15 Jan 2003, 09:17 (Ref:474855)

Pål Anders was second on yesterday's stage!

Just 8 seconds behind, and he had technical problems too!

**Asp** · 15 Jan 2003, 11:06 (Ref:474908)

Bad new on trucks though, looking set to be a right battle, then (leader) De Rooy jr. and a bump and the cabin hinges broke sending it flying forward.
They managed to get out OK, but they are very lucky to do so.

Also saw a couple of drivers more used to a different type of racing - (GT) Paul Belmondo getting stuck on the top of a dune and (ex-F1) Ukyo Katayama rolling it. It got righted, but it was completely full of sand, so, as the French TV put it (I watched their coverage today - how sad am I?

), there was nothign better to do than have a picnic on the sand.

R · 15 Jan 2003, 16:41 (Ref:475190)

Belmondo is also an ex F1 driver. De Rooy jr. and his crew were very lucky indeed to escape that incident unscathed. It's his first Dakar as a driver, and I think it probably was his inexperience showing there. Still, a great shame when he was running so well, but I'm sure he'll be back next year, putting up another great fight.

The desert is tough.

Liz · 15 Jan 2003, 17:34 (Ref:475300)

I can't imagine how that truck managed to twist in the middle like that!

It was positively weird.

Had to feel sorry for De Mavius too -- he was all choked up when he realised his car was 2" shorter and there was nothing to be done about it ... and the Speed Channel guy (Toby) was quite admiring of Katayama, who seemed philosophical about his barrel roll of the car.

P.S. How did Peterhansel keep from rolling off the top of that dune? That was a miracle, that was!

R · 15 Jan 2003, 17:39 (Ref:475315)

Absolutely - perhaps his two wheel experience was what saved him from that fate!

The guy who followed the bike trails off that cliff had good fortune too!

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