Dakar 2014, Argentinian Stages Unveiled

Once again, Argentina’s minister’s came together in a ceremony congratulating each other on once again playing host to the grand-daddy of off road races, the Dakar. Argentina will play host to a full seven stages of the 2014 edition kicking off on January 5, 2014 from Rosario, Argentina and according to Race Director, Etienne Lavigne, “is to include at least one marathon stage.”

The stages are as follows:

1/05 Rosario - San Luis

1/06 San Luis - San Rafael

1/07 San Rafael - San Juan

1/08 San Juan - Chilecito

1/09 Chilecito - Tucuman

1/10 Tucuman - Salta

1/11 Salta Rest Day

1/12 Salta - Salta

Pal Anders Ullevalsetter - Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge 2013 Footage

Pal Anders Ullevalsetter Abu Dhabi Test

Abu Dhabi stage 2 Pal Anders riding along with Jeremias Israel and Helder Rodrigues. While the video doesn’t show their crash, Pal Anders does arrive on the seen within seconds of the incident. 

Videos courtesy of Vladimir Kusnier - www.rallyAdventures.no

Dakar 2014, The Route Announced with a Bolivian Tone

03/20/13

For its 35th edition, the sixth to be organized in South America, the Dakar will set off on January 5th from Rosario, Argentina finishing in Valparaiso, Chile on January 18th, after a brief visit to Bolivia, which will become the rally’s 28th host country. The 2014 route, with several marathon stages on the agenda, will test the competitors’ race tactics as much as their endurance.

Lionel Messi and the “Che” were both born in Rosario, the poet Pablo Neruda lived in Valparaiso for many years, and Simon Bolivar, known as El Libertador, has remained the continent’s ultimate reference almost two centuries after his death. During the 2014 Dakar, each competitor will draw inspiration from these heroes who have influenced the history of the places which will be visited. The drivers and teams participating will have to rely on their physical resistance and their competitive spirit in particular, imbued with the values of off-road races, to achieve their objective. Although the Dakar’s first visit to Bolivia will principally focus on discovery, the competitors’ technical and sporting performances will essentially be tested in Argentina and Chile, which will be explored in very different way compared to the rally’s five previous editions in South America.

The route, which will pass through North West Argentina’s canyons and sandy valleys, or the dunes of the Atacama Desert will require skillful driving as well the careful management of mechanical aspects. With longer special stages and several marathon stages, the 2014 Dakar’s competitors will be constantly required to tackle extreme endurance conditions.

Among the rally’s participants, whose entry applications are welcomed from May 15th, this year the Dakar will be giving pride of place to the future generations, ten places are reserved for Dakar newcomers who have won their entry during the five races featured on the Dakar Challenge’s calendar. Among them, two Dakar Series races will be held in South America: the Desafio Ruta 40 in Argentina and the first edition of the Desafio Inca, in Peru.

The Dakar Challenge Calendar

31st May/2ndJune: Tecate Score Baja 500 (Mexico)

15th /22nd June: Desafio Ruta 40 (Argentina)

20th /23rd June: Toyota Kalahari Botswana 1000 Desert Race (Botswana)

12th /14th July: Reno 500 (USA)

20th/27th September: Australasian Safari (Australia)

3rd /6th October: Desafio Inca (Peru)

The key dates of the 2014 Dakar

Opening of entries:15th May

Deadline for submitting motorcycle entries: 7th July 2013

Deadline for submitting entries: 1st November

Loading of European vehicles: end of November

Technical verifications in Rosario: 2nd to 4th January 2014

Start ceremony: 4th January

DAKAR: 5th to 18th January

Rest day: 11th January in Salta (Argentina)

The Route:

Endurance to the fore…

For its 6th edition in South America, the Dakar is continuing its exploration of the Argentinean and Chileans regions, by organising a visit to Bolivia. The 2014 route has been marked out between Rosario in Argentina and Valparaiso in Chile, with the aim of testing the endurance qualities of the Dakar’s drivers and teams. Changes regarding the format of the stages have been thought up to facilitate the management of the race and the strategy of each team.

A visit to Bolivia…

The organisers of the Dakar were keen to discover new regions and were won over by the Bolivian landscapes, ranked among the most stunning ones that the continent has to offer. Nevertheless, their wish to take the 2014 edition’s competitors there had to be weighed up against the geographical and climatic difficulties, which make the preparation of a “classic” stage through Bolivia harder. So the Dakar’s route will cross the border in a particular way, with a marathon stage in the south of the country. This unique format, which may only concern motorcycles, will allow a new strategy to be tested on the rally, opening the way to new possibilities.

Several marathon stages…

The organizers’ extensive knowledge of Argentina and Chile will allow the stages to be meticulously marked out. To highlight the physical and strategic aspects comprising the essence of off-road races, the 2014 Dakar will boast longer special stages and shorter liaison sections. The distinctive features of North West Argentina’s tracks and the dunes will require the drivers to be attentive at all times and the Atacama Desert will appear in a new light with the difficulties that the vehicles will face there. With several marathon stages on the agenda, managing mechanics will be even more vital to ensuring the vehicles’ performance.

Argentina…

Motto : In Unity and Freedom

Capital : Buenos Aires

Population : 40.6 million inhabitants

Surface area : 2, 766, 890 sq. km

Currency : Argentinean peso

The leading lights of Argentinean sport : Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi (football), Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, Juan Martin Del Potro (tennis), Manu Ginobili (basketball), Juan Manuel Fangio (motor racing), Angel Cabrera (golf), Carlos Monzon (boxing), Hugo Porta, Juan Martín Hernandez (rugby)

With almost 3,500 kilometres between the Bolivian border and the extremities of Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina is the size of a country-continent. Its expanse, both from north to south and east to west, gives the country several different facets. In terms of climate, relief or way of life, Argentina’s variety is characterised by the many regions which form it. While there are many different types of scenery, the Argentineans’ love of motor sports is uniformly spread throughout the country. From Buenos Aires, where the competitors first experienced mingling with the crowd, to San Miguel to Tucuman, where the 2013 rest day provided an opportunity for a spectacular party, to Mar del Plata, whose beaches were deserted by holidaymakers who wanted to meet the drivers of the 2012 Dakar, the rally’s popularity has never waned. More than 13 million spectators have come to see the spectacle in Argentina provided by the Dakar since it came to South America.

The Argentinians have experienced great moments of happiness with the drivers who have represented them in the rally. In recent years, their flag bearers have proved their ability to succeed in almost every category. In January, Orlando Terranova followed in the footsteps of Lucio Alvarez by also finishing in 5th place in the final over standings, with a victory in the special stage into the bargain. In the motorcycle category, Javier Pizzolito also lived up to expectations by finishing in the Top 10. And in particular, the Patronelli field day continued with the victory of Marcos, who won his second quad title, bringing the family’s number of trophies to four, following that of his brother Alejandro the year before.

Bolivia…

Surrounded by mountains, Bolivia has played a singular role in South America’s history. The whole continent was influenced by the actions of the country’s first president, Simón Bolivar, who was not only the victorious fighter for the independence of the former Upper Peru in 1925, but in particular the most active opponent in the fight against the Spanish crown. El Libertador thus played a decisive role in the emancipation of Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Peru and Venezuela, and also supported the project of a political confederation bringing together all the countries in Latin America.

The country which was named after this renowned hero is still highly respected throughout the world, but above all, it has become a major tourist destination due to its geographical assets. Visitors are initially attracted by La Paz, the highest capital in the world, situated at an altitude of 3,660 m. They then head for Lake Titicaca, which Bolivia shares with Peru, as well as for Salar de Uyuni, the largest salt flat in the world.

Chile…

Motto : By reason or by force

Capital : Santiago de Chile

Population : 16.7 million inhabitants

Surface area : 756, 950 sq. km

Currency : Chilean peso

The leading lights of Chilean sport : Marcelo Salas, Ivan Zamorano (football), Fernando Gonzalez, Nicola Massu, Marcelo Rios (tennis), Carlo de Gavardo (motorcycling)

Long and thin, bound on one side by the Pacific Ocean and on the other by the Andes, Chile is one of the longest countries in the world. With 4,300 km from the north to the south, (almost 5,400 km of coastline in total!) Chile is unique in this respect. On the other hand, its width never exceeds 349 km and drops down to about 15 kilometres in the south. This thread-like stretch of land boasts every type of climate and a wide variety of reliefs.

From the Atacama Desert, renowned for being the most arid in the world, to the Andes Cordillera, the Dakar’s drivers and teams have experienced the extensive variety of landscapes which Chile has to offer for the past four years. As for sport, the Chileans have become used to seeing the rally through the eyes of their favourite driver, Francisco Lopez, winner of ten stages since the Dakar has taken place in his country. In 2013, Chaleco struggled for the 2nd place until the last day before losing it due to a twist of fate, but he managed to savour the pleasure of getting on the 3rd step of the podium in Santiago, in front of the Palacio de La Moneda. His many supporters can definitely rely on him to aim for victory in Valparaiso. They will also be keeping an eye on the young quad rider Ignacio Casale, who is also capable of a brilliant performance, having finished in 2nd place behind Marcos Patronelli in January.

Ruben Faria, “I hope to realize the dream of winning the Dakar”

By João Paulo Godinho

Translation from Google.

The Portuguese rider wants to join the joy of winning the mythical race of terrain with the happiness of being a father, another dream coming true for the rider in May.

Faria hoping to fly into the future with KTM

2013 is to be an ‘almost perfect’ year for Ruben Faria. After finishing the 2013 Dakar rally in second place, the Portuguese rider, 38, prepares to become a father for the first time in May, had the Red Bull KTM team confirm his name as official rider. Without the “burden of backpacker” for Cyril Despres, now it is Faria’s turn to fight for victory.

“I’ll try to give my best. I hope I can realize the dream of winning the Dakar. I will not say who will win, but I’ll give my best,” said Faria in a meeting with journalists in Lisbon. Ruben Faria confessed his satisfaction with the priveleged position and that he is now able to attack for victory and the dream of winning Dakar. “In 2006, when I joined, I never imagined I would be in this place at this time. It was hard work to get here. I learned a lot with Cyril and now I can say I’m in the best possible position to fight for victory.”

A new phase in the career of Ruben Faria translates into a two year contract, where he will share with Spaniard, Marc Coma, three times winner of the Dakar, and American, Kurt Caselli, while Chilean Francisco “Chaleco” López and Polish rider, Jakub Przygonski will be with the brand, although in separate team structures.

The performance in Dakar 2013 naturally brought greater attention to Faria, especially after confirming the departure of his long time team mate, Cyril Despres. However, Ruben Faria chose to remain loyal to his team. “I was scouted by other teams, of course, but I have a good relationship with Team Red Bull KTM, and with the mechanics and preferred to stay. However, they made me a good offer, I signed and am quite happy,” he said.

After three years working with Despres, five time Dakar winner, the Portuguese rider ensured that their friendship will endure the rivalry if Despres confirms his plan to race bikes in 2014. “If he runs, Cyril is my greatest foe. However, we are friends and we talk outside of racing,” said Faria, who admitted that he did not yet know who will assume the role of “water carrier” in the KTM team.

About his preparation for the next edition, he revealed that there will be changes in both physical and tactical preparation, but mostly in his mental preparation. “I will train even more, but with a different goal, which is not help Cyril Depres, but running for me and to do my best. This means increased pressure and more responsibility. I will try to keep my feet firmly on the ground and not do anything crazy,” he stressed, adding that after the first tests in May he will return to competition at the Rally dos Sertões in Brazil.

Another dream coming true in the life of Ruben Faria is the birth of Rita, his first daughter, which is expected in May. Sharing the initials RF, Faria hopes for a different life for his daughter from his, “There are more women in the sport, but I hope she will not follow my career,” he said.

Cyril Despres Leaves KTM for New Challenges

After 12 years and 10 Dakar podiums, 5 of which were victories, Cyril Despres and KTM have jointly agreed to go their separate ways, leaving Cyril free to explore new challenges and new horizons.

Cyril Despres

“I have spent a large part of my career to date with KTM, so as you can imagine it wasn’t a decision that was taken lightly. They were great years, very fruitful, both professionally and personally, and I owe much to everyone at KTM , especially the ‘boss’ Stefan Pierer, whose enthusiasm for the sport of rally-raid matches my own. I would also like to say a big ‘thank you’ to Heinz Kinigadner and Head of Motorsport Pit Beirer and everyone in the rally department. When I arrived it was run by the much missed Hans Trunkenpolz, who taught me how to develop a rally bike, and whose work is now being very ably continued by Stefan Huber. Finally, I say a very fond farewell to my factory mechanic throughout all that time, Roland Bruckner, and my support rider during the last four Dakars, Ruben Faria, who I wish all the best for the future.

Although I say goodbye to all these people, I am sure I will be seeing many of them again very soon, as, with the continued support of my long-time partner Redbull, I will most definitely be staying in the sport. It is a little too early to give any more details, suffice to say I am extremely motivated by the new challenge I am about to embark on and look forward to giving you further details in the very near future.”

All the best,

Cyril

PS: As the explorer Mike Horn would say “it’s not the end of the story, it’s just the beginning of a new one…”.

KTM RALLY FACTORY TEAM ENTERS INTO NEW ERA!

published at 12.03.2013 / created by Marcia Hill

KTM Motorsports has announced a new era for its factory rally team, which as of 2013 will ride under the name of Red Bull KTM Factory Racing.

The new team will field a strong three-rider lineup of Marc Coma, Ruben Faria and Kurt Caselli. The KTM factory team presence will be further enhanced by top Chilean rider Francesco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez who will be supported with a full factory package. Lopez will be competing on the same factory rally machine as the other three riders.

“Just as we always look to the future by constantly developing our rally bikes, we must also do that same with the structure of our factory team. It is essential to evolve, to engage new talent and have the kind of balance and harmony essential for the smooth operation of the team in extreme circumstances like the Dakar Rally,” said Pit Beirer, head of KTM Motorsports. “We want to capitalize on the immense experience and talent of riders like Marc Coma, but also need to take advantage of those of ambitious up-and-coming riders like Caselli, Faria and Lopez.”

Coma of Spain, a three times Dakar winner was unable to ride in the 2013 edition because a shoulder injury sustained in a crash in the Morocco Rally had not completely healed. He is now fit and is preparing to defend his World Championship Cross Country Rally title starting with the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge (April 4-11). He and his now former KTM factory teammate Cyril Despres between them have dominated the Dakar, winning a total of eight titles of KTM’s 12 consecutive wins in what is certainly the world’s toughest rally.

Portuguese rider Ruben Faria, long time support rider to Despres enjoyed a very successful 2013 Dakar in his own right, finishing overall second, including a stage victory. Kurt Caselli, KTM’s offroad specialist and US factory rider was called in at the last minute to ride for the injured Coma. He delivered an impressive performance in his first Dakar appearance, including two stage victories. The popular Chilean Lopez was in great form on a KTM 450 Rally bike in the 2013 edition, finishing overall third with four stage victories. 

Beirer underlined that KTM had enjoyed a great era with the Coma-Despres partnership in the factory team but underlined that when a rider of the high caliber of Despres indicated that he wanted to move on and face new challenges that the company had to respect his wish. He said KTM had experienced an era of unprecedented success while Despres has been a member of the company’s factory rally team. “His exemplary achievements are recognized throughout the world of motorsports and he will always be part of the history of our company. We thank him for his contribution and I join with everyone at KTM Motorsports and our entire company to wish him well for his chosen future.”

Looking forward, Beirer emphasized that it was important to remain open-minded and embrace change. “We must invest in new talent, just as we invest in new technology and I am confident that with the new team structure we will continue to play a dominant role in rally sport.”

QMMF announces revised format for Sealine Rally in Qatar

Originally posted at MarathonRally.com

This year’s Sealine Cross-Country Rally, organised by the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation (QMMF), will be fought out over four desert selective sections and will feature a longer route but a shorter timetable. 

The event is the third round of the 2013 FIA World Cup for Cross-Country Rallies and round two of the FIM Cross-Country Rallies World Championship and takes place on April 22nd-26th. 

Qatar’s premier off-road event entered the FIA and FIM World Championships for the first time in April last year and was an unmitigated success with local hero Nasser Saleh Al-Attiyah winning the car category with an Overdrive Toyota Hilux, Spaniard Marc Coma achieving success with his KTM 450 in the motorcycle category and Poland’s Rafal Sonik winning the quad class on a Honda TRX. 

Run under the guidance of Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah, president of the QMMF, this year’s event will run over just four desert special stages. Britain’s Fred Gallagher will act as event director and Portugal’s Pedro Almeida has been appointed as clerk of the course for the second year. Jaime Santos and Marwan Musabah have compiled the road books. 

The FIM section for motorcycles and quads will run under clerk of the course Iain Black and deputy clerk of the course Rashid Abdullah Al-Sulaiti. 

“This year there will be no super special stage,” confirmed Almeida. “Because of that the rally will be one day shorter than 2012 and will finish on a Friday. We will have four competitive days, four legs and four selective sections. The total length will be over 1,500km.” 

Almeida added that each of the first three legs will run over more than 400km and the last will be approximately 300km, with the bikes running a slightly shorter route of 250km on the final day. 

“We are not planning to use any repeated stages,” confirmed the Portuguese. “Plenty of new tracks will be used. If we compare to 2012, there will be more off-road sections and more tricky navigation.” 

QMMF president Nasser Khalifa Al-Attiyah also confirmed that the bivouac will be located close to last year’s site at Sealine and that the rally control centre, rally headquarters and all the media facilities will be situated at the bivouac and not at the nearby Sealine Beach Resort. 

Administration checks, scrutineering, the initial briefing and the pre-event press conference will take place at the Losail International Circuit, north of Doha, on Sunday, April 21st and Monday, April 22nd. 

The ceremonial start will then get proceedings underway on Doha Corniche from 18.30hrs on Monday, April 22nd and the first of four desert legs begins on Tuesday, April 23rd. Action draws to a close on Friday, April 26th. 

Entries open for all categories on Thursday, February 21st. Supplementary regulations are now available for download from QMMF.COM. Entries close at the reduced rate on Thursday, March 14th, with the final entry cut-off set for Thursday, April 4th. 

For further information about the 2013 Sealine Cross-Country Rally, contact Marielou Cruz, Qatar Motor and Motor Cycle Federation (QMMF), PO Box 8708, Doha, Qatar, Tel: + 974 4437 9884/9885, Fax: + 974 4437 9761, E-mail: marielou.cruz@qmmf.com.qa or Raquel Serrabella Quintana, Tel: + 974 4472 9151, E-mail: raquel.serrabella@circuitlosail.com.

BMW to Husqvarna: Auf Wiedersehen

In a statement mentioning that BMW is “realigning its BMW Motorad business”, the German behemoth announces the sale of Husqvarna to Pierer Industrie AG, a new Austrian firm set up by current KTM CEO, Stefan Pierer for this acquisition. It is yet unclear what effect this purchase has on Pierer’s majority stake in KTM if any, but KTM statements have been emphatic that KTM Sportmotorcycle AG plays no part in this business deal.

Presumably this deal underscores BMW’s raising of the white flag in the bid to win over younger riders. With this move, BMW essentially cements its reputation as the bike of choice for aging adventurers who value comfort and prestige over outright off-road performance.

The more prevalent question to RallyRaidReview is what will happen to Speedbrain and the rally team. It is understood that both Speedbrain and its riders are contracted to BMW Motorad, not Husqvarna, through 2014 and it is also understood that the majority of the engineering on the current TE449RR is controlled by Speedbrain.

While this sale may sound dire for the Speedbrain effort, the reality may actually be a welcomed change. Prior to Dakar 2013, most of the Speedbrain engines as provided by Husqvarna were actually built by Speedbrain’s German engineering staff. Speedbrain has built a reputation of a rock solid platform, improving from rally to rally to the point that Joan Barreda secured their first major rally victory in Egypt’s Pharaons Rally last October. However, this previous Dakar exposed some cracks in the Speedbrain armor and while the team showed true form and vast potential, the overall results in the end could only be considered a disappointment. Husqvarna’s input has largely been confined to the supply of engines. Incidentally, the motors used for Dakar 2013 were supplied directly from Husqvarna Italy…coincidence?

RRR hears that the expectation is that things will carry on as normal for the team. There is mention of the bikes being rebranded as BMW’s for future events but that begs to question the engine supply since BMW no longer produces any models with a 450cc capacity. Dakar rules explicitly state that bikes must be “based on type approved, production machines” and consist of “standard parts…freely available to the public.” Again, the situation does sound impassable for the BMW/Speedbrain effort but plans to homologate the current TE449RR, under a ‘to be determined’ moniker, as a production rally bike available for sale in the same vein as KTM’s venerable 450 Rally Replica, would be welcome news to the rally community. The release of the bike for sale is slated to happen by the end of this year.

The Pierer/Husqvarna/BMW deal is subject to European Anti-trust laws and that may buy some time for Speedbrain and BMW to get things aligned, the paperwork submitted, and the proper approvals to be granted in order to put forth a proper rally machine for sale but once they do…watch out.

The more things change, the more they may end up resembling the same…

Well Done Francisco Lopez! Well Done Chaleco!

Fighting to finish what may have been the most important rally in his career, there is no doubting the sincerity in Chaleco’s words. 

“I had a problem with my gearbox yesterday and had to change my engine. Unfortunately, I was second in the overall classification. But making it to Santiago was more important than chasing an impossible second place. I’m happy because I won yesterday’s stage. I went the whole nine yards every single day. With four stage wins under my belt and a podium spot, I’m happy for myself, for everyone, for Chile, for my family, for my wife. Changing the engine was the right decision. If I hadn’t, I’d still be on the course. Now, this third place counts more than a second place. Especially after what happened last year and the terrible accident. It’s just like winning the Dakar.”

Dakar 2013 Stage 5 Moto Wrap Up

A Long Time Coming…

Stage 10 in the 2010 rally was his last win, before that, it was in Africa 2006. That is how long David Casteu has been waiting to return to the top of the daily time sheets as a stage winner. Starting 4 minutes behind yesterday’s star, Joan Barreda, Casteu with teammate and fellow compatriot, Olivier Pain stormed to the front and stayed there through the short but demanding stage.

Shortly into the stage, the Husqvarna of Joan Barreda ground to a halt with fuel problems allowing the two Yamaha’s of Casteu and Pain to assume the lead eventually besting the stage with Casteu taking the win just over a minute clear of Pain. The finish today marks a resurgence for Yamaha as this is the first Yamaha one two since a young Helder Rodrigues led newcomer, Ruben Faria to the top spots on stage 2 in 2007’s Dakar that started in Portugal.

Hoping for a resurgence of his own, Spain’s Juan Pedrero finished the day 3^rd. With Marc Coma absent from this year’s action, Pedrero should have been free to shine. Sadly, relatively lackluster finishes on stages 3 and 4 may render the laudable effort as too little too late, even as early as it is in the rally. Italy’s Alessandro Botturi was the sole Husqvarna in today’s top ten as he rose from an initial 11^th place to grab 4^th without letting go for the entirety of the stage.

In 5^th place, Cyril Despres left the rally world wondering when he will take his first win in this edition. Not accustomed to waiting this long to see the KTM star atop the day’s podium, there has been a tremendous amount of discussion in regards to the tactics at play for both Despres and his KTM team. Is he biding his time or have the relative newcomers in Husqvarna and Honda applied the pressure not seen in recent years? Perhaps the fan base is more rattled than the Frenchman himself who continues to stress that he is running his own rally to his own plan.

Stefan Svitko was a refreshing front runner in the early part of the stage but was slowly bumped down the order finishing an eventual 6^th followed by Chaleco Lopez in 7^th. The Chilean had the benefit of not having to heavily navigate the stage. Starting in 18^th place, Lopez was able to apply the speed he has been able to show this year displaying the consistency which has evaded him in the past few rallies.

8^th place went to Portugal’s Helder Rodrigues as the HRC rider begins to string together a few trouble free runs hoping the early teething troubles are now behind them. Just behind Rodrigues comes another top ten finish in a row for the Sherco of Alain Duclos as the Franco-Malian betters yesterday’s finish by a spot slotting into 9^th. Closing out the top ten is Slovakian rider Ivan Jakes. With five withdrawals out of now seven tries, Jakes looks to be on a good path towards the end of the rally.

Left out today was Joan Barreda who lost three hours with fuel problems. There are many ingredients that make great rally winners and while Barreda is gathering them all, luck seems to be the most difficult on which to keep a hold. Stage 5 effectively ends the Spaniard’s hopes for a good overall result let alone a win.

Stage 6 continues the Chilean tradition of difficult, technical, rocky stages replete with the signature patches of the South American fesh fesh that only the Atacama can serve up.  As the rally moves on from Arica to Calama, a 438km special stage split by a 97km neutral zone will continue to weed out the weak, separating the herd. The question remains as to whether the heard consists of familiar names or is a shakeup on order?

Stage 6 Map:

Stage 6 Profile:

Stage 5 Results:

1              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             01:39:42

2              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             +0:01:09

3              PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP)                KTM       +0:02:58

4              BOTTURI (ITA)   HUSQVARNA     +0:03:25

5              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:04:07

6              SVITKO (SVK)     KTM       +0:04:40

7              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       +0:04:47

8              RODRIGUES (PRT)            HONDA                +             0:04:52

9              DUCLOS (FRA)   SHERCO                +0:05:01

10           JAKES (SVK)        KTM       +0:05:45

Overall Standings After Stage 5:

1              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             11:51:29

2              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:01:15

3              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:06:07

4              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:13:34

5              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     +0:13:36

6              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       +0:13:39

7              BOTTURI (ITA)   HUSQVARNA     +0:14:00

8              PRZYGONSKI (POL)         KTM       +0:19:00

9              SVITKO (SVK)     KTM       +0:20:45

10           GOUET (CHL)     HONDA                +0:22:44

Dakar 2013 Stage 4 Moto Wrap Up

A Man on his Mission…

Since his maiden win on stage 10 of the 2012 Dakar Rally, Spaniard Joan Barreda has been on a mission, a mission to join the select few who can call themselves winners of the Dakar Rally. He has trained mercilessly and focused both discipline and natural talent into not only riding fast, but riding intelligently. This dedication paid off in October of 2012 as the Husqvarna rider dominated the Pharaons Rally in Egypt and then fresh off that, commanded a second place finish in the Rally Maroc just a week later behind the man in his sights, Cyril Despres.

Barreda’s training has been on point, his motivation unstoppable, his confidence, at stratospheric levels. The 4^th stage of the 2013 Dakar rally sees the riders traversing the southern end of Peru from Nazca to Arequipa. Having started 24^th after being dogged by a wheel problem on Stage 3, Barreda was not exactly in the ideal position from which to attack, but that did not stop him from going for it anyway. Directly from the start Barreda stormed out to a lead that he never relinquished, a lead increasing from waypoint to waypoint until he won the stage a full 8’23” over the next closest rider, Yamaha’s Olivier Pain, the Frenchman enjoying an excellent result on the day to finish 2nd. Barreda’s pace was never in doubt and his lead never questioned. The Spaniard added, “After a bad day yesterday, when I broke the spokes of my wheel and lost heaps of time, I rode very well today. I started from far back and was able to go on the attack from the beginning to the end. Nothing is lost yet, so I’m going to fight every day to move back to the front.”

Olivier Pain started in 8^th place and rode with purpose. The Yamaha France rider, on his seventh Dakar aimed for the top and pinned the throttle. Pain quickly moved up hovering around third place before a final push at the end to move into 2nd. Into 3^rd moved a very happy David Casteu who slowly climbed through the stage. The excellent stage performance by both Frenchmen was rewarded by moving into the top two spots in the overall rankings, Pain into 1^st with a 2’24” lead over Casteu with Cyril Despres being knocked to 3^rd a further 45” back.

4^th on the day was Spain’s Gerard Farres Guell. The Bordone-Ferrari refugee, left with precious little time to put together an effort to even compete, has done a tremendous job to remain competitive with the front runners on his switch from KTM to Honda machinery. The HRC team continues to iron out some very early problems as Helder Rodrigues continued on a fine pace today into 5^th place with Javier Pizzolito not far behind in 7^th on a relatively trouble free run separated only by the 6^th place KTM of Ruben Faria, the Portuguese support rider showing outstanding form so far. Today’s finish puts Faria into 6^th overall.

Spaniard Jordi Viladoms has taken well to his new Husqvarna TE449RR climbing as high as 5^th on the stage before ultimately settling in to 8^th place ahead of Jakub Przygonski on a KTM for the Orlen Team in 9^th. Rounding out the top ten is Alain Duclos who, like Viladoms, put his Sherco as high as 5^th place before eventually finishing the stage in tenth.

Notable today is the withdrawal of Yamaha’s David Fretigne, the Frenchman struggling on his return to Dakar. After a decent start with stage finishes in the teens, Fretigne struggled on stage 3, finishing 74^th and suffered mechanical problems today before an oil leak emptied his engine and with it, his hopes for this Dakar. Perhaps Fretigne, having run the 450cc engine Yamaha for years against more powerful machinery, was a bit ahead of his time. After enduring some nagging injuries, it seems as though bad luck is on the cards for the once promising rider and that is regretful for his fans that have been eager to see him return to the top end of the time sheets.

Also notable is the rare absence of Cyril Despres in the top ten as the KTM team leader looks set to allow the rally to come to him over time. The pace has been frenetic and the ever calculating Despres realizes that this pace will either make the front runners falter or force them to back off allowing the Frenchman to make his move.

Stage 5 sees the end of the Peruvian dunes and sets the stage for the next chapter of the 2013 Dakar as the riders move into dustier, stony track. The danger factor moves up a notch with bike breaking hazards lining the route that will now begin to favor the more technical riders instead of outright speed through the dunes. Today’s big winner, Joan Barreda, faces perhaps his toughest challenge yet, opening the stage and setting the pace. The pressure is on as are all eyes as Barreda, above nearly all rivals looks to be tipped as the closest rider to the other worldly levels usually inhabited by Marc Coma and Cyril Despres. Stage 5 runs from Arequipa in Southern Peru to Arica in Northern Chile which brings the rally to the doorstep of the Atacama Desert.

Stage 5 Map:

Stage 5 Profile:

Stage 4 Results:

1              BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     03:41:09

2              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             +0:08:23

3              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:10:42

4              FARRES GUELL (ESP)       HONDA                                +0:11:40

5              RODRIGUES (PRT)            HONDA                                +0:11:43

6              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:12:18

7              PIZZOLITO (ARG)              HONDA                +             0:12:32

8              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     +0:12:40

9              PRZYGONSKI (POL)         KTM       +0:14:01

10           DUCLOS (FRA)   SHERCO                +0:14:11

Overall Standings After Stage 4:

1              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             10:10:38

2              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:02:24

3              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:03:09

4              BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     +0:05:38

5              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     +0:07:22

6              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:08:39

7              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       +0:10:01

8              BOTTURI (ITA)   HUSQVARNA     +0:11:44

9              PRZYGONSKI (POL)         KTM       +0:14:20

10           ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       +0:14:54

Dakar 2013 Stage 3 Moto Wrap Up

What a difference a day makes…

Yesterday’s winner Joan Barreda has been training hard all year for this moment, the opportunity to lead off the stage and showcase his maturity as a rider. In rally, that mark is not in being able to command the lead during the stage, but to capitalize on clear track by being fast and navigating. Very few riders can maintain a stage setting pace while shouldering the burden of navigation. It takes tremendous amounts of skill but like every stage, a certain amount of luck as well. Barreda is keen to prove he has the skill, but luck was not on his side today.

Stage 3 was typical from the distance perspective as the daily stages continue to shrink into more technical tests. At 243km, it certainly isn’t the shortest stage, but it is one that will prove to catch more than a few riders out. Barreda was one of its initial casualties through in hindsight, he was lucky to escape without further time lost. Upon landing from a jump, the Husqvarna’s rear wheel and tire began to come apart. Barreda nursed a damaged wheel for the remainder of the stage. A loose spoke ended up cracking his fuel tank ultimately resulting in the Spaniard having to stop and wait for his water carrier, Australian Matt Fish to catch up so the two could swap fuel. In the end, Barreda finished the stage in a disappointing 44^th place a full 33’02” behind the leaders.

Photo: Speedbrain-Husqvarna

Photo: Speedbrain-Husqvarna

Where Barreda was experiencing despair, Chilean superstar, Francisco “Chaleco” Lopez was experiencing elation in taking full advantage of the situation by storming into the lead and like Barreda a day ago, never looking back. Indeed, Chaleco lead through the remainder of the stage riding the wheels off his KTM to post the quickest time at each waypoint. After a lackluster Stage 2, Lopez was very happy to put in the performance that he did. The Chilean adding, “The stage was very different from what we went through during the first two days. I started from afar and went flat out throughout the stage in an attempt to catch up with Cyril Despres, which I think I managed to do. I focused on navigating and finding the waypoints, and everything went well.”

The day wasn’t all lost for the Speedbrain Husqvarna team though. Portuguese rider Paulo Goncalves who started 22^nd on stage wasted no time in pulling up behind Lopez on the time sheets and sticking to his time. Goncalves completed the stage in 2^nd place, a mere 1’08” adrift of Lopez. Goncalves added, “It was a fantastic stage for me. But I had to do pull something out of the bag after losing heaps of time yesterday due to navigational problems. At the start, I knew I’d be able to claw back time today if I attacked without throwing caution to the wind, and it paid off because I finished second. So I’m very happy. Tomorrow will be a big day but I’ll try to build on today’s momentum.”

Photo: Speedbrain-Husqvarna

Among the current crop of riders, there is no smarter tactician than KTM’s Cyril Despres. Seemingly uninterested in stage wins this year so far, Cyril has been content to hover near the top of the time sheets while conserving man and machine for when he needs to take control. His plans are paying off as Despres found himself 3^rd on the stage today but jumping from 5^th to 1^st in the overall standings. Despres shows the maturity of his experience by letting the rest of the field chase the day to day accolades of stage wins while he quietly and calmly steals the rally out from underneath them. In Cyril’s typical downplaying manner, he stated, “For me a pretty good stage. Nothing extraordinary but I think it worked pretty well for the general. I started 21th, but I quickly caught up the front and then I opened the stage starting at km 190. Therefore knowing that I left 20 min Barreda and Pedrero I think it worked out pretty well for me.” Pretty well indeed.

After the disappointment of Stage 2, Speedbrain Husqvarna’s Alessandro Botturi redeemed himself by slotting in just behind Despres and taking the 4^th place on the stage. 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th, were all uneventful rides in for Polish rider Kuba Przygonski on his KTM, Chilean, Daniel Gouet on his Honda, and after a very busy stage 2 that almost saw him out of the rally, Gerard Farres Guell cruised home to a trouble free 7^th place finish aboard his Wild Wolf Honda CRF.

Providing the color commentary was 8^th place Dutchman, Frans Verhoeven who took quite a tumble and full expects to be battered and bruised tomorrow. As usual, Verhoeven took it in stride and didn’t miss the opportunity to praise his Team Yamaha Europe YZ450F as the “best bike I ever raced.” According to him, Frans’ guardian angel was watching over him. Rounding out the top ten was a great ride by Frenchman Olivier Pain in 9^th and top HRC rider, Javier Pizzolito in 10^th.

An early performer, Chile’s Pablo Quintanilla showed true form by not only hanging with the veterans, but firmly entrenching his Honda into 4^th place until, like Joan Barreda, his wheel disintegrated before waypoint 3. Unlike Barreda, the young Chilean was unable to continue and finds himself out of the rally, a real shame as he was doing very well, but most likely, we have not seen the last of Quintanilla.

Trouble on the day fell to HRC’s Johnny Campbell who at a mere 20km into that stage, had to stop and fix a mechanical problem which saw the American dropping several hours to the leaders. Campbell would get running again to finish the stage on the pace, if not a few hours in arrears. Another HRC rider caught out today was Helder Rodrigues, the main rider who is being slated as the hopeful winner. The Portuguese rider fell back at the start of the stage but seemed to stabilize around 14^th position thought the waypoints. After the final waypoint, Helder inexplicably dropped to 33^rd which is where he finished the stage dropping to 28^th in the overall standings a full 24’58” behind overall leader Despres.

Like Campbell, Canadian Don Hatton was also caught out early in the stage. After losing several hours, he is back on the move, clearing waypoints slowly but surely. Drama was in store for Pal Anders Ullevalsetter, the Norwegian posting an account on Facebook describing a near disaster. He claimed someone had dug a hole in the middle of the road and he had to dump his KTM down in order to narrowly avoid it as he came upon the scene at 150 km/h.

The landscapes on stage 3 stunned everyone including French Yamaha rider, David Casteu who remarked, “I caught up with the five leaders and then spent much of the stage at the front. I had a blast. It’s always an emotional moment when you lead a Dakar special, because you know there’s a huge caravan behind you. And then, just after a large dune 225 km into the stage, I discovered a stunning landscape. It was breathtaking! It was a really nice special and I’ve had a strong start to the Dakar. At any rate, I’m having loads of fun!”

Sherco’s James West in a beautiful place

Darryl Curtis’ roadbook shows that open dunes are not without their complications, courtesy Darryl Curtis’ Facebook.

Stage 4 begins to mark the transition from the sandy expanses of Peru into the rock variations of Chile. A marked difference from stage 3, the riders will begin to climb and climb up above 2,200 meters before the plunge back down towards sea level half way through the 429km special stage. Like today, stage 4 puts the riders right into the thick of things out of the bivouac and as they move on from Nazca towards a familiar destination in Arequipa, they will hope their bikes hold together for the 289km liaison after the special stage is completed. Chaleco Lopez is set to head to the start at 5:45 in the morning so set your alarm clocks and get ready for a long day of action.

Stage 4 Map:

Stage 4 Profile:

Stage 3 Results:

1              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       002:37:54

2              GONÇALVES (PRT)           HUSQVARNA     0:01:08

3              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       0:04:08

4              BOTTURI (ITA)   HUSQVARNA     0:05:05

5              PRZYGONSKI (POL)         KTM       0:05:20

6              GOUET (CHL)     HONDA                0:06:35

7              FARRES GUELL (ESP)       HONDA                0:06:58

8              VERHOEVEN (NLD)          YAMAHA             0:07:22

9              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             0:07:28

10           PIZZOLITO (ARG)              HONDA                0:07:39

Overall Standings After Stage 3:

1              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       006:15:03

2              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       0:02:51

3              ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       0:04:59

4              PAIN (FRA)         YAMAHA             0:06:03

5              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             0:06:08

6              ISRAEL ESQUERRE (CHL)                HONDA                0:06:19

7              VERHOEVEN (NLD)          YAMAHA             0:08:08

8              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     0:09:08

9              SVITKO (SVK)     KTM       0:09:40

10           PRZYGONSKI (POL)         KTM       0:09:45

Dakar 2013 Stage 2 Moto Wrap Up

Barreda Draws Blood

Stage 2, a demanding loop around the extensive dunes of Pisco, Peru was exactly the stage for which Spaniard Joan Barreda has been training so hard. An 85km liaison followed by 242km of soft, fuel drinking sand. The strategy of most riders on stage 1 was to do anything to avoid having to lead the way on stage 2. A 10^th place finish turned out to be the perfect amount of sandbagging for the Speedbrain Husqvarna rider as this allowed the track to be opened by stage 1 winner Chaleco Lopez. At the very first waypoint, the effect started to come into focus. Lopez on his KTM had fallen to third on the stage as Barreda pinned the throttle and never looked back.

Barreda commanded the win today

Uncharacteristically, Cyril Despres seemed content to hang back and allow others to set the pace. Always the strategic thinker, either Cyril is biding his time, allowing others to burn themselves out or perhaps without Marc Coma by which to judge how hard to push, the Andorran is taking some extra time to determine who his real competition will be for the remainder of the rally. A surprise at WP2 was American Kurt Caselli jumping into 3^rd place, an excellent result for the rally rookie who was drafted in to the KTM squad at the 11^th hour to replace the injured Marc Coma.

Things started to become unglued for many riders around the 75km mark. Navigational issues finding the waypoint saw some of the early front runners head off in the wrong direction losing precious time. After a quick error himself, Barreda was able to recover quickly and set his course properly. From that point on, the Spaniard dominated the remainder of the rally eventually taking his second stage win by more than three minutes.

“I got lost at the beginning of the stage. But I wasn’t the only one who needed some time to find his bearings. I quickly got back on track and everything went smoothly from then on. It was a great day at the office,” said Barreda at the finish.

Riders lost considerable time and fuel looking for WP3

Second place went to fellow Spaniard, Juan Pedrero. The KTM pilot, a usual water carrier for Marc Coma is unencumbered by the usual duties of having to hang back in a position best to support his KTM team mate and as such, has his chance to push for his own results. Push he did and the results bore themselves out as an excellent finish for Pedrero.

Pedrero pleased with second

Another superb water carrier finish came by way of Australian Matt Fish who is riding for the Speedbrain Husqvarna team supporting Joan Barreda. A third place finish for the first time Dakar competitor shows that Fish is taking to the rally scene quite readily. Fourth place on the stage went to another factory KTM rider, Ruben Faria. Faria, Cyril Despres’ water carrier caught up to his team mate early in the stage and the 2 rode together for the remainder. With Despres ultimately finishing twelfth on the stage, expect Faria to star stage three and then stop, intentionally losing time to allow Despres to catch up enabling the proper supporting placement.

On only his second ever rally stage in any race, KTM’s Kurt Caselli performed flawlessly on the day finishing in fifth, a placement that has to please the newcomer. Another happy rider was South African Darryl Curtis, the Factory B Team KTM rider somewhat surprised by his result. David Casteu brought his Yamaha to the finish in seventh. Jordi Viladoms appears to be getting on just fine with his new Husqvarna TE449RR, the Spaniard finishing the stage in eighth. Chilean Jeremias Israel also had a good day to finish ninth in his first Dakar appearance. The top ten was rounded out by Norwegian, Pal Anders Ullevalsetter.

Where stage 2 was surprising for some, it was baffling for others. Further down the list were top riders like Kuba Przygonski in 26^th, Chaleco Lopez in 30^th, and Alessandro Botturi in 31^st, not the stage finishes for which these riders were hoping or planning. HRC’s Helder Rodrigues also had a disappointing stage, the Portuguese rider slowing to conserve fuel before eventually running out and having to wait for team mate Javier Pizzolito to catch up and transfer gas. “In the beginning there was a lot of dust, but the dunes I tried to recover many positions. At one point in the stage, was third and I forced myself to the end to ensure a good result. however, 4 km to the end, I ran out of fuel and had to wait for the Pizzolito help me. I was disappointed, but the Dakar is still long,” Said a disappointed Rodrigues.

Juan Carlos Salvatierra ran into some poor luck, the Bolivian burning out a stator and losing more than an hour and a half replacing it in the dunes.

“It was a step 100% sand, with some dunes difficult and very steep at the back. I had to be careful with gasoline. How many of us lost some precious time at kilometer 74 to validate the waypoint. then found the right direction and passed several riders. stopped to help Juan Carlos (Salvatierra), Honda rider in Bolivia and then continued. at km 30 was a good race among five drivers. We were passing each other,” said American Johnny Campbell.

The British contingent suffered a heavy blow as 2 riders were forced to exit the rally after dropping off a steep dune. Paul Jay and expat, Kevin Muggleton rode off the same dune together and unfortunately rode onto the withdrawals list. Determined rider Luis Belaustegui, having suffered carburetor problems on stage 1, changed it but then blew his 2 stroke KTM 150’s engine. Ever resourceful, the Argentinian used his ASO provided wrist band to fashion into a makeshift head gasket in order to make the trip to the bivouac to fight on another day.

Stage 3 puts the riders right back into the thick of it. The stage form Pisco to Nazca will be a 4km liaison into a 243km special but don’t let the relatively short distance be deceptive. A lot of sand and a lot of stones will make Stage 3 every bit as challenging as stage 2. Expect riders to push and pay close attention to navigation as to not make the same mistakes as they did today. Look for a win by Cyril Despres who will not be keen to go three stages in a row without having his name atop the leader board. The bikes leave the bivouac at 6:43 am on their way to Nazca.

Lyndon Poskitt on an eventful day

Stage 3 Map:

Stage 3 Profile:

Stage 2 Results:

1              BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     002:42:31

2              PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP)                KTM       +0:03:16

3              FISH (AUS)          HUSQVARNA     +0:05:53

4              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:06:26

5              CASELLI (USA)   KTM       +0:07:10

6              CURTIS (ZAF)     KTM       +0:07:49

7              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:08:08

8              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     +0:08:15

9              ISRAEL ESQUERRE (CHL)                HONDA       +0:08:19

10           ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       +0:09:42

Overall Standings:

1              BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     003:24:11

2              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       0:05:36

3              PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP)                KTM       +0:06:36

4              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:06:58

5              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:08:50

6              FISH (AUS)          HUSQVARNA     +0:09:18

7              CURTIS (ZAF)     KTM       +0:09:19

8              ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       +0:09:27

9              VILADOMS (ESP)              HUSQVARNA     +0:09:35

10           ISRAEL ESQUERRE (CHL)      HONDA +0:09:39

Dakar 2013 Stage 1 Moto Wrap Up

Many will say that the real race begins on stage two. Indeed at 13km, stage 1 will hardly make any heroes but it still possessed the capacity to ruin anyone’s rally. The reality is that the real race began a long time ago, for some, months, for others, years. For those having struggled just to get to the start line, it cannot be said that stage one did not matter.

A long liaison from Lima to Pisco, followed by a short loop through the surrounding dunes, the ASO wasted no time in throwing the competitors right into the sand. Any time the organization begins to Dakar Rally with a short spectator stage or prologue stage, it is always expected that most of the top riders will sandbag their results as to not have to lead off the next stage. Leading the stage is a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it is a clear, dust free run, on the other, the entire burden of navigation rests upon the leader’s shoulders as there are no tracks to follow as an additional parameter in the decision making process, decisions that are made at a wide open throttle pace. Very few riders can handle the pressure of leading the stage and setting the pace necessary to win the stage which is why the history books show a short list of names who have won back to back stages.

The mixed results of stage highlight the ‘sandbagging’ of many top riders, but it tells bigger stories  of differing motivations and there is no bigger story than Francisco ‘Chaleco’ Lopez winning the stage. Chaleco has prepared for this rally like no other. While others strategically finished to control their stage two start position, Chaleco pushed for the win with the motivation of proving to himself that he is still a winner. Lopez is riding this rally for his career. After a run of poor luck and injury, Lopez is out to regain lost confidence. A win out of the gates tells more to his inner racer than it does to any outside observer. Lopez’ goal is to win by steadily regaining confidence in his ability and to that end, he had no choice but to push as his result means more to him than the strategy of future stages. Expect Chaleco’s rally to be more about single day results than future day’s strategy.

Second place finisher, Frans Verhoeven is in a similar place. The Yamaha pilot having switched teams from last year’s capable but snake bitten Sherco to Yamaha. Last year’s frustration is being replaced by this year’s encouragement. Things are going well for Frans and a great result on stage one validates that encouragement.

These short strategy stages allow for relative back markers to shine and what a shine it was for Chileans Pablo Quintanilla and Patricio Cabrera who pushed to take third and fourth respectively. The remainder of the top ten is an exercise in managing the strategy for the much longer and more consequential stage two. As team mates, Cyril Despres and his water carrier Ruben Faria times it perfectly with Frenchman David Casteu splitting them in sixth on his Yamaha. In seventh, Javier Pizzolito was not top Honda, but top factory Honda rider showcasing the new machine in which so many fans have placed hope for a good showing.

The ever present Pal Anders Ullevalsetter, very quietly slotted his KTM into ninth place, the Norwegian displaying a low profile in the buildup to the rally. Speedbrain Husqvarna’s Joan Barreda rounded out the top ten and as such, sits very well placed for a good start to stage two.

For stage two, strategy will not play as large a role in regards to time management. The push will be on as it is expected that the entire rally will be fast. Capable riders, matured teams, new endeavors for big manufacturers, and closer competition through the rules are all factors showing that the gap between the winner and the also rans has tightened. As such, the sandy, 242km special will bore out the true talent and put on display those who are truly out to take the prize from the hands of reigning Dakar king, Cyril Despres. Another Pisco to Pisco loop, but this is no prologue and there is no time to rest.

Stage 2 Map:

Stage 2 Profile:

Stage 1 Results:

1              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       000:39:15

2              VERHOEVEN (NLD)          YAMAHA             +0:00:05

3              QUINTANILLA (CHL)        HONDA                +0:00:25

4              CABRERA (CHL) KAWASAKI          +0:00:55

5              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:01:05

6              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:01:15

7              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:01:35

8              PIZZOLITO (ARG)              HONDA                +0:01:45

9              ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       +0:02:10

10           BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     +0:02:25

Overall Standings:

1              LOPEZ CONTARDO (CHL)               KTM       000:39:15

2              VERHOEVEN (NLD)          YAMAHA             +0:00:05

3              QUINTANILLA (CHL)        HONDA                +0:00:25

4              CABRERA (CHL) KAWASAKI          +0:00:55

5              DESPRES (FRA)  KTM       +0:01:05

6              CASTEU (FRA)    YAMAHA             +0:01:15

7              FARIA (PRT)        KTM       +0:01:35

8              PIZZOLITO (ARG)              HONDA                +0:01:45

9              ULLEVALSETER (NOR)     KTM       +0:02:10

10           BARREDA BORT (ESP)     HUSQVARNA     +0:02:25