Honda to field works motorcycle project for 2013 Dakar Rally

Along with the news of the debut of Bordone-Ferrari’s Mi1 comes a bit of a shocker from left field as the five time winning, HRC announces a reentry into top flight rally racing. The 2013 Dakar will be one to watch.

From Motorsport.com

Eric Mauk

Honda has announced its intention to participate as a works team in the motorcycle class in the Dakar Rally to be held in January 2013 in South America, travelling north to south through Peru, Chile and Argentina.

The Honda team, to be called Team HRC, will include Portuguese rider Helder Rodrigues, who took third place in the 2012 Dakar Rally, and Brazilian Felipe Zanol, who brings a wealth of experience in motocross and enduro race events, as well as Sam Sunderland (United Kingdom) and Javier Pizzolito (Argentina).

The manufacturer will have its work cut out for it at Dakar if they are to make a dent into the dominance shown this year by KTM. Cyril Despres won ahead of fellow KTM rider Marc Coma and KTM motorcycles took seven of the top eight places in the class. New Honda gasser Rodrigues was the only man to break up the KTM party, finishing third on a Yamaha.

“The Dakar requires competitors to cover several hundred kilometers per day for more than two weeks. It needs a totally different type of vehicle from events such as motocross, trials and road races,” said Tetsuo Suzuki, President, Honda Racing Corporation. “Honda has put a great deal of effort into designing and building a powerful and winning machine. We are aiming for the championship from this first year.”

Honda competed nine times in the motorcycle class in the forerunner of the present Dakar Rally, the Paris-Dakar Rally, from 1981 through to 1989, and was a winner five times during that period. It has been 23 years since it last participated in the Rally.

They will ride a prototype machine developed and produced by the Motorcycle R&D Center at Honda R&D. The prototype machine is based on the CRF450X, the popular worldwide enduro racing model that combines ease of handling with superior competitive strength. Kit parts designed for use on the standard CRF450X model have also been developed and will be made available to a limited number of teams.

A No Compromise Act of Love

Take a healthy dose of lessons learned upon the dominant machine in the rally world, add in cutting edge materials and Italian design flair, and temper the mixture with copious amounts of ambition and competition and the result is what designer Renato Ferrari has called an “act of love.”

Much like the team it is meant to serve, the much anticipated Bordone-Ferrari created rally bike has been carefully crafted with a single purpose in mind, to dominate the uniquely heartbreaking and elating, Dakar Rally. At Bordone-Ferrari, it seems everything has a purpose, even down to the name chosen for this first model, Mi1. ‘Mi’ is short for Milan, the team’s base of operations, 1 for the first iteration of the machine, but the name together, Mi1, is meant to evoke fond memories of Italian rally legend, Fabrizio Meoni.

The numbers reinforce, but do not fully define the cohesiveness of the design. Motor by Italian company, TM, suspension by French company, Donerre, Talon, Akropovic, etc… all mounting in and around a purpose built trellis frame designed by Spaniard, Fernando Prates, the bike has quickly evolved into a thing of beauty, a contrast to the production dirtbikes plastered with bolt on tanks and bespoke bodywork where function is a factor of what can fit where, and form is seldom more than something to be filled out to enter the rally.

The Mi1 pulls together a beautiful blend of function and form, the purpose of which is to win rallies while providing both the performance that the rider demands and the comfort the rider needs to extract that performance. For each promise made, Bordone-Ferrari has delivered and this in itself is stunning in a general industry long on lofty promises yet short on actual deliveries.

The bike is tailor made for rally racing. Three tanks, 22 liters up front and a 10 liter rear tank blend nicely into the design. A peaky, carbureted TM 450 motor has the endurance, but will require testing and tuning to match the relative reliability bar set by the current crop of KTM 450 Rally bikes.

The team’s high ambitions were matched by outstanding results in the 2012 Dakar. Now with those same high ambitions matched by the release of this massively awaited machine, let us hope that the trend of good fortune continues for this effort as the more that ambition and hard work earns just rewards, the more serious interest the sport may attract.

Well done Bordone-Ferrari!

2012 Dakar Stage 10 Moto Wrap Up

A Star is Born

11-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

Perhaps the track is becoming a bit monotonous, perhaps the stages a little too similar, too technical, to short…the Dakar Rally thus far, seems to be lacking, not in difficulty, mass, or pace, but in variety. Stage 10 sees the riders leaving Iquique on their way to Arica for the last stage in Chile this year and along another dry, dusty track. Weather this year has played a part as heavy rains have swelled streams into rivers and have threatened many routes along the way.

Husqvarna Speedbrain rider Joan Barreda Bort has been one of the few riders able to keep pace, continually nipping at the heels of the more seasoned leaders, KTM’s Cyril Despres and Marc Coma. After a storming display of speed and spot perfect navigation on Stage 9, Despres regained the overall lead that he relinquished in Stage 8. All eyes were on those two as the stages dwindle but Barreda had a plan to steal the spotlight and steal it he did.

Throughout the rally, few riders are able to show glimpses of riding brilliance but even fewer still are able to sustain that brilliance. Joan Barreda has done so. With the exception of Stages 3 and 4, the Spaniard has been very close to the pace of the rally leaders.

Starting from 3^rd position, Barreda played it cool keeping pace but not giving away too much too quickly. The early show went to Speedbrain team mate Paulo Goncalves who, starting from 5^th position, quickly rose up to lead the times for nearly the first 200 kilometers of the stage. His lead was not to last though as Goncalves’ shine faded, Barreda’s brilliance began. He assumed the lead, a lead he would hold until the very end. The young Spaniard, competing on only his twelfth ever Dakar stage, won the day with relative ease and a flair which suggests that a future star is born. This win marks the first stage win for a Spaniard aside from Marc Coma since Jordi Viladoms won the 10^th Stage in the 2009 Dakar.

It was a masterful win for Barreda who played his cards right and grabbed the spotlight when it was his to be seized. After a minor navigation error very early in the stage, Marc Coma and Cyril Despres looked as if they were more concerned with the gap between them, than they were with catching Barreda for the stage win. Coma finished in 2^nd place over a minute and a half behind Barreda while Despres brought his KTM 450 home in 3^rd, 3’39” behind Barreda.

With these placements, Despres maintains the overall lead, but only by the slimmest of margins, 21 seconds. While some minor time adjustments have played into the standings, it remains breathtaking that after more than 33 hours of full throttle racing, the leading duo of Cyril Despres and Marc Coma are separated by such a small gap. Perhaps their speed and blinding pace is a testament to the time they have spent racing each other, getting to know intimate strengths and weaknesses as both have matured throughout their respective rally careers.

Once again, Helder Rodrigues grabbed 4^th place to finish more than 5 minutes off the pace set by Barreda as if the Yamaha pilot is contractually obligated to finish 4^th. Spaniard, Jordi Viladoms put on an impressive display and grabbed another top ten finish for his Bordone-Ferrari team to take 5^th spot with Slovakian, Stefan Svitko just trailing in 6^th position. Dakar stalwart, Pal Anders Ullevalsetter netted 7^th spot aboard his familiar green KTM, while for the first time this year, Yamaha France’s Olivier Pain was able to sneak into the top ten to nab the 8^th position. Rounding out the top ten was the Sherco of Dutchman, Frans Verhoeven and the KTM of Ruben Faria.

Once again the top rookies sat just outside of the top ten placements. Italian rider for the Bordone-Ferrari Team, Alessandro Botturi brought his KTM to the finish in an excellent 11^th place, while Brazilian Felipe Zanol took 14^th. Fellow rookies Chris Birch and Darryl Curtis, both based out of South Africa, had their best performances yet by finishing 17^th and 18^th respectively.

Stage 10 would not be kind to front runners David Casteu and Joan Pedrero. Casteu lost several minutes having to stop multiple times dealing with an electrical problem. His problems, however how difficult, paled in comparison to the KTM of Joan Pedrero, the Spaniard who is playing water carrier to Marc Coma. Pedrero blew his engine in the dunes of Stage 10 and after waiting for 7 hours, was finally forced to call it a rally. Almost immediately, semi-works rider Johnny Aubert was promoted to the position of water carrier in support of Coma. After leading in the early part of the stage and falling back, a further blow was dealt to Paulo Goncalves as the Portuguese rider was slapped with a whopping six hour penalty for receiving outside assistance. It was suggested that Goncalves was towed by spectators to within 300 meters of the stage finish where he then continued to push his Husqvarna alone over the finish line.

Pedrero attempts to signal for assistance after a broken motor ends his rally

The arrival into Arica sees the participants through one last Chilean bivouac before the liaison and crossing into the much anticipated unknowns of Peru for the completion of the rally.

Stage 11 Preview:

Stage 11 welcomes the rally to Peru for the first time. The much anticipated entry will start off with another first, a marathon stage. Not utilized since the African stages, the marathon stage harkens back to the roots of Dakar with memories of riders sprawled out on decorative rugs underneath a single, large tent. The bikes will bivouac separately from their teams and all support and maintenance will be up to the pilots themselves. For stage 11, all riders are Malles Motos riders allowed only the standard trunk for parts and tools, a spare set of wheels, and a duffle bag. Dunes are on the menu for the Peruvian stages, dunes the likes of which not yet encountered in the 2012 edition. Stage 11 should prove to be a welcome change to the fast rocky tracks of the stages thus far.   

Stage Results:

1 - BARREDA BORT (ESP) - HUSQVARNA - 4:18:43

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +0:01:32

3 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - +0:03:39

4 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +0:05:16

5 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +0:08:48

6 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM - +0:09:44

7 - ULLEVALSETER (NOR) - KTM - +0:10:34

8 - PAIN (FRA) - YAMAHA - +0:14:41

9 - VERHOEVEN (NLD) - SHERCO - +0:14:59

10 - FARIA (PRT) - KTM - +0:15:30

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 33:07:39

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +0:00:21

3 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +0:45:56

4 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +1:18:52

5 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM - +1:24:38

6 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +1:35:21

7 - ULLEVALSETER (NOR) - KTM - +1:56:22

8 - PAIN (FRA) - YAMAHA - +2:08:22

9 - BOTTURI (ITA) - KTM - +2:15:51

10 - FARIA (PRT) - KTM - +2:40:271

2012 Dakar Stage 9 Moto Wrap Up

Down to Business

10-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

With the controversial debacle that was Stage 8 behind them and the two rally leaders Marc Coma and Cyril Despres separated by a mere 1’26” after nearly 24 hours of wide open throttle racing, it was time for the riders to leave the controversy to the keyboard pilots and get down to business. Both Coma and Despres seemed more determined than ever to make their mark and dominate the stage, but in the end KTM’s Cyril Despres wanted it more. The Frenchman, intent on putting Stage 8 behind him, disappeared into the distance like a cruise missile.

By the time Despres reached waypoint 4, he had not only caught Coma who had started two minutes prior, he motored right past him and pulled out a lead of nearly two minutes, a lead gap that he would maintain for the duration of the stage.

Picture perfect and trouble free, with the exception of one small issue of an overshot waypoint at the very end of the stage, Cyril Despres put on a masterful display of riding perfection. Not quite as quick, Marc Coma seemed resigned to the fact that he would relinquish his overall lead back to Despres. As to be expected, the Spaniard was running a smooth stage to 2^nd place but he simply did not seem to have the answer to Depres’ dauntless determination to win the day.

Joan Barreda again proved to be ‘best of the rest’ slotting into 3^rd place but by a wide margin, the Spanish rider finishing 8’28” behind the blistering pace set by Despres. Starting 4^th and ending 4^th, Yamaha’s Helder Rodrigues once again put in a solid stage, but just did not have the pace to challenge. Portugal’s Paulo Goncalves probably had more reason to leave the memories of Stage 8 behind than anyone. The Husqvarna rider steadily climbed through the placements, starting 11^th and finishing in 5^th place, another mistake free run for the Speedbrain stalwart.

Pal Anders Ullevalsetter, doing his absolute best to remain in the top ten after each stage, put forth an unshakable effort, landing in 6^th place on the day. Again Slovakian rider Stefan Svitko, the very definition of consistency motored home to a 7^th place finish, an excellent result for the KTM rider followed by Bordone-Ferrari’s Jordi Viladoms in 8^th. A very tested Frans Verhoeven has been at odds with his team but on the days when he goes well, he goes very well. Suggestions are that Frans’ team, Croco Adventures, has a lot of growing to do before they can truly hope to challenge for stage wins or outright victories. Verhoeven has been intent on separating his disappointment in the team’s performance from the performance of his Sherco which has proven to be stellar when properly maintained. Minor mechanical annoyances have turned into sometimes dangerous distractions for the Dutch pilot. Nevertheless, Verhoeven rode through a lack of team confidence into a 9^th place finish. 10^th place was captured by another notable performance by another Bordone-Ferrari rider. Today it was Gerard Farres Guell’s turn to round out the top ten putting on an impressive display for such a young team.

 The professionals were on their game today, but with the 2012 edition having one of the most impressive fields of rookies to take the start in many years, they did not disappoint. Brazilian, Felipe Zanol was, once again, top rookie, just falling outside the top ten into 11^th place. Italian Alessandro Botturi followed soon after into 14^th with Frenchman, semi-works KTM rider Johnny Aubert a few places down the sheets in 18^th place.

The last few kilometers of the now famous Antofagasta to Iquique stage includes a dramatic, white knuckled, 35 degree descent as the riders crest the dunes and make their way down towards the seaside bivouac, the route lined with fans, eager to see the spectacle.

Stage 9 was fast and mostly trouble free for those at the sharp end of the order, but not all riders made it through unscathed. After being incorrectly directed in the neutralization zone, the other semi-works KTM rider, Mohammed Balooshi, hit a hole in the road and damaged his 450 Rally beyond repair. Gas-Gas’ Marc Guasch suffered a heavy fall and was airlifted from the stage with a pulmonary contusion and an injury to his spinal column.

Stage 9 also included a water crossing that proved hazardous to some riders. Unbeknownst to the organization, Chilean authorities opened a floodgate which turned a usual stream crossing into a swift moving current. Italian Rieju rider #59, Filippo Ciotti was attempting to navigate his motorbike across this torrent when an impatient Stephane Peterhansel took to the crossing, subsequently punting Ciotti into losing a firm grip on his now drowning bike. The French Mini driver drove on without receiving so much as a warning for his actions.

As bad as that was, Brazilian rider Vicente De Benedictis Neto fared far worse. Neto was with a group of riders who were helping each other cross the stream one at a time due to the depth and the current. While his Beta was parked next to the track, another hurried car driver barged his way through hitting several parked bikes and knocking Neto’s into the stream altogether. It took the Brazilian pilot two hours to eventually find his Beta a mile downstream, his rally hopes drowned with his bike.

In the end, there was no beating the pace thrown down by Cyril Despres, the Andorran obliterating his 1’26” deficit to Marc Coma and turning it into a 2’28” lead in the overall standings. Both KTM riders took on new engines on the rest day, but it wasn’t until Stage 9 that the fifteen minute penalty assessments were assigned. Both riders were nearly an hour ahead Helder Rodrigues, a distant 3^rd place in the overall standings and since both Despres and Coma incurred the penalty on the same day, the effects were negligible.

Stage 10 Preview:

Stage 10 rolls out of Iquique towards the northern port city of Arica on what is the final stage of the rally to be held in Chile for the rider will soon cross, into the beauty of Peru. Stage 10 again includes a very fast rocky track through the vast expanse of Northern Chile with a challenging section of dunes at the end, perhaps a taste of what is to come in Peru. Expect another blistering pace as both Cyril Despres and Marc Coma battle each other for rally supremacy as the stages wind down and with them, the opportunities to attack.

Stage Results:

1 - DESPRES CYRIL (FRA) - KTM - 6:54:33

2 - COMA MARC (ESP) - KTM - +0:03:543

3 - BARREDA BORT JOAN (ESP) - HUSQVARNA - +0:08:28

4 - RODRIGUES HELDER (PRT) - YAMAHA - +0:11:44

5 - GONCALVES PAULO (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +0:15:12

6 - ULLEVALSETER PAL ANDERS (NOR) - KTM - +0:15:43

7 - SVITKO STEFAN (SVK) - KTM - +0:16:19

8 - VILADOMS JORDI (ESP) - KTM - +0:17:42

9 - VERHOEVEN FRANS (NLD) - SHERCO - +0:18:46

10 - Farres Guell - KTM - +0:18:56

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 028:45:17

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +0:02:28

3 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +0:44:19

4 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +1:13:43

5 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +1:18:05

6 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM - +1:18:33

7 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +1:25:57

8 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +1:37:13

9 - ULLEVALSETER (NOR) - KTM - +1:49:27

10 - PAIN (FRA) - YAMAHA - +1:57:20

2012 Dakar Stage 7 Moto Wrap Up

The End for Lopez?

07-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

Loop stages are supposed to be fillers. Such is not always the case when referring to Chile, particularly the Copiapo mining region, especially when that loop consists of 419 kilometers of rocky, sandy track and soft, constantly shifting dunes. Adding in the fact that Stage 7 exists just before the scheduled rest day and no one can expect to be able to rest on their laurels.

Overall rally leader Cyril Despres holds a commanding lead of 9’51” over his main rival, Marc Coma who maintains the 2^nd place overall position. With the stage broken into two sections, split by a 58 kilometer neutralization section, Despres was set to open the stage and open he did, at first. However, Marc Coma was of but one thought, push, push, push. Singularly focused on reducing the gap to Despres, Coma launched to an early lead, a lead he would not relinquish for the remainder of the stage.

Showing an early form that has perhaps been missing in the previous few stages, Chilean super star, Chaleco Lopez, stormed his Aprilia from a lowly 9^th starting position to just 12” behind the times of Coma by the first waypoint although that pace would not continue. After a fall 83 kilometers into the special, Chaleco, was able to return to the special, but with a bike that looked worse for wear and a knee even worse than that. Re-aggravating some previous injuries, Lopez hemorrhaged time. Minute by minute, sector by sector, time was lost to the lead and it became more obvious that Lopez was hurting. Finishing an eventual and very respectable, 22^nd place but 30 minutes off the lead pace, bivouac rumors ran rampant that Lopez would withdrawal from the rally. With the rest day up next, no official announcement was made, with the hopes that Lopez could recover enough throughout the rest day to battle onward.

With Coma off to the races and Despres slotted into a conservative position behind content follow Coma through “a lazy day” as he described it, the rest of the field was left to squabble over the remaining places. The remainder of the stage went largely to plan for most. Forging a late stage tear was Portuguese rider, Paulo Goncalves who nearing the end of the stage, even climbed into 2^nd place for a waypoint before eventually settling in for a 3^rd place finish, 46” behind the 2^nd place KTM of Cyril Despres and 2’49” behind Coma who never looked back from 1^st place.

Helder Rodrigues started the stage out conservatively but came on strong in the late running to take 4^th place followed by Gerard Farres Guell riding his Bordone-Ferrari KTM to 5^th place and his best stage finish thus far while Norwegian, Pal Anders Ullevalsetter slowly worked up through the standings to finish an eventual 6^th place for the second stage in a row. David Casteu on his Yamaha put together another solid run perhaps erring on the conservative side in the hopes of running his engine to the end of the rally. KTM’s Ruben Faria and Sherco’s Frans Verhoeven brought it home in 8^th and 9^th place respectively with Bordone-Ferrari’s Jordi Viladoms rounding out the top ten.

Joan Barreda showed a bit of his inexperience on the day’s stage. After an absolute blazing pace that saw the Spanish rider pull within 20” of the stage lead at one point, Barreda made a wrong turn and took Stefan Svitko with him. The pair lost nearly 10 minutes trying to regain the track, eventually finishing with Svitko just pipping Barreda for 12^th place. A disappointed Barreda had to settle for 13^th place.

Picturesque Chilean vistas

Spare a thought for two riders. Alain Duclos incurred some late mechanical troubles in the dunes and began stripping his bike to sort the problem. After walking some distance away in search of a mobile signal and team assistance, the Franco-Malian returned to find thieves had made off with some crucial items, notably his fuel tanks and seat. Somewhere in the middle of the night in the Atacama Desert, Duclos was able to sort his mechanical issues, borrow a seat, and finish the stage rolling into the bivouac at 02:00 the next morning.

Italian Husqvarna rider, Manuel Lucchese was another rider that spent the night in the dunes. Exhausted as many self supported, back end riders usually are, Lucchese took advantage of the late arrival times at the rest day bivouac to take some rest in the dunes before continuing on to finish the stage the next morning.

For many, it is about fun and finishing.

Stage 8 Preview:

A city with a name that simply cannot be said without inflecting a hint of Latin flair, Antofagasta is the destination of Stage 8. With a liaison of 245 kilometers and a long special stage of 477 kilometers, the riders must stockpile plenty of rest to tackle the route from Copiapo to Antofagasta, the longest special on the rally. A continual track of dust and stones will try even the most determined.

Stage Results:

1 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - 5:01:35
2 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - +00:02:03
3 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:02:49
4 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:03:46
5 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +00:06:50
6 - ULLEVALSETER (NOR) - KTM - +00:08:07
7 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:08:43
8 - FARIA (PRT) - KTM - +00:08:48
9 - VERHOEVEN (NLD) - SHERCO - +00:09:24
10 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +00:11:26

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 18:12:38
2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +00:07:48
3 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:49:39
4 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:55:33
5 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +01:05:38
6 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +01:07:40
7 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +01:08:00
8 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM - +01:17:19
9 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +01:17:20
10 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +01:23:48

2012 Dakar Stage 6 Moto Wrap Up

Cancelado

06-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

What was to be a lengthy, 394 kilometer liaison up through the Paso de San Francisco, a hop across the border into Chile, and then a relatively short but challenging stage of 247 kilometers through the dunes into the destination of Copiapo, ended up being just a very lengthy liaison without the special stage at all. Due to snowy conditions at the border passage, the ASO had no choice but to neutralize the entire stage for the safety of the competitors, but even neutralized, transit stages can have their hazards.

In the case of American rider, James Embro on the #106 KTM from the Memo Tours, Alfie Cox Team, one of those transit stage hazards ended his rally when a passing truck kicked up a rock which hit Embro in the face, shattering his cheek bone.

Difficulties aside, the transit section transported the riders through some of the most beautiful vistas that the route has to offer.

The stunning scenery and a serene ride perhaps welcomed by some riders needing a bit of a rest.

Stage 7 Preview:

A 419 kilometer loop with a neutralization section in the middle will test the mettle of all riders with just one stage to go until the much needed rest day. From Copiapo to Copiapo, the sandy stage will have the riders dodging a plethora of rocks with the final dunes almost guaranteed to slow forward momentum. Notoriously difficult, the stage before the rest day allows only a single reprieve, as long as the riders can arrive at the bivouac by 18:00 hours on the rest day, they can continue. What may seem like a helpful time limit may simply conceal the difficulties that lie ahead.

Stage Results: None

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 14:19:00

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +00:09:51

3 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:47:56

4 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +00:49:00

5 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:54:47

6 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +00:58:17

7 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:58:58

8 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +01:03:13

9 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM - +01:07:26

10 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +01:14:04

2012 Dakar Stage 4 Moto Wrap Up

The Heat is On

04-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

Rough, technical, wet, wet, and wetter still, Stage 4 from San Juan to Chilecito was 326 kilometers of rocky track, technical running. Wet streams and riverbeds were supposed to by dry streams and river beds except for the fact that no one told the weather.

First to open the track was Frenchman Cyril Despres on his KTM. Alone on his way, he blazed a trail others could only hope to follow. Having to make up for a 10’12” deficit to the stage starter, KTM’s Marc Coma, starting 7^th on the day, was a man possessed, on an absolute mission to claw back as much time as he could from Despres. Flying to the lead, the Catalan KTM super star putting in an unbelievable performance to pull ahead of Despres by nearly 4 minutes at waypoint 5.

With the exception of Despres remained within striking distance of the super human Coma, the next best rider was Frans Verhoeven, the Sherco pilot a full 8’11” behind the stage time of Coma.

Having endured an early electrical issue that Verhoeven cured at the checkpoint 1 fuel stop, a mandatory 15 minute stoppage time, Verhoeven left the checkpoint and planted himself on Coma’s rear tire for the duration of the stage. From that point on, the sector times put down by Verhoeven were nothing short of inspiring. The ‘Flying Dutchman’ was on a tear. It was a shame for his earlier issues as having beaten Coma’s pace on several waypoint to waypoint times Frans may truly have had a chance to win the day.

Riding with damaged ligaments in his thumb, Ruben Faria tried as he might to keep pace and within a reasonable distance to support Cyril Despres, but the Portuguese rider slowly fell down the rankings finishing a disappointing 19^th.

In the end, the forward momentum of Marc Coma could not be stopped, the 2011 Dakar champion handily taking the stage win over his fellow KTM rider Cyril Despres by 2’02”. Still though, Despres maintains a healthy overall lead of 8’10” which may be a blessing as the leaders head into the feared Fiambala stage tomorrow.

Sherco Rally Raid’s Frans Verhoeven stormed the stage finish with another podium for the small Franco-Spanish manufacturer slotting into 3^rd. After some navigational confusion, Yamaha’s Helder Rodrigues was able to hang onto 4^th place on the stage just ahead of fellow countryman, Paolo Goncalves who also made small navigational mistakes. Finding his pace again after witnessing Quinn Cody’s huge crash on Stage 3, Juan Pedrero finished the stage in 6^th place, just losing out to Goncalves by a scant, 2 seconds.

Alain Duclos recovered from his Stage 3 misfortunes to take 7^th on the day, ahead of an impressive charge by the very promising young Slovakian, Stefan Svitko who climbed as high as 4^th on stage before settling into 8^th place. Finalizing the top ten was Chaleco Lopez in 9^th and David Casteu in 10^th with the ambition of completing the rally on one Yamaha motor.

Best rookie on the day was once again, Felipe Zanol, the Brazilian picked by none other than Cyril Despres as the one to watch out for in the coming years. Both Zanol and Italian Alessandro Botturi, have put forth tremendously mature efforts for first timers and have the overall results to show for it. Both riders have posted similar times and continually swap stage placements in the low teens.

Stage 5 Preview

Stage 5 delivers the riders into familiar if not dreaded territory. The Fiambala stage with its feared dunes, has gained a reputation as a rally killer. Demoralizing conditions that previous competitors would rather forget, Fiambala is a stage to truly separate the men from the super men as all who enter, do so with trepidation and a sense of respect for the elements.

Stage Results:

1 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - 04:16:43               

2 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - +00:02:02

3 - VERHOEVEN (NLD) - SHERCO - +00:08:26

4 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:09:01

5 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:11:18

6 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +00:11:20

7 - DUCLOS (FRA) - APRILIA - +00:13:20

8 - SVITKO (SVK) - KTM0 - +00:13:42

9 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +00:14:15

10 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:15:23

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 11:50:27

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +00:08:10

3 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:26:48

4 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +00:29:50

5 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:30:37

6 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:35:16

7 - VERHOEVEN (NLD) - SHERCO - +00:37:48

8 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +00:38:19

9 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +00:44:00

10 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +00:44:24

2012 Dakar Stage 3 Moto Wrap Up

A Race of Attrition

03-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

Many described the stage as Erzberg-ish…rough and rocky, very technical, and in the words of American rider, Ned Suesse aboard the #81 KTM, “absolutely beautiful”, however, this was a beauty not without a price.

The stage began with an impressive push by the Portuguese armada. Good showings early by Ruben Faria, Paolo Goncalves, and Helder Rodrigues put the three riders squarely in the top ten through the early waypoints. As to be expected, the early leaders pulled away into a race of their own as KTM riders, Cyril Despres and Marc Coma exchanged the lead from waypoint to waypoint.

Strong too was the Sherco of Frans Verhoeven shaking off niggling problems from Stages 1 and 2 to storm up through the placements.

From 5^th place at WP1 up to 3^rd through WP’s 2 and 3, Verhoeven was intent on putting his stamp on the overall standings. However, this was a race between Despres and Coma and then all the rest.  Steady pace by the Husqvarna rider, Paolo Goncalves and Helder Rodrigues on his Yamaha, kept the two Portuguese riders in 4^th and 5^th places respectively through each waypoint as their countryman, Ruben Faria began to fade from his original pace finishing up the stage a disappointing 17^th place.

The stage included an additional loop at the end that was exclusively for the bikes and quads. This loop may have proven to be the turning point for the first half of the Dakar as Coma made a critical mistake in missing the entrance to this loop and continuing on towards the finish in San Juan. In the end, this mistake cost Coma precious time against his KTM rival, Despres, as the Spaniard gave up 13’04” from the lead. Of the navigation error, eventual stage winner, Cyril Despres said, “It’s good for my position, even if I’m never happy about other people’s setbacks.”

The Stormer of the stage was Frans Verhoeven who also capitalized on Coma’s mistake to put the Sherco on the second step of the stage podium, in a very welcomed, trouble free run. Locked into 4^th and 5^th respectively for the entire stage, Goncalves and Rodrigues moved up to finish the stage in 3^rd and 4^th thanks also to Coma’s mistake. Additional beneficiaries were Alain Duclos with a solid run to 5^th on his Aprilia and David Casteu in 6^th, the Frenchman keeping to his race strategy of solid, top ten results without stressing man or machine. As we know, 7^th place fell to Marc Coma, a somewhat disappointing stage for Chaleco Lopez saw the Chilean star bring his Aprilia home in 8^th place, but more significantly, a huge 17’59” back from Cyril Despres. Rounding out the top ten were Gerard Farres Guell in 9^th and Pal Anders Ullevalsetter in 10^th. However it was discovered well after the stage the penalties were pending.

The stage was not without both controversy and adversity. Controversy in a missed waypoint by Ullevalsetter, who commented after the stage that he and “at least a dozen” other riders had missed the same waypoint. The Norwegian promising to protest if penalties were assigned and assigned they were. 40 minute penalties were handed out through the evening dropping Ullevalsetter and many others down the overall rankings. Laia Sanz, the only woman rider remaining in the rally after the stage 3 withdrawal of Rosa Romero Font who was refused permission to continue having been towed in by a non-competitor, also expressed annoyance at being assessed a penalty for missing the waypoint.

The application of the penalties affected the stage results by moving both Alain Duclos and Pal Anders Ullevalsetter well down and thereby elevating both Olivier Pain and Jordi Viladoms into 9^th and 10^th finishes respectively.  Top rookie honors go to Italian, Alessandro Botturi running a masterful stage into 11^th place.

Stage adversity affected the leader board as well. A scary crash along the rutted route spun Speedbrain Husqvarna rider, Joan Barreda completely around early in the stage but the Spaniard was able to quickly recover and carry on only to incur a chain problem later in the stage dashing his hopes for a promising finish.

A more devastating crash by American, Quinn Cody ended his rally. The American Baja star hit a rock in a dip with his back wheel. With the suspension already compressed, the rock pitched the back of the bike skyward sending Cody over the hand bars at a very high speed and his Honda cartwheeling down the track. Luckily Joan Pedrero was just behind Cody and was brilliant in stopping and helping Quinn to the side of the road, the American suffering a smashed face requiring 10 stitches and a broken collarbone, perhaps lucky considering the video of the crash.

Of the incident, Pedrero was quoted in saying that he was deeply affected by what he witnessed and that he found it difficult to continue on the pace.

The misfortunes of Americans Jonah Street, forced to withdrawal after Stage 2 and Quinn Cody became the fortunes of now top American, Ned Suesse aboard the #81 KTM. In a call to Rally RAIDio after the stage, Ned expressed how enjoyable, yet deeply technical the stage was.

Late finishers from Dakar Team GB/Team Desert Rose, Tobias Younger and Jago Pickering endured a lengthy stage to bring it home and live to fight another day.

Stage 3 proved a difficult one, the technicality of it perhaps suiting Cyril Despres’ riding style better than that of Marc Coma. Coma’s mistake allows Despres a bit of breathing room but don not expect the Frenchman to be anything less than relentless in keeping up the pressure. Coma has been in this position before and seems to thrive when the odds go against him.

Stage 4 from San Juan to Chilecito should prove to be a breathtaking display of a man intent on regaining lost time. Expect a blistering pace along the mixed, stony and dirt track as the bivouac makes its way to the familiarity of Chilecito.

Stage 4 Preview:

Stage Results:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 03:48:38

2 - VERHOEVEN (NLD) - SHERCO - +00:08:37

3 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:08:39

4 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA - +00:10:03

5 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:11:42

6 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +00:13:04

7 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +00:17:59

8 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +00:18:19

9 - PAIN (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:19:01

10 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +00:19:08

Overall Standings:

1 - DESPRES (FRA) - KTM - 07:31:42

2 - COMA (ESP) - KTM - +00:10:12

3 - CASTEU (FRA) - YAMAHA - +00:17:16

4 - LOPEZ (CHL) - APRILIA - +00:17:37

5 - RODRIGUES (PRT) - YAMAHA +00:19:49

6 - GONCALVES (PRT) - HUSQVARNA - +00:26:00

7 - PIZZOLITO (ARG) - HONDA - +00:27:21

8 - VILADOMS (ESP) - KTM - +00:28:26

9 - PEDRERO GARCIA (ESP) - KTM - +00:29:01

10 - FARRES GUELL (ESP) - KTM - +00:31:00

A Contrast in Style

Times can be deceiving

03-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

The winning times from stage to stage on the Dakar or even the times of the overall winner tell a story, but when analyzing the data, it soon becomes apparent that those final times only tell part of the story and only serve to scratch the surface of the consistency and performance of top level rallying.

In breaking down the sector times between the Stage 3 checkpoints of the 2012 Dakar, the dominance of Marc Coma and Cyril Despres becomes apparent, but what is more staggering is how closely grouped the top riders are in point to point performance. From CP1 to CP2, Marc Coma and Cyril Despres were clearly dominant and very evenly matched with each other. While riding separately, the two KTM superstars cleared the 76 kilometers of varied terrain within 34”. Despres, the slower of the two to CP2, was still over 1’22” ahead of the next closest rival. Even when looking at the data, it is staggering that the top ten riders traversed the gap all within 4’10” of each other. Taking ten riders on ten different bikes and instructing them to find their way through unfamiliar terrain for nearly an hour, it is stunning that they can be so matched, yet at the same time, perceived to be completely outclassed by Despres and Coma.

When the terrain is predictable, the riders have settled into a comfort zone mid stage, and their bikes are running well, the consistency is even more staggering. From CP2 to CP3, Coma and Despres were again the quickest with the remainder of the top ten spanning back 5’05” from sector leader Despres.

The gap from CP2 to CP3 was a shorter run, just 46 kilometers, but in analyzing the times, with their differing styles, the two top riders again covered the span in nearly identical times split apart by a mere 12 seconds or about the time it took to ready this sentence. Think about that. 46 kilometers wile navigating over varied, unfamiliar terrain, at racing speed, two riders separated by the time it takes to read a sentence. Even more stunning is a look at the numbers when removing the slowest of the top ten. By doing so, the top nine all cleared the 46km distance from CP2 to CP3 within 1’55” of each other’s times. From the quickest to the slowest of the top nine, different styles, different machines, different levels of support, fitness, ability, all riding separately, yet covering the distance so closely matched.

Cyril Despres and Marc Coma are often referred to as the ‘aliens’, the term respectfully referring to their other worldly pace, consistency and performance. Their sheer dominance also shifts the bell curve of the top riders. Removing them from the analysis and positions three through nine are covered in exactly one minute from CP2 to CP3. The consistency is amazing. For this I compared the actual riders who made up these positions from CP to CP and not just the positions themselves. For example, I compared Frans Verhoeven times between CP1 and CP2, not the third place rider at CP1 against the third place rider at CP2.

It is clear that when the going gets tough, the tough get going. It is often said that there are several tiers of rider ability in the Dakar and Coma and Despres occupy the top tier unto themselves. This is evident in their sheer performance and their uncanny ability to assess the situation, read the terrain, formulate strategy on the go, flat out push when necessary, and perhaps most importantly, be able to pull back when it is not. The two riders are probably the easiest, yet most fascinating to contrast and compare. Both ride very similar machinery, both arguably enjoy equal support and assistance from their teams, and both are so evenly matched.

Coma is the big smooth rider that seems to simply absorb the terrain into a unified stream of fluidity from stage start to stage finish. Despres, equally adept at reading the terrain but doesn’t project quite the same level of fluid ease. Where Despres seems to excel beyond Coma is in race craft and strategy. It often seems as though he can plan further ahead with an almost clairvoyance about what lies around the corner, over the rise, or at the bottom of a dune. Where Coma floats, Despres ever so slightly more points and squirts.

The difference is very subtle. Despres’ style is not that of an exaggerated motocross point and squirt, but just so slightly less fluid or connecting than Coma’s. Both riders seem to have an unnatural ability to smooth the track in front of them, almost influencing the terrain, as if being able to slow down the forward motion while the rest of the riders, places three through last interact with the terrain in a much more reactionary sense. Many are fast given the right circumstances. Some are fast in most circumstances, but it is only Despres and Coma that are fast in nearly all circumstances, their consistency adding to their near mythical rally stature.

Whether it is Coma’s extensive rally, long distance, endurance experience, or Despres’ varied participation in some of the toughest mental and physical tests in the world of off-road racing, there is more to these riders than physical ability. Mentally, physically, physiologically, they are just completely hard wired to excel in their ability to make the bikes an extension of their being rather than a machine upon which to ride.

Over the course of days, weeks, and thousands of kilometers, that a test such as the Dakar can come down to mere minutes or seconds is what makes following and analyzing the times to enjoyable. To be able to study, analyze, and directly compare two of the greatest rally riders ever to throw a leg over a rally bike is a pure privilege.

Even a still photo projects a sense of complete control and perhaps the best word is comfort not seen in many other riders.

2012 Dakar Stage 2 Moto Wrap Up

Asserting Dominance

02-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

If there was ever any question as to who are the kings in rally raid, both Marc Coma and Cyril Despres put forth a masterful showing as an answer. They both have a knack for making most of their competitors seem unable to really mount a sustained attack and today was no different. Stage 2 from Santa Rosa de la Pampa to San Rafael consisted of very fast desert track leading up to roughly 60 kilometers of soft sand dunes just prior to the finish, conditions enjoyable to many.

Starting from 13^th place on stage, Cyril Despres stormed out of the dust to pull a 26 second lead of Marc Coma by the first waypoint, a lead he would hold through the second waypoint as well. Marc Coma, second fastest on the stage so far was not content to slot into the runner up spot with the Spaniard clawing back the lead by 18 seconds at waypoint 3. By waypoint 4, Cyril Despres, perhaps realizing his miscalculation of taking it easier on stage 1, elected not to do so and once again, wrestled the lead back from Coma, besting his KTM rival by a mere 14 seconds. Coma, physically ahead on the stage, could not have known the pace of Despres but he did need to, the 2011 Dakar winner ignited the afterburners and simply decimated his competition, winning the stage by a massive 1’18” over 2^nd place, Despres.

In 3^rd place, 2’33” back from Coma was fellow Spaniard, Joan Barreda delivering the Husqvarna Speedbrain team its first ever podium stage finish. After a commanding win on stage 1, stage 2 results were solid, but perhaps rather forgettable for Chaleco Lopez. Losing time to both Coma and Despres and by the end of the stage dropping to 4^th place behind Barreda, Lopez gave away valuable time but nonetheless, finished with decent positioning. Young Polish rider, Jakub Przygonski continued his consistently fast form, delivering a 5^th place finish on his KTM.

Battling a swelling eye from an insect bite, David Casteu rode his Yamaha to 6^th place through a trouble free run, for the Frenchman, a welcome change from his problematic run in 2011. Privateer favorite, Pal Anders Ullevalsetter put in a conservative effort for a 7^th place finish. Third place on stage 1, Argentinean rider Javier Pizzolito continued solid form to hold onto 8^th while Chaleco’s Aprilia team mate, Alain Duclos navigated through the hanging dust clouds to take 9^th place and Juan Pedrero, rounding out the top ten aboard his factory KTM as water carrier to Marc Coma.

It was a decidedly rough day for the Jonah Street and Quinn Cody. The stage timing indicated that Jonah was having problems as the American was clearly off the pace. Word from his team came that Jonah had stopped completely at km234 with a problem that was initially reported as terminal. Unfortunately, that diagnosis was correct and Jonah has officially withdrawn from the rally, hitching a ride back to the bivouac from a local on an ATV leaving his Yamaha in the dunes for the ASO sweeper truck to collect.

Quinn Cody also thought his rally was over. An incorrectly mounted tire caused damage to both the tire a wheel on the liaison leading up to the timed stage. With his assistance truck being more than two hours away, Quinn was sure to miss his stage start time. Luckily for Cody, the KTM assistance crew was happening by and not only provided his with a new rear wheel and tire, the team mounted it for him as well. Unfortunately, Cody’s problems were not confined to a wheel, his bike suffering significant fuel problems, most likely due to the high temperatures found on the stage.

Quinn Cody told Scotty Breauxman or race-dezert.com, “Today just wasn’t my day, I need to consider myself lucky that I’m still in the race. On the liaison this morning my tire blew off the bead, who ever mounted it broke the bead and kept mounting it. When it blew it also put a hole in the rear tank and jacked up the brake line, I was bummed and thought my rally was over, I didn’t have a support truck within two hours of me and no cell service. I pulled the wheel off and stood by the road (lucky I was still on the service route) and ended up flagging down the big KTM service truck and they gave me a tire and moose and even mounted it for me, those guys saved my ass! I almost missed the start of the special but managed to get there.

The special started out wide open at high elevation for the first 140k I almost never took it off the stop. Then it dropped into some rocky sandwashes and into the desert, I was riding good then the bike started cutting out, I messed with it for a while then just rode with it cutting out finally it got so bad I stopped and took a piece of fuel line and bypassed the fuel pump and it corrected the problem but still lost a bunch of time.”

Quinn Cody showed early speed but problems soon arose.

Privateer Ned Suesse, enjoyed a relatively trouble free run to a 62^nd place finish, just under an hour back from the leader. The fate of fellow American and Team Rally Pan Am rider Bill Conger is not yet known. With his last official time stamp at WP4, news was trickling in that Conger was still on the stage, battling a leaky crankcase.

Early stage performers Sam Sunderland and Frans Verhoeven also paid heavy prices on stage 2. The young Brit Sunderland, dropped out of his first Dakar with electrical issues after having run as high as 7^th place at WP1. An angry Frans Verhoeven said, “I want a different mechanic!” after having to deal with a series of small but dangerous mechanical issues that seemed to suggest his bike was not getting the proper attention to mount a confident charge. His Sherco developed a loose clutch spring and then a loose bolt that jammed the steering sending the Dutchman into a ditch resulting in facial injuries.

Notable withdrawals include Frenchman, Bruno da Costa who was airlifted from the stage after colliding with a cow. Da Costa is expected to fully recover. Team Performance Enduro rider Sebastien Coue was found in the desert after several hours unconscious with hyperthermia. Initially thought to be in a coma, some reports are that Coue has regained consciousness but is being evaluated for any serious damage. Our best thoughts to both riders.

The 2012 Dakar has not eased into things choosing instead to inflict as torturous a beginning as can be tolerated by most. Stages 1 and 2 have proven difficult for some of the best, insurmountable for some of the rest. All indications are that riders will need to keep up the mental preparation because the relentless battle will continue.

Stage 3 from San Rafael to San Juan delivers the riders to their first views of the Andes Mountains. No sand, but very fast track and river crossings will prove once again, that the Dakar is not for those of weak resolve. An initial climb to nearly 3K meters and then a long descent to less than 1k meters and then another drastic climb ending in an equally steep descent into San Juan. The altitude changes will determine whose set up makes the best compromise between lower elevation power and higher elevation running. A balanced setup will be the key factor.   

2012 Dakar Stage 1 Moto Wrap Up

Triumph and Tragedy

01-Jan-2012 | Christopher Doyle

If ever a stage of the Dakar contained it all, this was it. Decidedly short, flanked on either end by lengthy liaison sections, the 57km timed section placed the riders directly in the Dakar proper. Gone are the dirt and gravel farm roads of the previous three years, replaced with a glorious run along the Atlantic starting near Quequen and continuing right along the beach in a stage reminiscent of the Lac Rose stages in Dakar or some of the various Baja routes along the Pacific, before turning inland to end the relatively short stage near Energia, Argentina. Once again, the South American reception, fans, and scenery did not disappoint.

Drawing first blood on stage 1 was Geofil Aprilia’s Chaleco Lopez, doing exactly what he needed to do to hush the muted suggestions that he could not return to top form. Having sustained heavy injuries in a fall near the finish of stage 4 of the Rally Tunisia last May, many questioned whether the Chileans’ career was over. After a much toned down build up to the rally, Chaleco answered that question loud and clear by taking the stage win by 14 seconds over 2^nd place finisher and 2011 Dakar winner, KTM’s Marc Coma.

A mere 27 seconds back slotting into 3^rd place was a remarkable run by local Argentinean, Javier Pizzolito on his third Dakar having finished 19^th in 2011 and suffering a heartbreaking withdrawal from his first Dakar in 2010 when his Honda caught fire and completely burned in parc ferme prior to taking the start.

After some pre race maneuvering to locate a lost motorbike, which ended up in another country like a piece of misplaced luggage, American Quinn Cody continued on the pace he established in his 2011 debut with a commanding, 4^th place stage finish, a mere 3 seconds behind Pizzolito, 30 seconds adrift of the lead, this after estimating that he lost at least 30 seconds by having to hold a loose IriTrack towards the end of the stage. This opening stage doubtlessly suited his style and experience. Following the American in 5^th and 6^th places were Jakub Przygonski and Joan Barreda followed by top rookie, British rider, Sam Sunderland aboard his KTM in 7^th.

Rounding out the top ten were KTM rider, Ruben Faria in 8th, David Casteu aboard his Yamaha France prepared YZF450 in 9th, and American Jonah Street, ever consistent in 10^th place. Perhaps the surprise of the day was a relatively lackluster finish by Cyril Despres, the KTM rider slotting in a disappointing 13th place and expressing surprise at the pace of his rivals. Despres is as calculating a rider as any and does little by chance. With the new rules exacting substantial penalties for each engine change, perhaps the Frenchman is baiting his main rivals in a game of cat and mouse in the hopes of minimizing his engine swaps and maximizing those of his rivals.

Notable starters and finishers today include, against all odds, the four South African riders, Darryl Curtis (59th), Greg Raaf (136^th), Neil Scott-Williams (146^th), and Iain Stevenson (158^th). After securing their bikes very late in the night from a delayed ship, two hours sleep, and an early morning scrutineering, the riders, whose hopes of even participating, looked dashed as recent as a day ago all completed the stage, no doubt ecstatic, regardless of finishing position. Also fighting the odds to come through to the stage finish were Dakar Team GB/Team Desert Rose riders Tobias Younger (167^th) and Jago Pickering (172^nd) after having most of their riding equipment stolen as they were clearing registration two days ago.

American rookie Ned Suesse impressed on his first ever Dakar stage with a solid run, taking his KTM 450 to a 75^th place finish and the young  Italian with the infectious personality, Manuel Lucchese finishing the stage in 86^th.

The stage with its mix of stage surface, fast track, and deep sand, rolling dunes, impressive vistas and the triumphant return to victorious glory by Lopez was marred by the tragedy that is known to all but seldom discussed. Just 2 kilometers from the finish of the time special, thirty eight year old Argentinean, Jorge Andres Martinez  Boero suffered a devastating fall from his Beta. Although the medical assistance responded within minutes, Boero fell into cardiac arrest en route to the hospital and passed away as a result of his injuries. He was starting his second Dakar rally.

Deep inside, all riders know the risks involved, but it never becomes an easier aspect with which to deal. Sainct, Meoni, Caldecott, Symonds, too many have paid the ultimate price for a passion or a dream fulfilled. Our deepest thoughts and condolences to the family of Jorge Boero, a fallen rider not content to let a dream remain just that.

The top of the leader board is a testament to the decision undertaken years back to limit the engine capacity to 450cc’s. Aprilia, KTM, Honda, Husqvarna, and Yamaha all represented in the top ten is precisely what the organizing body had in mind in a bid to attract competition and, in turn, the attention of the world’s motorbike manufacturers to this, off road’s premier showcase. Indeed with this variety, manufacturers are beginning to take notice.

Stage 2 from Santa Rosa de la Pampa to San Rafael contains another long liaison with the first bikes leaving the bivouac at 5:00am local time. Chaleco Lopez will open the timed special at 10:30am to sweep the 295 kilometer stage that consists of mostly gravel track and the transitioning to sand for the final 64 kilometers. Stage 2 will command attention and will demand that consistency reign supreme.

2012 Dakar Riders Group Photo

The Building Drama

28-Dec-2011 | Christopher Doyle

One of the delights of spectating the Dakar Rally is the crescendo of drama that slowly builds from rushed, last minute preparations into a full operatic sense of drama that continues, unabated through the length of the rally.

The final fittings and tinkerings give way to a few days of forced, artificial relaxation with not so subtle undertones of an uncomfortable uncertainty as man and machine take separate paths towards the rally start with the hopes of an eventual reunion in time to make the preset appointment for the dread of scrutineering.

Indeed, the 2012 Dakar drama has not disappointed. News of delayed shipping arrivals, missed port calls, and partial shipments have spread anxious dismay throughout the various, unofficial bivouacs that the teams and riders set up prior to the start of any official proceedings.

Nervous riders, drivers, and team members arrive in Buenos Aires from around the globe, fighting unfamiliar terrain and language barriers in the hopes of converging with their teams, teams consisting of worried individuals searching out machinery, bikes, and spares like doting mothers awaiting their children home from their first, unsupervised excursion; machinery that has been lovingly massaged into tune, cursed at, drooled upon, drilled, hacked, and polished, only to be packed away and handed over to the Grimaldi Lines or APL’s of the world, removed from sight, removed from the control of those nervous, doting mothers.

For most, the nerves pass without validation as the bikes arrive as expected, as packed away weeks prior, only to be carefully reassembled and readied for action. For others though, the drama intensifies. Such is the case with many competitors this year like the South African contingent whose entire container has been delayed with all bikes and equipment for riders, Neil Scott Williams, Chris Birch, Greg Raaf, Iain Stevenson, and Darryl Curtis. Quotes from various riders place them in a holding pattern of sorts, uncertain of the status of their container or the arrival of their equipment, uncertainty that throws everything into question.

The American based riders are enduring similar drama as a container holding the bikes and equipment for Ned Suesse was late for arrival into Brazil. This delay pushed everything back. According to Suesse, the team is at the port and fellow Rider Luis Belaustegui, an Argentine living in the U.S., is working his magic to get things moving for Ned. Sources close to fellow American, Bill Conger, have reported receiving his Husqvarna, but that all spares and equipment are delayed. At least he has a bike to take the start.

Various social media posts show a varying range of reunification success but even those anxiously confronting the unknown share a never ending optimism that all pieces will fall into place just in time for the start of festivities. It is this optimism that has these giants in Buenos Aires, ready to start the 2012 Dakar Rally to begin with.

Ned Suesse reporting from the port, still awaiting precious cargo

The McRae cars being readied

Jago Pickering, a happy competitor showing the arrival of equipment

Cyril Despres, Dakar 2012 Preparation

Cyril Despres is focused on one thing going into 2012 - the insanely difficult Dakar Rally. It gets going on the 1st of January when Cyril and the gang ride from Mar Del Plata to Santa Rosa de la Pampa in South America.

“I have the bike to win” A New Challenge for David Casteu

27-Dec-2011 | Christopher Doyle

David Casteu and Yamaha, ambitious for a Dakar win in 2012

The Nice rider is off again and very motivated to be riding a Yamaha YZF 450 in South America. Starting his ninth Dakar, David Casteu is gunning for victory through the fourteen stages through Argentina, Chile, and for the first time since the rally’s move to South America, into Peru.

With a second place finish in 2008, a fourth place finish in 2009, a gut wrenching withdrawal in 2010 after such a promising first few stages, and a drama filled race in 2011 to finish in sixty ninth place, Casteu, making the switch to tried and true Yamaha power hopes to put the misfortunes of the last two years behind him in a bid for outright victory. Casteu has the talent and the speed and this year’s rally may be as good as any to topple the dynamic duo that is Cyril Despres and Marc Coma who between them, have dominated the top step of the podium for the last six years representing Austrian manufacturer, KTM.

In the days prior to the start of stage one, Casteu is particularly quiet, “I am rested and serene. Usually, I am euphoric prior to departure. However, I want to address this Dakar with the desire to do my best”, he says, the Frenchman’s seriousness matching the effort put in by Yamaha Motor France and HFP Off-Road.

Casteu and his team mate, fellow Frenchman, Olivier Pain will carry the flag for the seasoned rally team, Yamaha Motor France. Casteu has expressed his sentiment at being of the generation that was “spellbound” by Stefan Peterhansel’s wins for the make and hopes to be the rider responsible for returning Yamaha back to the overall win for the first time since Peterhansel’s last moto win in 1998. Adopting a new strategy, Casteu will initially take a conservative approach in the early stages in the hopes of saving man and machine as the rally comes to him. There is little doubt that both Casteu and Yamaha are up for the challenge.