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

'morning. :sip

Looks like some of the Gif links expired, I re-uploaded them, I think they work now.

Good morning all, thanks for fillng up only 20 odd pages since last night

Some interesting points made in the meantime:

1. Honda fuel pumps. IIRC this was discussed in the Honda thread upon the unveiling of the bike, many questioned the fuel pump position in the left hand side of the skid plate... apprentry not very wise thinking

2. The shorter stage / sprint format of the New® Improved Dakar: Seems to favour more risk taking, balls out riding, definitely lost some of it's endurance character. Best time for yesterdays' Special: 2 hours 37 minutes. That's less time of racing than an Enduro race. WTF? Which brings me to this excellent post:

Having followed the Africa Eco Race as closely as possible - after Patsy Quick and I had a similar conversation back in Serres- I think these are the kind of events that keep the spirit of Mr. Sabine alive, at least for privateers like me who will never have a team structure / factory support. I have nothing against the Dakar, it is an awe-inspiring event which raises the profile of Rallying. As I am also in awe of anyone that tackles it, let alone finishes it... But the 100.000 required could cover 6 or 7 races in North Africa (or the Safari) for a regular guy who just loves to ride and compete in amazing landscapes.

Something to discuss after the race has finished I think

Now, on with the show!

Talking about snowball effect, I feel like Don, catching up after so many pages and then the fight is yet to begin again.

Hello y'all.

Just hate it when our headoffice calls when i am right in the middle of something important. !!!!!

You do know that headmaster f5lood is know to have "f5 pop quizzes" occassionally to catch f5-ing thread skimmers out... don't you?!

f5 sweeper truck all caught up, the dregs tossed into "Cliffnotes" bin and all systems go as we look forward to the departure from the bivouac for DAY 4: Nazca - Arequipa...

As the Scottish mens gymnastics team are known to say;

"Aye... tis gonna be a wee ball tearer...!" :eek1:eek1:eek1

Buckle up you kilts laddies... there will be some tired Dakar soldiers today...

So catching up and time to type my comments of the lasst 54 odd pages.

Campervans with strip poles. Me like

Pale aussie male strippers? hairy butt and all

Flat bill caps for dorks, both in Golf and Motorsport.

Retard Chariots or vehicles for the less gifted as mentioned by TSC

Shoestring.

Havent even had time to catch up on James and Seb.

Got lost in the dunes and finally made it to the stage finish this afternoon
Ready to go again but not hopeful of completing the course tonight.

You even had to ask...? :ddog

good luck Don. you can make it

And not only that, straight in to a 429km special followed by a 289 km liason, the bike start on the special at 05.45 am local time! - now if he manages that there a part waiting with Sly Stone and Jason Statham (Troy SC ) in The Expendables 3

Other way round today, 289 Special straight out of the bivvy, followed by 429 Liaison

go Don!

Looks like JC was broken down with plently of shade :eek1 and Robbie spent time helping the guy who was stuck, must have been watching Cryil vids

It's not really your fault old timer , but you have it arse backwards...

Can someone wander down to the ASO graphics/statistics dept. and smack some froggy up the side of the melon... this is getting beyond ridiculous...
Informations

<TABLE><COLGROUP><COL width="30%"></COL><THEAD><TR><TH id=s-name><ABBR title=Special>Special</ABBR></TH><TH id=cat-a>Cars</TH><TH id=cat-m>Bikes</TH><TH id=cat-q>Quads</TH><TH id=cat-c>Trucks</TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR><TH id=s-start>Start</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">07:32</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">05:45</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">05:45</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">07:32</TD></TR><TR><TH id=s-start>Connection</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">288km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">289km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">289km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">288km</TD></TR><TR class=hilite><TH id=s-start>Special stage</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">429km</TD></TR><TR><TH id=nb-c colSpan=5>Number of participants</TH></TR><TR><TH id=for-wp0>from start</TH><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-a"></TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-m"></TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-q"></TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-c"></TD></TR><TR><TH id=for-wp0>have left</TH><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-a">-</TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-m">-</TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-q">-</TD><TD headers="nb-c for-wp0 cat-c">-</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


The graphic profile and map overview clearly show that the special is first at 289 km, then a liason of 429 km's.



too old... hone your skills man!

From ASO site:

The drivers and riders will face 720 kilometres in the next few hours in what will be the longest stage since the start of the 2013 Dakar. The difficulty goes up a notch. This stage is a beefed-up version of the one that was run in the opposite direction in 2012, wreaking pure havoc. The route will be slightly different for the cars and the motorcycles, which will have to visit the three refuelling points in their road books. One of them comes 173 km into the special. They'll also tackle a 2 km slide downhill in the first third of the special. All in all, another momentous stage in this rally. The big favourites Despres, Peterhansel, De Rooy and Patronelli (most of them winners in 2012) took the lead on Monday, but their margins are still small and there's no doubt that Tuesday will be a very eventful day.

Totally confused Vicks had that, but on the Dakar site for stage 4 we have:-

<TABLE><THEAD><TR><TH id=s-name><ABBR title=Special>Special</ABBR></TH><TH id=cat-a>Cars</TH><TH id=cat-m>Bikes</TH><TH id=cat-q>Quads</TH><TH id=cat-c>Trucks</TH></TR></THEAD><TBODY><TR><TH id=s-start>Start</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">07:32</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">05:45</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">05:45</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">07:32</TD></TR><TR><TH id=s-start>Connection</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">288km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">289km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">289km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">288km</TD></TR><TR class=hilite><TH id=s-start>Special stage</TH><TD headers="s-start cat-a">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-m">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-q">429km</TD><TD headers="s-start cat-c">429km</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Although the red 8 WP line from Nazca is much shorter the the green line to Arequipa - sounds like the bloody metro

:eek1:eek1

BTW GHR OEM parts in a 450 CRF X, yes all oem, 450R piston, 450R Camshaft etc etc.

All for more power. But the top guys need that to keep up, the aussies will mature into Dakarista. Possibly true aliens, but then aussies are already wierd. Mel Gibson doesnt really need to act in some of his movies, tin foil hat an all.

I dont know why we are even bothered to be surprised at the ASO'les ( Troy for the new nickname) way of screwing up data on their site....

Evening all.

Best Dakar ever.

Noticed the F5irehose truck to late today. Bowled over big time.

Day 4. -
The Desert fox will consolidate.
The aussies will brain it.
Troy's of piste manoeuvring is very impressive. I see him clearing out to the rest day.
Doyle's put in a very tradesman's effort. Solid, consistent, reliable.
Bluebull, excellent recovery. Solid rebuild through the pack.
misc, need I say more.
dread, impressive out of the blocks.
nate, awesome, as per.
ned,
ted, excellent solid performance.

For the rest of the F5'ers new and old. Excellent effort. ADV is singularly the BEST resource out there, bar none.

My only remaining concern is we are not even close the rest day.
Can the noobs survive and make the final ASS??

Incredible noise from inside the truck.:eek1 Would want to have some very effective ear plugs.
Interesting view of Sainz's GPS "failure" too.

Henno is out ????:huh

What skills at my age reading the simple numbers should be what it's all about and if I was French they would compensate

It seems like there a few of these deliberate ploys on the schedule - just as well HRC arn't fuelling up for the 429k special then