Tuareg Rallye 2014 - OFFICIAL Event coverage thread - follow our ADV Inmates here!

See you there Lee... don't go missing that connecting flight! Cheers, Paul

Ah, then I may have jumped the gun - I'd presumed that was Robert Jr. as the race number was #67 (that he had in Dakar)...

Eitherway, there ought to be some arse-kicking from the Dutch this year - a very strong field... I'm just wondering who it will be bringing the challenge to them this time - we need our Neduro again!

Jx

Call without Flu will be a strong challenger imho.

It wouldn't be any fun without the illness. Last year two of the IYSK/RMS guys had pneumonia. When they got home they found they also had viral induced asthma and clotting in the lungs due to flying with pneumonia.

Good times!

Have fun folks... Wish I was there!

Dave

Thanks to a good friend of mine I just got off the phone with Cyril Despres! 30 minutes of advice for my first rally and I think I've come away a wiser rider... Just need to put it into practice next week now!

Without a doubt! I can see Calle winning this one day...

Not this year though - as he is actually working as a mechanic for some of the Swedish riders out of the Torque Racing/Raid Designs wagon instead... saving his pennies for Dakar ;o)

Jx

Awesome!!!

I presume he told you a bandana is an essential piece of race kit?!

Jx

Here's two entrants that i will be keeping an eye out for during next week's Tuareg rally;

Ben Young #22 is an Aussie (Oz ADV forum inmate) and former Australasian safari competitor, who is (I believe) entered in his first "sand dune" rally outside of Australia? I hope the ride goes well for him!

The other is Swede #44 Glenn Andersson. Glenn is a good friend and the local YAMAHA dealer in Helsingborg (my adopted hometown). Glenn has ridden the Tuareg rally on two occassions previously - 2008 (where he podiumed in the Amateur class, re-classified from "Profi" after getting bamboozled with the navigation on the very first stage Day 1) and again in 2011, where he regularly ran amongst top 20 to 30 in Profi (don't recall his exact finish).



Glenn will be on the same 2008 model WRF 450 as his previous two attempts... having been recently torn down to a bare frame and the crankshaft - he say's it is like new again!

Good luck to all!

+1



Calle's tally of results at Tuareg in the past (2008, 2010, 2011, 2013) have seen an impressive improvement, to become a regular contender up near the front. He is ready for the next progression.

30 minutes of advice? Spit it all dirtpunk !

Good luck to all contenders

Yes, spill it or the dune bugs will bite you

Stefan

He was great, really down to earth... but I don't kiss and tell . But really, he covered everything... safety, navigation, dunes, nutrition... even what to rub on your ass!

Find me in the bivouac and I'll spill it all over a beer

Just a quick update and taster from team Rally Raid Products/Torque Racing...

While we're not actually racing ourselves this time, John (RRP) and Martin (TR) have been very busy over the last few days getting the production LC4-50 bike together in time to ship to Tunisia with the rest of the Torque Racing supported riders this year...

Donna Grey (from Torque Racing) has also had the privilege of being the first ever person to ride the LC4-50 with the production engine components fitted! - and her initial test-rides these past couple of days have revealed the bike feels very much like a slightly de-tuned version of the KTM 690 to ride, which in effect it is of course.

Although it is currently still running a 690cc fuel map, her seat-of-the-pants review is that the engine is smooth and feels very torquey (for a short-stroke over-square design), and after this initial shake-down, we are confident to take it to Tunisia and put some proper test mileage on it alongside the Tuareg Rallye.

We are also hoping to be able to tweak the fueling maps while we are out there (with a laptop), then once we get home again, the engine will be stripped, inspected, and the production components finally signed-off for batch production.

We'll then get in on the dyno, and set it up optimally with a dedicated fuel-map (still using the original ECU and fuel-injection body) that will be part of the customer kit to be made available.

Exciting times!

Martin Wittering with the first production LC4-50:


Custom Graphics Kit by ZeroNine (who make all the RRP sticker sets for the EVO2 kits) - a patriotic twist on the usual blue and orange design:


It was engineered and built in Britain dontcha know!:


Alongside my race reporting, I will also endeavour to bring you updates from our testing in the Tunisian desert!

More soon, I have some packing to do!

Jenny xx

Checked and packed

...and it's on

Cheers Bluebull2007, we're running 2 Go Pros and a camera (wo)man in the bivouac and out on some of the stages - we're hoping to make a mini-documentary to follow on from our Tuareg prep vids...

In the meantime, here's episode two...

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really great videos, man sorry about the wrist.


ANd Ben Young! wahooo!

Thanks Stagehand , we're leaving for Tunisia tomorrow and finishing episode 4 tonight... here's episode 3 - Training

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So what happens when you put chain lube in someones exhaust?

Nice weather, btw.