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

Going to be a long night waiting for Luis.

Any word?

Heard via SMS from Dave that he may have a blown head gasket in the dunes.

Potentially fixable. If he's out of water, the Dakar sweep truck will provide that...

Damn does Luis go the long way around the Dakar!

Thanks, Ned.

Anyone ripping on the Dakar officials for not helping out sure looks nuts after seeing this gentleman dabbling in helping all comers.

Hats off to people that take pride in their work... whatever it may be. They make the world a better place. We obviously need a lot more of them with the current world situation ;-)

Ahh! No wonder. He's the big boss... and I can see why. Bon travail!

Dambn. Nobody knows how to get his money's worth like Luis.

Kemal award?

What! The kids - now that is a bit extreme to keep F5ing

And yet somehow his white shirt remains spotless. How does he do that!?!

Well then who, no what is he. - The Alien Master, Alien King, King of the Aliens or just CDP - I for one really hope he makes it home in that no. 1 spot.

His mastery of Rally can't be threatened

And thanks Ned for helping me get ahold of them. His wife and I have been going out of our mind. Still are. Come on Luis!!!!

Mind of champion with skills to match.

Glad Ned get's to be on the receiving end and experience what he so unselfishly shared with us all last year. And 1000 thanks to Nate RR and Pyn !!!

( Donations on the way).

Paraphrased from the Lyndon chat:
"What's better, finish in the top 10 or overcoming a problem like this?"
"Oh overcoming this problem for sure".
Fantastic interview.

Never actually seen a flash flood in the dunes/sand, it just consumes cars and bikes like a giant alien :eek1

I think most here wish to be in that shape if we make to that age.

Way to set a great example to the youth!

Honda's return thwarted (in spanish)


Portugal's Helder Rodrigues wanted to be more than the companion Despres and Coma on the podium, as he had done the last two years. He won the World Rally Championship in 2011 and wanted to gain prominence in the Dakar in this edition. Not surprisingly, came riding a Honda, a CRF 450 Rally, developed especially for the return of the official Japanese team. But its reappearance in Dakar, 24 years later, has been more of a disaster. Rodrigues began to climb down the second day, the first of open desert. When rolling with the fourth fastest time, started having problems with gasoline and was forced to slow down to avoid running out of fuel before the end of the special. "I lost a lot of time," he recalls. He yielded to the winner ten minutes, Barreda. And he stayed with the 15th best time, not much. The worst thing is that faults have occurred since. Just a day after that the Portuguese, 33, returned to have problems with the fuel pump. On arrival in Nazca, had given another 25 minutes over Francisco Lopez, the best of the day. "In just two days the Dakar is more complicated than in recent years," conceded heartbroken.

"Then, little by little, I was recovering. And when I was skimming the podium I again had a breakdown and I lost everything, "he says. It was two days ago when a cable broke, the bike stopped and he lost 48 minutes to fix it: "The plan was to attack and I was doing. I was flying, had committed no error in navigation, was quick in rocky areas and in the dunes, "he recalled. But, again, something went wrong. Is disappointed. He aspired to much more and hoped that six months would be sufficient for a powerful factory as Honda. But that has not happened.

"It's all new. And this bike is very young. We need more time to develop the bike. In half a year we could not do it, we don't compete in the Dakar for a long time and we lack experience. Our first victory was to be at the start, in Lima, "said Katsumi Yamazaki, project leader for Honda Dakar, which was already the head of command when the factory winged competed from 1981 to 1989. In the 80's Honda won four titles. To return to winning they need more time, at least. "The Dakar is special. The tests can not play stages of 800 kilometers or about 600 special. We have gathered a lot of information and become stronger, "he adds. "We wanted to get on the podium, but it became impossible," says team manager, Henk Hellegers, frustrated, that does not hide the expectations that the project raised. What needs to improve? "Everything," says the Japanese. "You have to work on the durability of the bike", he assumes, aware of the significance that is if one is to be competitive in the Dakar. "You have to work hard. And in everything, "adds Rodrigues laconic.

Thanks Ned,
Luis is showing an incredible effort, courage and resistance !
At the end of stage 10, Luis had spent in stages (excluding connections) about 74 hours.
Cyril, for example had spend only 31 hours.
Taking in consideration the different horse power, it's a hell of an achievement !!

from here

I know exactly how those guys felt. A blackhawk helicopter rolled to within a foot of blade strike on lift off a couple of weeks ago at work. Part of you wants to run like hell. The other part of you knows that you're already completely f*cked, and it's going to be one hell of a spectacular show, so you'd might as well enjoy the front row seat!

So true!!