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

Thanks for making my rehab the best ever, trouble is back to work Monday and I am knackered and still can't sit down.
Ah well C'est Dakar

Would not be the first one at the Dakar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpMbd41hq3g#t=01m53s
(01:53)

Sorry if this had already been posted, did not fully catch up.

This Doyle fella starts the bestest threads.

Yep... the F5 Dakar... it's got it all allright...

Manuel "staff" FB:

Manuel Lucchese
We crossed mountains, deserts, suffered heat and then cold,
SMS da Manuel:

"We raced 14 days through 3 countries on almost 9.000km. We experienced every type of emotion from happiness to desperation, we had our good and bad moments but we made it guys... WE and this includes all of you that supported me and stood next to me from every part of the world through the toughest event on earth.... Dakar accomplished!!!!! I am officially one of the youngest italian riders in the history of Dakar to get at 24 years old to the finish!!

Today i had problems with the bike and i have to thank really a lot the rider Chavo Salvatierra nr.50 who pulled me with a rope to the finish line!!!! A Big thank to Mauro and Ezio for giving me a bike that managed to get me here racing All the Race with the same pistón and engine!! The problem of today is not the engine but just something with the fuel pump because i crashed early this morning. Thanks also to All of you!!! I want to dedicate this achievement to my grandparents who were praying every night for me!!"

Props to both Manuel & Chavo

Way to go - are you sure it was a rope Chavo used and not a long shoestring

Thanks Everyone! F5 Team rocks!

Ivan Jakes, 4th overall, best ever result of a rider from the tiny nation of Slovakia, which has a population less than New York City

"Slovak motorcycle rider Ivan Jakes KTM to achieve life success, when the 35th year's prestigious race Dakar Rally took fourth place overall.

Racer from the Birch Bradlom so take care of a new historical maximum native from beneath the Tatra Mountains to the traditional desert adventure, though improved by one place last year's fifth place Stefan Svitko.

"I'm very happy. These for my success is a great bunch, Jaroslav Berna mechanic and masseur Marian loop started working everything around me. Cared for me perfectly, even if I have to commend the mechanic I do about a lot of work, because the bike worked flawlessly, " Ivan Jakes told TASR.

For it was a sort of sixth start on the toughest endurance rally in the world, and the second time it finished, the finish came in 2009 to 43 place.

Experienced Slovak competitor appearing on his 2013 Dakar Rally positively surprised. Best to lead in the 8th stage, which finished in third place. A day later, the ninth stage, moved into fourth place and ongoing, this position has not let go of hands. Until the last moment even attacking third place Chilean Francisco Lopez.

Above rider Ress Adventure Team after their fantastic result at the finish number to receive congratulations, not only from their friends, but also competitors.

"I got 150 text messages from family and friends and still further added," Jakes told.

"Almost all of the top ten riders congratulated me. I'm happy that I have not lost the tip and that I achieve a result that no one expected. I'm Already among them, have been taken, register. Already looking forward to another year of the Rally Dakar, although details addressed. now I have to rest well at first, not so much physically as mentally, for the last three days, I was very nervous about the pressure that I keep at least fourth place. Those two were in front of me with my bike unassailable " admitted at the end.

It's over?

There's basically only the ceremonial parade and podium left. Haven't checked myself yet, but there was talk yesterday that Eurosport would be broadcasting something tonight.

Brodo... here is your F5 Champions gold medal mate...



As thanks in return for your invaluable contribution to the sport of F5 virtual Dakar racing, and the creation of the term to forever forthwith be known as...

"Brodomath"

The program added itself to chrome just fine but the TVN stream is just a rotating circle that won't play at the moment.

2300 GMT RALLY - Dakar Rally - Stage 15 (30min) according to the eurosport site.

The same with me now logged in no stream

There's also supposedly two hours of live coverage on Chile's TVN beginning at 0930 EST.....but I have yet to find a working link/stream for it.

It worked for you yesterday?

....I'll try it again closer to showtime if another stream isn't found...

I stand before you, humbled and honoured

I must disclose that your post will be be printed, framed and placed in a prominent position next to my little trophies and the plaque I received last night (I had an award ceremony for 2nd overall in our little Rally Raid championship last night, lost valuable time in the last Special yesterday )

Here's to next year, and hopefully you won't have to move houses again and we will find ourselves cracking up at your excellent comedy recaps

Don't know if it's been mentioned since the finish, but Nicolas Boyer #127 on the Honda XR400 finished in 87th spot (just one behind Shoestring)... he is currently profiled in the Dakar Mag section on Dakar.com:

http://www.dakar.com/dakar/2013/us/summary/adrenalin.html

Although typically those pages are superseded quite regularly...

It's quite a story - a €3500 Euro bike that he first raced in the African Dakar back in 2001 - congratulations Nicolas!

Jx