and that portuguese cheap structure is also working to make a great red bike, that's not all about "made in japan"...
That was a great race and offered some great insight into what we can expect for Dakar. The 2 aliens are still in a league of their own but the fight for 3rd and for a few stagewins just got real interesting
That was last year - stage wins and fighting for third. Maybe it is just wishful thinking but I sure am convinced that we've been demonstrated that we'll see more than that.
Last January we were excited about some 8th and 9th places for our favorites! This 2013 I think we will almost see an upset!
You too huh...??? Good morning, (or afternoon/ evening depending on where you are on the f5 global scheme of things), sorry I am late to the stage 6 party but had a few home duties to attend to. You see, I was up at the f5 desk pretty early this morning getting a few things in order prior to todays sixth and final special, when the better half came out of the old pit tent and brushed past me with a wistful look in her eyes Now to be honest, I had been neglecting a few of the domestic duties over the last week; what with the early morning starts and late nights burning the f5 oil and after a few days of f5ever pitch rally action, I was actually feeling about as toey as a Maroccan sandal, so bit of R & R was in order. I shut down the idiottracker and headed back to the comforts of the team camper for a while. She who "runs the team" called out from inside parc ferme that shed purchased a new riding outfit that she would like to gst my opinion on As soon as she set foot in the doorway, resplendent in her brand new mesh half body pressure suit, I could tell right there and then - even before I contemplated swinging a leg over - that this was going to be far from any normal Saturday morning ride for lattés (I wasnt sure as hell wasnt going to need my Leatt neck brace for this ride - gaze was fixed straight ahead!) this recce was going to be all about technique and finesse. I kicked things into gear and we started out with a few of the usual pre-ride warm ups. She likes when I take the lead (mostly) especially until things start motoring, so I began with a few steady laps around the paddock before we got into the sweaty stuff. Strangely enough (f5 damaged like one is ) I found myself with Bluebulls damned rally abbreviations flashing through my mind all the while :huh (Im pretty sure I even blurted out "straight on at Y fork follow piste principal" a couple of times to myself once or twice which wasnt entirely appreciated from the managements perspective :huh). So even though we were just in "pre-run/free ride" mode, it got to the stage where I almost felt like I was in the middle of a full on rally stage. In any case things started to pick up the pace, and pretty soon it was getting to the point where I had to pay a bit more attention to my navigation. As I headed south between CPs one and two, I had learnt (from previous tours) that it is best to take a bit of time, admire the scenery and ambience in this beautiful mountain region. I paid special attention ensure I set off the beacon on both WPMs (the last thing I wanted was a 30 minute penalty for being careless ) before then continuing on south across the awesome expanses of the central massif. This is a stage that catches quite a few (even experienced) riders; off guard. Now, there is plenty of open space to get creative with line choice, and only one fairly obvious terrain feature located right in the middle of this bountiful plain and at first glance it looks like a fairly inconspicuous single caution just a bit of a bobble really but if you neglect to give it due consideration, it can spit you off pretty quickly Treat it with the respect it deserves though, and it sets you up nicely for the rest of the route. Moving even further south I found myself headed into the valley d magnetism* a place that is endowed with a unique geographical anomaly that a number of pilots over the years have found can send the GPS into either "target fixation mode" or premature waaaaypoint acquisition, especially traumatic if the operator doesnt know his WPMs from WPSs * This valley has actually trapped many an ADV rider over the years ; JoMomma is littered with sordid tales of guys who have followed their GPS into oblivion. It could be the magnetic almost mystical - attraction of this ravine like formation, and to be honest the vegetation here was a bit heavier than Id remembered it being** (making it easy to get lost) and I got stuckin there for maybe a good three or four minutes. *This is a good tip for n00bs and experienced ADVers alike paying attention to keeping your maps and gear in order makes the ride so much more enjoyable for all concerned reliable and safe navigation requires good housekeeping. Now, even though it is important to be pretty thorough when navigating this section, still my progress was a little more labored than normal, given that I didnt want to miss a passage control in the thick scrub. I have to admit, that I was bushed for a while there and had to come up a couple of times to get my bearings sorted before pressing on! Anyway, it was right about here that I (almost) made a catastrophic boo-boo that could have ended the stage right there and then! A bit like JC on stage 5 I found myself not really comfortable with the conditions and although this type of terrain was something I had mastered - and in fact excelled at; since many years prior I found it hard to maintain focus, and momentarily lost my game plan. All of a sudden I was back out on the fast smooth flats of legs one and two :huhand rapidly approaching the saddle on the back side of the valley d magnetism It was navigational error of Zanol like proportions! :eek1 Things started to go horribly wrong and before I could lay a hand on my GPS, I was headed straight to the ASS from completely the wrong direction!!! Now the last thing I wanted was to get DQd for a "wrong way into control", so I hit the picks and double tracked back out of there quick smart! Its not like Im judging anyone here Im a pretty broadminded bloke, and very liberal about offroad riding practices in general; I know for example, that in some countries back route off piste riding is the drigour but in my book, theres a fine line between "good sport" and "dual sport", and the team management and I had come to an agreement some years back that this was a border best not crossed. Not that theres anything wrong with that So anyway, now Im back tracking fast and heading for a nice gentle rolling section of whoops, so I assume that a more aggressive riding stance would be best; I follow her lead and started to lift my tempo. Up on the pegs, bending the knees and holding on firmly; we were thumping away through the bumpy stuff at an alarming rate of knots! :eek1 The better half seemed quite comfortable in her new pressure suit and the pace we were going at really was quite exhilarating when all of a sudden after a succession of big hits, we got a little out of synch there for a bit her feet went up over her head in what looked like was going to be a monumental endo, and I thought for a second there, I might have a spill But I squeezed the brakes just a touch and held on with my knees she regained her composure and things got back under control again. We got back to a good finishing rythm and hit the neutral zone together; hot and sweaty but in fine shape. All in all a very rewarding ride. Anyway, after that I realized I was going to be late for the f5 start today, and as I had also promised mini safari carpente we were going for a mountain bike ride this morning (AND I still had my riding gear to tidy up) I knew I was not going to make it to the DSS on time so thats my reason for not being here for proceedings today. I throw myself at the mercy of the f5 jury and hope that the penalty for this indiscretion will not jepordise my ranking in the general classification for the f5 virtual Rallye Marcoc. Yours faithfully TSC. F5 factory team.
Okay... I'll accept whatever the jury deals out... :huh what'd I miss today...?! (Guess, I'll just go back and read ten pages or so...)
And to the teams and sponsors for fronting up to this event (apart from the "Superbowl" this was the best of the 2012 regular season) Thanks to N.P.O. for putting on such a great course and event. And thanks to the F5 loonatics for making this (another) f5un rallye to followw! see ya's in January!
Troy, WTF does someone say after that post :huh Well here goes Every rider should know when it's time to retire. You missed a few parts of the track, admittingly got lost and went the wrong way for a while and lost concentration. These could all be thought of as warning signs that it's time to stand down, say you had a decent career, you tried your best but could never make a career out of it or get famous and move on with life. Based on your ride this morning......time to retire maybe ?
Funnily enough... that was almost exactly what what the team manager's assesment this morning was... wha...? ... oh, :huh I just figured it out...
Troy? Never! But he gets relegated to water carrier duties for the start in January. Come rest day we can re-discuss On a more serious note, half of what made this rally so awesome to spectate were the people posting here during the race. Jimmy Lewis posted about how he'd rather be racing than discussing on here -who wouldn't?- but for me this was the next best thing. So, cheers to everyone, catch you soon!
via KTM Racing: KTM factory rider Cyril Despres wins Morocco Rally! "I always respond to pressure and I knew I had to go out, concentrate and make no mistakes. This is the last ride before the Dakar and its great to leave Morocco with a confidence in myself, the bike (KTM 450 Rally) and the team."
