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

[8340SU]

Faria + 15"
Lopez + 1'16" at wp2

[ICERIDER]

Originally Posted by PackMule

We're headed up north and won't have net access for much of the next two days.

Could someone PM me when we know whether Luis has continued? And also with Pyn's news from the stage? Emails will bounce in to the phone occasionally.


Thanks!

We'll all miss you.

Safe trip.

[practicalshooter]

Originally Posted by K_N_Fodder

I tell you guys, I've had a shit attitude for the last few months with all the crap going down in the US, little kids getting shot in school, etc. Just starting to weigh me down, getting pretty brittle actually. Clinging hard to my family, having a tough time controlling my emotions like a normal grown man would at times. Giving lots of long hard hugs to my kids. Probably not enough long hugs to my wife :).

But then the Dakar comes along and I get to follow a bunch of people I don't know, struggling mightily every day. One of them walking in the dunes right now, 1:33 AM in Chile, pushing a 150cc bike for crying out loud. A guy who probably hasn't slept more than 4 hours a night since early January, and keeps going. Watching one of them who we know well after many heartbreaking failures, telling his wife on a satphone that he's just too old for this after getting run down by a truck. Another, with no expectations, making a top ten finish and then a few days later repairing a potentially race ending failure with zip ties and liquid steel. All the while taking his time to call in to his friends and report every night. A young gal, one of only two on bikes and back of the pack, stopping to help other riders when nobody else would. Another guy, a star, stopping to help a mid pack rider with a broken leg, and then that rider going out of his way to show appreciation from a hospital bed in a foreign country. A snippet from the wife of a rider, relating how her husband was breaking down because he missed his little girl's first day of school. And a million other human stories in this contrived, yet very real drama.

And then... the massive community of people supporting them, shouting for them, scrounging around on the internet looking for scraps of information because this huge, human enterprise, in one of the most spectacular areas of the world, isn't big enough news to be given more than a few minutes in the middle of the night. Providing high end analysis based on years of following racing and for some many years of actual racing. Building sophisticated tracking software and sharing it for free instead of sleeping. Juggling a family and running interviews for the F5 crew, and then soliciting funds so the riders aren't burdened by internationally sized phone bills. Finding a tire mousse for a kid who has nothing but still managed to get there. Finding and communicating information for hungry fans and worried friends and spouses. Postulating endlessly on why this person is 10 minutes late and that 10 minutes early. Cheering foreign TV streamed on a small laptop screen and screaming when the deadly "snooker" appears.

It's an interesting deal and one that I simply can't fathom why isn't a BIGGER deal in this country. I'm very glad to be part of it, even if barely hanging on after another 11 hour work day. Thanks a bunch you guys and gals, it's going to be weird when it's over. Now, time to do my workout (ugh), get to bed, and do it all over again...

And we have another great day in the F5irehose...

The never ending drama progresses, and I'm beginning to feel a slight anxiety towards the emptyness to come...

This post is really epic, and a briliant description on "why do we do it". After all, the meaning and purpose, and even sanity of hanging in the F5irehose can sometimes be questioned (I know my wife used to a lot - now she just sights and wait for it to be over).

Anyway, I just caught up again, Seems like our big hero this year are still in there... GO LUIS

[8340SU]

Caselli just passed wp2 /cp1, as per maray

[Flood]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

must be a tracking issue...

I can't hear that one anymore.

It should be a meme.

GF: Why didn't you do the dishes?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Boss: Where's that report that was due last week?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Oprah: Why did you never show positive test results?
Armstrong: Must be a tracking issue.

[Brodovitch]

Originally Posted by Flood

I can't hear that one anymore.

It should be a meme.

GF: Why didn't you do the dishes?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Boss: Where's that report that was due last week?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Oprah: Why did you never show positive test results?
Armstrong: Must be a tracking issue.

[8340SU]

Originally Posted by Flood

I can't hear that one anymore.

It should be a meme.

GF: Why didn't you do the dishes?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Boss: Where's that report that was due last week?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Oprah: Why did you never show positive test results?
Armstrong: Must be a tracking issue.

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by Flood

I can't hear that one anymore.

It should be a meme.

GF: Why didn't you do the dishes?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Boss: Where's that report that was due last week?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Oprah: Why did you never show positive test results?
Armstrong: Must be a tracking issue.

Flood brings it.

[Brodovitch]

Despres pushing hard at WP2, same exact time as Faria... I think this is the day KTM will want to stamp their authority on the results. Just hope those gearboxes hold up

[ric678]

Originally Posted by Flood

I can't hear that one anymore.

It should be a meme.

GF: Why didn't you do the dishes?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Boss: Where's that report that was due last week?!
Me: Must be a tracking issue.

Oprah: Why did you never show positive test results?
Armstrong: Must be a tracking issue.

I got to keep that on file

[troy safari carpente]

Originally Posted by Flood

From ToKo on the RRaidio Facebook timeline:

Quote:

Just a short note from stage 12 - C.D. leave messages for #11 (Faria) on CPs. Our friend noticed how he leave information how Faria should ride directly to people, who work on the CP. When Faria arrived, they told him message from Cyril (do not race to finish, just slow down). Interesting..

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

does he relay to course officials? Is that even allowed?

It raises an interesting (grey zone) one which I am sure the KTM brass have examined...

While it is NOT permitted to have communication/pass on messages to team mangers personel at CP's etc. (for this reason the rules expressly ban team personel with access to the selectives (they may be present at bott DDS and ASS controls, but cannot perform any "hands on task" as far as bike/rider is concerned).

There is NO RULE against communicating with control personel etc at Cp's by a rider...

What it does raise however, is a question as to what the nature of these messages or the passing on of said message to other competitors/team members... and the "sporting merits" of the control officials who perform this task...


"Control-gate"... it's the new conspiracy theory... And according to RG there is a knoll on the hill... only it's sandy... not grassy.

[8340SU]

caselli 3rd +9" wp1

[8340SU]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

Despres pushing hard at WP2, same exact time as Faria... I think this is the day KTM will want to stamp their authority on the results. Just hope those gearboxes hold up

Caselli also +15"

[davesupreme]

'sandy knoll'.... i knew her in college.... she was a great date!.....

[ric678]

Faria CDP and Caseelli all same timeat 2 hmmm