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

[8340SU]

HRC Team

Day 6 Arica – Calama 313 km liaison 455 km special
This first special stage held in Chile took the competitors to the Atacama desert, a plateau that covers a 600-mile strip of land on the Pacific coast west of the Andes Mountains, famous for the torrid temperatures, sand dunes and salt lakes.
The Dakar is getting tougher and tougher and riders faced today a 455-km stage, split in two parts by 100 km of liaison. The first stage was characterized by big rolling dunes at the sea level, while the second part climbed up to 3,200 meters, before reaching the mining town of Calama at 2,200 meters of altitude.
Overall it was a very long day that stressed the competitors’ bodies as well as the machines. Endurance alone is not sufficient as riders need to focus always at their road books and ride with an accurate navigation.
Chilean rider Chaleco Lopez won the first fully Chilean special stage of the year in front Portuguese Ruben Faria (2’34 behind) and Cyril Despres, third at 03’48, while Helder Rodrigues finished 7th , 06’.58” behind the stage winner. Argentinian Javier Pizzolito rode with a good pace and finished 16th, 11’37” from Lopez. It was a positive day for Johnny Campbell in 24th still suffering from sore ribs. With today’s results Helder Rodrigues gained some valuable positions and sits in 9th place overall, Javier Pizzolito in 13th and Johnny Campbell in 77th, due the problem he had on the third stage.

Helder Rodrigues SS6 7th +06’58”, 9th in the Overall: “It was a long stage and climbing uphill we had the first taste of the altitude. Tomorrow it will be tougher as the stage will be averagely between 3,400 and 4,000 meters. With 4 hours sleep last night, it will be important to have a good rest and be ready for tomorrow’s marathon stage”.

Javier Pizzolito SS6 16th +11’37”, 13th in the Overall: “I rode consistently without taking too many risks as it is still a long race and it’s important not to make mistakes. I enjoyed particularly the sandy dunes and I’m ready for tomorrow’s marathon stage”.

Johnny Campbell SS6 24th +23’41”, 77th in the Overall: “I enjoyed the big rolling dunes in the first part of the stage. In the second part the machine started to feel the altitude and I also could feel it, as it was more difficult to breath. It will important now to take a good rest as tomorrow we will climb up to 4,975 metres”.

Unofficial Lap Times SS6 1 Lopez (KTM), 2. Faria (KTM) + 2’34”, 3. Despres (KTM) +3’48” … 7. Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +6’58, 16. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +11’37, 24. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +23’41”Overall Classification: 1. Pain (Yamaha) 2. Despres (KTM) +2’22”, 3. Casteu (Yamaha) +4’48”…. 9.Rodrigues Team HRC (Honda) +25’23”, 13. Pizzolito Team HRC (Honda) +29’49”, 77. Campbell Team HRC (Honda) +5h23’18.

[ararat]

Originally Posted by NovaMoto

First year here too... It's certainly a lot to parse!!

He aint a first timer here... but it is sure the first time that stage 6 was cut short due to keyboard marks on my face...

[ararat]

Originally Posted by ric678

Well things came to a screeching halt in here!! Everyone must be preparing road books for tomorrows start of the marathon stage...which really is not a true marathon...ok, so you have to sleep in the dirt somewhere I see after the ASS they have a short transit to there special bivvy..wonder if the assistance route follows that same track? If so I guess we will see more side of the road servicing tomorrow...

Hey hombre do you happen to have a spare clutch spring for a KTM 450 Rally? oh what a coincidence to find you here with a full servicing rig for KTM....

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by sick_boy

Hey, TSC...

As promised, and whether you want it or not, here's a snapshot of my workstation - highlighted by Andy Caldecott #10 on the Repsol poster.....That's what I get to work under every day, even outside of the two best weeks of the year.


BTW - pay no attention to the mustached man!

Nice Jonah poster, too.

[Stagehand]

I'm trying to get the f5 bigger

[ric678]

Any one hear anything more about Fish?? probablly kind dark out there in the dunes by now

[wrk2surf]

The finned fesh fesh fish monster .... GNARLY

[cyborg]

Originally Posted by wrk2surf

The finned fesh fesh fish monster .... GNARLY

WOW! That's an awesome shot and shows the super-fine silt there.

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by misc

Hi all,

The dakar is almost half way and we are watching the overall results more and more. Time to add some filters to select a specific class.

I did add an extra link to filter on the class. Associated drivers come from the official site, so don't blame me on glitches Just let me know (when you're sure of course) and I can change the drivers class.

I can add some "user defined" classes too, so lets finish Fodder's lists and add them.

I'm sure you will find the filter and the website.

See ya and good night (2:15 here already).

Mischa

PS: ADVriders can be selected now too

It doesn't stop with you, does it.




Thank you.

[wrk2surf]

5 of 6 for the bugly... Robbie a big fat goose egg

Now team Qatar has a total car for back up ... still a long race though and that guy who rode the Yamaha is sitting back waiting..

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by Resist

Sounds like Joan Barreda is hurt. Could be a chance of not starting tomorrow? Or am I bulk late to this party?

Missed that. Linky?

[ArthDuro]

The wi5e ones call it "managing the snowball effect". This phenomena occurs in all things dakar and this does not exclude the f5 world. hehe

Btw anyone know who is providing the pillows for the ktm boys this year?

Originally Posted by ric678

Well things came to a screeching halt in here!! Everyone must be preparing road books for tomorrows start of the marathon stage...which really is not a true marathon...ok, so you have to sleep in the dirt somewhere I see after the ASS they have a short transit to there special bivvy..wonder if the assistance route follows that same track? If so I guess we will see more side of the road servicing tomorrow...

[Stagehand]

Dakar Rally race report- Johnny Campbell:
Stages 4-6
Stage 4:
Nazca-Arequipa
Special 290Kms
Liaison 429kms
Total stage 719Kms
Well Howdy everyone! Sorry I have been out of touch the last 3 days as text
service and email is poor in these parts. I hardly remember one stage to
the next as we are burning up calories and the miles like crazy.

Stage 4:
All I really remember from stage 4 is that we had silt-dunes and beach and
it was a long ass ride. We did have an amazing dune section that dropped of
a sand mountain about 3000' to a rocky wash. It was possibly the gnarliest
thing I have ever experienced next to jumping down the Iquique Dune with
Robby G. At the bottom was rocks and I stopped to help a downed rider. He
was fine but didn't remember me picking him up at the end of the stage!
I had a good get off as well toward the end of that stage, bruising my ribs
but thanks to my awesome Fly Racing chest protector I didn't break
anything. I think I finished like 38th or something disappointing like
that. But I had an amazing time riding incredible terrain. The 400 plus
liaison was long and tiring and scary too! We ran along the Pacific Ocean
with a 1000' drop for miles.

Stage 5:
Hmmm let's see.... Oh yeah we started late and had a short stage from
Arequipa to finally crossing the border to Arica, Chile. Thankfully we had
a late 8am start and a short 136K stage followed by a 275K liaison. This
stage I actually started to feel more like my old self, with some more Baja
style terrain. Posted my best finish to date , 25th for the day.

Stage 6:
Today, went from Arica to Calama. It started with a very early 5am start on
a 400Km liaison- that's 4 hours of Highway riding just to get to the start
line! Yikes! The special was broken into to tests with a another 100km
liaison between. The first part was dunes more dunes and finished with a
fun fast twisty road with berms on the sides. I chased dust seemed like the
whole time, just praying for the wind to be in my favor. The second 110k
portion started with a fast silt run that I could careless if I ever ride
that area again. The last half was really fun, catching an passing riders
an having good solid racing, to finish up at 10,000' elevation. I felt a
little winded up there since we started at sea level that morning.
Finished 24th today. Tomorrow we start a 500 mile stage over the Andes at
15,000' elevation. Heard there is some cold stuff up there.
My Team has been amazing from management down to the Pirelli tire mafia.
They have worked sleepless nights preparing the bikes and I can't thank
them enough.
Love you all,
Adios for now.
Johnny

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by kaia

misc

Mischa bought a plane with the tracker donations?!?































Genius!

[PackMule]

Originally Posted by ric678

After rolling the truck front end over, They somehow managed to get it upright and continue on to finish the stage..there is a pic on here somewhere showing the truck on its roof...amazing job to get to the bivvy!!



504
STACEY (NLD)
RUF (DEU)
DER KINDEREN (NLD)
IVECO
21:29:07 04:05:22

That's so awesome. Early reports put them out, but they were clearly moving again.

Let's hope they can get the truck pieced back together and the crew are okay enough to continue.