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

[too old]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

Heldér

5th 2009
4th 2010
3rd 2011
3rd 2012

he already lost 15 to 20 minutes in 2 different stages due to fuel issues, he could be 4th now... who knows?

And an early (stage 6 or 7?) 15 minute (engine change?) penalty, which had been largely below the radar!

[neduro]

One issue with the Barreda / Coma theory, they'll await different passports for their top riders to help sell bikes in more countries. Otherwise, I agree, and some great commentary this morning.

[Deadly99]

Originally Posted by 8340SU

Heldér

5th 2009
4th 2010
3rd 2011
3rd 2012

he already lost 15 to 20 minutes in 2 different stages due to fuel issues, he could be 4th now... who knows?

One of those 3rds should be a 4th. Who can forget Lopez's collapsing Aprillia

[orlando_orange]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

What was that quote about luck, "It's where preparation and opportunity meet"...? I sort of see it apply for the top riders in the orange camp, and I don't just mean the riders. That whole team must be a case study in minimizing bad luck / losses and dealing with unfortunate events professionally

i wonder how many of the other elite riders would have found and swapped an engine over in the marathon bivouac after losing 5th gear?

[Drif10]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

I think he is self conscience of those ugly rear tanks. It's preventing him from getting into the zone.

"It makes my butt look big..."

[8340SU]

Originally Posted by too old

And an early (stage 6 or 7?) 15 minute (engine change?) penalty, which had been largely below the radar!

well then, he could be leading

[8340SU]

Originally Posted by Deadly99

One of those 3rds should be a 4th. Who can forget Lopez's collapsing Aprillia

C'est le Dakar!

[orlando_orange]

faria 19 seconds ahead of CDP overall at WP8... won't the internet have a field day if he finishes just behind CDP overall at the end of this stage...

[Brodovitch]

Originally Posted by orlando_orange

i wonder how many of the other elite riders would have found and swapped an engine over in the marathon bivouac after losing 5th gear?

Husky? check. (Fish, Villadoms, Botturi as donors etc)
Honda? probably one of the SA privateers, though I have no idea on whether the HRC CRF may have different mounting points
Yamaha? check

I think had it have happened to any other team a similar solution would have been found

[Balkan Boy]

If we, keyboard racers, have figured out Cyril Despres so well, why can't that n00b Barreda do it?!

[Brodovitch]

Originally Posted by orlando_orange

faria 19 seconds ahead of CDP overall at WP8... won't the internet have a field day if he finishes just behind CDP overall at the end of this stage...

they will certainly compare times at the refueling and adjust accordingly, if the plan is for Cyril to move into the overall today

[Tomas Kocanda]

Is Marathon category alive this year? I miss SP on the majority of bikes, but believe saw M on at least one bike. Who is in the marathon if the category exist?

[Brodovitch]

Originally Posted by neduro

One issue with the Barreda / Coma theory, they'll await different passports for their top riders to help sell bikes in more countries. Otherwise, I agree, and some great commentary this morning.

Agree, and it's why I'm hoping Kurt is brought on board. Saying that, if he is, he will have to commit to more FIM CC races to get up to par with navigating & the whole rally scene. Or at least I'm hoping so. Quinn's involvement at Husky SpeedBrain seems to spell a valid interest in the US market for me, as does JC at Honda

[catas]

Originally Posted by Drif10

I think it is pretty simple: He doesn't trust the bike yet. And the bike hasn't been all that reliable. If we extrapolate from the known issues and the way the engineers are doing things the HRC way, then perhaps the bike is not the way he needs it to be? Not comfortable with it, which really affects everything.

Rumours here in december was that he definitely was not confortable with bike chassis. Then the reliable issues from first stages... and he always like to say (order) engineers what they should do.
However, he's know from doing dakars easy and smooth, starting from back and always finishing up.

[homerj]

Originally Posted by Brodovitch

My assessment of Joan in this Dakar is that he still has to practice on conserving the bike and pacing himself one notch down. If he were riding 5% slower, but with no problems, he might have been leading this race, or at least in the top 3, as well as being a serious contender for the KTMs on a manufacturer's level. right now, winning stages but laying down in 33rd is doing no good to either his team or his CV, and it's a shame as he is extremely promising

I'd say that while winning stages doesn't help him win, it does get him TV time for sponsors, and possibly convince a manufacturer to stay in the game. "The bike is there or there abouts, we got some stage wins last year against tough competition"

Originally Posted by Drif10

He needs a good mentor. Someone who knows the mental game, to help him achieve the next level.

Here's a scenario for ya: Despres goes to Honda. KTM hires Barreda to replace him. With Coma to mentor him... Ideally, I think this would be his best path to alien status.

KTM was really good at this, they mentored Coma and CdP. Both were WC for the Sainct, Meoni, Sala generation. I think the reason KTM has sent so many WC off to other teams (Viladoms, and others I can't think of now) is due to the relative youth of both Coma and CdP when they became the two top riders. It was obvious that Coma and CdP were going to be around for a while, would you want to be a WC for your entire career?