Dakar Rally 2013

[Mirek]

Yes I agree in part, the slower amateur riders with less support at the back of the bike category have a very difficult challenge. One article this year tells of one rider having 3 hours sleep in 48 hours? Given that it is mid summer at this time of year in the Southern Hemisphere it increases the possibility of the slow riders having accidents. Probably giving riders the opportunity to miss a stage and still stay in the rally would allow a risk reduction.

That would be against the spirit of the event, don't You think? It has always been an ultimate challenge in which to take part is a free will of every starter.

[bluuford]

Some things in the world are just tough. I was a part of polar expedition approximately 10 years ago and there was a rule that when the human loss is less than 10% of our group during polar expedition, then it is not the fault of expedition leader. It is just the conditions.

Dakar, the fact we cannot imagine is the number of vehicles and people involved. There were 448 competing vehicles and 755 competitors in Dakar. Now put there media cars, assistance cars organizers cars and spectators cars. You get thousands of cars. and those thousands of vehicles are driving around for nearly a month. What is the normal number of casualities in traffic on those countries? What is the normal number of cars driving around on those villages and bigger settlements. It is just the conditions and huge number of people and vehicles that are involved. We just cannot imagine the amount of people involved. Local economy has a good profit, but every profit has its price.

[vino_93]

lot of change today in moto. Despres changes his engine yesterday due to a gearbox problem, so he will probably lost 15 minutes. But what is important is that their was no assistance for moto drivers yesterday, so Despres cannot have a good new engine (a polish driver give him what he needs). So Despres don't know if this engine, which is used, can well end the race.
But today the professionnal drivers made mistake and ran on a falsa direction. Despres started 20th, and so lost less times. Olivier Pain, who was leading (he is not professionnal driver !), lost more than 30'. So it's his teammate in Yamaha France team, David Casteu, who take the lead ... and Despres is back in 2nd position, not losing so much time on new leader.
Whereas he is injured, Barreda did another incredible stage, winning by 7' ahead JOhnny Campbell, who done an incredible stage too ! Top 10 is quite unusual today :
1 Barreda (Husqvarna)
2 Campbell (Honda) 7'04
3 Jakes (KTM) 7'57
4 Bianchi (Husqvarna) 11'10
5 Guindani (Yamaha) 13'07
6 Casteu (Yamaha) 14'14
7 Prohens (Honda) 14'35
8 Van Pelt (Honda) 15'08 n°147 !
9 Poskitt (KTM) 15'48 n°168 !
10 Rodrigues (Honda) 15'57
11 Despres (KTM) 16'09
...
33 Faria (KTM) 22'24
...
50 Lopez (KTM) 26'44
...
77 Pain (Yamaha) 37'00

So general classification :
1 Casteu (Yamaha)
2 Despres (KTM) 9'26 (but will have penalty)
3 Faria (KTM) 11'16
4 Lopez (KTM) 12'00
5 Pain (Yamaha) 16'10
6 Jakes (KTM) 26'22
7 Israel (Honda) 27'07
8 Przygonski (KTM) 31'32
9 Svitko (KTM) 33'50
10 Pizzolito (Honda) 34'55
11 Caselli (KTM) 36'06
12 Gouet (honda) 36'30
13 Botturi (Husqvarna) 36'47
14 Rodrigues (Honda) 41'39
15 Van Niekerk (KTM) 43'13
16 ******ter (Yamaha) 46'51
17 Pedrero (KTM) 49'18
18 Verhoeven (Yamaha) 53'49
19 Curtis (KTM) 1h09'36
20 Ullevalseter (KTM) 1h12'47

In auto, Alvarez has a problem, and Al Attiyah is pushing.
Philippe Gache said SMG (his team, who drive Chicherit, Chabot, Errandonea) had contact with a brand to develop a car. He said he'd like to keep Chicherit, and to have ... Sainz or Petter Solberg with him !
And Peterhansel said to some FTV boys that in 2015 he'd like to do Dakar ... in truck !

No stage today in truck, due to heavy rain.

[alleskids]

how much can be changed at a car/moto and still be legal the same entry? Is the engine the heart, of is it the chassis?

[alleskids]

officially teams can change almost anything, except the engine, which is sealed. but in bikes there is an exception: drivers can change among them if they do all the mecanical work themslefs, and get a 15 minutes penalty

[A FONDO]

get a 15 minutes penalty

Only for the first change. The second one is 45 minutes.

[pucky54]

drivers can change among them if they do all the mecanical work themslefs, and get a 15 minutes penalty

Looks like 15 min penalties will only applied to starting numbers higher than 1

[alleskids]

Looks like 15 min penalties will only applied to starting numbers higher than 1

and with drivers having a non French pasport

[Humber]

That would be against the spirit of the event, don't You think? It has always been an ultimate challenge in which to take part is a free will of every starter.

I think it is respect for the local population in the countries the rally competitors are travelling through that should be the most important factor. It is widely acknowledged that tired drivers are potentially dangerous drivers, so you have tired competitors/ support drivers driving on the same roads as the locals.
In polar or mountain climbing expeditions - the expedition group members actions usually do not have a direct effect on the local people unless they are a paid (usually) part of the expedition.
The Dakar has an expensive entry fee, many amateurs can only afford one event so some are likely to take risks to get their finisher's plaque/ statutette.

Motorsport deaths usually get a greater media bashing than other sports ( for what ever reason) than skiing, snow mobiling, mountain climbing etc deaths.

If someone wanted to do a long distance rally for the spirit of the event won't they be still rate the African rally that actually still goes to Senegal the more worthy event ?

HOME - INTERCONTINENTAL RALLY 2013 - international rally Spain-Senegal (2013)

[alleskids]

and with drivers having a non French pasport

the ASO has fixed the 15 minutes penalty, Despres is 5th, 24 min26sec behind Casteu