Dakar 2021

[EstWRC]

ridiculous....

if such a big names, Sainz, Peterhansel and Loeb complain then something must be wrong.

Loeb again with 3 punctures today, a nightmare dakar so far for him.

[Mirek]

On the other hand I don't know what could be done against those high speeds. You can't build a hundreds of kilometers long stage in the desert without it being fast. It's impossible. You can do that on some twisty mountain roads but then there is no navigation and everybody complains in different manner again (like they did about the "WRC" stages in Argentina).

When I listen Czech crews (third largest national presence in the entry field) I don't see any exceptional criticism. There is something here and there but nothing extraordinary. Just the stuff you listen every year. The only thing which I can hear there too is that the navigation is extremely tricky for the front runners who often get lost but it didn't sound that negative. It's often more in amusing way.

[Co-driven]

I also think that the more experienced crews are still adapting themselves to the fact that now they can't use their "mapmen", which were a big advantage the big teams had in the past.

[focus206]

Is there something different this year compared to the usual Dakar? I've read about the speed limit, but did something change in the navigation too, that is causing these complaints?

[Mirek]

Is there something different this year compared to the usual Dakar? I've read about the speed limit, but did something change in the navigation too, that is causing these complaints?

AFAIK Since last year they get the roadbook only before the start so that they can't prepare beforehand or have someone checking the route with hellicopter. That was a huge advantage of the works and big teams over the privateers which they don't have now (still they have better machinery and service of course). Last year year's edition was however relatively easy so nobody complained that much.

Regarding speed limit - it was introduced for cars (all have max. top speed 180 km/h). That limit isn't slowing 4WD much but affects big RWD buggies significatnly because the speed they could keep over long straights was their main advantage (thanks to the large diameter wheels and long suspension travel).

New 160 km/h speed limit for bikes was planned but in the end it wasn't introduced. Per our TV the works bikers set top speed around 175 km/h while privateers usually don't reach more than 165-170 km/h.

[focus206]

AFAIK Since last year they get the roadbook only before the start so that they can't prepare beforehand or have someone checking the route with hellicopter. That was a huge advantage of the works and big teams over the privateers which they don't have now (still they have better machinery and service of course). Last year year's edition was however relatively easy so nobody complained that much.

Regarding speed limit - it was introduced for cars (all have max. top speed 180 km/h). That limit isn't slowing 4WD much but affects big RWD buggies significatnly because the speed they could keep over long straights was their main advantage (thanks to the large diameter wheels and long suspension travel).

New 160 km/h speed limit for bikes was planned but in the end it wasn't introduced. Per our TV the works bikers set top speed around 175 km/h while privateers usually don't reach more than 165-170 km/h.

I see, thanks. But when Sainz refers to this edition "like a gymkhana", what does he mean? Maybe that waypoints are small and "hidden"? In the last Truck Highlights on YT, you can see 4 or 5 trucks going back on their own tracks, maybe searching for waypoints they missed...

[Mirek]

Yes, sometimes they have problems to find the waypoints but that happened in the past too, just maybe not that often. Also take into account that due to the geography South America was probably easier for navigation (large parts of the rout were just easy follow the road sections). On the other hand in old the African Dakar navigation used to be very difficult.

[dimviii]

these are some quotes from today stage Nr 5
seems it was a lot tricky at first kms.

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Manuel Andujar: “Tricky navigation”

“The stage was really hard with tricky navigation. It was tricky on the first 150 kilometres, but I think I rode well and I’m happy with today’s stage. In the first kilometres I made a mistake but I was able to fix it really quickly, get back on the right route and get it done”

Stéphane Peterhansel: “Really complicated”

“Today was a real Dakar stage: really complicated with the navigation but also not easy in the dunes; some rocky plateau, some tracks with really big rocks... not really nice to drive. At the end it was not beautiful landscape and not nice to drive, but it was selective, a really selective stage like it always is on the Dakar”.

301| NASSER AL-ATTIYAH
Nasser Al-Attiyah: “We lost maybe eight or nine minutes”

“It was not easy to open. We saw a lot of bikes coming and we got confused. At the beginning, we lost maybe eight or nine minutes. I’m happy to have got here finally.

339| BRIAN BARAGWANATH
Brian Baragwanath: “We went slow to go faster”»

“Today we went slow to go faster. We calmed down and tried to just look at the navigation. Taye Perry did a very good job. It’s the first time for us in a big race like this to be navigating like this. Navigation on this Dakar has been super tough. We made some big mistakes on stage two. We missed a way point and...

304| GINIEL DE VILLIERS
Giniel De Villiers: “Today everything seemed to click”

Today’s winner achieved his success thanks to his caution in tackling the navigation. As a result, he picked up the 16th stage victory of his career on the Dakar.

“I must say that since the beginning things have not really been going our way, but today everything seemed to click. Alex did a great job with the navigation today. We took it a little bit calmer at the beginning just to make sure we got all the points. In some places the navigation was really, really difficult. This morning we went a little bit wrong, but not too seriously.

88| JOAN BARREDA BORT
Joan Barreda: “One of the most demanding physically”

“Today was a really difficult stage, really hard. One of the most demanding physically. On the last section, there were a lot of dunes and also at the beginning with a lot of tricky navigation. We had some problems, but other riders arrived and we rode in a group. Conejo was in front for a lot of the time and did very well with the navigation today”.

4| JOSE IGNACIO CORNEJO FLORIMO
Ignacio Cornejo: “It’s a long time since I can remember a stage as tough as this one”

“It was a tough stage. It’s a long time since I can remember a stage as tough as this one. There was everything: rocks, trails, dunes, fast parts, tricky navigation... I think I did a good job with the navigation - I didn't get lost at the beginning where everyone got lost and I made up a lot of time to the guys that started in front of me very quickly. So, I started...

47| KEVIN BENAVIDES
Kevin Benavides: “I kept pushing with a lot of pain”
“It was a really hard day for me. At the beginning I got lost like all the riders, but after that I started to push a lot. On one dune I jumped, a big jump, and I crashed because I hit another big one with the front wheel. I banged my head like this and broke the GPS and everything. I cut myself too and started to lose a lot of blood. There was also some pain around my ankle. In the end, I continued...

[dimviii]

Is there something different this year compared to the usual Dakar? I've read about the speed limit, but did something change in the navigation too, that is causing these complaints?

if i am not mistaken from this year the roadbook is a tablet,and not a book?

[dimviii]

I see, thanks. But when Sainz refers to this edition "like a gymkhana", what does he mean? Maybe that waypoints are small and "hidden"? In the last Truck Highlights on YT, you can see 4 or 5 trucks going back on their own tracks, maybe searching for waypoints they missed...