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Dakar 2017!!!

Towpack

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Massive congrats to Sam Sunderland taking victory in the MC class in this years's Dakar, the first British winner of the event in any class:thumbup::thumbup::happy-cheerleaderk:

Also well done to Christain Lavieille for taking the T2 (production) class in a 200 series.

The Dakar, known as The toughest race in the world and for good reason.
 
Since I stopped paying for TV I've hardly seen any of this which is a great shame. I particularly like the trucks! Noticed that Stephane Peterhansel won his 7th drivers victory to go with his 6 motorbike wins.
 
Here in Spain we get an hour programme every night, as there are so many Spanish competitors, on mainstream (free) TV. The Dakar website has been modified for this year and is hopeless and we ended getting more information from an obscure Oz site that we came across by accident while trying to find better info.
Aside from Sam winning which is great, the highlight for me was a shot of a stuck Mitsi getting pulled out by an old 40 series (but I never discovered whether it was a support vehicle or in the Dakar as a competitor!).
The Hiluxes of Nani Roma and Gilles de Villiers were 4th & 5th overall.
As ever it was a stunning event.

Regards
 
Apparently Peterhansel is known as "Mr Dakar" among the Rally Raid fraternity!. He was seriously challenged this year though by multi WRC champion Sebastian Loeb who was actually faster on some sections but6 lost time when the route went 'off piste' across open country plus he had some bad luck in the final stages.
Those trucks are AMAZING 1000 hp monsters. I particularly enjoy watching some of the recovery techniques when they get bogged. On One stage they even lifted one up with the bucket on a huge CAT front loader while another huge construction machine (a grader I think) pulled it free!
 
No 40 series competing, but there was a 120! Obviously cos they're the best.
 
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Apparently Peterhansel is known as "Mr Dakar" among the Rally Raid fraternity!. He was seriously challenged this year though by multi WRC champion Sebastian Loeb who was actually faster on some sections but6 lost time when the route went 'off piste' across open country plus he had some bad luck in the final stages.
Those trucks are AMAZING 1000 hp monsters. I particularly enjoy watching some of the recovery techniques when they get bogged. On One stage they even lifted one up with the bucket on a huge CAT front loader while another huge construction machine (a grader I think) pulled it free!

Although I'm not into the Dakar as much as the details in the above, I do appreciate the event as one of stamina and camaraderie as well as a race.

To this extent, there are some great vids on YouTube, particularly on the "heroes" theme. For me, the way racers stop to assist, not only injured competitors, but those who are stuck regardless of entry class is amazing.

For a truck (for example) to assist a car or a motorcyclist or quad, when he/she's jeopardizing their own performance is true evidence of the healthy side of this as a sport.

It also shows the desperation when stamina is at its lowest, and the support that similarly exhausted contestants can give, despite their own desperation.

Wonderful event, long may it continue...
 
The competitors have transmitters so that they can be tracked. The Motorcycles also have receivers which warn the riders when something is bearing down on them from behind :shock:.

I could do with that when riding in fog on a Motorway (not recommended, but sometimes unavoidable).

Bob.
 
The transmitter is in the form of a distress beacon which pinpoints them to within a few feet. Anyone stopping to help a fellow competitor who has crashed and in need of assistance is credited with the time they lose.
The real heroes IMO are the privateer unsupported bike riders who not only have to ride the event but do their own spannering and machine preparation at each bivouac, feed themselves and try and find time to get some sleep in somewhere. Their kit boxes of spares etc are dropped of at each bivvy and that's all the help they get. Anything more disqualifies them.
Total race distance 5500 miles from sea level to well over 3000m, many special stages approaching 400miles, with road/track work in between. Exhausting for the factory supported riders but on your own? Supermen only please!
 
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