Spectating the Dakar

Tim Cullis

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I'm vaguely looking at the viability of a trip to Morocco and places further south at the time of the Dakar (31 Dec to 15 Jan).

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The rally route is Portugal, Morocco, Western Sahara, Mauritania, Mali, Guinea, then Senegal. I'm probably just looking at the Portugal/Morocco/Western Sahara sections.

Does anyone have any experience of trying to watch the rally (other than via the useless Eurosport coverage)?

Apparently Nick Plumb will ride Dakar 2006 on a Bracken KTM.

Tim
 
Given the current situation in Mauritania, I will be interested to see how they do this, (The Rally that is, not your trip!)

Trip sounds awesome, I've wanted to go down there again for ages (went last Xmas with Exodus, no motorbike :( ) Sadly can't go when your planning though.
 
I went in January this year to Morocco specifically to watch the Dakar go by.

You are best off trying to find one of the stage end Check Points, which are very difficult to find because they don't release the location to the public. The only way I found one, was that one of the competitors phoned me to tell me the GPS co-ordinates.

The reason I say try to find an end check point is that it will be the only time you will have the opportunity to talk to any of the competitors. At the begining of each stage they will be consentrating on getting to the start line in time.

Also you can ride about a mile or so up the track well before the leaders get to the end and take photo's.

Other than that they will all be a blur as they blast past you in the dust.
 
Just being in the same city where they start is an event. Did Barcelona this year, and it's a blast.

Then followed them as far as I could.... great fun.
 
Countdown to the Dakar (BMW press release)

For your entertainment and elucidation... Look on the bright side, at least there should be some decent Dakar coverage next year.

Countdown to the Dakar
3 October 2005

After several months of enduring an intensive fitness and off-road training programme, Long Way Round's Charley Boorman will appear on the BMW Motorrad stand at this year's International Motorcycle and Scooter Show to talk about competing in the forthcoming Telefónica Dakar Rally.

Accompanied by BMW Off-Road Skills instructor and six-times Dakar competitor Simon Pavey, along with accomplished rider Matt Hall, the duo will support Charley as he embarks on what is arguably the ultimate human endurance adventure. Riding BMW F650 GS Dakar machines, the team will set off from Lisbon on New Year's Day before tackling extreme terrain and varied landscapes as they travel through Morocco, Mauritania, Mali and Guinea in the hope of reaching the final stage of the rally 15 days later in Senegal, West Africa.

The UK production team responsible for the Long Way Round will plan and manage the Dakar project, headed up by Producer/Director and Team Manager, Russ Malkin. The project has the full support of media partners Sky, Time Warner and EMI who are all very keen to maintain the great relationship they have with BMW.

Now in its 28th year, the Dakar rally is widely regarded as one of the most physically and emotionally demanding motor sport events known to man. Charley and his team will be competing against more than 230 other riders. However, his objective is straightforward - to simply complete the 2006 rally.

"The Dakar has fascinated me for as long as I can remember," said Charley. "I have always dreamt about competing in it, and to know I have such a great support team in place is a huge relief. My belief is that finishing the race not only relies upon your skill as a rider, but the camaraderie of the other participants and the relationships you build throughout the event. Ultimately though, every man is on his own."

As principle sponsor, BMW Motorrad UK is providing all three BMW single-cylinder F650 GS Dakar motorcycles plus technical support.

Charley will be available to discuss his 2006 Telefónica Dakar Rally adventure further with enthusiasts when he appears on the BMW Motorrad Stand on the opening weekend of the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show from 28 to 30 October.

The BMW Motorrad stand is number T283 and located in hall 7 at the NEC, Birmingham. Preview day is Friday 28 October and public days run from Saturday 29 October until Sunday 6 November. To take advantage of the advance booking discount, enthusiasts can call 0870 732 2005 or visit www.motorcycleshow.co.uk

For more information, customers can call BMW's information line on 0800 777 155, or visit www.bmw-motorrad.co.uk

Ends
 
skybluebird said:
Eurosport's coverage is excellent, daily programme with 50:50 2- wheels:4/6/8/...wheelers.

No it's not it's CRAP,a half hour programme with 3 commercial breaks!
Last year we had 2 french commentators filmed in some obscure location,in the dark and illuminated by a mini maglite with flat batteries,they spoke in their native language and the British announcer struggled to keep up with the mindless shit they were spewing :spitfire
 
2 wheel humvee said:
No it's not it's CRAP,a half hour programme with 3 commercial breaks!
Last year we had 2 french commentators filmed in some obscure location,in the dark and illuminated by a mini maglite with flat batteries,they spoke in their native language and the British announcer struggled to keep up with the mindless shit they were spewing :spitfire

You weren't keen then..
 
2 wheel humvee said:
No it's not it's CRAP
Couldn't have put it better myself. Absolute waste of time. By comparison, I went to a presentation last week by Patsy Quick (Team Desert Rose) and there was some outstanding footage.

DSC01804.JPG


Nick Plumb (who was Si Pavey's partner last year) was helped last year when he broke down by Patsy's Team Desert Rose and this year will be riding on a Bracken KTM with teammate and Dakar newcomer Charles Headly.

DSC01805.JPG


Tim
 
Are those Touratech eyebrows that Plumbey has on?
 
According to Patsy Quick, each of the competitors in next year's rally will be carrying a transmitter that will allow real-time monitoring of their position via the Dakar Rally website.

Oh, and apparently Plumbey used to work for Bracken, hence the tie-up.

Tim
 
Some changes for this year. The bike fuel capacity for 2006 has been reduced from 350 to 250km range, so for some riders a larger tank isn't needed (in 2005 Si Pavey and Nick Plumb had 50+litre tanks on their F650GS bikes). The reduced fuel capacity lowers the weight and also means there will be more fuel stops. Each fuel stop is a mandatory 15 minutes regardless of how long it takes to refuel, so there should be more time for riders to rest a while.

2005 saw the introduction of the Sentinel system which warned bikes of vehicles wanting to overtake via a siren and flashing LEDs. Some of the competitors also carried an IriTrack system which allows real-time monitoring of position. IriTrack will be standard on all competitors for 2006 and the intent is that the web site will have updates every 30 minutes allowing people to track progress.

There's a detailed list of bike regulations at http://www.dakar.com/2006/presentation/docs/reglement_moto_uk.pdf

Tim
 
Just checked Brittany Ferries website, the last ferry to Santander is 18/12/05, normal service resumes in March 2006 :eek: Anyone know if this is correct?
 
Number 6 said:
Just checked Brittany Ferries website, the last ferry to Santander is 18/12/05, normal service resumes in March 2006 :eek: Anyone know if this is correct?

That's usually the case Brittany do not operate that service year round. Not sure about the P&O Porstmouth-Bilbao service though?
 
judge said:
That's usually the case Brittany do not operate that service year round. Not sure about the P&O Porstmouth-Bilbao service though?
Last year that one stopped the wrong side of Christmas, around the 20th if I remember correctly.

Clive, Bert, Tiffany and me went via Plymouth-Roscoff and made a bimble of the journey to Barcelona.

I quite fancy the Morocco bit but I understand that there are some problems further south. Famine causing trouble I think.
 
I'm going .

Following the T.I.T.S some of the way down , then doing a big sweeping circle all the way back . :cool:
 
More pics/info

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I spoke to Si Pavey yesterday and he says Nick Plumb will be rising an F650GS and will be part of 'Team Charlie'.

In the meantime Charlie has been training with Gas Gas enduro bikes as well as the F650 bikes above. Various quotes from the web...

Sky TV viewers will witness Charley's highs and lows in the dangerous event, from preparations to finish line in Race to Dakar, a small screen spectacular slated to air in six one-hour specials in Autumn 2006.

Charley will be pushed to the limits both emotionally and physically in this desert ordeal, with his navigational and riding skills being challenged as much as his capacity for extreme fatigue and stress in the face of danger over snow-capped mountains or sculptured sand dunes.

The Dakar Rally is one of the most physically and emotionally demanding battles across inhospitable terrain, alone, to achieve the impossible. For a first time participant like Charley, finishing the race in Dakar will be the ultimate goal. Race to Dakar is as much a team effort as an individual feat of endurance and all Dakar competitors, whether amateur (80%) or professional, share unique and unforgettable experiences which bond them for life. The lure of Dakar has been with Charley as a personal ambition since an early age at home in Ireland. "What's special for me is that when I was young the Dakar was really popular,' he said. "I remember watching TV and being blown away by it and thinking, 'one day I'm going to do that'. And now the opportunity has come.

"It's an amazing experience just to get this far. From a small conversation about wanting to do it to sitting here ten months later with four rally bikes is fantastic. With three months to go there is that sick feeling starting of 'what have I done?' But I guess we've come a bit too far to back out now!"

Training for this endurance race has been intense and on more than one occasion gave Charley - and his family - cause for concern about continuing. "I've had a pretty gruelling six months, it's been really tough,' he said. "Even training has pushed me to new limits. I was badly injured while training in Dubai and I keep cracking my ribs so they don't heal properly. I have a hairline fracture on my spine, crushed vertebrae, my knees don't feel good and my feet are constantly aching from the boots. So it's going really well!"

Race to Dakar comes hot on the heels of Long Way Round, the global TV success that had millions glued to their screens as biker mates Charley Boorman and Ewan McGregor rode from London to New York - the long way round.

Their three-month marathon trek took them through 12 countries in Europe, Asia and North America and threw up some pretty hairy moments that formed a unique television event, a best-selling DVD, book and CD soundtrack and sold into territories including Australia, Canada, Japan, France, Spain and Italy. Russ Malkin will again produce Race to Dakar via his event production company, Image Wizard Media (www.imagewizardmedia.com). A DVD and book will support the project.

"We had a monumental undertaking with Long Way Round,' said Russ. "We had the road movie of Ewan and Charley on an incredible adventure. Worldwide success has allowed us to enter the Dakar Rally and again those elements are in place: the excitement and danger plus Charley's charisma that audiences have grown to love. Training has been hard on everyone but the team is ready for all that nature can throw at us. We are ready to support Charley in the challenges ahead in the desert."

For the first time, the Dakar Rally will start in Lisbon, Portugal, on 31st December, instead of its more usual Paris. From there, competitors will set out for Africa in a caravan of nearly 500 cars, bikes, quads and trucks - plus support vehicles - across some of the most stunning but uncompromising landscapes known to man.

Due to its geographical position as a bridge between Europe and Africa, Portugal is a natural host for the Dakar Rally and will hold its own challenges right from the offset. Once they cross the Mediterranean, the drivers will head south through the desert heat of Morocco, in to Mauritania, Mali and the dense vegetation of Guinea, before crossing the finishing line on the banks of Lake Rose in Dakar, Senegal, on 15th January 2006.

Charley said: "The hardest thing to do when you're on your own, emotional and tired, is to keep your speed up. Getting to the end of a stage of the rally in daylight will be important. Navigation will be so important as well - getting lost can be the end of the Rally for you. I am generically terrible when left by myself so it's going to be interesting to see how I cope."

In it's 28 year history, the romantic mystique of the Dakar Rally has inspired the dreams and passion of the greatest motor-racing names, as well as stars from music and film. It is also a key event in the calendar for major motor manufacturers, including BMW, Porsche, Volkswagen, Peugeot, Citroën, Toyota, Yamaha and Honda. Uniquely, it remains open to amateurs and professionals.

It would be impossible for a race of this magnitude to be without its fallen victims. Most recently, Italy's Fabrizio Meoni, twice winner of the rally, and Spanish amateur Jose Manuel Perez died in the rally that has claimed 22 competitors since its debut as the Paris-Dakar in 1978. The race's more tragic history is not lost on Charley or his family.

"The closer I get to the Dakar the more worried I am,' explained Charley. "There is that sickness feeling and the worry. It is such a short time compared to Long Way Round but I am so much more worried about this trip. Dakar is only 15 days but there's more at stake. It's far more dangerous and it does keep me awake at night: Worrying about completing the Dakar, worrying about my family. I know they're worried, too, and the closer it gets the more sleepless nights I have.

"But my wife Olly is used to it. She's a very cool chick. She is supportive in everything I do and never questions me or says 'you can't do that'."

Tim
 


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